Now, the book banners are coming for Optimus Prime. There are many reasons why the recent surge of books banned from school libraries should concern all of us. A major one is this censorship movement’s predictable descent into something that will likely leave you scratching your head, wondering just why they banned that one. It highlights how this movement isn’t concerned with quality education, and it’s really all about control and playing politics with our neighborhood schools. […]
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)
What is the Texas State Board of Education & How Can You Get Involved?
Soon, revisions for the state’s social studies standards will begin at the State Board of Education, and we’re keeping a watchful eye. Especially after the political circus that dominated the last major revision in 2010. This year is already off to a worrisome start–with a conspiracy theorist appointed to the advisory board and new attacks on teachers, books, and accurate, honest education mounting each day. […]
Why Does Abbott Need a Task Force to Understand the Teacher Shortage in Public Schools? The Reasons for Exodus Are Clear.
Gov. Greg Abbott claims to be confused about why there is a teacher shortage in our public schools. We’re not sure why he has questions, though, considering so many of the present issues teachers point to stem from his constant dismissal and undermining of public education. Nevertheless, on March 7, Abbott asked the Texas Education Agency to create a task force to address ongoing teacher shortages in public schools. Check out today’s blog to see why we think Abbott’s creation of this task force is disingenuous and politically motivated. […]
It’s National Read Across America Day. We’re Having Trouble Celebrating.
Today is National Read Across America Day, but it’s difficult to celebrate the joy of reading as we’re actively seeing books pulled from public schools and libraries in Texas and across the country. We’ve constructed a timeline of key events that have sought to diminish free education and diversity in thought. Together, we can stop this timeline before it grows. #TeachtheTruth […]
Teach the Truth: A Conversation with Jerry Craft
Numerous Black authors have watched as right-wing leaders ban their books from libraries and classrooms across the country, and in Texas, a state rep has launched an investigation targeting hundreds of titles. One book of the books on the list is Class Act by Jerry Craft. Craft sat down with us to discuss book banning, the impact of classroom censorship on his work, public school students, and the community as a whole. […]
