Texas Social Studies Curriculum Standards

The Lone Star Report — Blog (emphasis provided by a third party)

Reps, activists make cases for, against state Social Studies curriculum standards

Written by: Andy Hogue
5/19/2010 4:39 PM

There were two major press events held at the William B. Travis Building Wednesday as the State Board of Education heard final testimony on proposed changes to the state’s Social Studies curriculum standards.

The standards, which affect what a large portion of publishers include in classroom textbooks across the nation, has made the Texas SBOE proceedings a national spectactle, according to Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) at a presser held by the Texas Freedom Network, a pro-secularism organization.

“Come January, do not expect the Legislature to purchase these books for our children,” Turner said, noting that the Legislature must approve of purchasing textbooks for school districts.

Turner was joined by Reps. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio), Helen Giddings (D-De Soto), Donna Dukes (D-Austin), Elliott Naishtat (D-Austin) and Alma Allen (D-Houston). Speakers at the conference were concerned that civil rights pioneers were not being given enough limelight, as well as the (mistaken) idea that Thomas Jefferson was removed from the curriculum standards entirely. Others expressed concern that the Judeo-Christian religion was being given preference in highlighting America’s founding influences.

Rep. Martinez Fischer decried the process used to approve the textbooks (i.e. elected officials having power to amend TEA writing committee drafts for final approval) and called for a reform that would allow the Legislature to approve of the curriculum standards.

The State Board of Education’s decisions “makes us look like idiots,” said Gary Bledsoe of the Texas Chapter of the NAACP.

He quoted a phrase from a wall of the Main Building at the University of Texas “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” He didn’t note that this is from John 8:32 in the Bible (several protestors oppose the expression of religious sentiment on public buildings — particulary Texas Freedom Network) but said the quote should serve as a rallying cry for protestors.

Many in the crowd of about a hundred held signs which read “Just Educate.” Some were members of a group called the Save our History Coalition, of which the ethnic separatist organization MEChA is a part.

At  the other hearing, the Liberty Institute (formerly the Free Market Foundation) hosted several speakers of a more conservative persuasion, including Reps. Dan Flynn (R-Van) and Wayne Christian (R-Center). They spoke in favor of many of the SBOE’s decisions and urged passage this week of the Social Studies standards.

“Liberal fringe efforts to complicate, obfuscate and denigrate our heritage and history must be rejected,” said Jonathan Saenz, attorney and director of legislative affairs for the Liberty Institute. “… A vote delayed is a vote denied.”

Kelly Shackleford, president and chief counsel for the group, said a last-minute amendment to the standards proposed this week to have students compare the concept of “separation of church and state” with the Constitution and other founding documents (where the phrase does not exist) is “an excellent idea.”

“It takes a true liberal extremist to oppose a student reading the Constitution,” Shackleford said.

Dr. Daniel Bonevac, a philosophy professor at the University of Texas, said the pedagogy (meaning strategies of instruction) is sound in the SBOE-recommended changes. “They are more precise, and have improved depth and historical accuracy. The board should reject demands to delay and should take a final vote on these standards this week,” he said.

Some opponents to the SBOE’s proposed changes have previously suggested that they should hold off a vote until new SBOE members take office in January — though that strategy was seldom heard of at either today’s or Tuesday’s meetings.

Peggy Venable, director of Americans for Prosperity-Texas and a contributing editor of LSR, held up a print ad from a newspaper paid for by the American Atheists which, along with an altered photo of Mount Rushmore, alleged that the SBOE took out Thomas Jefferson from the curriculum standards. Venable called it an “outright lie.”

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