We saw signs at today’s State Board of Education meeting that the pendulum might finally be swinging back toward the center on the body that decides what 5 million students learn in Texas public schools. If borne out in coming months, those signs are encouraging for the adoption of science and social studies textbooks over […]
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)
TV Premiere of 'The Revisioniares' Tonight and Tuesday on PBS
Starting tonight, everyone gets a chance to watch the award-winning documentary “The Revisionaries,” a film by director Scott Thurman that tells the story of the religious right’s culture warriors at the Texas State Board of Education and the Texas Freedom Network’s efforts to stop their efforts to undermine instruction on evolution and politicize social studies […]
Even Don McLeroy Gives a ‘Thumbs Up’ to TFN Education Fund’s Report on Bible Classes
Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy has an interesting Twitter post: “Ex-SBOE Chair @DonMcLeroy likes @TFN’s report on preachy Bible lessons: “I agree. That shouldn’t be in public schools.” Well, good for Don. Maybe he can help persuade fellow creationists who sit on the state board now that they should adopt real curriculum standards that […]
Does Ken Mercer Support the Smear Campaign Against a Fellow Texas Education Board Member?
Does Texas State Board of Education member Ken Mercer, a San Antonio Republican, think one of his fellow Republicans on the board “has no integrity”? Does he think his fellow Republican has “disdain for the law,” is ineligible to serve on the board, and is using his position to enrich his business clients? If he […]
TV Premiere of 'The Revisionaries' on PBS Next Monday
Don McLeroy and Cynthia Dunbar are coming to your home. Relax. We don’t mean literally. No, we mean they’ll be there along with TFN in “The Revisionaries.” The critically-acclaimed and award-winning documentary that premiered in theaters last year is making its TV premiere Jan. 28, one week from today. And you also have a chance […]
