TCS: Politicization of Science Education Continues in Texas

In a press release, Texas Citizens for Science reports: The recent adoption of new supplemental science instructional materials by the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) was largely a victory for science. Although the biology curriculum standards were unfortunately damaged in 2009 by a politically radicalized majority of SBOE members who inserted four new standards […]

David Barton on majorities and minority rights

Under Construction I don’t have time to write this post right now — hopefully I’ll get to it before too long. But I did want to post these paragraphs now while people are looking for this. These relate to a story on Al Sharpton’s show on MSNBC tonight (Aug 24, 2011) on Rick Perry and David […]

Parents Of Nasal Learners Demand Odor-Based Curriculum

The image from the Newsweek article in the post right below this one reminded me of the image of the student pictured here (at left). Click on the photo here to see the article on parental demands for odor-based curriculum. I think that article is actually very relevant to a point I’d like to raise […]

Documentation for IJSE article: “Howard Zinn and the Struggle for Real History in the United States”

The items on this page are posted as documentation for an article that will appear later this year in the International Journal of Social Education. The complete bibliographic citation for that article will be added here when it becomes available.

State of the Nation: IN PERIL! (Bachmann speech / videos)

On his MSNBC Hardball program last week, Chris Matthews was calling Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) a “balloon head” — somebody who speaks freely without knowing anything, about U.S. history, in particular, and somebody who need to go back to school to learn something about history, so that she might finally know something about the things she likes […]

Defending science, history, etc.: A promising precedent?

It seems to me that the case of David Rudovsky and Leonard Sosnov v. West Publishing Corporation (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania 2010), provides an intruiging suggestion for defending genuine science and social studies materials for school curriculum. A December 21 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer reports the outcome of this case. In […]

A “ray of sunlight” for Louisiana science education

On the decision by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approving the purchase of Biology textbooks for the sate: “The board’s decision is a ray of sunlight,” commented NCSE’s executive director Eugenie C. Scott, “especially because the creationist opponents of these textbooks were claiming — wrongly — that the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act […]

Texas bill to politicize curricula

A new bill in the Texas legislature would politicize curricula by reversing legislative action which had previously vested authority over selection of supplementary materials to the Texas Education Agency, removing that authority from the Texas State Board of Education [SBOE].

Louisiana Panel Endorses Textbooks, Despite Evolution Critics

Louisiana Panel Endorses Textbooks, Despite Evolution Critics.

Board Takes Up Anti-Muslim Measure « Texas Freedom Network

Board Takes Up Anti-Muslim Measure « Texas Freedom Network. By Dan The Texas State Board of Education is about to take up a proposed resolution attacking Islam and claiming that social studies textbooks are anti-Christian. TFN Insider will keep you updated on progress. 9:53 a.m. – We notice that board members Barbara Cargill and Don […]

Wickham: Texas history as opportunity

In USA Today (and by syndication in other Garnette papers), Dwayne Wickham has a May 25 column to show how the Texas State Board of Education’s (SBOE) newly-adopted standards for history education, despite intentions by the SBOE leading bloc of right-wing ideologues, actually can provide an opportunity for teaching real history. Wickham notes that Among […]

TX SBOE reminds SMU Dean of Apartheid regime’s historical revisionism

On The Ed Show Friday, May 21 on MSNBC, Dr. David Chard Dean of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University in Fort Worth (see comment below) Dallas, Texas, offered this observation: It reminds me a little bit of what happened in South Africa when there was domination […]

Revised TX Social Studies standards

Historians from Texas and around the U.S. have signed a letter calling for the Texas State Board of Education to delay its final vote on revised Social Studies standards and to allow time for review and input from scholars, as reported by the Associated Press and by the Austin American-Statesman. The historians have set up […]

TN Biology textbook challenged (with videos)

Knoxville parent Kurt Zimmermann (often misspelled “Zimmerman”) has generated a lot of buzz over his challenge to a high school biology text, because of its reference to creationism as a “myth.” After Zimmermann’s request to have the book thrown out was reviewed and rejected by Knoxville’s Farragut High School, he appealed their decision to the […]

“We Report, You Decide” (with video)

Check out this video under the Headline History Being Rewritten? Texas textbooks: Hearings being held to change history textbooks on foxnews.com: “Reporting” from Austin, Fox’s Peter Doocy says it’s “kinda scary” if people are going to be teaching about things in history “in a way that’s favorable to their views.” “Who’s behind this?”  host (“news […]

I’s on Edjukashun – Texas School Board – Eric Foner

My favorite line: Colbert: They say that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. But, if you change what history was, doesn’t that solve that problem? more about “Colbert Puts His ‘I’s On Edjukashun’ …“, posted with vodpod

wingnuts cry “bias” on AP report (with links to audio and video)

At a right-wing blog titled “Wolf Howling,” there’s a post titled “AP Goes APE Over Texas School Book Changes,” attacking April Castro for her coverage of the Texas State Board of Education’s demolition of the state’s social studies standards. “Wolfhowling” writes: The author, Ms. Castro, does not want to admit that what we are seeing […]