First Draft of History

by: liberaltexan

Thu Aug 13, 2009 at 09:01 PM CDT

The SBOE appointed a panel of experts to advise the SBOE on the social studies curriculum, and points of debate include the role of the Bible and Christian influence on the founding of the United States; debates on which historical figures should be included in lesson plans, textbooks, and standardized tests. The debates about curriculum in Texas have been hyper partisan; a group of fundamentalist Christian social conservatives controls a majority voting block on the SBOE. This partisan divide has far reaching effects, as the curriculum standards, specifically the language used in text books, has a national impact because the text books purchased by Texas (the second largest purchaser of text books in the country) are often used as a model for other states text books.

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The draft of purposed standards addresses the role that religion, including Christianity, played in the history of the United States, and the standards also includes the contributions that people of different ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds have made in the formation of the United States. However, the Texas Freedom Network noted that one disconcerting part of the standards was the inclusion of "significant conservative advocacy organizations and individuals" when discussing the nation's transition to the 21st century but not including any significant liberal organizations and individuals in the same context.

Learning about the different cultures and people that have shaped America is vitally important to a students understand of this country; this country may have been founded by white landowning men but they are not the people who built this country. It is critically important that students learn the unvarnished version of history, that even though America has had great successes we have also had great failures. To paraphrase Howard Zinn: To emphasize the successes and to deemphasize the failure is not a necessity but an ideological choice. The point is not to accuse, to judge, or condemn because it is too late for that, but the easy acceptance of atrocities as the price for progress teaches us the idea of a moral proportion. In order to prepare for the future we must truly be able to understand all the successes and failures of our past.

Note: The SBOE is schedule to hear from the social studies advisory panel and from writing team members at a September meeting, and the SBOE is also schedule to have a public hearing on the social studies standards in January.

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