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NEW updates on Texas Social Studies standards!

• Liberty Institute's press release about the Fordham Institute's report.
• See Liberty Institute's side-by-side analysis of Fordham Institute's report vs. actual Texas social studies standards.

Texas Social Studies Standards released on Friday, June 25:

• Standards for Kindergarten through Grade 5
• Standards for Grade 6 through Grade 8
• Standards for High School
  ** The links above are direclly from the Texas Education Agency's web site.**

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Some are making outrageous statements about the new Texas Social Studies standards. It’s obvious, they either have not read the new standards, or they are intentionally misleading the public.

They claim that a select group of teachers and hand-picked professors should have total control over the specific content of curriculum standards.

The fact is, the majority of the State Board of Education members saved Christmas, Rosh Hashanah, the Liberty Bell, Neil Armstrong, Jonas Salk, Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, and George Patton. A select group of teachers and professors also sought to diminish and downplay Independence Day, Veterans Day, religious heritage, Thomas Edison and more. These efforts were rejected by the majority of the State Board of Education, who are an elected body.

They claim Thomas Jefferson is not in the standards.

The fact is that Thomas Jefferson is in the Texas Social Studies standards numerous times, including:

In Grade 5: "Founding Father and Patriot her(o)...Thomas Jefferson..".

In Grade 8: for "significant individuals that played a role in the American Revolution.....Thomas Jefferson..."
 

In U.S. Government (twice) "the contributions of the political philosophies of the Founding Fathers, including...Thomas Jefferson...".
 

In World History: Students must “explain the political philosophies of individuals such as…Thomas Jefferson...”
 

Moreover, the Declaration of Independence, which Thomas Jefferson authored, is referenced at least 25 times throughout the K-12 Social Studies standards.
 

They claim religious freedom is watered down in the standards.

The fact is religious freedom is taught using language from the First Amendment of the Constitution, the direct source of Religious Freedom language

In U.S. Government: "Examine the reasons the Founding Fathers protected religious freedom in America and guaranteed it free exercise by saying that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof and compare and contrast this to the phrase “separation of church and state.”

This social studies standard was approved by an 11-3 bipartisan vote.

They claim The State Board of Education members have no teaching experience.

The fact is numerous members of the State Board of Education have teaching experience. Click here for official bios of the SBOE members. www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=3803

They claim that teachers and professors were kept out of the process.

The fact is the State Board of Education had five public hearings and heard hours of testimony from numerous professors and teachers and many of their suggestions are reflected in the standards. Furthermore, many of the changes suggested by a select group of appointed teachers to a review panel were adopted.

They claim that that the term slavery was taken out of the standards.

The fact is slavery is in the standards.

For the correct context of this misleading information, one section of the standards, before it was changed on Thursday, said this:

“explain reasons for the development of the plantation system, the Atlantic triangular growth of the slave trade, and the spread of slavery; and…”

There were no official objections to this language, by Republicans or Democrats, in January when the initial change was made.

Then, last week the State Board of Education voted 15-0 to change the phrase “Atlantic Triangular Trade” to “Transatlantic Slave Trade”.

Slavery is covered numerous other times throughout the K-12 course.

They claim there are no references to capitalism.

The fact is capitalism is in every grade of social studies standards starting at grade 2.

"Students identify the role of the U.S. free enterprise system within the parameters of this course and understand that this system may also be referenced as capitalism or the free market system."

They claim that minorities and women have been diminished or “whitewashed”,

The fact is the following minorities, women, cases and groups are covered by the social studies standards, resulting in major increases in numbers of minorities and women:

Cesar Chavez (2 references), Dolores Huerta, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King (6 references), Jr, Sonia Sotomayor, Barack H. Obama, Sandra Day O’Connor, Wallace Jefferson, Rosa Parks (2 references), Susan B. Anthony, Lorenzo de Zavala, Booker T. Washington, Oscar Romero, Henry B. Gonzalez (2 references), Hector P. Garcia (3 refences), Raul A. Gonzalez, Jr.(2 references), Jose Antonio Navarro, Francisco Ruiz, Hillary Clinton, Golda Meir, Ann Richards, Barbara Jordan (2 references), W.E. B. Dubois, Irma Rangel, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Ochoa, Harriet Tubman, Roy Benavides, John ”Danny” Olivas, Vernon J. Baker, Carlos Espalier, George Washington Carver, Crispus Attucks, Wentworth Cheswell, Placido Benavides, William Carney, Philip Bazaar, Enrique Esparza, Bessie Coleman, Lydia Mendoza, Phillis Wheatley, Lulu Belle Madison White, Amado Pena Jr., Scott Joplin, Marcus Garvey, Kadir Nelson, Juan Seguin, Carmen Lomas Garza, Cleto Rodriguez, Chelo Silva, Jane Addams, Abigail Adams, many others.

Landmark cases covered:

Brown v. Bd of Education, Sweat v. Painter, Hernandez v. Texas, Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby, Mendez v. Westminster, Roe v. Wade.

Tejano leaders:

Juan N. Seguin, Lorenzo de Zavala, and Jose Antonio Navarro are covered, including the significant contributions of Tejanos such as Juan N. Seguín, Plácido Benavides, and Jose Francisco Ruiz during the time period of the Texas Revolution, The Republic of Texas, and the annexation of Texas to the United States. Standards also include the following Tejanos who died at the Alamo, Juan Antonio Badillo and Carlos Espalier.

Groups: LULAC, NAACP.

They claim the standards include “positive references” to the Moral Majority, the National Rifle Association and the Contract with America.

The fact is, Moral Majority, the National Rifle Association and the Contract with America are simply listed as examples for this high school section:

"describe the causes, key organizations, and individuals of the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including…."

This section does not make a “positive” or a negative reference to these organizations, it simply lists them as being a part of “conservative resurgence”.

Some claim that Jefferson Davis has been elevated to or put on equal footing with Abraham Lincoln.

Below is the actual wording of the social studies standard on this issue:

U.S. history: Analyze Abraham Lincoln's ideas about liberty, equality, union and government as contained in his first and second inaugural addresses and the Gettysburg Address and contrast them with the ideas contained in Jefferson Davis' inaugural address.

The fact is, the standard provides that students learn/read three (3) different speeches by Lincoln and contrast them with one speech by Davis.

The clear intent is to show the differences in the thoughts of these two men. This amendment was approved by an 11-4 bipartisan vote.

It is worth noting that African-American students at North Carolina Central University have recently been involved in transcribing the writings of the Jefferson Davis family at the Museum of the Confederacy. http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_12737.shtml.

It is also worth noting that the project called “The Papers of Jefferson Davis” is based at Rice University where the Rice History Department provides graduate student interns. http://jeffersondavis.rice.edu.

“Are you tired of all the distortions and false claims made by people who don’t know the real facts, or who haven’t read the new social studies standards or who are pushing their own agenda?”

If you agree, please sign our petition of support for the State Board of Education and tell the liberals to stop with the claims and JUST STATE THE FACTS!