Historic New Social Studies Standards Now Published for Texas

SBOEs Ken Mercer responds to Texas Editorial Boards   Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Even though it is a matter of public record both oral & written testimony the editorial boards failed to report that so-called academic experts wanted to drop Veterans Day & Independence Day in elementary grades. They tried to delete instruction on the Liberty Bell as a symbol of American patriotism and wanted to eliminate Christmas as a holiday of major religious significance that impacts our culture.   For months the Editorial Boards of Texas attacked the conservatives of the State Board of Education (SBOE) for refusing to follow blindly all the recommendations of respected scholars and academic experts for social studies. The new Social Studies Standards for Texas are now posted on the Texas Education Agency website for public viewing. The SBOE agreed with 85 of the recommendations of social studies experts and voted to almost double the minority representation from any previous standards including the increased presence of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. In spite of a nationwide campaign of print media lies the only person mentioned more than Thomas Jefferson is George Washington; and the Declaration of Independence authored by Jefferson is now required study in all twelve grades.  The SBOE also requires that beginning in the third grade students are to recite a portion of Jeffersons Declaration of Independence. Though not recommended by the social studies experts the SBOE approved my nomination of Philip Bazaar who in 1865 became the first Hispanic recipient of our nations highest award the Medal of Honor.  Conservatives also amended the standards to add Medal of Honor recipients Roy Benavidez William Carney and Vernon J. Baker.  In 1865 Carney was the first African-American to earn the Medal of Honor. The conservative Board members amended the standards to add numerous firsts for minorities: 

• The addition of Wentworth Cheswell Hiram Revels & Haym Salomon.
• In 1770 Cheswell became the first African-American elected to public office.
• In 1870 Rev. Revels became the first African-American elected to the United States Senate.
• Haym Salomon a Jewish Patriot was an important financier of the American Revolution.

Other examples of minorities new to the standards include:

1. Judge Raul A. Gonzalez
2. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa
3. James Armistead
4. Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir
5. the Navajo Code Talkers
6. the Tuskegee Airmen and
7. the predominately Japanese-American 442nd regiment one of the most decorated regiments of WWII.

However even though it is a matter of public record both oral and written testimony the editorial boards failed to report that so-called academic experts wanted to:

• Drop Veterans Day
• Drop the 4th of July Independence Day in elementary grades
• Tried to delete instruction on the Liberty Bell as a symbol of American patriotism and
• Wanted to eliminate Christmas as a holiday of major religious significance that impacts our culture.

A few experts wanted to delete the word patriot from the standards and to teach that students are global citizens first and Americans second.  These so-called experts wanted to delete:

1. Astronaut Neil Armstrong
2. Albert Einstein and
3. any reference to America as an Exceptional Nation.

The reason the liberals are incensed over the new Social Studies Standards is that the SBOE conservatives successfully defeated each one of these radical recommendations. As an elected official my purpose is not to just rubber stamp all the recommendations of academic experts especially when they want to promote a radical ideological agenda that distorts history and opposes American patriotism. Ken Mercer (R-Bexar) is a Member of the State Board of Education District 5 representing 1.5 million Texans in 12 counties including: Blanco Burnet Caldwell Comal Gillespie Guadalupe Hays Kendall Llano and parts of Bell Bexar and Travis Counties.