Texas School Board Influencing National Textbooks?

[Mr Cheese]

It's good to know what's actually happening here. I was under the impression that a majority of the Texas electorate supported these bozos. That's a dismal thought if there ever was one.

Well, creationism aside...

a lot of what they want is right wing history inserted into the books....
Robert E Lee as hero... etc

Which really, I can see why the Texas people support it

Of course the guy states that women ad minorities only gained the vote 'cause of the efforts and allowance of white men.

The suffragettes, the various equaliy movements....well, just freaks of history, I guess...

 

[Wandered Off]

Because of this story, which I saw on TV, I only just learned that USA does not have country wide education standards.

I am still shocked....

It does seem a bit odd. The theory is that parents and local officials are better able to decide how their own children are to be taught, based on local conditions - but there are obvious holes in that reasoning.

I think people mistake standards for interference in methods, unfortunately.

 

[Buttercup]

It doesn't matter. Geographic bigotry is among the last socially acceptable forms.

The fact is that the State Board of Education is one of those down-ballot races that hasn't gotten a lot of press or voter attention in recent years. Like everywhere else, we tend to focus on big races like governor (who is not the most powerful person in the state) or Senator. Voter apathy and poor turnout are pretty much on par here with the rest of the country, so it is relatively easy for a small, focused, and determined group to mobilize followers and have a disproportionate impact. That's what happened here. It is much more about general political apathy - not significantly different from other states - than rampant fundamentalism, although that doesn't play as well into snarkiness.

I do hope more of us will wake up and begin taking active interest in these races. For what it's worth, a couple of these idiots were defeated by more reasonable people in the last election.

After reading up on the issue a bit more over the last few days, I was surprised to learn the trend with the Texas Board of Education influencing textbook subject material is nothing new and has been going on for years because Texas buys so many textbooks. Publishers simply acquiesce to their demands. I'm thinking this particular year is getting so much press because of some sweeping changes made...more so than average years.

"Since January, Republicans on the board have passed more than 100 amendments to the 120-page curriculum standards affecting history, sociology and economics courses from elementary to high school. The standards were proposed by a panel of teachers."

Texas Conservatives Win Vote on Textbook Standards - NYTimes.com

It's definitely worrisome.

 

[Mr Cheese]

It's definitely worrisome.

But not all that surprising...

 

[Buttercup]

But not all that surprising...

It is when you didn't know.