Here are some of the week’s most notable quotes culled from news reports from across Texas, and beyond.
Kathleen Wellman, SMU history professor, in her testimony before the State Board of Education on Tuesday.
These books make Moses the original founding father and credit him for virtually every distinctive feature of American government. Moses shows up everywhere doing everything… I believe students will believe Moses was the first American.
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David Bradley, a member of the Texas State Board of Education.
Whether global warming is a myth or whether it’s actually happening, that’s very much up for debate. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.
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Dallas Morning News writer Jacquielynn Floyd, on the textbook adoption process in Texas.
What’s really depressing is that American history is an endlessly fascinating topic, a tumultuous real-life warts-and-all story of compelling events, characters and ideas. Reducing that history to droning political indoctrination won’t produce better scholars. And it sure won’t create better citizens.
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Stephanie Toti, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, following Friday’s oral arguments in the appeal of last month’s HB2 ruling.
It’s really hard to predict the outcome, and the questions don’t always signal necessarily where the judges are leaning. It’s the court’s job to express a healthy skepticism of both sides’ arguments.
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State Board of Education member Marisa Perez, advocating for the AP U.S. history curriculum to remain unchanged, and countering claims of “Anti-american and revisionist” themes in the courses. The board voted 12-3 to require teachers to conform to state TEKS standards.
We need to ensure our students are getting a full picture of what our history as U.S. citizens is and not a prettied-up picture because we know we have bumps and bruises and bleeding gashes along the way.
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Eric Ferrero, vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood, responding to criticism of Kazantsev’s internship.
Miss America Kira Kazantsev interned last year at her local Planned Parenthood affiliate, where she supported staff members who provide sex education in the community and at local schools. Several past Miss Americas have supported Planned Parenthood’s mission, and we’re thrilled and proud that one of our former interns is the new Miss America.
