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Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 11:09 AM CDT
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If social conservative evangelical "experts" advising the State Board of Education on the next decades worth of social study curriculum for the Lone Star State have their way than students will learn that historical figures such as Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, labor leader Cesar Chavez, and women's rights advocate Anne Hutchison are "not strong enough examples," or "lack the stature" necessary for being taught in Texas public schools. From the Dallas Morning News:
Civil rights leaders César Chávez and Thurgood Marshall - whose names appear on schools, libraries, streets and parks across the U.S. - are given too much attention in Texas social studies classes, conservatives advising the state on curriculum standards say.
In other words, if these panelists appointed by extreme religious fanatics on the State Board of Education have there way we will have a public education system in Texas that indoctrinates a decades worth of single-minded, racist, sexist, and bigoted youth most likely to associate themselves with the Texas Republican Party. I guess that is one way to ensure you revive a narrow minded, one-dimensional, majority Anglo, anti-minority Grand Old Anglo Party.
The social studies requirements will remain in place for the next decade, dictating what is taught in government, history and other social studies classes in all elementary and secondary schools. The standards also will be used to write textbooks and develop state tests for students.
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You're talking ten years worth of teaching, reading, and testing in our states public education system that omits major figures in American history for the sake of espousing "republican values."
Barton, a former vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party, said that because the U.S. is a republic rather than a democracy, the proper adjective for identifying U.S. values and processes should be "republican" rather than "democratic." That means social studies books should discuss "republican" values in the U.S., his report said.
If you don't think there are partisan political motives behind this move then how quickly we forget that evolution became the center of a similar debate by the SBOE last spring. Because of that debate, former SBOE Board leader, and ultra-conservative religious fanatic, Don McElroy, lost his confirmation bid due to the work of senate Democrats. Now, Perry has signaled he is willing to replace one religious fanatic with another by nominating Cynthia Dunbar.
Folks, if you don't think that elected positions on the State Board of Education are worth searching down your ballot and voting on you need to look no farther than this blog to change your mind. How embarrassing for the State of Texas. For a Republican Party that is so anti-public education they sure wish to hijack its curriculum standards to develop a legion of GOP soldiers for its future. |
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