Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that Texas and it’s State Board of Education in particular has been in the national news a lot lately? Well, I have noticed, and quite frankly, it’s embarrassing.

First to make the news was Perry considering Cynthia Dunbar to head up the board. Remember her? I’ve posted about her before (see posts here). I feel no shame saying the woman is a nut. A fundamentalist Christian, creationist nut who believes public schools are “subtly deceptive tool of perversion” and are unconstitutional. Perry decided against going with Dunbar for the position, instead choosing Gail Lowe, another of the fundamentalist Christian, creationist nuts on our education board. She’s not much better than Dunbar, but at least she hasn’t said Obama is working with terrorists to bring down America … yet (or at least not publicly)^†.

Now the news about Texas’ lousy educational system is all about the recommendations being made by a panel of “experts” appointed by the board for what (and who) should and should not be included in government, history, and social studies classes. And who are these experts set with the task of deciding what our children will be learning?

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.
–WSJ – The Culture Wars’ New Front: U.S. History Classes in Texas

There are some actual experts in history on the review panel, but obviously, some of them aren’t experts in this subject at all but are merely there to push through the far-right agenda. How does someone who thinks Vietnam, Katrina, and Watergate are punishments from God get on a state level curriculum review board? They are appointed by the State Board of Education, and there are no standards requiring any qualifications whatsoever. The former head of the board (also a fundamentalist Christian, creationist nut) sums it up thusly:

“Texans have decided that education is too important to be left to bureaucrats and unelected folks,” McLeroy said. “If two (board) members think they’re qualified, they’re qualified.”
–Social studies will be next battle for State Board of Education

I bet I could find a few people who think I’m qualified to fly the space shuttle or run a television network, but that wouldn’t make it true. But, such is the state of our State Board of Education. The ignorant majority appointing the ignorant to make major decisions, while the educated among them try to do the best they can to actually educate our children.

The bottom line so far on recommendations for what Texas students need to learn? Out with Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall, and in with Billy Graham and the founding of America as a Christian nation. I wish I were kidding, but I’m not.

The core of the controversy rests on what historical figures are acceptable to the conservative “experts.” Evangelical minister Peter Marshall and David Barton, president of WallBuilders, both believe that Hispanic labor leader César Chávez should be removed from the social studies curriculum.

“To have César Chávez listed next to Ben Franklin, as in the current standards is ludicrous,” wrote Marshall. “Chavez is hardly the kind of role model that ought to be held up to our children as someone worthy of emulation,” added Marshall.

Barton contends that Chávez “lacks the stature, impact and overall contributions of so many others.” Thurgood Marshall, the first black U.S. Supreme Court justice who argued the landmark school desegregation case is also on the “experts’ hit lists.

The Supreme Court justice was derided, as “not a strong enough example” of an important historical figure to be discussed in Texas schools.
–In With Jesus Out With Civil Rights Leaders in Texas Textbooks

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

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.

“America is a special place and we need to be sure we communicate that to our children,” said Don McLeroy, a leading conservative on the board. “The foundational principles of our country are very biblical…. That needs to come out in the textbooks.”
–WSJ – The Culture Wars’ New Front: U.S. History Classes in Texas

And why should anyone not in Texas care what the State Board of Education does to the students in Texas? Texas (as well as California) are huge buyers of textbooks, and most publishers want to keep printing costs down. Therefore, the textbooks in Texas and California tend to be pushed for adoption in other states. Unless you want your children learning about this kind of crap in your state’s school systems, well, you better care what Texas puts in it’s curriculum and textbooks. Personally, I’m for more Cesar Chavez and less Billy Graham, more facts and less God. I would hope you are too.

I do have some opinion and anecdotes on American exceptionalism and education in Texas, but I also have ten million things to get done today that don’t involve sitting at the computer ranting for hours. Expect a post soon about America being filled with completely unexceptional human beings and how I was almost 30 years old before I learned that Cesar Chavez wasn’t a nasty Communist Socialist Evil-Doer out to destroy America and all that is good in the world. Yes, that’s quite a tale and well worth telling. I may be educated, but there are gaps in my education … which can be blamed almost entirely on having received said education in the great state of Texas.

If you want to read more about the Texas State Board of Education in the news, here are two more stories worth looking over:

Conservatives say Texas social studies classes give too much credit to civil rights leaders

Texas State Board of Education wrestles with textbook standards

Also, two excellent blogs who cover this lunacy regularly:

Texas Freedom Network

Capitol Annex (This post on one of the aforementioned “experts” and his expert knowledge is a good starting place.)

And if you really want to dig into the subject, here are the reviews and suggestions of each of the board members working on Texas’ social studies standards. I haven’t read them yet, but rest assured, I will eventually get to them.

Now if you will excuse me, I have some menial household labor to get done.

1. † You can read some more about Gail Lowe here. She really is as bad as Dunbar, but she hasn’t made the national news yet with any insane ranting. Give her time. I’m sure she eventually will. [↩]