Photo courtesy of the Texas Tribune
Texas Needs Help with Social Studies Curriculum Materials
By Donna Garner
10.15.14
The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) is in the process of adopting new instructional materials – IM’s (e.g., textbooks). Students all over the United States use the instructional materials that go through the very careful adoption process in Texas because other states rely upon Texas to catch many of the factual errors and/or biased statements.
Therefore, it is important for caring Americans to get involved right now to help make sure that these new Social Studies materials are aligned with Texas’ fact-based, patriotic curriculum standards. Please go to this link to read through Texas’ Social Studies curriculum standards – the TEKS —http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/index.html .
At the September SBOE meeting, the public submitted their comments about the Social Studies IM’s. Now the publishers have submitted their responses.
This coming Monday, Oct. 20, the SBOE is going to meet in a work session to determine what it is that publishers need to change in their IM’s before they submit them to the Board for final adoption.
The SBOE members are busily trying to go through the various publishers’ comments, but they cannot possibly go through every single comment to decide whether it is credible or not. That is where the caring public comes in.
Here is the link to the publishers’ comments: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=25769818138
No matter where you live in the U. S., could you please choose one publisher, go through that publisher’s responses, write down any objections you have to the rationale used by the publisher, and send your critique to the Texas State Board of Education member(s) of your choice.
Please pay particular attention to the way that the publishers approach our religious heritage, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and other religions, patriotism, free enterprise, American Exceptionalism, terrorism, the U. S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Founding Fathers, etc.
The SBOE members will then go through your critiques and formulate a list of changes that the Social Studies publishers must make in their IM’s or else suffer a financial penalty.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SBOE MEMBERS: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2147506719
I recommend that you e-mail your critiques to these SBOE members as soon as possible:
Ken Mercer
Donna Bahorich
David Bradley
Barbara Cargill
Marty Rowley
Pat Hardy
Geraldine Miller
Tom Maynard
Your efforts can change the way that America’s school children look upon America.
Donna Garner