Texas Textbook Hearings

Texas Board Approves Warning Textbook Makers Against 'Pro-Islamic, Anti-Christian Distortions'

Rachel Slajda | September 24, 2010, 3:03PM

David Bradley, of the Texas Education Agency

The Texas State Board of Education today passed a resolution warning textbook publishers to scrub their books of "gross pro-Islamic, anti-Christian" bias. The vote was 7 to 6.

The board passed the nonbinding resolution after more than three hours of debate.

Proponents of the measure, including board members and witnesses, argued that world history textbooks spend too much space discussing Islam, and in too positive a light, when compared with Christianity.

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Texas Textbook Hearings

Texas Board Of Ed Wants To Scrub Textbooks Of 'Pro-Islamic, Anti-Christian Distortions'

Rachel Slajda | September 16, 2010, 2:44PM

Texas Board of Education member Ken Mercer

The Texas Board of Education, whose decisions can set textbook standards for the entire country, is now trying to take on the "Muslim propaganda" in world history books.

The social conservatives on the board, who earlier this year set new standards requiring textbooks to include sections on anti-Equal Rights Amendment crusader Phyllis Schafly, the Contract with America and the Christian beliefs of the Founders, want to pass a resolution warning textbook makers not to include "gross pro-Islamic, anti-Christian distortions" in their books.

According to board member Ken Mercer, many world history books are rife with such "Muslim propaganda."

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Texas Textbook Hearings

Texas Board Of Ed Approves Right-Wing History Textbook Standards (VIDEO)

Justin Elliott | May 21, 2010, 6:36PM

Newt Gingrich and Phyllis Schlafly

After months of debate and national controversy, the Texas State Board of Education Friday afternoon passed new high school textbook standards that recast U.S. history from the point of view of a movement conservative.

The AP reports on the 9-5 vote by the Republican-dominated board:

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Arne Duncan

Duncan: Texas Textbook Standards Won't Affect Rest Of U.S.

Eric Lach | May 20, 2010, 5:38PM

Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told CNN he doesn't believe the new U.S. history textbook standards being proposed by the Texas Board of Education will impact classrooms across the country.

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Texas Textbook Hearings

What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been: TX Textbooks Rules Set For Final Vote

Justin Elliott | May 19, 2010, 12:51PM

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.

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Textbooks

TX Textbooks Proposal: Students Must Discuss Gutting Social Security, Explain How U.N. Undermines U.S.

Justin Elliott | May 17, 2010, 9:00AM

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."

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Texas

Conservative Bloc Prevails In Latest TX Textbooks Standards Vote

Justin Elliott | March 12, 2010, 5:48PM

Protesters outside the State Board of Education meeting in Austin this week

Another vote, another win for the conservative majority on Texas' State Board of Education.

The 11-4 vote today on the latest draft of Texas' high school history standards comes as the story has blown up, attracting intense media coverage from national outlets including the New York Times and Fox News, which reported live from Austin all week.

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Texas Textbook Hearings

Conservative Vision Ascendant In Latest TX History Textbooks Draft; Gingrich, Schlafly Back In

Justin Elliott | January 18, 2010, 11:17AM

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.

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Texas Textbook Hearings

The Rehabilitation Of Joseph McCarthy? Texas Textbooks Process Grinds On

Justin Elliott | January 14, 2010, 1:55PM

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.

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Texas Textbook Hearings

'Expert' Barton Brings Religio-Historical Road Show To TX Board Of Ed Hearing

Justin Elliott | September 17, 2009, 2:56PM

From display by David Barton, Texas board of education hearing room

David Barton, who critics call a "Christian nationalist history revisionist," comes off more as smooth-talking history buff than fiery evangelist.

Among the panel of experts appointed to guide the Texas textbook standards writing process, Barton is probably the most committed right-wing activist. He served as vice-chair of the Texas GOP for many years. He was responsible for the uproar over deletion of a reference to Christmas that the chair of the board of education tried to tamp down first thing this morning.

And when his turn to speak came at the hearing on new history textbook standards in Austin today, Barton was the only expert to bring along a slideshow.

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Texas Textbook Hearings

Evangelical Minister 'Expert' Spars With TX Board Of Ed Members About Inclusion Of Minorities

Justin Elliott | September 17, 2009, 1:34PM

Rev. Peter Marshall

The Rev. Peter Marshall is one of the "experts" appointed by the Texas State Board of Education who has come under fire for his lack of academic credentials and unapologetic right-wing Christian agenda.

Testifying today at the board of ed hearing on controversial new social studies standards, Marshall didn't disappoint. He got things started with a rousing 10-minute tour through a Christian-centric version of US history.

"It is obvious beyond contradiction that [the founders] structured American government on the natural rights of mankind, which they firmly believe were the gift of God," he said.

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Texas Textbook Hearings

Texas Education Board Chair Kicks Off Hearings: There Is No War On Christmas

Justin Elliott | September 17, 2009, 11:43AM

Board of Education Chair Gail Lowe

As we told you yesterday, the Texas State Board of Education is meeting in Austin today for the first public discussion of new history textbook standards, which include a controversial section that would require knowledge of Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly, et al.

Before the board turned to social studies, the hearing got to an odd start when an animated member of the public testifying about the importance of health education declared, "I'm 56 years old and I'm a virgin." The chair promptly warned her to stay on topic.

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