As you may know, the Texas school boards are working to rewrite history — literally.
Some of the changes I agree with. For instance, I see nothing wrong with teaching religion in school, from a scholarly standpoint. I learned about ancient religions (what we now call mythology) and studied ancient religious texts. I studied modern religions and texts. We looked at them from a scholarly standpoint because you cannot fully understand other civilizations and history if you do not look at the religions of that civilization. But yes, this implies looking at all of them, not just emphasizing one or another nor does it mean being “sensitive” to one so as to not risk offending it.
Some I don’t, like removing the study of Sir Isaac Newton. How can you understand modern science if you don’t understand Newton!! Good grief!
And some things I think are just appalling, such as dropping “references to the slave trade in favour of calling it the more innocuous ‘Atlantic triangular trade’, and recasts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as driven by Islamic fundamentalism.” Denial or revision (even in the name of political correctness or “sensitivity”) of history undermines the whole point of studying history in the first place.
But whether or not you agree with what the Texas board is doing, it all points to one thing: the growing failure of the public government school system. A few work to gain political leverage, then work in their agenda in hopes of longer-term indoctrination of their view of the world. This is not education, this is brainwashing. This is not education, this is politics, and our children are the sacrifice. But, true education has been dead for a long time.
Just one more reason that the public government school system is a failed organization. We do better when we can have choices, when you can choose what school your child attends. If you want your child to have a particular view of the world, then send your child to that school… be that school one with a narrow view or a broad view. Public government school is supposed to serve everyone, but because of that it serves no one.
I could go a step further and say it’s a greater failing of our social structure, where we demand others teach and raise our children instead of doing that job ourselves. This isn’t to say you have to homeschool, but at least when Junior comes home from whatever school they are sent to, take a look at their textbooks, look at the notes they take, discuss with them what they were learning in school. Get involved in your child’s education. Discuss alternative viewpoints. Expand upon what the school taught. Help them see the world that you want them to see.
Stuff From Hsoi 
The Texas School Board has also decided to remove Thomas Jefferson from text books and replace him with John Calvin. This is the man who believed and taught that God blessed, therefore loved, the rich and punished, therefore hated, the poor. Way to go Texas. You fail again. As a future educator in Texas, I am saddened and concerned. Unfortunatley, not many people know about these changes; those who do don’t care or think the changes are a good idea. I have written my letters and made my calls, but to no avail. Who is going to listen to just one voice? I urge anyone else who disagrees witht these changed to get involved, make calls, and write letters. Together we can make a difference. Our kids deserve better.
I read about deleting references to Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum. That even made headlines up here in Alaska. We were shocked! Not really surprised, just shocked at the implications. Removing Jefferson (one of our most influential founding fathers of our country) to replace with Calvin (a religious reformer 450 years ago) on the grounds to getting rid of religion in the curriculum doesn’t make any sense. Of course if people don’t know much about Jefferson, when they hear him incorrectly cited as the reason to change laws, they will be less likely to complain. Plus, since Texas is such a large population, this policy is bound to affect other smaller states through national textbook company revisions to fit the new Texas policies. It’s not about religion or toleration, it’s about politics.
Extremism is not a good thing. That’s what we’re supposed to be against. Now it seems by being for historical revisionism, we’re more free. Huh? Didn’t we fight against such things in the USSR? Now it’s ok for us to do it? History is bound to be repeated if we don’t learn from it. How can we learn from it if we re-write it to fit our purposes?
When I learned about communism in college, we were told that the most important thing to keeping communism is control of the schools and curriculum. If you teach something to the youth, they will believe the new way is right. Thus, within just a generation, you can entirely change the country’s philosophy. Control what the youth learn and you control the future of the country. Scary.
Texas alone has 5 million students. There are 15 elected officials on the Texas State Board of Education (TSBOE). According to a report in the Christian Science Monitor, there is a 10-5 Republican majority, “including a coalition of seven social conservatives.” Fifteen people will be deciding the fate of what 5 million students learn in their classrooms. And, as you stated, Texas has a large hand in the textbook industry. Watch out America, Texas textbook reform is coming to a state near you.
Thomas Jefferson is the person credited with creating the idea of separation of church and state, but separation of the two is impossible with 10 conservative Christians deciding what all students read. I plan on using supplemental materials in my classroom. I will definitely teach about Thomas Jefferson and John Calvin, but I won’t be teaching them a doctrine. History is important, but the way history is taught and related to students is even more important. My fear is that other teachers will use this as an opportunity to subliminally teach students bigotry and narrow-mindedness. I’m sure my students are capable of drawing their own conclusions though–at least I hope.
My point is that no organization, especially not one so small, should have so much power over so many people. Our students are not the only ones being short-changed. And what’s up with this new terminology? American triangular trade? Renaming slavery doesn’t change the facts. I could go on and on about this subject, but I will leave it here and hope that others will write to and call the TSBOE in protest.