When the State Board of Education‘s public hearing on new science textbooks for Texas public schools finally began late Wednesday night, it became clear that creationists were unable to mount a real attack on the biology textbooks. So all looked to be going well — until it became equally clear that oil and gas industry interests […]
Textbook Censorship
The Texas State Board of Education decides what every student in Texas public schools will learn from kindergarten through high school. The board does so by adopting curriculum standards and textbooks for public schools in the state.
For decades, far-right politicians on the State Board of Education and their extremist allies have taken advantage of this flawed system to dismiss the advice of experts and scholars. They have instead worked to inject their personal views into textbooks on everything from evolution and climate change to the history of slavery, civil rights, and separation of church and state.
Resources
- Report Reveals Serious Flaws in Social Studies Textbooks
- The State Board of Education: Dragging Texas Schools into the Culture Wars (2008 report)
- Evolution, Creationism & Public Schools: Surveying Texas Scientists (2008 report)
- Culture Wars and the Classroom (2010 report)
- Senate Bill 6: Changes in the Textbook Adoption Process (2011 report)
- Texas Science Curriculum Standards: Challenges (2012 report)
- Science Textbook Review (2013 report)
- Social Studies Textbook Review (2014 report)
Creationist 'Think Tank' Declares Defeat in Texas Textbook Battle — Days Before the State Board Even Votes
On Tuesday morning, the Seattle-based Discovery Institute mourned the failure to undermine the teaching of evolution in new science textbooks for Texas public schools. But that declaration of defeat actually has come days before the State Board of Education‘s scheduled final vote Friday on whether to adopt those new textbooks. We’re not ready to declare the fight […]
Live-Blogging the Texas Science Textbook Adoption Hearing
7:45 p.m. – Ok, folks. We’re going to hang in here until they finish, but we don’t expect you to. We’ll skip the live-blog tonight and post a recap tomorrow morning. We’ll watch so you don’t have to. Be safe out there. 5:40 – If this is true, then the science hearing is likely to […]
Big Week for Science Education in Texas: Textbook Debate Moves into Its Final Days
This week the State Board of Education decides whether the next generation of Texas public school students have textbooks that teach 21st-century science or junk science that once again makes the Lone Star State a national laughingstock. Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams has released the list of textbooks he recommends for adoption, and all of the […]
Thunderclap for Science
The conclusion of our year-long effort to protect science in Texas hangs on a final vote at the State Board of Education this Friday. And on Thursday morning when the board begins its crucial deliberations over the science textbooks, we want to show them the world is watching. We’re going to hit them with a […]
