Education

On Tuesday the Texas Freedom Network joined a broad array of coalition partners at a rally to call on the State Board of Education to reject the error-riddled, deeply offensive Mexican American Heritage textbook submitted for adoption in Texas. TFN President Kathy Miller (speaking in the photo above) was one of the speakers at the rally just before the state board began a public hearing on the textbook. Other speakers included scholars, community leaders, activists and representatives of partner organizations in the Responsible Ethnic Studies Textbook Coalition. Read More

Cynthia Dunbar is upset that scholars don't like her deeply flawed and outrageously offensive Mexican American Heritage textbook, which the State Board of Education (SBOE) is considering for adoption for Texas public schools this year. So now the right-wing, former SBOE member (and current Donald Trump supporter) is offering a rather absurd defense of the text. Read More

Textbook Reinforces Racial Stereotypes, Distorts History, Scholars Say

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 18, 2016

AUSTIN – A broad coalition of organizations from across Texas is calling on the State Board of Education (SBOE) to reject a proposed Mexican-American studies textbook that promotes offensive cultural stereotypes, distorts history and is plagued by factual errors.

“This textbook has no place in a Texas classroom, especially in a course that focuses on teaching about the contributions of Mexican Americans in our country’s history,” said Celina Moreno, representing the Texas Latino Education Coalition (TLEC), in speaking out against the Mexican American Heritage textbook from publisher Momentum Instruction. “The textbook not only insults Mexican Americans, but also African Americans and other people of color. Every parent and taxpayer should take offense that such a poorly researched and written textbook would even be considered for use in Texas public schools.”

Moreno spoke at a press conference launching the Responsible Ethnic Studies Textbook (REST) Coalition. Member organizations include education groups like TLEC, the Rio Grande Valley Coalition for Mexican American Studies, and the Mexican American School Board Members Association (MASBA). Community and civil rights groups like MALDEF, Texas LULAC, the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers… Read More

We told you last month about the brewing storm over a controversial Mexican-American studies textbook submitted for approval in Texas by an even more controversial former member of the State Board of Education. Now a current state board member has leapt to the defense of the textbook -- and in a shockingly offensive and insulting way that should make Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump very proud. Read More

You may have seen reports, like this one by the Associated Press, about a proposed Mexican-American studies textbook that will be submitted to the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) for approval and use in the state’s public schools.

That textbook is already generating controversy. Cursory reviews of the book show that it includes troubling passages like this one:

“Chicanos…adopted a revolutionary narrative that opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society.”

Just as troubling is who is behind this text. Cynthia Dunbar, a former SBOE member who believes public education is a “subtle tool of perversion” and the separation of church and state is a myth, owns the company that submitted this book. Dunbar doesn’t have any qualifications to create a Mexican-American studies textbook. And neither do her buddies at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University who helped her write this book.

We’ve known for some time that this book may be coming. And we’ve also known that Dunbar’s company was behind it. And as TFN has done with all textbook adoptions likely to be targeted by political activists like Dunbar, we prepared by lining up scholars and experts in the relevant field to review this… Read More