AUSTIN Texas Dentist Don McLeroy helped make the State Board of Education a lightning rod this year with his ideological approach to rewriting social studies standards for Texas schools.
McLeroy the most outspoken member of the boards conservative wing has pushed for standards that reflect conservative Christian values. Although he lost his bid for re-election in the March primary he has refused to go quietly and still hopes to leave his stamp on the states social studies curriculum with a series of amendments hell offer this week.
Among other things the amendments would suggest the nations founders might not have intended a separation of church and state as it has been interpreted by the courts and that the United Nations poses a threat to individual liberties.
The board is scheduled to have public hearing on the standards Wednesday and take a final vote Friday. A record 206 people have signed up to testify at Wednesdays hearing Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Debbie Ratcliffe said.
The curriculum will set the standards for teaching history and social studies to some 4.8 million public school students for 10 years.
If this passes Texas will become the national symbol for radical ideological-driven curriculum sending our school kids backwards said NAACP President Benjamin Jealous who plans to head to Austin on Wednesday to testify. People need to understand what a threat this is to their kids and what a threat this is to our country.
The standards also will be used to develop state tests and by textbook publishers who develop materials for the nation based on Texas one of the largest markets.
McLeroy believes the Texas history curriculum has been unfairly skewed to the left after years of control by Democrats. He sees his job along with that of other conservatives on the board as bringing it back into balance.
Former Bush administration Education Secretary Rod Paige plans to testify before the board Wednesday and ask it to delay its vote.
I just dont feel that history should be the hand maiden to carry the political ideology of either the left or the right Paige said. In Texas weve allowed the pendulum to swing backwards and forward ... Im asking that that swing be narrower and let history speak for itself.
McLeroy has released the amendments he intends to file for the boards consideration.
It gives people the opportunity to talk about it at the public hearing he said. It shows my commitment to openness fairness and all that.
One amendment requires eighth-grade students to compare the Constitutions Establishment and Free Exercise clauses with the long-held principle of separation of church and state. In another McLeroy proposes casting early 20th century muckrakers and reform leaders like Susan B. Anthony and W.E.B. DuBois in a negative light by contrasting their tone with the optimism of immigrants as told in a 1998 book written by religious painter Thomas Kinkade.
McLeroy would have high school history classes drop the study of a landmark 1949 federal court ruling that declared schools could not legally segregate Mexican American students even though the practice remained popular in Texas for decades. He wants to replace that with discussion of the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling that governments may seize property for private development projects and another case in which white firefighters claimed they were passed over for promotion in favor of less qualified colleagues who were black.
Other proposals would tone down criticisms of the Red Scare and Sen. Joe McCarthys anti-communist hearings of the 1950s and portray programs like the United Nations General Assembly funding for global humanitarian relief and global environmental initiatives as threats to individual freedom.
Educators have already blasted the proposed curriculum for politicizing education. Teachers also have said the document is too long and will force students to memorize lists of names rather than thinking critically about lessons.
In terms of problem solving analysis and decision making the Texas social studies standards require nothing more of seniors than they do of kindergartners said Keith A. Erekson assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Conservatives say the revisions bring much-needed balance to the lessons in social studies history economics and government. The Texas Conservative Coalition made up of conservative lawmakers sent a letter urging board chairwoman Gail Lowe to take a final vote on the standards this week despite calls to delay.
While no such document can ever be perfect we believe the final work product is a strong step in the right direction and will give students a fuller understanding of the roots of American history the conservative House members wrote.
AUSTIN Texas Dentist Don McLeroy helped make the State Board of Education a lightning rod this year with his ideological approach to rewriting social studies standards for Texas schools.
McLeroy the most outspoken member of the boards conservative wing has pushed for standards that reflect conservative Christian values. Although he lost his bid for re-election in the March primary he has refused to go quietly and still hopes to leave his stamp on the states social studies curriculum with a series of amendments hell offer this week.
Among other things the amendments would suggest the nations founders might not have intended a separation of church and state as it has been interpreted by the courts and that the United Nations poses a threat to individual liberties.
The board is scheduled to have public hearing on the standards Wednesday and take a final vote Friday. A record 206 people have signed up to testify at Wednesdays hearing Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Debbie Ratcliffe said.
The curriculum will set the standards for teaching history and social studies to some 4.8 million public school students for 10 years.
If this passes Texas will become the national symbol for radical ideological-driven curriculum sending our school kids backwards said NAACP President Benjamin Jealous who plans to head to Austin on Wednesday to testify. People need to understand what a threat this is to their kids and what a threat this is to our country.
The standards also will be used to develop state tests and by textbook publishers who develop materials for the nation based on Texas one of the largest markets.
McLeroy believes the Texas history curriculum has been unfairly skewed to the left after years of control by Democrats. He sees his job along with that of other conservatives on the board as bringing it back into balance.
Former Bush administration Education Secretary Rod Paige plans to testify before the board Wednesday and ask it to delay its vote.
I just dont feel that history should be the hand maiden to carry the political ideology of either the left or the right Paige said. In Texas weve allowed the pendulum to swing backwards and forward ... Im asking that that swing be narrower and let history speak for itself.
McLeroy has released the amendments he intends to file for the boards consideration.
It gives people the opportunity to talk about it at the public hearing he said. It shows my commitment to openness fairness and all that.
One amendment requires eighth-grade students to compare the Constitutions Establishment and Free Exercise clauses with the long-held principle of separation of church and state. In another McLeroy proposes casting early 20th century muckrakers and reform leaders like Susan B. Anthony and W.E.B. DuBois in a negative light by contrasting their tone with the optimism of immigrants as told in a 1998 book written by religious painter Thomas Kinkade.
McLeroy would have high school history classes drop the study of a landmark 1949 federal court ruling that declared schools could not legally segregate Mexican American students even though the practice remained popular in Texas for decades. He wants to replace that with discussion of the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling that governments may seize property for private development projects and another case in which white firefighters claimed they were passed over for promotion in favor of less qualified colleagues who were black.
Other proposals would tone down criticisms of the Red Scare and Sen. Joe McCarthys anti-communist hearings of the 1950s and portray programs like the United Nations General Assembly funding for global humanitarian relief and global environmental initiatives as threats to individual freedom.
Educators have already blasted the proposed curriculum for politicizing education. Teachers also have said the document is too long and will force students to memorize lists of names rather than thinking critically about lessons.
In terms of problem solving analysis and decision making the Texas social studies standards require nothing more of seniors than they do of kindergartners said Keith A. Erekson assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Conservatives say the revisions bring much-needed balance to the lessons in social studies history economics and government. The Texas Conservative Coalition made up of conservative lawmakers sent a letter urging board chairwoman Gail Lowe to take a final vote on the standards this week despite calls to delay.
While no such document can ever be perfect we believe the final work product is a strong step in the right direction and will give students a fuller understanding of the roots of American history the conservative House members wrote.
