We just released results of a statewide poll showing that a big majority of Texas likely voters believe separation of church and state is a key constitutional principle. In addition, an even larger majority believe teachers and scholars, not politicians, should make decisions about curriculum standards and textbooks in public schools. Both are key issues […]
State Board of Education
Getting in Touch with ‘Their Inner Children’
The political jousting between Bill White and Rick Perry over the Texas State Board of Education‘s controversial revision of social studies curriculum standards is legitimate in the electoral arena. It’s certainly preferable to dragging political agendas into our children’s classrooms, which the state board has been doing during the curriculum revision. But what the Republican Party of Texas did […]
California Advances Anti-Texas Textbook Bill
The national backlash against the Texas State Board of Education‘s politicization of history and social studies curriculum standards is gathering steam. Yesterday a California Senate committee approved a bill requiring that education officials report to legislators and the state’s education secretary any changes influenced by the Texas standards when they review textbook content. California Sen. […]
History Profs to SBOE: Please, Just Stop
Warning that the “integrity of the curriuclum revision process has been compromised,” university historians are are circulating an open letter calling on the Texas State Board of Education to postpone final adoption of the new social studies curriculum standards. The letter asks the state board to allow curriculum teams and academic experts to review hundreds of changes […]
Most David Barton SBOE Endorsements Flop
David Barton might be a sought-after political speaker and right-wing propaganda artist, but his record in supporting candidates for office hasn’t been very good this year. Barton, who argues that our government and laws should be based on fundamentalist Christian principles, sent out a mass e-mail in February endorsing a slate of five religious-right candidates […]
