How A Texas Board May Affect Your Child's Education

[MTI]

How Christian Were the Founders?

Public education has always been a battleground between cultural forces; one reason that Texas’ school-board members find themselves at the very center of the battlefield is, not surprisingly, money. The state’s $22 billion education fund is among the largest educational endowments in the country. Texas uses some of that money to buy or distribute a staggering 48 million textbooks annually — which rather strongly inclines educational publishers to tailor their products to fit the standards dictated by the Lone Star State.

. . . .

One recurring theme during the process of revising the social-studies guidelines was the desire of the board to stress the concept of American exceptionalism, and the Christian bloc has repeatedly emphasized that Christianity should be portrayed as the driving force behind what makes America great. Peter Marshall is himself the author of a series of books that recount American history with a strong Christian focus and that have been staples in Christian schools since the first one was published in 1977. (He told me that they have sold more than a million copies.)

In these history books, he employs a decidedly unhistorical tone in which the guiding hand of Providence shapes America’s story, starting with the voyage of Christopher Columbus. “Columbus’s heart belonged to God,” he assures his readers, and he notes that a particular event in the explorer’s life “marked the turning point of God’s plan to use Columbus to raise the curtain on His new Promised Land.”

[WVOtoGO]

Nothing here surprises me at all.

Regardless of any religious/Christian issues...
When I hear the words Texas and Education in the same sentence, I know there’s a discussion going on that I want to avoid at all costs.
That is, unless I just feel the need for my blood to boil.

[Skippy]

I just read the whole ten pages. I'm still not sure what to think. It's probably not a good idea to let people who think the earth is less than 10,000 years old design a science curriculum, but the libs have come up with some really outstanding ways to mess up education as well.

[Ara T.]

Uber-religious people never fail to creep me out.

[aklim]

How about a compromise. That clown can write whatever he wants and publish whatever he wants. He can even get the students to read it if he wants. Only caveat is that he has to pay for the book himself

[POS]

Another great post, MTI.

It's nice to know us Texans have some sway in the country; now you know how we feel about the California Air Resources Board.

[Chas H]

Originally Posted by POS

Another great post, MTI.

It's nice to know us Texans have some sway in the country; now you know how we feel about the California Air Resources Board.

It would be a blessing if other states, such as PA, would not be influenced by CA or TX.

[MTI]

Could be worse, it could be Kansas.

[Palangi]

Is there some reason why PA or KS or HI can't spec their own textbooks?

[MTI]

My understanding is cost. Textbook publishers cater content to the states with the purchasing power and in this case it's Texas.

[AustinsCE]

One more reason not to subject your children to the government re-education centers.

[strelnik]

Originally Posted by AustinsCE

One more reason not to subject your children to the government re-education centers.

This is why the last two generations of my family have been educated privately.

[Palangi]

Originally Posted by MTI

My understanding is cost. Textbook publishers cater content to the states with the purchasing power and in this case it's Texas.

Cost wouldn't be an obstacle to any Democrat legislature I ever heard of.

[Chas H]

Originally Posted by Palangi

Cost wouldn't be an obstacle to any Democrat legislature I ever heard of.

School books are purchased by local school boards, not by legislatures.

[Palangi]

If a local skool board wants textbooks to their specifications, they can buy them with the taxpayers money. If the taxpayers don't approve, they can fire the skool board at the next election, or hold a recall even sooner.