TPMMuckraker Don McLeroy
Texas Textbook Hearings
What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been: TX Textbooks Rules Set For Final Vote
Newt Gingrich and Phyllis Schlafly
This week should determine Texas' nationally influential U.S. history textbook standards, as the conservative-dominated State Board of Education prepares to vote on the new standards Friday amid intense interest from activists on both sides.
These are the standards that publishers seeking to sell textbooks in Texas will have to use as a guide. TPMmuckraker started covering the story back in September, and it has since attracted national attention for what critics see as the board's outlandish right-wing recasting of U.S. history. Given the makeup of the board, look for a big win for conservatives Friday.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (3)Topics: Don McLeroy, Rod Paige, Texas, Texas Textbook Hearings, Textbooks
Textbooks
TX Textbooks Proposal: Students Must Discuss Gutting Social Security, Explain How U.N. Undermines U.S.
Don McLeroy
With the long-running Texas history textbooks standards fight scheduled to end with a final vote by the State Board of Education Friday, arch-conservative board member Don McLeroy is proposing a new set of changes that read like a tea party manifesto.
The new amendment (.pdf), which is expected to get a vote on Thursday, would require high school history students to "discuss alternatives regarding long term entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare, given the decreasing worker to retiree ratio" and also "evaluate efforts by global organizations to undermine U. S. sovereignty."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)Topics: Don McLeroy, Medicare, Social Security, Texas, Texas Textbook Hearings, Textbooks, United Nations
Don McLeroy
Creationist-Cum-McCarthy-Booster Incumbent Rejected By Texas Republicans
Don McLeroy
The top conservative activist on the powerful Texas Board of Education, who rejects evolution and has pushed for a revisionist right-wing U.S. history curriculum, is on the way out, after a moderate candidate defeated him in a tight primary last week.
For months now, TPMmuckraker has been covering Don McLeroy as a major player in the battle over the drafting of nationally influential history textbook standards by the Texas board.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (8)Topics: Don McLeroy, Texas, Textbooks
Texas Textbook Hearings
Conservative Vision Ascendant In Latest TX History Textbooks Draft; Gingrich, Schlafly Back In
Newt Gingrich and Phyllis Schlafly
The conservative bloc on the Texas State Board of Education won a string of victories Friday, obtaining approval for an amendment requiring high school U.S. history students to know about Phyllis Schlafly and the Contract with America as well as inserting a clause that aims to justify McCarthyism.
Outspoken conservative board member Don McLeroy, who reportedly spent over three hours personally proposing changes to the textbook standards, even wanted to cut "hip-hop" in favor of "country" in a section about the impact of cultural movements. That amendment failed.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (5)Topics: Clarence Darrow, Contract with America, Cynthia Dunbar, Don McLeroy, Marcus Garvey, Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly, Texas, Texas Textbook Hearings, Textbooks, Venona Papers
Texas Textbook Hearings
The Rehabilitation Of Joseph McCarthy? Texas Textbooks Process Grinds On
Joseph McCarthy
When we last checked in on the U.S. history textbooks standards setting process down in Texas, the conservative-dominated State Board of Education was mulling one-sided requirements to teach high school students about Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly, and the Moral Majority.
Now, in the home stretch of a process that will set the state's nationally influential standards, a liberal watchdog group is worried that the State Board of Education will try to push through changes to claim that communist-hunting Sen. Joseph McCarthy has been vindicated by history, among other right-wing pet issues.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)Topics: Don McLeroy, Joseph McCarthy, Moral Majority, Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly, Texas, Texas Textbook Hearings, Textbooks, William F. Buckley
Texas Textbook Hearings
TX Board Of Ed Member: Minorities Must Be Thankful To 'The Majority' For Giving Them Rights!
Yesterday, we spent about four hours watching a spotty livestream of the revival meeting history textbook hearing by the State Board of Education down in Austin, Texas.
Those are the standards on which -- it can't be repeated enough -- publishers base their nationwide textbooks, and the ones that currently contain a clause requiring knowledge of Newt Gingrich.
Well, the board met for another four hours after lunch. Not much was said about Gingrich beyond that it was "not easy" to draft the clause, but it's worth checking out some highlight clips we pulled to see first-hand how the partisan and frankly ignorant worldviews of some of the board members influence the standards writing process.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (15)Topics: Barbara Cargill, Don McLeroy, Texas, Texas Textbook Hearings, Textbooks
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