Dolores 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 [...]
A live video webcast of the Texas State Board of Education debate over proposed new social studies curriculum standards is available here. 1:20 – 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 [...]
We 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 [...]
A live video webcast of the Texas State Board of Education debate over proposed new social studies curriculum standards is available here. 9:30 – 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 [...]
Former 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 [...]
A Wall Street Journal piece today on the Texas State Board of Education’s politicization of proposed social studies curriculum standards notes one particularly outrageous change the board’s far-right faction made (which we have already reported about) back in January. Check out the quote from board member Don McLeroy: Debate about certain provisions has been intense. [...]
2:00 – The state board resumed testimony about a half-hour ago. Various state legislators are currently speaking to the board, calling for a delay in final adoption of the standards until teachers and academics experts are able to conduct a formal review of changes made over the last three months. 2:25 – State Rep. Trey [...]
Hundreds of supporters of public education rallied this afternoon in front of the Texas Education Agency, calling for social studies curriculum standards based on sound scholarship, not political agendas. Inside the TEA building, members of the State Board of Education heard testimony on proposed social studies standards that educators, scholars and others call bloated and heavily [...]
11:23 – Kelly Shackelford, head of the Liberty Institute/Free Market Foundation, the Texas affiliate of the far-right Focus on the Family, is up. Shackelford argues that the words “separation of church and state” aren’t in the Constitution. Neither, we might say, is “fair trial,” “separation of powers” “checks and balances” and other basic constitutional principles. [...]
A live video webcast of today’s hearing is available through the Texas Education Agency website. 9:10 – Public testimony on the proposed new social studies curriculum standards just began. First speaker: the Rev. Stephen Broden, who’s arguing that social studies students must learn the Judeo-Christian heritage of the nation. His testimony is right out of [...]
