Seriously, Doesn't the Texas State Senate Have Anything Better to Do?

Link.

Basically, the Senate is changing the state's curriculum in history for it to focus more on the Bible and Christian Faith. The want to remove "liberal icons" such as César Chávez and Thurgood Marshall.

Quote :

The Texas Board of Education, which recently approved new science
standards that made room for creationist critiques of evolution, is
revising the state's social studies curriculum. In early
recommendations from outside experts appointed by the board, a divide
has opened over how central religious theology should be to the
teaching of history.

No, no it shouldn't. If I wanted my (non-existant) children to learn about theology, I would send them to Sunday school, teach them myself, or send them to a Catholic/Christian school.

Quote :

Two of them want to remove or de-emphasize references to several
historical figures who have become liberal icons, such as César Chávez
and Thurgood Marshall.

Seriously? Seriously? Apparently it's not important to teach about a civil rights activist who worked to improve union laborers, or out first African American judge of the United States Supreme Court?

Quote :

"We have tended to exclude or marginalize the role of Hispanic and
Native American participants in the state's history," said Jesús F. de
la Teja, chairman of the history department at Texas State University.

We have people wanting to do the opposite, apparently.

Quote :

The teachers' recommendations are sent to the 15-member board of
education, a conservative-dominated body that has authority to revise
standards.

So the Board of Education will probably reject most of the recommendations. Lovely.

Quote :

The three reviewers appointed by the moderate and liberal board members
are all professors of history or education at Texas universities,
including Mr. de la Teja, a former state historian. The reviewers
appointed by conservatives include two who run conservative Christian
organizations: David Barton, founder of WallBuilders, a group that
promotes America's Christian heritage; and Rev. Marshall, who preaches
that Watergate, the Vietnam War and Hurricane Katrina were God's
judgments on the nation's sexual immorality. The third is Daniel
Dreisbach, a professor of public affairs at American University.

Yes, I'm sure this will end well. I think Texas is trying to go back in time.

Quote :

The conservative reviewers say they believe that children must learn that America's founding principles are biblical.

No, no we aren't. America's founding principles were that we are a land of liberty, a constitutional republic, a free market, and a free society. I don't see anything about religion.

Quote :

The curriculum, they say, should clearly present Christianity as an
overall force for good -- and a key reason for American exceptionalism,
the notion that the country stands above and apart.

I sense some RELIGION WANK coming. :argue:

Quote :

Nearly every state has its own curriculum standards, and there are
scores of social studies texts to choose from at most grade levels, so
what happens in Texas won't necessarily affect other states. But the
Texas market is huge, so most big publishers aggressively seek approval
from the board, in some cases adopting the majority's editing
suggestions nearly verbatim.

That's right people, all of the other states will jump on the failboat as well.

Fuck you, Texas.

Oh my god I hate Texas with such a burning passion.

We should have left it and all of it's dysfunction for Mexico to deal with, along with Florida.

Although that seems too cruel.

Mafiosa wrote:

Oh my god I hate Texas with such a burning passion.

We should have left it and all of it's dysfunction for Mexico to deal with, along with Florida.

Although that seems too cruel.

Heyheyheyheyhey. At least let me graduate and move out before you do anything to Texas.

Okay, you guys can secede now. I'll harbor sane refugees.

I'm really sick of the THIS NATION WAS FOUNDED ON CHRISTIANITY AND WHAT I THINK THEY MEANT WHEN THEY WROTE THE CONSTITUTION TRUMPS WHAT THEY ACTUALLY WROTE BAWWWWWWW argument.

Trust me, I think these people are freaks. They also want to eliminate George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Stephen F. Austin from history texts for younger grades. These people are idiots.

karmyn31 wrote:

Trust me, I think these people are freaks. They also want to eliminate George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Stephen F. Austin from history texts for younger grades. These people are idiots.

And Sam Houston. D:

theweirdkind wrote:

karmyn31 wrote:

Trust me, I think these people are freaks. They also want to eliminate George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Stephen F. Austin from history texts for younger grades. These people are idiots.

And Sam Houston. D:

Wait, they wanted to eliminate teaching about the President of the Republic of Texas in the Texas history curriculum?

That's just mind-bendingly stupid.

Miss Prince wrote:

Okay, you guys can secede now. I'll harbor sane refugees.

I'm really sick of the THIS NATION WAS FOUNDED ON CHRISTIANITY AND WHAT I THINK THEY MEANT WHEN THEY WROTE THE CONSTITUTION TRUMPS WHAT THEY ACTUALLY WROTE BAWWWWWWW argument.

Me & the hamsters 'll come crash with you

Seriously, even as a conservative, I think this is stupid.

Also, I should point out that the Mayflower Compact was a fairly religious document (Admittedly, Jamestown was 13 years before, but it was always more of a backwater. :whisper: )

There's not enough headdesk in the world for this.

In UK schools, children tend to have one lesson a week of "Religious Education". It's a good system, it means that the religion stays the fuck out of the proper subjects. Seeing as Texas have completely sneaked religion into classrooms anyway, wouldn't it be better to do it this way?

ZoZo wrote:

In UK schools, children tend to have one lesson a week of "Religious Education". It's a good system, it means that the religion stays the fuck out of the proper subjects. Seeing as Texas have completely sneaked religion into classrooms anyway, wouldn't it be better to do it this way?

AND it covers all religions, not just Christianity. One year we learnt about the imagery that goes into Islamic prayer mats and mocked up our own on A4. And we did Buddhism. This was in a C of E primary school where we had to sing hyms in assembly every day, but we still had to learn what other people believed.

So yeah, fuck you Texas.

I went to a Catholic Primary AND Secondary school (and that taught me ALL about love and tolerance in the Christian faith, thankyou very much you sadistic fucks) and JESUS CHRIST I can't believe that a state would contemplate something like this. They're actually promoting the warping and rewriting of history books for the purpose of going back in time about 30 years.

If religion should be taught in school at all, it should be as an awareness of ALL of them, not just carefully reconstructing history to only represent one.

Pussies! Go all out like Poland and teach nothing but creationism!
(Actually I don't know if they fully went through with that or if it was just one of their nutty political parties.)


Although I'm not understanding how knowing historical figures goes against religion?

theweirdkind wrote:

karmyn31 wrote:

Trust me, I think these people are freaks. They also want to eliminate George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Stephen F. Austin from history texts for younger grades. These people are idiots.

And Sam Houston. D:

WTF is wrong with these assholes?!

Spotts1701 wrote:

theweirdkind wrote:

karmyn31 wrote:

Trust me, I think these people are freaks. They also want to eliminate George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Stephen F. Austin from history texts for younger grades. These people are idiots.

And Sam Houston. D:

Wait, they wanted to eliminate teaching about the President of the Republic of Texas in the Texas history curriculum?

That's just mind-bendingly stupid.

I'll say...that would be like the Mass. state senate voting to eliminate teaching about the Pilgrims and the Battle of Lexington & Concord from the Massachusetts history curriculum.

Fitchsticks wrote:

ZoZo wrote:

In UK schools, children tend to have one lesson a week of "Religious Education". It's a good system, it means that the religion stays the fuck out of the proper subjects. Seeing as Texas have completely sneaked religion into classrooms anyway, wouldn't it be better to do it this way?

AND it covers all religions, not just Christianity. One year we learnt about the imagery that goes into Islamic prayer mats and mocked up our own on A4. And we did Buddhism. This was in a C of E primary school where we had to sing hyms in assembly every day, but we still had to learn what other people believed.

So yeah, fuck you Texas.

You're damn right. I seem to remember making Islamic prayer mats at some point.

Oh, and we covered evolution so thoroughly that I, at the age of seven, proudly answered the chicken/egg question.

Seriously, Texas. This is what our religious schools do.

Quote :

The curriculum, they say, should clearly present Christianity as an
overall force for good -- and a key reason for American exceptionalism,
the notion that the country stands above and apart.

Holy fucking shit! That's 'Manifest Destiny', the very same ideology from the late 19th century that brought about the 1898 war, and possibly why Chavez and Fidel are still taken seriously in Latin America.

These people are trying to turn the clock some 110 years!

This article makes me twitch with rage. Nevermind that there is a separation of church and state. Nevermind that wanting to get rid of Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall in the textbooks is narrow-minded. Might as well get rid of MLK Jr. while you're at it, Texas Board of Education.

Quote :

The Texas Board of Education, which recently approved new science
standards that made room for creationist critiques of evolution, is
revising the state's social studies curriculum.

Let's nip those crazy free-thinkers in the bud before they become an issue!

Quote :

Two of them want to remove or de-emphasize references to several
historical figures who have become liberal icons, such as César Chávez
and Thurgood Marshall.

Since when were civil rights activists "liberal icons"? Whatever the fuck happened to doing the right goddamn thing instead of being a partisan clusterfuck of MY MORALITY LET ME SHOW YOU IT.

Quote :

Some outside observers argue that curriculum analysts should be trained
academics. "It's important to have trained historians establishing the
framework," said David Vigilante, associate director of the National
Center for History in the Schools at the University of California, Los
Angeles.

Nevermind "well-educated". They want them "trained". As if teachers didn't have enough problems trying to fit pointless standards, rubrics, and certification on HOW TO MAKE A LESSON PLAN already without having these people bitch at them about how poor Johnny learned about Cesar Chavez that day.

Here I actually want to be a teacher, and having to put up with all this crap day in and day out is disheartening. Just the idea of getting yelled at for not teaching with the correct political slant pisses me off. You know what, your child is here to learn about the world outside of their own little bubble land that you set up for them, and if they're smart they'll succeed. If their strong in their own beliefs that THE PARENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO TEACH, nothing I can do can alter it. I can get them to think critically about it, but change their minds? No. That's the parent's job, not mine. But in today's day and age it's always about blaming the teachers. I've looked into the degree programs that go specifically towards "teaching" and the classes are all about making lesson plans. All about having to conform to state standards. Now I am all for standards, but I'm here to teach facts, not some idealized political agenda. If you're bothering me about it, THEN YOU NEED TO FIX SOMETHING AT HOME, NOT BRING IT UP WITH ME. IT'S YOUR FAULT YOUR KIDS ARE TERRIBLE WASTES OF TIME AND BIASING EDUCATION TO FIT YOUR NARROW VIEW OF HUMANITY AND CULTURE ISN'T GOING TO DO A DAMN THING TO MAKE THEM SMARTER AND SUCCESSFUL IN THIS MODERN FUCKING WORLD.

This bullshit had better not spread to New Mexico. And if it does, I'm going postal.
(hops off soapbox)

Quote :

Reaching
for examples of achievement by different racial and ethnic groups is
divisive, Mr. Barton said, and distorts history.

No, it doesn't.

*Oh, and whoever wants to point at my post and shout "Strawman!" keep in mind that all extreme political stances, be it liberal or conservative, piss me off. I'm just going by my perspective as someone who has seen firsthand No Child Left Behind, and has tutored Mathematics in high school and college settings. I was stuck in a poor school where EVERY curricular decision was a battle against these kinds of people. I have experience as a teacher (an assistant, but still) and I've been on the receiving end of all kinds of stupidity from parents and students alike. So I'm just giving my pespective on it. As a teacher. There's no agenda here.

ZoZo wrote:

In UK schools, children tend to have one lesson a week of "Religious Education". It's a good system, it means that the religion stays the fuck out of the proper subjects. Seeing as Texas have completely sneaked religion into classrooms anyway, wouldn't it be better to do it this way?

Which is a little odd, when you consider that England actually has an established church.

*scratches Texas off her list of places to work*

Quote :

The curriculum, they say, should clearly present Christianity as an overall force for good -- and a key reason for American exceptionalism, the notion that the country stands above and apart.

That's funny, I was taught that our melting pot-ness was "a key reason for American exceptionalism."

Then again, I'm a filthy heathen Vermonter, so what do I know?

Texas: Making Mississippi look good since 1845.

Fitchsticks wrote:

ZoZo wrote:

In UK schools, children tend to have one lesson a week of "Religious Education". It's a good system, it means that the religion stays the fuck out of the proper subjects. Seeing as Texas have completely sneaked religion into classrooms anyway, wouldn't it be better to do it this way?

AND it covers all religions, not just Christianity. One year we learnt about the imagery that goes into Islamic prayer mats and mocked up our own on A4. And we did Buddhism. This was in a C of E primary school where we had to sing hyms in assembly every day, but we still had to learn what other people believed.

Can you imagine what the rabid Biblical-literalist fundamentalist firebreathers across the pond would have to say about that idea? "OMG OUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN ARE BEING TAUGHT TERRORISM! FNGRAUHABLAH!" :bible: (Why don't we have a head-exploding icon?)

WOW. I live in a conservative state, but I think even the more "hardcore" conservatives here would boggle at this. As a liberal, I'm kinda upset. As a pagan, I'm fucking pissed. Whatever happened to the seperation of church & state?

Quote :

The fight over school curriculum in Texas, recently focused on biology, has entered a new arena, with a brewing debate over how much faith belongs in American history classrooms.

It doesn't.

Quote :

In early recommendations from outside experts appointed by the board, a divide has opened over how central religious theology should be to the teaching of history.

Ok, granted, put like this that's not too bad. After all, religion has shaped history, but not just Christianity, but all religions. If they centered on how the people were thinking, and how that changed history, that might actually be an interesting course. However....

Quote :

Three reviewers, appointed by social conservatives, have recommended revamping the K-12 curriculum to emphasize the roles of the Bible, the Christian faith and the civic virtue of religion in the study of American history.

WAT.

Quote :

"We're in an all-out moral and spiritual civil war for the soul of America, and the record of American history is right at the heart of it," said Rev. Peter Marshall, a Christian minister and one of the reviewers appointed by the conservative camp.

Oh, THAT figures. A Christian minister wants to emphasize Christianity in American history. *sigh*

Quote :

For instance, they say the separation of powers set forth in the Constitution stems from a scriptural understanding of man's fall and inherent sinfulness, or "radical depravity," which means he can be governed only by an intricate system of checks and balances.

...that's sorta insulting. "Oh, mankind is depraved, but if we put down a lot of RULEZ then they won't be depraved anymore!" What a slap in the face to atheists!

Quote :

The curriculum, they say, should clearly present Christianity as an overall force for good -- and a key reason for American exceptionalism, the notion that the country stands above and apart.

Actually, I think America's "exceptionalism" comes from primarily greed, and secondarily a push to succeed or "to win". But originally, it came from a desire for freedom.

Quote :

"The foundational principles of our country are very biblical.... That needs to come out in the textbooks."

NO. NO IT DOESN'T. Just give me the facts and let me draw my own conclusions, THANK YOU!

Quote :

The conservative Christian reviewers, in turn, are skeptical of the professional historians' emphasis on multiculturalism, views stated most forcefully by Mr. de la Teja but echoed by Ms. Hodges. Reaching for examples of achievement by different racial and ethnic groups is divisive, Mr. Barton said, and distorts history.

DOUBLE WAT.

Seriously, WTF?! So, the Native Americans have had nothing to do with the formation of this country? Not in the (admittedly shitty) deal where they sold Manhattan? Or their forced movement westward and into reservations (or being slaughtered by soldiers, sent pox infested blankets, the list of atrocities go on and on...) emphasized by the Trail of Tears? NO. THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WHITE MAN'S LUST FOR CONQUEST! ... fuck. *I'm* offended at this. Or, what about slavery in the South and the Civil War? That had NOTHING TO DO WITH DIFFERENT RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS. Didn't shape American history at all. NOPE. Or the whole "melting pot" thing and the massive immigration from other countries? NOPE. NOTHING TO DO WITH AMERICAN HISTORY. JUST MOVE ON. NOTHING TO SEE HERE.

What. The. Fuck.

Nihilist wrote:

*Oh, and whoever wants to point at my post and shout "Strawman!" keep in mind that all extreme political stances, be it liberal or conservative, piss me off. I'm just going by my perspective as someone who has seen firsthand No Child Left Behind, and has tutored Mathematics in high school and college settings. I have experience as a teacher (an assistant, but still) and I've been on the receiving end of all kinds of stupidity from parents and students alike. So I'm just giving my pespective on it. As a teacher. There's no agenda here.

And guess who was the grandfather of NCLB? That's right. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Nihilist, New Mexico seems to still be safe from this fuckery. There was a time in... 2005? where the teachers of my high school (mostly the science department, though others protested as well) were told that they'd have to teach good Christian values to the students and allow creationism into the school. And not only that--they were supposed to smile and teach it. School said "FU" and wandered off.