California Declares War On Texas Textbooks

[FalconAngel]

Could this finally be the beginning of other states standing up to those who would further revise our history for their own political goals?

http://www.care2.com/causes/education/blog/texas-textbook-wars-break-out-in-california/

California Declares War On Texas Textbooks


OK, so I am English by birth, but have lived in California for many years, and today I am proud of my adopted state. Reacting against the right-wing bias of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE), CA State Senator Leland Yee ( D - San Francisco) has introduced a bill that seeks to protect the nation's largest public school population from the revised social studies curriculum approved in March by the Texas SBOE. (Texas being the nation's second biggest public school population.)

As I wrote here a few weeks ago, the Texas recommendations, which face a final vote by the Republican-dominated board on May 21, include adding language saying the country's Founding Fathers were guided by Christian principles; students would learn nothing about Thomas Jefferson's political philosophy or his thoughts about the separation of church and state, but instead would read about "the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s." This would include references to the Moral Majority, the National RIfle Association and the Contract with America, the congressional GOP manifesto from the 1990s. You can still take action against this egregious move to ignore and distort history by going to http://www.care3.com/go/z/19838608.

What is Yee aiming to do? Under his bill, SB1451, the California Board of Education would be required to look out for any of the Texas content as part of its standard practice of reviewing public school governance and academic content standards in California. Yee's bill describes the proposed Texas curriculum changes as "a sharp departure from widely accepted historical teachings" and "a threat to the apolitical nature of public school governance and academic content standards in California."

"While some Texas politicians may want to set their educational standards back 50 years, California should not be subject to their backward curriculum changes," Yee explained. "The alterations and fallacies made by these extremist conservatives are offensive to our communities and inaccurate of our nation's diverse history." Yee was referring to the fact that the proposed Texas changes are dismissive of the contributions of minorities, and in fact mean that non-whites rarely rate a mention.

The California Senate Committee on Education has already approved passage of this bill, and it now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Critics point out that California's curriculum isn't about to undergo any kind of change, Texas-influenced or otherwise, for now, since the statewide adoption of any new materials has been suspended until July 2013, to give cash-strapped districts a break from buying new books.

But at least Yee is challenging the frightening bid by religious conservatives to take over the minds of our young people.


As one who supports the teaching of history and other social studies without any bias, letting the facts, good and bad, speak for themselves, I am all for the opposition to what Texas is trying to do to the rest of the nation and hope that other states join in against the Texas SBOE's foolish proposed changes to American history.

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

Lord. Are we gunna wind up having a seperation of the states next?? First Texas now Arizona, and Spirits only knows what other state is gunna piss somebody off. Is is SUPPOSE to be the Untied States, but somehow its coming unraveled. Sad.
Cat

[_Joe_]

Wait till you see what Texas has in store for anyone daring to visit us from West Kentucky.

[TaylorMade]

Lord. Are we gunna wind up having a seperation of the states next?? First Texas now Arizona, and Spirits only knows what other state is gunna piss somebody off. Is is SUPPOSE to be the Untied States, but somehow its coming unraveled. Sad.
Cat

But the Constitution was not designed to be a suicide pact. This is where states rights could benefit - - California could tell Texas to fuck off and create their own damn text books.

But being that California is up to their ass in debt (http://www.businessinsider.com/why-california-is-the-next-greece-2010-05) (weather it's to Greek level fucked upness is still a debatable point). . .maybe they need to worry about saving some damned money so they can pay for their own textbooks.

And maybe they shouldn't saber rattle at AZ either, since AZ holds the faucet and the power switch for much of So Cal.

IJS.

*Taylor*

[TwylaTwobits]

Wait till you see what Texas has in store for anyone daring to visit us from West Kentucky.

I resemble that remark.........

[bigbadmax]

history tends to be written by the victors...but who wins when the written history is biased and totally untrue?

I have no notion of the politics involved, however, can one version be taught in one state and another in a seperate state?

what happens when you go to university...do they have to agree to disagree due to polical duress or teach the real facts and historical truths?

I am but a humble person but I believe in the truth,whever it is liked or not.

phil

[darkeyes]

history tends to be written by the victors...but who wins when the written history is biased and totally untrue?

I have no notion of the politics involved, however, can one version be taught in one state and another in a seperate state?

what happens when you go to university...do they have to agree to disagree due to polical duress or teach the real facts and historical truths?

I am but a humble person but I believe in the truth,whever it is liked or not.

phil

Funny place the US Max..yes it can and does happen that different states teach different versions of the same.. it happens in the UK.. in Scotland we teach English differently from England and Wales..and History and several other subjects..

I love history yet there are so many versions of history.. there is only one truth, but human kind has many versions of that truth... I agree with you wholeheartedly for I believe in truth also...absolute truth... but what is truth?

[bigbadmax]

I believe everything you say darkeyes, however one major difference is that

Scotland,Wales,England and Northern Ireland are different countries steeped

in truly amazing history, But they are part of UK.


There are 50 staes in America however thay are all part of America, therefore

MUST teach the basic same history, not morph it so much as to distort it

beyond recognition.

[darkeyes]

There are 50 staes in America however thay are all part of America, therefore

MUST teach the basic same history, not morph it so much as to distort it

beyond recognition.

It is the potential for distortion and corruption that concerns me Max.. and whether indeed we should allow the teaching of history in our schools... I love the subject.. but it has the potential to corrupt like no other subject if taught dishonestly.. much of our animosity toward other peoples is down to how wer have been taught history.. my mum is English..Pop Scots... and the way I was taught history taught me that my mums people were bullying bastards and we were hard done to and more or less innocent.. neither of which comes close to the whole truth...

..so what is truth?

[bigbadmax]

Unfortunately attrocities happen throughout history.


English and other people forget that it was us who created concentration

camps in the middle ages,us who were not only thieves but blood thirsty

ones during the so called "crusades". Unfortunately we commited

these crimes, Including slavery.....but we ackowledge their place

in history...or should we forget because its politically unsafe to

remember?

[darkeyes]

Unfortunately attrocities happen throughout history.


English and other people forget that it was us who created concentration

camps in the middle ages,us who were not only thieves but blood thirsty

ones during the so called "crusades". Unfortunately we commited

these crimes, Including slavery.....but we ackowledge their place

in history...or should we forget because its politically unsafe to

remember?

No Max..but there are those who would have us lose those memories...

[Lady_Passion]

Not surprised California led first, but other states would likely follow suit. Every state has its own Constitution and it's highly unlikely any federal decision would override all state Constitutions to change educational curriculums.

I can't even imagine how that would be carried out since it would require multiple acts of Congress.

On the other hand anything is possible and maybe that could eventually occur. I just don't see all the states following Texas readily, or easily considering what it would take to change educational curriculum across the board.

If other states follow Texas though, what I do see potential for is people moving to states that teach what they want their children to learn.

[darkeyes]

If other states follow Texas though, what I do see potential for is people moving to states that teach what they want their children to learn.

It is incredibly difficult isnt it? But having our children taught what we want them to learn smacks of parental indoctrination.. how do we avoid it? We try not to do it but is it possible? At every stage we tell our oldest daughter that our belief is not the only one..tell her to read, learn and discover for herself.. and when the younger is a bit older we will do the same for her...

[Pasadenacpl2]

I believe everything you say darkeyes, however one major difference is that

Scotland,Wales,England and Northern Ireland are different countries steeped

in truly amazing history, But they are part of UK.


There are 50 staes in America however thay are all part of America, therefore

MUST teach the basic same history, not morph it so much as to distort it

beyond recognition.

50 states. 50 separate entities all joined in a union. That each state is a seperate entity was garaunteed. No, we cannot seceed from the union (without a war) but the way the Constitution is written, the state is above the Federal. We are intended to have a weak federal system. I invite you to read the letters of Adams, Monroe, and Jefferson for more on that.

It has only been in the last 25 years that the federal government has had it's nose in education. And quite frankly, it's been a disaster. There are no national standards for curriculum in any subject, and I don't see that happening. I personally wish the federal government would do this, as it would be the last step needed for the states to finally tell the fed to fuck off.

While I am wholeheartedly against the Texas SBOE doing what they've done (and most Texas teachers are) you must remember that it is the very fact that individual states have local authority that keeps this insanity limited, rather than universal.

Imagine, if you will, history text being politicized on a national scale. Imagine that each time we have a change in the balance of power that curriculum is subject to change based upon the ideology of the people currently in power. How many times does that need to happen before we don't' remember what really happened?

Keeping the states separate not only protects the state's rights, but it also protects the other states from that state. As someone earlier said, our Constitution is not a suicide pact.

Pasa

[FalconAngel]

Actually, if the whole of the national education standard, as far as history and social studies, were "tell nothing but the facts without political, religious, gender or racial biases", without any thing else to obscure the meaning of the rule, then I could get behind that.

Unfortunately, not a single politician has the strength of character or integrity to go for something like that. It might cost them their opportunity to defraud the American people in their lust for power.

[Pasadenacpl2]

I don't think it is nearly as nefarious as that. I believe that most people go to Washington (or their respective state capitols) with the intention of doing the best job they can for their constituents.

Humans will disagree. Even worse, when governments put their nose in things (no matter what that thing is) they are rarely the experts. So, inexpert people making decisions that experts should be making.

Never ascribe to malevolence what can more easily be explained by incompetence.

Pasa

[darkeyes]

Actually, if the whole of the national education standard, as far as history and social studies, were "tell nothing but the facts without political, religious, gender or racial biases", without any thing else to obscure the meaning of the rule, then I could get behind that.

Unfortunately, not a single politician has the strength of character or integrity to go for something like that. It might cost them their opportunity to defraud the American people in their lust for power.

Is what you propose possible Falcie? I am unconvinced that it can be done... As far as history is concerned there are many explanations why something happened... and the telling of history is impossible without context... and thats where we run into trouble...

[first time guy]

How does Texas hope to get away with ignoring history that is known worldwide and taught worldwide. And do they think Virginia is going to stand byand let one of their most famous sons be forgotten. Bullshit I say!!

[FalconAngel]

Is what you propose possible Falcie? I am unconvinced that it can be done... As far as history is concerned there are many explanations why something happened... and the telling of history is impossible without context... and thats where we run into trouble...

Well, I never said that it could be done, but then I am a little on the idealist side of reality. All I was saying is that it should be done in that way.

Sadly, politicians rarely do the right thing or think clearly when formulating our laws. We have so many restrictive and virtually un-enforceable or prejudiced laws because of knee-jerk reactions to issues that required more thought than they were given; more study into the facts than they were given; more compliance with the equality and civil rights laws than they were given.

The need to do it right is, more often than not, over-ridden by the desire to do it quickly.
Child support enforcement and child custody laws are prime examples of that rule.

[FalconAngel]

It is incredibly difficult isnt it? But having our children taught what we want them to learn smacks of parental indoctrination.. how do we avoid it? We try not to do it but is it possible? At every stage we tell our oldest daughter that our belief is not the only one..tell her to read, learn and discover for herself.. and when the younger is a bit older we will do the same for her...

My parents encouraged me in the same way. And when I lived close enough to walk to the library, and I outpaced what the schools were teaching me, I spent many a winter afternoon in there reading and studying everything from ancient Egypt to astronomy to geology to aviation to current events.

Now, the closest decent library is a 30 minute drive and a very expensive parking garage away.

[darkeyes]

My parents encouraged me in the same way. And when I lived close enough to walk to the library, and I outpaced what the schools were teaching me, I spent many a winter afternoon in there reading and studying everything from ancient Egypt to astronomy to geology to aviation to current events.

Now, the closest decent library is a 30 minute drive and a very expensive parking garage away.

..but what u read was a personal and tainted view of the author or authors... some are more objective than others but no one can be entirely so.... therefore my point stands, Falcie...:)

[FalconAngel]

..but what u read was a personal and tainted view of the author or authors... some are more objective than others but no one can be entirely so.... therefore my point stands, Falcie...:)

Yeah, I know. That is why I still follow things up with further study from a variety of sources that do not include Wikipedia.

I also found an interesting book that I have just recenly had a chance to read, called "Lies my Teacher Told Me" by Ralph W. Loewen.
It reads a lot like an anti-American treatise, but it only addresses the more aggregious points of American History where it has been "modified" to suit an agenda of ethnocentrism, nationalism and/or politics.
It does not try to re-write the totality of the history of the US or the North American, pre-revolution world, just the points where the school books got it wrong (usually intentionally).