Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Last spring the conservatives on the State Board of Education (SBOE) worked diligently to produce rigorous history standards that will teach our children about their rich heritage and emphasize our countrys founding principles. Unfortunately there was much misinformation circulated by the media.
These standards will be implemented in the 2011-2012 school year.
I hope this newsletter brings clarity to some of the key issues.
Let me tell you some of the wonderful things we revised in the history curriculum standards! We wanted students to learn about many of our Founding Fathers and patriot heroes of both our state and nation. Examples include:
- William Blackstone
- the Four Chaplains
- William Carney
- Philip Bazaar and
- John Witherspoon.
Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life Liberty and the Pursuit of HappinessThat to secure these rights governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
Here are more exceptional standards that passed (my comments in Italics): Grades 1-3: (13)(A) identify characteristics of good citizenship including truthfulness respect for others and oneself responsibility in daily life and participation in government by educating oneself about the issues holding public officials to their word and voting;(As the mother of two Eagle Scouts I wanted to see strong citizenship principles included in the standards.)
Grade 8: (3)(C) describe how religion and virtue contributed to the growth of representative government in the American colonies(Our founding Fathers would be delighted that students will learn what it means to have virtue!)
American History: (22) Citizenship. The student understands the concept of American
exceptionalism. The student is expected to:
(A) discuss Alexis de Tocquevilles five values crucial to Americas success as a constitutional republic: liberty egalitarianism individualism populism and laissez-faire.
(B) describe how the American values identified by Alexis de Tocqueville are different and unique from those of other nations; and
(C) describe U.S. citizens as people from numerous places throughout the world who hold a common bond in standing for certain self-evident truths
(America is exceptional and our young people will now learn this important concept in their classrooms.)
World History: (18)(F) formulate generalizations on how economic freedom improved the human condition based on students knowledge of benefits of free enterprise in Europes Commercial Revolution the Industrial Revolution and 20th century free-market economies compared to communist command communities.(As one wise constituent said this revision will set straight the free markets positive record in world economic history.")
Government: (7)(G) examine the reasons the Founding Fathers protected religious freedom in America and guaranteed its free exercise by saying that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" and compare and contrast this to the phrase separation of church and state."(Wont this standard lead to great classroom discussions? Under the trained guidance of our government teachers students will study the First Amendment in great depth.)
I hope this update on the State Board of Education finds you well and enjoying a bit of cooler weather.
Barbara Cargill represents the State Board of Education for District 8 and is Chair of the SBOEs Committee on Instruction.
