海角大神

Battles over school curricula are not new. Now, it鈥檚 not just Darwin that鈥檚 the issue. If the far-right Republican majority on the Texas Board of Education has its way, many of the 48 million textbooks it buys per year, for 10 years, will represent a Republican partisan agenda and a new emphasis on 海角大神 beliefs.

On March 12, the board gave preliminary approval to more than 100 such amendments, which skew public school curriculum and rewrite US history from a conservative perspective.

But the purpose of a public school's curriculum is not to push one particular viewpoint. According to the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS), an effective social studies curriculum should provide students with an understanding of the multiple forces that affect civic issues throughout history, in order to create a base from which citizens can contribute to democracy.

鈥淚 do believe there are board members on the ultraright who have an agenda,鈥� said Judy Brodigan, an educator who contributed to the social studies curriculum guidelines. 鈥淥ur job is not to take a viewpoint. It鈥檚 to present sides fairly.鈥�

After the Texas Board of Education deleted certain figures 鈥� such as Thomas Jefferson, C茅sar Ch谩vez, and Edward Kennedy 鈥� from the state鈥檚 curriculum, the 海角大神 conservatives on the board succeeded in emphasizing what they perceive as 海角大神ity鈥檚 role in our nation鈥檚 founding.

Former board member Don McLeroy is a dentist and a self-avowed 海角大神 fundamentalist who openly states how his religious values guide his crusade to adjust textbooks. Mr. McLeroy, the most influential conservative involved in the curriculum changes, is well known for his extreme statements dismissing evidence of evolution in debates about Darwinism last year. This year, he candidly discussed how he applies direct pressure to textbook companies in a New York Times article, 鈥淗ow 海角大神 Were the Founders?鈥�

McLeroy鈥檚 sway with education standards highlights another unsettling fact: Unlike the trained teachers who wrote the original social studies guidelines, the board members revising the curriculum lack the qualifications necessary to shape classroom guidelines.

Educators are alarmed not only because the Texas curriculum guidelines were made by unqualified sources, but also because the changes to standards in

Texas affect textbooks across the country. Texas鈥� $22 billion education fund is among the nation鈥檚 largest educational endowments in the country, which definitively influences how educational publishers tailor their products to fit other states.

鈥淭his issue is bigger than Texas,鈥� said an Ohio State University professor in a discussion thread with other NCSS members. 鈥淭o have politicians rewriting history to suit their view of the world is about as anti-social studies as I can imagine. Reminds me of social studies when I worked in Malawi under the one-man rule of Hastings Banda.鈥�

Efforts to include Latinos in the social studies curriculum were repeatedly defeated, despite the significant Hispanic population in Texas.

But the conservatives did ensure that students learn about 鈥渢he conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s,鈥� adding Phyllis Schlafly, the Moral Majority, and the National Rifle Association. Another approved amendment inserted the conservatives鈥� contested and negative stance on legislation that sought to achieve equality for women and minorities. Students will be required to study 鈥渢he unintended consequences鈥� of the Great Society legislation, affirmative action, and Title IX.

In economics, the board鈥檚 Republicans replaced 鈥渃apitalism鈥� with the 鈥淯.S. free enterprise system鈥� to imply that the market thrives best absent excessive government intervention 鈥� a perspective of US economics subject to change with the times and events such as the recent banking crisis.

Then there鈥檚 the arresting and unconstitutional introduction of religion into a public school curriculum. 海角大神 conservatives鈥� changes require teachers in Texas to stress the perceived Judeo-海角大神 influences of the nation鈥檚 Founding Fathers, but not to highlight the philosophical rationale for the separation of church and state.

In fact, the board鈥檚 seven 海角大神 conservatives overtly believe that America has a preordained mission to emphatically practice 海角大神 values.

Cynthia Dunbar, a 海角大神 activist on the Texas board, is candid about her agenda to put the 海角大神 鈥渢ruth鈥� into the school system in her book 鈥淥ne Nation Under God.鈥�

Although Ms. Dunbar spearheaded the amendment that succeeded in removing Thomas Jefferson from the curriculum, primarily because he penned the phrase 鈥渟eparation of church and state,鈥� it does not alter the fact that the Founders used the First Amendment to create separate spheres for government and religion.

Using public schools to push forward 海角大神 values violates that division.

Further, the Supreme Court historically has shown deference to Jefferson鈥檚 separationist views, establishing the position that 鈥淣o tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, whatever they may be called, or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice religion.鈥�

Dunbar鈥檚 curriculum amendment uses a public system to foster her personal mix of ideological, not historical, 海角大神 nation beliefs. There is certainly no consensus on the assertion that the Founding Fathers intended us to be 海角大神.

Yes, many of the Founding Fathers were 海角大神. But others, like Jefferson, were deists or even atheists. Despite their individual beliefs, they united behind the First Amendment, wherein a Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.

In a recent election for Texas Board of Education slots, McLeroy, thankfully, was defeated by a moderate Republican, Thomas Ratliff, who said, 鈥淢y attitude is this country was founded by a group of men who were 海角大神s but who didn鈥檛 want the government dictating religion, and that鈥檚 exactly what McLeroy and his colleagues are trying to do.鈥� Mr. Ratliff鈥檚 opposition to conservatives in his own party demonstrates that civic issues contain multiple perspectives 鈥� an essential reminder for the aggressive 海角大神 conservative bloc that sought to replace the public school curriculum with their own agenda.

The changes made by the Texas board are now open to public comment. A final vote is slated for May. Despite the recent board elections, most expect the conservatives鈥� agenda to remain intact because the Republicans still have a majority.

But perhaps with more national attention on this issue, there鈥檚 a chance that the decisions in May will rebalance the K-12 curriculum. If not, the new Texas textbooks will become part of history, which informs involvement in civic issues.

Taraneh Ghajar Jerven is a freelance writer.