Texas' influence on textbooks could wane

[sonias]

AAS 3/9/10
Texas' influence on textbooks could wane
Budget woes, technology advances make battles over book content less important.

As a giant in the textbook market, Texas and its education officials have left fingerprints on the classroom readers used far beyond the Red River.

The long reach of the State Board of Education has attracted outsized national attention for years as board members engaged in pitched battles over textbook content from evolution to the Founding Fathers.

(snip)
But changes in Texas' purchasing practices, a looming budget shortfall and legislators' efforts to wean schools off hardbound textbooks could mean that Texas — and the State Board of Education — will no longer be the arbiter of content it has been in the past.

The textbooks being purchased now for language arts classes will probably mark "the end of the high-level of Texas influence as we knew it in the '70s, '80s and '90s," said David Anderson , a former director of curriculum at the Texas Education Agency and now a lobbyist whose clients include a major textbook publisher.

Textbook publishers who are relying on the upcoming science and social studies purchases do so at their own risk, Anderson said.

Fantastic news! That also means less power to any of the remaining crazies on the SBOE. :toast:

[sonias]

1. Speaking of the social studies book review

This is the Texas Freedom Network's e-mail newsletter for this morning:

All Eyes on State Board of Ed as Work Resumes on Curriculum Standards
TFN will be ringside for every minute of today's debate -- keeping you up to date

Today, media outlets from around the country are descending on the State Board of Education meeting in Austin as the board resumes its revision of the state’s social studies curriculum standards. The board has come under withering criticism during this process from parents, educators and newspaper editorial boards around Texas. The reckless changes some board members have proposed to lessons on American history have raised eyebrows far outside the Lone Star State -- even garnering a cover story in the New York Times Magazine. (And just this morning a coalition of Texas civil rights groups added their voices to the chorus of board critics, decrying political efforts to whitewash American civil rights history in the social studies standards.)

Will today's meeting confirm the board's growing reputation as a national laughingstock? We'll know soon, as board members make critical decisions about:

* Whether students will learn that this country was founded on the principle of religious freedom, or whether we are an exclusively "Christian nation."
* Whether majorities granted civil rights to women and ethnic minorities, or whether those groups earned basic rights through courageous struggle in the face of majority opposition.
* Whether Texas students will be forced to learn about conservative icons like the Moral Majority and Phyllis Schlafly -- without similar attention to progressive groups and leaders.

The board will begin debate on the social studies standards around 11:00 this morning. Be the first to learn about decisions on the TFN blog

:kick:

[sonias]

2. The Revision Thing

Texas Tribune 3/10/10
The Revision Thing

In their January meeting, State Board of Education members came armed with more amendments to the state social studies curriculum than they could vote on — a process hardly helped by the acrimony between the board’s socially conservative bloc and more moderate Republicans and liberal Democrats. And so the SBOE kicked the process of revising the standards down the road to this week’s meeting, where social studies rewrites will resume today.

Because of the flood of amendments under consideration, we’ve produced this annotated version of the high school U.S. History standards, which have been the focus of controversy. You can see exactly what the board has added, deleted and rewritten, along with our analysis of the current arguments and historical context behind each change.

Expect more at today’s meeting of what we saw two months ago: Many edits from the conservative bloc, with attendant gnashing of teeth from both their opponents and supporters. If previous meetings are any guide, scores of impassioned speakers from diverse statewide constituencies will address the board on what has become the state’s highest-profile battleground in the never-ending culture wars. At issue: the inclusion of minorities, particularly Hispanics; the balance between liberal and conservative; the clash between “pro-America” proponents vs. those who accuse them of a historical “whitewash”; the concept of American Exceptionalism; the proper role of religion; and, yes, even country music versus hip-hop.

I didn't create all the links in the excerpt, so go read the article complete with the revisions. :)

[sonias]

4. Rep. Mike Villarreal's comments

TFN Insider blog 3/10/10
Blogging the Social Studies Debate II
(snip)
12:32 – State Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, noted the state board debate on his Web site this morning:
"I hope the SBOE does the right thing, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they show up on one of the Comedy Central Shows this week."

Neither would we, Rep. Villarreal.

:rofl:

[sonias]

19. Sex, money, religion and race.

AAS 3/11/10
Politics, sex, religion are all fair game at education board meeting
One board member storms out; others crow about victory on curriculum standards

(snip)
The ideological divide on the 15-member broke into a wide chasm by early evening, prompting board member Mary Helen Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi, to storm out of the meeting.

"I've had it. This is it. I'm leaving for the evening," Berlanga said. The board, she said, is pretending this is "white America, Hispanics don't exist."

Berlanga has focused almost exclusively on adding the names of minority historical figures to the standards. Not all of her suggestions have been embraced, and she said the board was preparing to undo many of her efforts.

"I've never seen a rewrite like this," said Berlanga, a board member since 1982. "This is a step backwards."

Board member David Bradley, R-Beaumont, characterized Berlanga's outburst as "poor boardmanship."

"Losing is hell," Bradley said.

"Losing is hell"? Yeah say that to Don McLeroy asshole! :grr:

[sonias]

20. SBOE members clash over racial balance in history

Houston Chronicle 3/11/10
SBOE members clash over racial balance in history

(snip)
Hip-hop out, country in

Earlier in the day, Berlanga said her board colleagues are not being realistic.

"They want to believe that things were as they remember them when they were children — protected and thinking everything is fine across the world," she said. "It's all ideology. Let's not talk about the bad things that have happened in the past. Let's just talk about the great things."

Rick Agosto, D-San Antonio, said he felt frustrated because Hispanic children are entitled to more examples of contributions by Hispanics.

Agosto, Rene Nuñez, D-El Paso and Lawrence Allen Jr., D-Houston, quietly left 90 minutes before the meeting ended, leaving Knight as the lone Democratic member.

Republicans then got their way, including removing hip-hop as an example of a “significant cultural movement” in American society for high school history. Country music survived.

:crazy:

[sonias]

3. Does state board need a history test?

San Antonio Express News 3/9/10
Does state board need a history test?

AUSTIN — This is what can happen when you ignore experts, don't fully know your history, and are responsible for approving textbooks for Texas schoolchildren, according to critics worried about the State Board of Education:

You might delete someone recognized by Ladies' Home Journal as one of the 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century — citing her membership in a socialist organization.

You could ban a popular children's author from textbooks because his name is the same as a professor who wrote favorably about Marxism.

You might even vote to teach youngsters that U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy's 1950s crusade to smear suspected Communists was vindicated by later research on Soviet spying.

The State Board of Education will meet again this week before taking final action in May on new social studies curriculum standards that will influence history and government textbooks for 4.7 million public school students.

:crazy: McLeroy faction will continue to push their revisionist history until the serve out this remaining term.

[sonias]

5. SBOE circus comes to town

Postcards from the Lege blog AAS 3/10/10
SBOE circus comes to town

The actual debate over the social studies curriculum standards at the State Board of Education on Wednesday could not compete with the sideshow.

A gaggle of television cameras, including several from Fox News and its affiliates, jammed into the meeting room to chronicle the Texas Textbook War, as the news network had dubbed it.

The war pits defenders of traditional values who say American history is under attack by politically correct revisionism against board critics who are calling for a "smarter State Board of Education."

The news network has helped to fan the fire over the social studies standards that will serve as the framework for the state’s future history, government and economics textbooks and lessons.

(snip)

Several board members seemed enamored by the attention from Fox, but the Texas Education Agency wasn’t so pleased with the coverage.

:popcorn:

[sonias]

6. Fox Gets It All Wrong

Texas Observer 3/10/10
Fox Gets It All Wrong

The Fox News Channel has been airing remarkably inaccurate segments this week about the State Board of Education's debate over social studies curriculum. (The SBOE begins its three-day debate today.)

This morning's segment on Fox & Friends was so misleading, I was hard-pressed to find a single factual statement. In fact, the very name of the piece—"Texas Textbook Wars"—is inaccurate. (The SBOE is debating curriculum standards, which can impact textbook content, but textbooks themselves aren't on the table.)

The Texas Education Agency took the rare step of putting out a press release today to correct the mistakes in the Fox segment. Read the TEA release here.

But first, you really should watch the clip from this morning's Fox & Friends. The anchors assert, incorrectly, that the SBOE is considering removing references to the Founding Fathers, the Constitution and holidays like Independence Day and Christmas. And that history class would start in the year 1877. It's a must-watch.

You can watch the idiots Bryan and Gretchen from "Fox and Friends" talk bullshit over this issue at the Texas Observer site. Hold your nose and go watch it. :crazy:

[sonias]

7. TribBlog: TEA Rips Fox News

Texas Tribune 3/10/10
TribBlog: TEA Rips Fox News
At the State Board of Education meeting today, the Texas Education Agency passed out a biting news release taking Fox News to task for "highly inaccurate" recent reports on their social studies curriculum. And the guy from Fox just happened to be sitting next to me a few minutes ago when board member Terry Leo, R-Spring, gave him a piece of her mind. Apparently she's had elderly ladies from church asking why she's taking Christmas out of the curriculum, a rather uncomfortable spot for a social conservative like herself.

Here's is the point-by-point from the release. If TEA quotes Fox accurately, the agency appears to have quite a strong case.

"The Fox Network in recent days has repeatedly broadcast highly inaccurate information about the State Board of Education’s efforts to adopt the new social studies curriculum standards.

Here are the facts. The direct quotes come from the March 10 broadcast of Fox & Friends.

Fox: "Texas board of education begins hearings today on proposed changes to textbooks…"
The truth: The State Board of Education today is expected to take a preliminary vote on updated social studies curriculum standards. The standards detail what teachers are to teach in each class. New social studies textbooks are not scheduled to be selected until 2011.

(snip)
Fox: References to Christmas have been deleted.
The truth: A TEKS review committee briefly recommended removing Christmas from a list that mentioned one major holiday for each of the world’s religions. The committee recommended leaving Easter in the document. The State Board immediately rejected this idea and a reference to Christmas was restored in the standards months ago and can be found in sixth grade in standard 19(b).

:spray: :rofl:

[white cloud]

8. thanks and a bump

liar, liar, pants on fire!!!!!!!

[sonias]

9. Hey you

:hi:

Wondered where you were off to. Nice to see you.

[white cloud]

10. Thanks

I really enjoy the information I find here. But time has been limited lately.

[white cloud]

11. A live webcast of the meeting, which begins at 11 a.m. today

Fox inaccurately reporting State Board of Education action
By Texas Education Agency media release
Mar 11, 2010

Email this article
Print this page


AUSTIN – The Fox Network in recent days has repeatedly broadcast highly inaccurate information about the State Board of Education’s efforts to adopt the new social studies curriculum standards.

Here are the facts. The direct quotes come from the March 10 broadcast of Fox & Friends.

Fox: "Texas board of education begins hearings today on proposed changes to textbooks…"


http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_60700.shtml

Citizens can read the standards for themselves at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=3643.


A live webcast of the meeting, which begins at 11 a.m. today, can be viewed at http://www.texasadmin.com/cgi-bin/tea.cgi.

[sonias]

12. Live blow by blow action

Those wing nuts at Faux News are fanning the flames. :crazy:

Texas Freedom Network is reporting that the board is getting schooled right now.

Texas Freedom Network Insider blog 3/11/10
Blogging the Social Studies Debate IV
(snip)
9:20
...Board members are getting a short lesson on parliamentary procedure right now.

I'm not going to be able to watch this live but I'll try to keep up with it via the TFN blog at least.


:kick:

[sonias]

16. Texas ed board debates race in history classes

AAS 3/11/10
Texas ed board debates race in history classes
AUSTIN, Texas — An effort to require Texas students to learn about congressional Medal of Honor recipients turned into an emotional debate about race for the State Board of Education.

(snip)
Board member Mary Helen Berlanga said while race relations in the U.S. have progressed significantly, Hispanics "are still going through discrimination if we can't even put two names as recipeints of the Medal of Honor."

:popcorn:

[sonias]

18. Berlanga storms out of SBOE meeting

Postcards from the Lege blog 3/11/10
Berlanga storms out of SBOE meeting

State Board of Education member Mary Helen Berlanga stormed out of today’s debate over social studies curriculum standard shortly after 5 p.m.

"I’ve had it. This is it. I’m leaving for the evening," Berlanga said. The board is pretending this is "white America, Hispanics don’t exist."

Good for her! :applause::applause::applause:

[sonias]

17. Religious Freedom Fails in Texas

Religious Freedom Fails in Texas

The Texas Freedom Network just sent out the following press release:

The Texas State Board of Education’s vote today against requiring that students learn what the nation’s Founders did to protect religious freedom represents an irresponsible rewriting of American history and a stunning triumph of politics over education, the president of the Texas Freedom Network said today.

"These board members voted to reject the most "TFN President Kathy Miller said. "In a world plagued by religious conflict, the Founders understood that keeping government out of religion was essential to protecting freedom. It's stunning that this board, which directs the education of nearly 5 million public school children, doesn’t understand that."

The board's vote came on an amendment offered by Mavis Knight, D-Dallas: "examine the reasons the Founding Fathers protected religious freedom in America by barring government from promoting or disfavoring any particular religion over all others."

The board rejected Knight's amendment on a party-line vote, with all Republicans voting no and all Democrats voting yes.

The board is continuing the revision of social studies standards today and tomorrow and will take a final vote in May. Publishers will use the standards to write new textbooks that will be sold in Texas and across the country.

Party line vote. The Rs -"My way or the highway". :grr:

[sonias]

14. SBOE and Fox News have a love fest

First Reading blog 3/11/10
SBOE and Fox News have a love fest

Some of the Republicans on the State Board of Education were quite enamored Wednesday with the Fox News crew that showed up at their meeting. At one point, board member David Bradley handed cookies to the Fox crew, ignoring the rest of the folks at the press table. Other conservative board members could hardly contain their excitement that Fox was there.

But the usually staid staff of the Texas Education Agency was far less impressed, issuing a press release Wednesday morning titled, “Fox inaccurately reporting State Board of Education action.” The agency spelled out six inaccuracies in Fox reports about the state board’s effort to adopt a new social studies curriculum, including suggestions that references to Abraham Lincoln and George Washington had been deleted. Check out the release here.

How childishly rude of David Bradley to only hand out cookies to Fox reporters. What an ass!

[sonias]

15. The SBOE Gets Medieval

Texas Tribune 3/11/10
The SBOE Gets Medieval

Though American history has been the prime battleground for ideologues on the State Board of Education, members from both sides of the aisle showed Wednesday that modern-day American political agendas can be transported across the continent and through time with relative ease.

As the board took up the world history standards, well into the evening, conservative member Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands, sought to inject modern free-market dogma into medieval Europe. Then, in turn, liberal member Mary Helen Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi, sought to inject tales of Texas Rangers hanging Mexicans — along with other examples of "American terrorism" — into a section on Middle Eastern wars and terrorism.

Both moves seemed a stretch, at best, and other members said as much. When Cargill offered an amendment on "free-market factors contributing to European technological progress during … the medieval system," board member Pat Hardy, R-Weatherford, called her on it. Free-market dynamics, in any modern political sense, "didn’t even exist in the medieval system," Hardy said. "I can’t support that." The amendment went down 7-6.

Also defeated was Berlanga's amendment to require study, in a section on Arab terrorism, of "other acts of terrorism … not related to Islam including the U.S. Calvary against the American Indians, the Texas Rangers against the Mexican-Americans and for decades by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist 'Christian' groups right here in our own country." She offered to take out 'Christian' when conservatives balked but still lost the amendment in a split vote. "It’s inappropriate in world history. It’s a U.S. history issue," said David Bradley, R-Beaumont, voting against the bill.

:popcorn:

[sonias]

13. Texas Conservatives Seek Deeper Stamp on Texts

New York Times 3/10/10
Texas Conservatives Seek Deeper Stamp on Texts
(snip)
The board is expected to take a preliminary vote this week on a raft of changes to the state’s social studies curriculum proposed by the seven conservative Republicans on the board. A final vote will come in May.

Conservatives argue that the proposed curriculum, written by a panel of teachers, emphasizes the accomplishments of liberal politicians — like the New Deal and the Great Society — and gives less importance to efforts by conservatives like President Ronald Reagan to limit the size of government.

"There is a bias," said Don McLeroy, a dentist from College Station who heads up the board’s conservative faction. "I think the left has a real problem seeing their own bias."

The three-day meeting is the first time the board has met since voters in last week’s Republican primaries voted to oust Dr. McLeroy and another conservative and threw the future makeup of the board up in the air. Two other members — a conservative Republican and a moderate Democrat — are not seeking re-election, and it is unclear what the balance of power will be after the general election. At present, the seven hard-core conservatives are often joined by one or more moderate members in votes on curriculum questions.

Dr. McLeroy still has 10 months to serve and he, along with rest of the religious conservatives on the board, have vowed to put their mark on the guidelines for social studies texts.

Oh brother we still have 10 months of nuttiness from the McLeroy faction. It's not over until he's out for good :puke: