No surprise, of course, that religious-right pressure groups and websites are engaged in an orgy of praise for the politicized curriculum standards the State Board of Education has approved for Texas public schools. And just as predictable is their common, deliberately insulting line of argument: anyone who disagrees with them must be a radical leftist who hates Christians (or is even “demented”).
Archive for May, 2010
Religious Right Gushes over Texas Standards
May 30, 2010Posted in religious right, social studies | 41 Comments »
Church, State and Cynthia Dunbar
May 27, 2010In an article on the website of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, Texas State Board of Education member Cynthia Dunbar is pretending to give history and constitutional lessons about the principle of church-state separation. The article explains that Dunbar’s critics — it focuses largely on the Texas Freedom Network — have been critical about her tasteless attempt to use prayer to score political points at the state board’s meeting last week. As we explained at the time, Dunbar’s prayer to open the meeting came before the board was to decide what, among other things, students would learn about separation of church and state in their social studies classes. Dunbar and other far-right board members don’t accept that separation of church and state is a key constitutional principle.
In the Liberty University article, Dunbar cackles over the fact that the prayer she recited was originally given in 1954 by the late U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren. From the article:
“This is a huge story in that it exposes the bias of the liberal media and organizations that blasted me for saying ‘Christian land governed by Christian principles,’” Dunbar said. “These were not my words, but C.J. Earl Warren’s. TFN [Texas Freedom Network], a horribly liberal organization, tried to save face by saying that I had made a mockery out of religion. I beg to differ; I think the only thing of which I made a mockery were liberal organizations such as TFN, that simply do not know our nation’s history.”
Posted in church and state, Cynthia Dunbar, social studies | 21 Comments »
Embracing Extremism in the Texas GOP
May 26, 2010UPDATE: Now we find out that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., is coming to the Texas GOP convention in June. See more at the end of this post.
Don McLeroy lost his chairmanship of the State Board of Education last year because he was more interested in promoting his own narrow ideological views than facts and sound scholarship in Texas classrooms. The College Station dentist insisted that “somebody’s gotta stand up to experts” when he promoted creationist arguments in new science standards last year. He argued that science should be redefined to include the supernatural and endorsed a book that calls parents “monsters” if they teach their children about evolution. Then during the debate over social studies curriculum standards, McLeroy suggested women and minorities owe thanks to men and the “majority” for granting them their rights, argued that Joseph McCarthy has been “vindicated” and defended the appointment of absurdly unqualified political activists as social studies “experts” to help guide the revision of curriculum standards.
One might think that Republicans would be wary of embracing someone with such extreme views. But apparently not Texas Republicans.
Posted in Don McLeroy, Republican Party of Texas | 6 Comments »
Dallas Morning News Publishes TFN Op-Ed
May 25, 2010The Dallas Morning News is running an op-ed from Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller about last week’s debacle at the State Board of Education and why Texas must change the way it decides what our children learn in their public schools. Money quote:
Throughout the state board’s needlessly drawn-out and divisive debates over standards for language arts, science and now social studies, parents have grown tired of seeing their children’s education turned into a political battleground. Texans don’t want decisions about what their children learn based on the political biases of anyone, liberals or conservatives. They just want their children to get an education based on facts and sound scholarship – an education that prepares them to succeed in college and a 21st-century economy.
But that’s not what’s happening in Texas.
Posted in social studies | 2 Comments »
Join the Texas Freedom Network This Week
May 24, 2010Last week’s battle over social studies curriculum standards highlighted the need to change how Texas decides what nearly 5 million students will learn in their public schools. Texas Freedom Network staff members are regrouping for the next phase in our campaign to do just that — and we need your help.
This is Membership Week at the Texas Freedom Network. By joining TFN, you help support our work at the state board, the Legislature and in local communities on issues ranging from supporting responsible sex education to opposing textbook censorship and far-right efforts to undermine science in education and the medicine.
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
The Next Steps
May 21, 2010Here’s an alert the Texas Freedom Network just sent to supporters:
Thanks for joining us for the live-blogging over the last three days. So we’ll sign off with TFN President Kathy Miller’s e-mail this evening to TFN supporters:
Moments ago the State Board of Education cast the final vote on new social studies standards, ending more than a year of political wrangling that invited derision and scorn from the entire educational world. I’m not going to take you through the litany of problems with this curriculum. You can read about those on our blog or in the hundreds of news stories that will appear in the media tomorrow. All of these issues, as serious as they are, are really symptoms of the larger problem — allowing politicians with personal agendas to write our children’s curriculum, rather than teachers and scholars.
That’s why today’s vote is not the end of this fight. It’s the beginning.
For 15 years, all of us at TFN have been committed to safeguarding our children’s education from political ideology. And we’re not about to let up now.
Please make a generous contribution to our efforts today.
Our ultimate goal is nothing less than fundamental change at the State Board of Education. Parents, business leaders and concerned citizens across Texas must join together in our Just Educate campaign to send a clear message to politicians: stop dragging our children’s schools into the “culture wars.” That’s why TFN is mounting our largest grassroots mobilization effort in the history of the organization. And we are counting on you to take part.
TFN’s strategy is ambitious and aggressive — and you can be sure that far-right pressure groups will continue to shell out millions of dollars to hold on to their power. That’s why we’re asking you for the most generous gift you can make today.
Together, we can do it. Our kids deserve better. Our future depends on it.
With gratitude,
Kathy
Posted in social studies | 37 Comments »
‘Christian Land Governed by Christian Principles’
May 21, 2010Even before the Texas State Board of Education took up its expected debate today over what students will learn about separation about church and state in their social studies classrooms, board member Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, made her position clear. She offered the board’s opening prayer this morning and removed any doubt about what she and other far-right board members want students to learn: America’s laws and government should be based on the Christian Bible.
Laying out in blunt language the “Christian nation” vision of American history that the board’s powerful bloc of social conservatives espouses, Dunbar threw down the gauntlet:
“I believe no one can read the history of our country without realizing that the Good Book and the spirit of the savior have from the beginning been our guiding geniuses.”
“Whether we look to the first charter of Virginia, or the charter of New England…the same objective is present — a Christian land governed by Christian principles.”
“I like to believe we are living today in the spirit of the Christian religion. I like also to believe that as long as we do so, no great harm can come to our country.”
You will recall that Dunbar, in her 2008 book, One Nation Under God, argued that the Founders created “an emphatically Christian government” (page 18 of her book) and that government should be guided by a “biblical litmus test” (page 47). Even more damning, this State Board of Education member wrote that public education is a “subtly deceptive tool of perversion,” tyrannical and unconstitutional.
And today she will help decide what the next generation of Texas students will learn about separation of church and state in their public school classrooms.
UPDATE: This isn’t the first time Dunbar has used prayer and religion to push an agenda.
Posted in church and state, Cynthia Dunbar, social studies | 167 Comments »
Live Blogging the Final Social Studies Vote
May 21, 20109:43 – The Texas State Board of Education is set today to take a final vote on proposed new social studies curriculum standards for public schools. The board first has to finish its debate over proposed amendments to the standards. We expect that debate will resume later this morning. We expect one of the key debates today will be over what students learn about separation of church and state. Stay tuned.
11:10 – The board has resumed debate on the standards, taking up the high school world history standards first.
11:11 – Pat Hardy wants to change a world history standard dealing with the period 1450-1750, added in March, that would have students study “pro-free market factors that contributed to Europe’s Commercial Revolution.” Hardy wants to the standard simply to say “new economic factors,” with some board members noting that the concept of free markets was very different at that period. The proposal passes. The board’s far-right members don’t like it.
11:14 – Hardy wants to change “explain the benefits of free enterprise in the Industrial Revolution.” She wants the standard simply to say “effects of free enterprise,” noting that there were good and bad effects. Her goal, she says, is to remove “value-laden language” so that students can understand different sides of issues. The proposal passes. Far-right board members oppose.
Posted in live blog, social studies | 38 Comments »
America vs. the World?
May 21, 2010Yesterday’s debate over social studies curriculum standards at the Texas State Board of Education mostly illuminated political biases of board members more than it did good education policies. Many conservative board members opposed, for example, restoring civil rights and labor leader Dolores Huerta to third-grade standards because they say she’s a socialist and isn’t an inappropriate role model for students. Small-minded pettiness was also on display. For example, far-right board members — barely stifling grins and smirks — insisted that the nation’s president be listed in the standards only by his full name, Barack Hussein Obama. They finally backed off after sharp criticism, even from other Republicans on the board.
And then there was right-wing paranoia about American participation in global organizations like the United Nations and in international treaties:
Posted in Don McLeroy, social studies | 9 Comments »
Blogging the Social Studies Debate III
May 20, 20109:14 – The board is back and continuing with eighth-grade American history.
9:24 – The board has just voted preliminary approval for the K-8 standards. The board will take a final vote on those standards tomorrow. Board members will now take up the high school standards.
9:27 – Don McLeroy is offering amendments to the high school American history standards. He wants to add a standard to a discussion of reform and third-party movements of the early 20th century. This is different from the proposed standard that he released publicly last Friday. His new revision would require students to “describe the optimism of the many immigrants who were thankful to find a better life in America.” He argues that this standard balances a more optimistic view of America with other discussions in the broader standard (Progressive Era reforms, muckrakers, etc.). Other board members persuade him to move his amendment elsewhere, to a discussion in the standards about political, economic, and social changes in the late 1800s.
Posted in live blog, social studies | 13 Comments »
Texas SBOE vs. Dolores Huerta
May 20, 2010Dolores Huerta doesn’t have a lot of fans at the Texas State Board of Education. In January the co-founder of United Farm Workers of America was stripped from a Grade 3 list of “historical and contemporary figures who have exemplified good citizenship.”
Earlier today, the board again clashed over the inclusion of Huerta, with social conservatives trotting out a series of attacks against her: she is a socialist…she doesn’t embody American values…her “negative” comments make people uncomfortable. Most bizarrely, David Bradley said she doesn’t deserve inclusion because she isn’t dead yet!
In the end, Huerta failed to meet the board’s standards for good citizenship. Watch for yourself:
Posted in social studies, State Board of Education | 9 Comments »
Blogging the Social Studies Debate II
May 20, 20101:20 – We’re still here, but the board is debating relatively minor points. We haven’t even gotten to the most controversial items likely to come up today.
1:21 – Board member David Bradley wants third-grade students to study the impact of taxes and government regulations on consumer prices. In third grade? It passes.
1:32 – The board is taking an hour break for lunch. We’ll be back then.
2:50 – The board has resumed debate after the lunch break.
3:07 – Conservative board members earlier today refused to restore Dolores Huerta to a third-grade standard in large part because they say she’s a socialist and, thus, an inappropriate role model for students. In addition, board member David Bradley argued that Huerta is still alive and historical figures, he says, should be dead. Well. The board just added Wallace Jefferson, the Republican chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, to a standard in the fourth-grade class on Texas history. None of the board members, including Bradley, objected. Perhaps Republicans are exempt from Bradley’s “should be dead” rule for inclusion in history standards.
Posted in live blog, social studies | 14 Comments »
Poll: Texans Back Church-State Separation
May 20, 2010We just released results of a statewide poll showing that a big majority of Texas likely voters believe separation of church and state is a key constitutional principle. In addition, an even larger majority believe teachers and scholars, not politicians, should make decisions about curriculum standards and textbooks in public schools.
Both are key issues in the current debate at the State Board of Education over proposed new social studies curriculum standards in Texas public schools. Check out our press release after the jump.
Posted in church and state, social studies, State Board of Education | 4 Comments »
Live-Blogging the May Social Studies Debate
May 20, 20109:30 – The State Board of Education is about to begin debate on the proposed social studies curriculum standards. Education Commissioner Robert Scott, an appointee of Republican Gov. Rick Perry, just launched into an attack on the board’s critics. He encouraged the board to dismiss critics and push ahead with the standards. The commissioner also suggested that the board should be careful about delaying final approve of the social studies standards. But why? The board on Tuesday delayed indefinitely a decision to adopt new science textbooks, something originally scheduled for next year. That pushes the adoption of social studies textbooks — which will be based on the new standards — out even further. There’s plenty of time for the board to let teachers and scholars review the scores of changes board members made to the standards in January and March (in addition to those changes that they will make today). These standards will be in place for the next decade. Isn’t it more important to get this right than insist on meeting what is now an unnecessary deadline of final approval tomorrow?
9:49 – The board is working through technical corrections to the standards and revisions from January and March.
10: 40 – The board has finally started the amendment process — beginning with Kindergarten and marching up through each grade level.
10:54 – Board member Pat Hardy has decided to resume tilting windmills, begging her fellow board members to remove just a few of the long list of names the board added to the standards over the last two hearings. She requests that Nathan Hale be removed from the first grade standards after hearing from elementary teachers that Hale’s death-by-hanging is not appropriate for six-year olds. (Hale remains in the fifth grade standards.) Board conservatives — led by Teri Leo — play the patriot card and insist waiting until fifth grade is outrageous. Amendment passes 8-7 with all the social conservatives voting against.
11:06 – David Bradley asks that all amendments be presented in writing. We agree with Mr. Bradley. This would be a great rule for the board to adopt. Would he also support a rule requiring members to present amendments in advance so board members and the public have time to vet them carefully?
12:10 – Consideration of amendments proceeds apace — mostly minor, uncontroversial changes to elementary TEKS.
12:13 – Mary Helen Berlanga offers an amendment returning Delores Huerta — cofounder of United Farm Workers of America — to a list of good citizens in the third grade standards. (Huerta was originally included in the standards here, but the board removed her name in January when social conservatives alleged that she was a socialist and therefore not an appropriate role model for students.)
Berlanga and her colleagues are mounting a passionate defense of Huerta’s historical significance and worthiness to be included in this standard on citizenship. Ken Mercer’s reply — she’s still a socialist.
12:29 – Amendment fails on a 6-9 vote. So Dolores Huerta still does not qualify as a good citizen according to the Texas SBOE’s standards.
Posted in live blog, social studies | 12 Comments »
Highlights from Wednesday’s SBOE Hearing
May 20, 2010Former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige, NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous, Texas lawmakers and hundreds of other supporters of public education on Wednesday called on the State Board of Education to delay adoption of final social studies curriculum standards for public schools. But many board members voiced their opposition to giving teachers and academic experts an opportunity to conduct a formal review of the scores of ill-considered, politicized changes the board made to the proposed standards in January and March. Check out highlights from yesterday’s public hearing and rally at the Texas Education Agency.
Posted in social studies | Leave a Comment »
