By Geraldine Tincy" Miller State Board of Education Member for District 12
The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted the new Social Studies Curriculum Standards at its last meeting just over a month ago and I am glad to say they are now a part of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). There were efforts made to halt the adoption process but thankfully we were able to push through and pass a well-balanced set of standards that we all can be proud of. As you know this has been a widely publicized process and a large portion of what has been printed in the media has been untrue.
In my March newsletter I mentioned that there were a couple amendments I voted for that were taken to mean something other than they were and I vowed to look into those votes and change them at the May meeting if I found that my understanding of them was incorrect.
The first eliminated a reference to Thomas Jefferson from World History. Through a discussion with Dr. Edward Countryman a history professor at Southern Methodist University I was able to clarify that in fact he was an Enlightenment thinker and I worked with a number of my colleagues on the Board to place Thomas Jefferson back into World History.
He is also referenced more than 25 times in the K-12 Social Studies standards and he is part of the 5th and 8th grade curriculum and U.S. Government.
A second amendment involved religious freedom. Contrary to what some of the media have said Religious Freedom is a part of U.S. Government using language from the
1st Amendment and the Constitution.
In addition to the two issues above there were a number of claims that I would like to clarify regarding the new standards as I have received letters and telephone calls from constituents who have read the media reports and are concerned.
First Capitalism is referenced in every social studies class starting in the 2nd grade. It is an important part of why so many people want to live in America and therefore it has been given significant mention.
The Moral Majority the National Rifle Association and the Contract with America are all listed as being a part of the
conservative resurgence" in the parts of the high school curriculum. They are not given any more emphasis than any other groups referenced in the TEKS.
The term slavery" was not removed from the standards. In fact it is covered numerous times throughout K-12.
And finally concerns were raised by various groups that not enough minorities and minority groups and cases were mentioned in the TEKS. I have included a list below and I believe you will see that claim is bogus.
We worked very hard as a Board to come up with a set of standards that are well-rounded and balanced. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply untrue.
The SBOE has spent more than a year working to perfect these standards. We held five public hearings and heard days of testimony from professors teachers parents and students. We used the collective expertise of the Board the appointed review panel (made up of a select group of teachers) and the suggestions made in public testimony to come up with an impressive set of standards.
Ronald Reagan said it very aptly when he said: An informed patriotism is what we
want …"
I believe that without a doubt that is what we have with these new Social Studies TEKS.
I hope you all have a blessed and safe summer. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns and you may
visit my Web site for news and updates at
www.TincyMiller.com.
Minorities Groups & Cases:
- Ann Richards
- Barack H. Obama
- Barbara Jordan
- Booker T. Washington
- Brown v. Bd of Education
- Carlos Espalier
- Carmen Loma Garza
- Cesar Chavez
- Dolores Huerta
- Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby
- Ellen Ochoa
- George Washington Carver
Harriet Tubman- Hector P. Garcia
- Henry B. Gonzalez
- Hernandez v. Texas
- Hillary Clinton
- Irma Rangel
- John"Danny" Olivas
- Jose Antonio Navarro
- Jose Francisco Ruiz
- Juan Antonio Badillo
- Juan N. Seguin
- Lorenzo de Zavala
- LULAC
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Mendez v. Westminster
- NAACP
- Oprah Winfrey
- Plcido Benavides
- Raul A. Gonzalez Jr.
Roe v. Wade- Roy Benavides
- Sandra Day OConnor
- Sonia Sotomayor
- Susan B. Anthony
- Sweat v. Painter
- Thurgood Marshall
- Vernon J. Baker
- W.E. B. Dubois
- Wallace Jefferson
Tincy Miller represents Dist. 12 on the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE). A Member since 1984 she was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to serve as Chair from 2003-2007.
The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted the new Social Studies Curriculum Standards at its last meeting just over a month ago and I am glad to say they are now a part of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). There were efforts made to halt the adoption process but thankfully we were able to push through and pass a well-balanced set of standards that we all can be proud of. As you know this has been a widely publicized process and a large portion of what has been printed in the media has been untrue.
In my March newsletter I mentioned that there were a couple amendments I voted for that were taken to mean something other than they were and I vowed to look into those votes and change them at the May meeting if I found that my understanding of them was incorrect.
The first eliminated a reference to Thomas Jefferson from World History. Through a discussion with Dr. Edward Countryman a history professor at Southern Methodist University I was able to clarify that in fact he was an Enlightenment thinker and I worked with a number of my colleagues on the Board to place Thomas Jefferson back into World History.
He is also referenced more than 25 times in the K-12 Social Studies standards and he is part of the 5th and 8th grade curriculum and U.S. Government.
A second amendment involved religious freedom. Contrary to what some of the media have said Religious Freedom is a part of U.S. Government using language from the 
