The debate over new social studies curriculum standards will shift into higher gear when the Texas State Board of Education meets this week. TFN Insider will provide updates about the action here. On Thursday the board will hear from so-called “experts” it has appointed to a special panel helping guide the revision of the social […]
social studies
Race and Social Studies in Texas
It has been increasingly difficult to ignore the racially charged statements that keep coming from far-right members of the State Board of Education and their appointees to panels helping revise social studies curriculum standards for Texas public schools. In fact, their statements are becoming increasingly incendiary, as if they are hoping to provoke a bitter and […]
It’s Likely to Get Worse, Unfortunately
No one should be surprised that right-wingers are pressuring writing teams to craft new Texas public school social studies curriculum standards that are slanted to the political right. We reported in June that State Board of Education members had seeded the writing teams with far-right extremists who rail against immigration and think new President Obama is […]
Quotas for Conservatives in Social Studies?
The San Antonio Express-News has this story up online today: Texas high school students would learn about such significant individuals and milestones of conservative politics as Newt Gingrich and the rise of the Moral Majority — but nothing about liberals — under the first draft of new standards for public school history textbooks. And the […]
First Social Studies Drafts Are Encouraging
Once again, Texas educators are pushing back against efforts to politicize the state’s public school classrooms. Texas Freedom Network’s reviews of the first drafts of proposed new social studies curriculum standards revealed some encouraging signs. In most cases, the teachers, academics and other community members on the curriuclum writing teams refused to bow to far-right pressure to […]
