Here's how this works:

There's nothing the Texas Revisionists can do to prevent parents from teaching their kids the truth.

There's nothing the Texas Revisionists can to to prevent the world from teaching those kids the truth.

There's nothing the Texas Revisionists can do to force the world to buy stuff from Texas, or to sell stuff to Texas, or to even visit Texas.

And there's nothing the Texas Revisionists can do to make people provide employment for the ultimate outcome of their Dr. Moreau-ist pedagogical experiments---unless there's a sudden shortage of lab rats in the pharmaceutical industry.

By the way---it's probably important to note that "Texas" is the word "Tea" with an x-for-xenophobe and an s-for-stoopid added to the mix. Been there; not enough gold on the planet to make me go back; 'nuff said....

As a Texas social studies teacher you have my word that I won't be covering this shit.

I grew up in a South were the textbooks reflected the 'State's Rights' view, and made slavery seem relatively benign (while allowing that there were some abusive practices..). It implicitly supported the Jim Crow regime, and the racist politics of Segregation..
The whole false Southern 'Heritage' would not be possible without this sort of institutional support, and the racism of the Right and Teabaggers owes much to the bad old history. We will live with the consequences of this politicized story telling for another generation, it seems.

Radio Free Texas?

" These state officials have decided they simply don't care for reality, so they've replaced it with a version of events that makes them feel better."

I'll disagree. A component if recontructionist christianity allows for the obfuscation and outright lying to enable to bring about a theocracy. So no, it's not they know the history, it's that they are lying about it.

this seems pretty simple. the nuttiest of the nutjobs has already lost his bid for reelection and is a lame duck; there will be other turnover at the end of the year as well. everyone seems to agree that the Board will be more moderate (a relative term, certainly, since we are talking about Texas) next year.

so file a federal lawsuit that starts out seeking an injunction. claim it violates the Establishment Clause, tack on pendent state claims of negligence and malfeasance, whatever you can come up with to make sure it can't be resolved sooner than a the end of the year.

revote once the new Board is in place.

drop the lawsuit after you win a vote to start over.

problem solved.

Radio Free Texas?
Posted by: Michael7843853

Come to think of it, I never did sell all that old shortwave stuff. Must check into re-licensing.....

Man-o-man. The chilran from Texarcana have already been given a huge dose of dumb-down by virtue of living there. Goebbels would be rightly proud of them there boys, I means, in keeping wit the Nazi ideation of revisionism. Davy Crockett must be a turnin over in his grave...

Things have been nauseating in this Republic for a while since that black man was ELECTED to tell those white folks how to play nice in the sandbox called America. Them white folks don't much cotton to such nonsensical tripe. No how.

I agree with teaching about Phyllis Schafly, the Contract with America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority, and the National Rifle Association, though I would teach them differently than the Texas SBOE would.

As to Arne Duncan's statement that the crap won't spread to other states, I don't believe him for a second.

A few things on this:

First, these new "standards" deviate significantly from national standards. In these days of standardized testing and No Child Left Behind, there's a good chance that there's a way the feds can find a way to deny Texas funding for teaching bullshit. Cutting off the flow of federal funds to Texas schools would effect a reversal of this new curriculum toot sweet.

Second, a bad thing has happened in the textbook publishing industry over the past 15 years. Where once there were 15 large publishers, now there are 4 gargantuan publishers. If those 4 decide to bow to this nonsense and write their books to conform to this nutty view of history, it's likely that other, less insane states will refuse to buy them. That means all 4 publishers will either have to a) ignore the Texas standards; b) write and publish two textbooks so they'll have something to sell outside of Texas (and this will cost each of them hundreds of millions); or c) bow to Texas' demands, write all books to cater to their lunacy, and a bunch of new publishers will write books for everyone else and be able to garner the business to break up what has essentially become a bloated monopoly dominated by these 4 publishers.

It's not the end of the world, but it will probably require some action on the part of people in other states who don't want their kids' heads filled with bullshit at school. Meanwhile, it will set the kids in Texas up for a lifetime of FAIL.

What would be the quickest and most effective way to end this crap? For the Ivy League and Stanford and a few others to say that anyone subjected to this curriculum is not qualified for college and refuse to accept him or her. That would hit the Texas elite where it hurts; see how quickly it is overturned then. But that would, of course, depend on the elite colleges actually caring about the education of the country instead of who has the biggest endowment, so of course I don't expect it to happen.

To the excuse that this idea would hurt individuals who, by themselves, did no wrong, the Ivy League could still admit students who showed they have learned history a little less slanted to lies, they could give waivers to any student who could show they have learned it. I mean, if a student isn't curious and motivated enough not to unlearn the Texan non-history, then he or she isn't qualified for the Ivy League anyway. Right?

Can't wait to see how HS seniors/juniors from TX do on the SAT and college entrance exams following their indoctrination from the TBOE. Personally if I were in college admissions, I'd wonder about the quality of scholarship coming from TX schools. TX may be big, but their thinking is very very small.

"Texas school kids, however, will be punished by the right-wing agenda, and there's not much anyone can do about it."

Sure there is, it's called moving.

That's the beauty of the U.S., or should be at least. You don't like what the locals set out to do, then San Francisco beckons and vise-versa. Some persons object to having their cities become "sanctuary cities". Some parents may not like having sexual education taught in their schools, so Texas awaits.

Let San Francisco be San Francisco and let Utah be Utah. All this Culture Wars crap could be solved if people (Right or Left) just gave up this "Be Like Us or Else!" mentality.

And we certainly wouldn't fight wars overseas for "democracy" or "gay rights" either.

BANNING TONI MORRISON'S BOOK FROM FRANKLIN CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL?

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104290404

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100504/OPINION01/5040314/1002/OPINION/Advanced-Placement-students-can-handle-mature-material

This is a classic example of why Deans 50 states strategy is so important and why being able to compete in state and local elections is a necessity. Just as in Arizona, these abominations came about because the wingnuts seized control of their state governments or boards, and they gained this control by winning local and state elections. To be able to return our Nation to sanity we must do it state by state, and to return states to sanity, we must win control of the legislative bodies

Thanks, Scallon, for channeling St Ronny and his "vote with their feet" speeches.

However, how many other districts outside Texas will be buying this garbage and infecting their students?

"Radio Free Texas" - Perhaps from one of those 50,000 Watt All Night stations out of Del Rio, Texas. Those or that station has kept many a driver awake at night criss crossing the West.

For the Texas education board, it's not so much history as it is just one more "lunar landing of the dentist convention" - Thanks Joe Strummer! -Kevo

"causes and key organizations and individuals of the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s"

I'm with reino - this stuff really ought to be taught, but not in the triumphant, congratulatory manner that the Texas Ed Board members would like. All throughout the 1990s, people laughed at Hillary Clinton's "half-vast right wing conspiracy." The Tejas texts will make it clear that she was right.

"However, how many other districts outside Texas will be buying this garbage and infecting their students?"

I don't know, but you know what? No one is forcing them too.

I can guarantee this...if my children's school district atempts to purchase/use any of these new, "revised" textbooks, I will file suit to stop the garbage.

I'm tired of Texas...from "America's Team" to textbooks. I'm smart enough to know that not everyone from Texas is as backassward as these textbook twisters, but it sure seems that the nuts in that state seem to dominate too much of our culture.

Hopefully, the number one buyer of textbooks -- California -- will step up and stop this Texas nonsense. State senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco and San Mateo counties) put out an announcement that indicates that action is forthcoming in the state:

“The idea that politicians in another state can control the content of our textbooks should trouble all Californians,” said Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco). “The social science curriculum should be based on facts and not political ideology.”

Next week, the California Senate is expected to pass legislation authored Yee to make certain California textbooks are not subject to the ultra-conservative curriculum changes recently made in Texas. Specifically, SB 1451 will require the California State Board of Education to review all social studies textbooks used in the state to ensure that they have not been changed as a result of textbook changes in Texas.

“While some Texas politicians may want to set their educational standards back 50 years, California should not be subject to their backward curriculum changes,” said Yee. “The alterations and fallacies made by these extremist conservatives are offensive to our communities and inaccurate of our nation’s diverse history. Our kids should be provided an education based on facts and that embraces our multicultural nation.”

There are no national standards, so Texas students will not fail them. There is a set of standards that is starting to be adopted by many states, but Texas has already made clear that they are having no part of it.

Also, it is very doubtful that any of this will affect the SAT scores of students, since the SAT tests Math, Reading, and Writing. It's unlikely that this will impact SAT II's to any noticeable extent, even though it is possible for some students to take the test in US History.

@ Dan,

I'm happy to hear that some TX students will be spared the attempted brainwashing by the rightwing establishment. From my experience, the best teachers supplement textbooks with their own materials, easily done through the internet.

A few questions:

1. Are there many more rational teachers like you are there in the state? What percentage actually agree with this bullshit?

2. When you deviate from their dogma, do you expect them to come down on you? How unified is your teachers union on this issue?

This controversy is just starting to unfold.

I fly a 48-star flag outside my door. I got it from my mom, who got it from one of her aunts back in the fifties. When people ask me why I fly an outdated flag, I tell them it's because "it'll be a cold day in hell before I recognize Idaho or Texas!"

I'm gonna have to find a 47-star flag now. Gotta add Arizona to the list of non-states.

Who trusts what Arne Duncan "believes?"

I agree with Reino that the rise of the conservative movement should be part of the curriculum. The tough part is doing it in a manner that is objective and Texas sure isn't interested in objective facts.

A quick book recommendation is "Lies our Teachers Taught Us." (The title is much more pedantic than the book.) The book discusses how history is taught and how it shifts with time. For instance President Wilson was considered a bad president for a time, then with the push for the UN he was considered forward thinking with the League of Nations, then he was put back in the bad category because he was racist and the UN was viewed negatively.

My guess is that it is only a matter of time before the textbook industry goes the way of newspapers and network news,and rightly so.

Dan would probably agree that teachers in all content areas are increasingly likely to use the treasure-trove of resources that they have at their fingertips. This is particularly true of social studies teachers. Why in the world would you have students read a brief, bland, and abstract account of a significant historical event, such as the battle of Yorktown or the invasion of Normandy, when you can design an interactive, internet-based lesson that links students to artifacts, photos, film clips, music, and first-hand accounts from all over the world? Check out the online resources that are made available by most educational organizations (the Library of Congress, for one), and ask yourself if these are more likely to inspire your passion for learning than a textbook that is designed to cover too many topics in too little space.

At best, textbooks are one, among ,many, resources that teachers use in their classrooms. With each passing year, textbooks like the ones that are being conceived in Texas are pushed further into the darkest, dustiest corners of classrooms in this country where they belong.

Teachers who are foced to use textbooks like these can encourage students to do original research to counteract and contradict the misinformation that they contain, igniting a spark that can illuminate the darkness that surrounds them.

There are good examples of textbooks out there, but books that are created to serve the political ambitions of the Texas school board certainly aren't examples of these. These texts can serve an educational purpose, though not the one their publishers had in mind. They can put on display in the Texas Schoolbook Depository (next to the infamous snipers' perch) as monuments to the ignorance and fear that grips our times.

My guess is that it is only a matter of time before the textbook industry goes the way of newspapers and network news,and rightly so.

Dan would probably agree that teachers in all content areas are increasingly likely to use the treasure-trove of resources that they have at their fingertips. This is particularly true of social studies teachers. Why in the world would you have students read a brief, bland, and abstract account of a significant historical event, such as the battle of Yorktown or the invasion of Normandy, when you can design an interactive, internet-based lesson that links students to artifacts, photos, film clips, music, and first-hand accounts from all over the world? Check out the online resources that are made available by most educational organizations (the Library of Congress, for one), and ask yourself if these are more likely to inspire your passion for learning than a textbook that is designed to cover too many topics in too little space.

At best, textbooks are one, among ,many, resources that teachers use in their classrooms. With each passing year, textbooks like the ones that are being conceived in Texas are pushed further into the darkest, dustiest corners of classrooms in this country where they belong.

Teachers who are foced to use textbooks like these can encourage students to do original research to counteract and contradict the misinformation that they contain, igniting a spark that can illuminate the darkness that surrounds them.

There are good examples of textbooks out there, but books that are created to serve the political ambitions of the Texas school board certainly aren't examples of these. These texts can serve an educational purpose, though not the one their publishers had in mind. They can put on display in the Texas Schoolbook Depository (next to the infamous snipers' perch) as monuments to the ignorance and fear that grips our times.

Sorry for the duplicate post, I have problems posting comments on this site sometimes. I occasionally get a response that my comment can't be posted for one reason or another. When I submit the comment a second time, it will appear twice.

Arkansas did get a coveted red cross-hair on Sarah Palin's reload map.

Just sayin'...

Maybe the SAT board can include some questions about Biblical biology in the tests, academic knowledge which only Texas students will likely know. Stuff like how rabbits chew cud, the unique qualities of whale digestive tracts that allow humans to live days inside their stomachs, that insects/spiders have only four legs, etc. Truly fascinating facts which I never learned in school.

BANNING TONI MORRISON'S BOOK AT FRANKLIN CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL.....?

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104290404

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100504/OPINION01/5040314/1002/OPINION/Advanced-Placement-students-can-handle-mature-material

This decision does a terrible disservice to students in Texas. It gives new meaning to "Texas, a whole 'nother country." How ever will the young people in Texas compete at the national and global levels?

One more thing-
In many of the viwers comments, there is obvious confusion about how educational publishing caters to larger states that purchase significant quantities of their products. To respond to the needs of markets across the country (increase sales), many publishers create state-specific textbook editions for larger states such as TX, CA, NY, OH, or FL. Publishers create textbook edtions to meet particular states' curriculum standards. As many state standards are similar, it is very likely that other states will accept one of these editions. For example, NJ usually accepts the NY edition. The job of creating a state's curriculum standards-specific edition usually involves some editorial tweaking. However, in the case of TX, this job will require significant changes and will no doubt increase the cost of the product. It will be interesting to see what publishers like Harcourt, Macmillan, and others do about creating the new "Texas wingnut edition" for social studies.

CA has the right idea.
If NY and the New England states do something similar, joined by the rest of the West Coast and the urban midwest, we'll have something similar to the 2008 electoral map.

Basically the publishers (who are buggy whip and wagon wheel makers, as noted above) won't really have a choice.

Th really expensive parts of textbook publishing are layout of specialized graphics (pictures and charts), and the physical costs of preparation, printing and shipping. Almost all texts come with a CD ROM now. What's to stop a publisher from creating *only* the CD, and charge the school system a few dollars per pupil for a site license? Win all around.

We in Texas are so very, very proud, yes we are.

On behalf of the entire State, I apologize to the world for this rock-dumb insanity. We've been trying to get these folks under control for six generations now.

It's like an awful, real-world game of Whack-A-Mole, and it's often two steps forward and one step back.

For all of those above sneering about how "outdated" textbooks are, I'm wondering exactly where you think teachers will find the time to in effect write their own textbooks. Add in the emphasis on standards-based teaching, and the chore becomes monumental. Just a typical lesson-plan can take hours to compile even when a textbook is being used; for a teacher who has classes in multiple subjects/grades every semester, you seem to have a lot of faith in their ability to find 96 hours in a day.

We don't pay teachers enough in many states as is; it seems a bit absurd to expect every teacher to re-invent their curriculum as well. Not only is it impractical, but the teachers' union would not stand for increasing the workload on their members by four or five-fold without a commensurate increase in salary. Which is why textbooks aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

It did occur to me, however, that there's nothing in what the Texas BOE has passed that would stop a textbook publisher from adding "context" - all the stuff about the conservative movement could be included, for example, and followed with a statement about how disastrous it proved to be for the country. I don't think they could reject such a text for including MORE information than they want; only for not including the specific information their standards (such as they are) call for. Along the same lines, teachers could choose to contextualize the fictionalized history presented by the text in this manner.

In the previous thread (on Kentucky's Fried CHICKEN), smartalek mentioned (@16:36) that adult illiteracy in Kentucky stands @40%. It sounds like, soon, there'll be little difference between "illiterate" and "Texas educated".

Jennifer, @ 17:17,
I've noticed it before that we have quite a few "utopians" here. Some think that everyone is a Renaissance type person and can teach all subjects (should home school them!). Some think that everyone is totally rootless (should move!). So it doesn't surprise me that some think every teacher has the time and the ability to write their own "textbook" (negotiating intellectual property rights in the process, as well).

Of course, all of those "should" people are folk of unlimited independent funds, too. Probably work at Wall Street (or in the govt, if you were to ask the Pee Pottiers).

I am an American Indian and grew up in schools that taught that the American Indian was savage and had to be conquered. None of the books I had in school really showed the true picture of genocide against the American Indian. They probably still don't. Fortunately, my parents were politically active in our Tribal politics and worked to keep us always aware of our heritage and proud to be American Indian. I also have vivid memories of a nice Irish-Catholic girl in the 7th grade, who after looking at pictures of my siblings and other relatives said, "I don't want to hurt your feelings or anything but they look Indian." I quickly replied that they are, I am; and, we are all proud to be American Indian, members of a local tribe. She never spoke to me during the entire time we were in school through graduation.

It is clear that the Texas school board is completely dysfunctional, and as a result, the school system willing submits lies.

I am writing to my alma mater, the University of Massachusetts, and suggesting that they do not recognize the accreditation of Texas Schools as a result.

The Texas school system should be shunned by institutions of hire learning.

Texas is not a place I would consider living in with or without school age children. That aside, Texas is home to many Fortune 500 corporations, and their executives are transferred in and out. Their children are unlikely to go to public schools, but those who do will bring a different perspective, and native Texans ultimately have to compete with non-Texans for positions at elite universities. So this sorry bunch of old white folks who need to feel good about a history they like, can try to rewrite the past their way, but they won't succeed for long. It's just another battle in the culture war. And they're going to lose.

Regarding suggestions that other big states step in and try to muscle the publishers into rejecting the Texas changes: it would be a great idea, if the educational bureaucracies in other states were as heavily centralized as that in Texas. But they aren't, and it's not that simple.

The state of Texas mandates the same textbooks for all its students — this concentrates and leverages the strength of the state of Texas in the textbook markets. Essentially, they've cornered it. A local school district in CA or NY (and in most states) could choose and purchase its own textbooks regardless of what the state says. All this dilutes the efficacy of the other states to shape the products on the market.

That's why this particularly board and this debate have been of such import. This also shows why Texas has had such an outsized influence on textbooks for decades.

I'm moving. I've had it. And I don't even HAVE kids. I just don't want to live in a state where people are so fucking ignorant.

Well, fortunately, our district won't be able to adopt new textbooks for several years. For once, budget cuts are a good thing.

Dear Texas,

Please, just secede already.

(Fortunately, however, most of the future scientists and engineers and doctors will come from India and China, not the U.S.)

They're lucky they won't go on to go to college outside Texas, because they'd have a heluva hard time in college history in the US of A.

Please, just secede already.

Or, these dipshits could just move to North Korea, where this sort of thing is the norm.

They still worry about Jefferson Davis? Really?

I don't know about Texas but in the state where I teach social studies the state standards are, well, ignored. So to say there's nothing anyone can do about it is wrong. The teacher in the classroom can do something about it. Unless there's a state exam that everyone takes, and on that exam is a questions like: Who's the batshit insane anti-gay woman whose son is in-fact gay? there's nothing to worry about. I can picture several lessons to fact-check the textbook, or some critical thinking activity revolving around whether Newt the G is the best example to learn about as a politician in the '90's. Great, you put Schlafly and Gingrich in the standards, I'm just teaching about them, thanks for the open door.

On the contrary.

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2010/05/if-youre-going-to-criticize-new-social.html

This is a part of ShitForBrain's "No Child Left Behind," right?

Love to see the spin they put on th 2000 'coup' where they say that ShitForBrains valiantly saved the country by usurping the misguided will of the people..or some shit like that...