The Texas school board decides what textbooks are used in the entire country?

[freethinker44]

Samuel Levy, the school board president for Millburn, NJ schools, released a statement concerned that Texas' religious views would affect how children are taught science, geology and history all over the country.

Last week, the Texas State Department of Education, an elected body, amended the state’s science standards to allow for the teaching of different theories of the origin, age, and history of the universe and its beings, calling into question the theory of evolution. Among other things, the Texas Board voted to remove from science standards the statement that the universe is roughly 14 billion years old, urging Texas teachers to challenge such a premise, including adopting the age of the universe generally ascribed in religious scripture. Openings were not only introduced into the teaching of evolution, but the Board’s vote was based in the theory that human beings and organisms are too complex to have resulted from the randomness of billions of years of evolution.
Why is this important to our school district? Because Texas requires all public school districts to use the same text books, making it the largest purchaser of text books by far in the country. Many publishers do not create enough versions of text books based upon state-by-state teaching requirements, and therefore adopt a “what is good for Texas, is good for the rest of the country” publishing model. I urge the Science Supervisor and the next Program chair of our District, and those who follow, to take special caution to examine future science text book adoptions to ensure that the phony arguments that persuaded the Texas Board to alter state curriculum on this subject do not result in the same text books being adopted in Millburn. No matter our religious conviction on this subject, if any, creationism has no legitimate place in the teaching of evolution in this District.

This is very disturbing to me. I always read about some new school board ruling in Texas and, I feel great sympathy for children in Texas, I always dismiss it as some religious nut destroying childrens education in Texas. I had no idea it could be an national problem, and it is disturbing to me that creationists in Texas can indirectly rewrite history and science for the whole country.

 

[Smoke]

Yes, it's a longstanding problem. The profit motive of textbook publishers and the backwardness of the Texas Education Agency have, in combination, a deleterious effect on education elsewhere.

 

[Alceste]

Maybe the rest of you will have to start buying your textbooks from Canada.

 

[hindupridemn]

Will they also teach the theory that the Universe was breathed out Brahma's nostrils?

 

[freethinker44]

Will they also teach the theory that the Universe was breathed out Brahma's nostrils?

I don't think political correctness is on their agenda. I think the board is 7 or 8 fundametalist christians and a couple normal christians so I don't think respecting hindu beliefs are a priority of theirs.

 

[silvermoon383]

If you think the evolution debate in Texas is bad get this: the very same board of education wants to drop Neil Armstrong's name from the notable scientist list. One backwards leap for Texas | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine

 

[Smoke]

If you think the evolution debate in Texas is bad get this: the very same board of education wants to drop Neil Armstrong's name from the notable scientist list. One backwards leap for Texas | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine

Well, he's not exactly a scientist, but I think being the first human being to walk on the moon ought to get you a mention in the textbooks whether you're a scientist or not.

There are no minimum professional or educational requirements for members of the Texas State Board of Education. It's theoretically possible for a complete illiterate to serve on the board. And since board members are popularly elected, Texas' benighted education system is self-perpetuating.

 

[Alceste]

And that's not all!

More than 50 people mentioned in current textbooks are not included in the proposed standards, including Carl Sagan, Colin Powell, Nathan Hale, Neil Armstrong, Eugene Debs, John Steinbeck and Mother Teresa.


Some board members argued for more accomplishments of minorities to be included in the final version. An early recommendation to remove the late farm workers leader César Chávez and the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall provoked a strong reaction. Both are expected to remain in the textbooks.

source


And who's going in?

The first draft for proposed standards in "United States History Studies Since Reconstruction" says students should be expected "to identify significant conservative advocacy organizations and individuals, such as Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly and the Moral Majority."


Another board conservative, Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, said he thinks that students should study both sides to "see what the differences are and be able to define those differences."
He would add James Dobson’s Focus on the Family, conservative talk show host Sean Hannity and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to the list of conservatives. Others have proposed adding talk show host Rush Limbaugh and the National Rifle Association.

source

 

[Madhuri]

Samuel Levy, the school board president for Millburn, NJ schools, released a statement concerned that Texas' religious views would affect how children are taught science, geology and history all over the country.


This is very disturbing to me. I always read about some new school board ruling in Texas and, I feel great sympathy for children in Texas, I always dismiss it as some religious nut destroying childrens education in Texas. I had no idea it could be an national problem, and it is disturbing to me that creationists in Texas can indirectly rewrite history and science for the whole country.

Hey Freethinker, I'd love to see the whole article. Do you have the source address?

 

[freethinker44]

Hey Freethinker, I'd love to see the whole article. Do you have the source address?

I originally heard about it on www.atheist-experience.com TV show, so I googled it and got that quote from some local newspaper. The bulk of the article just summed up the quote so thats all I used. But you should google "texas decides what textbooks to use", it is scary.

I guess the texas freedom network is actively fighting the school board and they have a lot of info on their web site.

www.tfn.org

 

[Madhuri]

Thanks!

 

[bp789]

Alright, I am a sophomore in high school who lives in Texas. Compared to other schools in Texas, my school is fairly liberal, probably because 17% of the school population are various types of Asians. My biology textbook actually does teach the theory of evolution.

However, there is some bias when it comes to teaching Hinduism. Last year and this year, when the chapters talk about Hinduism, they mostly talk about the caste system, and how it is a polytheistic religion. In my current AP World History textbook, it's slightly different. There's more information about Hinduism, but the focus is mainly on caste.

 

[freethinker44]

Alright, I am a sophomore in high school who lives in Texas. Compared to other schools in Texas, my school is fairly liberal, probably because 17% of the school population are various types of Asians. My biology textbook actually does teach the theory of evolution.

However, there is some bias when it comes to teaching Hinduism. Last year and this year, when the chapters talk about Hinduism, they mostly talk about the caste system, and how it is a polytheistic religion. In my current AP World History textbook, it's slightly different. There's more information about Hinduism, but the focus is mainly on caste.

I remember learning about the caste system too. They were pretty biased then too. I remember it being described as a racist system that makes it impossible for poor citizens to gain any type of wealth and they are pretty much slaves.


But according to a bunch of internet sources I glanced over, the texas state school board makes all schools in the state use the same textbooks, I know they plan on teaching about evolution but it will be the creationist version of evolution which as anyone who actually reads scientific theory of evolution would know, the creationist version isn't even close.

 

[Gentoo]

I weep for the future leaders of our country...

 

[freethinker44]

I weep for the future leaders of our country...

I am more scared for myself. The laws and policies they make are going to be taking care of me when I am too old to do it myself.

 

[DallasApple]

Alright, I am a sophomore in high school who lives in Texas. Compared to other schools in Texas, my school is fairly liberal, probably because 17% of the school population are various types of Asians. My biology textbook actually does teach the theory of evolution.

However, there is some bias when it comes to teaching Hinduism. Last year and this year, when the chapters talk about Hinduism, they mostly talk about the caste system, and how it is a polytheistic religion. In my current AP World History textbook, it's slightly different. There's more information about Hinduism, but the focus is mainly on caste.

What part of Texas if you dont mind my asking..Im in Plano..Im old..But I have children here and I have lived here since I was 13.

My son is 13 now..He says they have been exposed to the learning about different religions..He did say they keep telling him about the colonization of the U.S and communism.

Love

Dallas

 

[bp789]

What part of Texas if you dont mind my asking..Im in Plano..Im old..But I have children here and I have lived here since I was 13.

My son is 13 now..He says they have been exposed to the learning about different religions..He did say they keep telling him about the colonization of the U.S and communism.

Love

Dallas

I live in Irving, but I go to school in Coppell ISD because it's so close to Coppell.