Everyone over here at Rock the Vote is pretty worked up over the Texas Education Agency’s State Board of Education’s recent vote to re-write Texas Social Studies textbooks to reflect a partisan view point. These 15 partisan elected members of the Board of Education are attempting to write history books the way they see fit.
Here is one excerpt from the agency’s own statement:
The wide-ranging debate over what should be taught in history classes covered everything from non-controversial items to heavily discussed topics such as how the history of the Alamo should be taught and whether hip hop should be discussed in classrooms. (All those who died at the Alamo will be discussed in seventh grade Texas history classes. Hip hop will not be part of the official curriculum standards.)
Or check out this nugget found by the a Huffington Post columnist:
At its meeting on March 25-27, 2009, the board added the requirement to the study of evolution that students must examine “all sides of scientific evidence” which includes the side that says the age of the earth is 6000 years, give or take a couple hundred.
But you know Jon Stewart has something to say about this. Watch what Daily Show’s take on the Texas Education Agency’s decision and remember, these 15 people are elected officials. Someone voted for them. All elections matter.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Don’t Mess With Textbooks | ||||
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Tags: Jon Stewart, State Board of Education, Texas, Texas Education Agency, The Daily Show
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Jason Bio: Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
I don’t think I follow you on this one, are you upset that Hip Hop is not being discussed in Social Studies classes in Texas in favor of the Battle of the Alamo?
Also, I don’t see a problem with exposing students to a wide array of theories and ideas. We should be introducing multiple views in science class to help develop critical thinking skills instead of simply telling the students what to think. I can’t tell you how many instructors and professors in higher education tell me that today’s youth seem to want to be spoon fed their information instead of figuring things out on their own (talking about class not in generalities). If we want to foster a well rounded education we can’t simply ignore certain viewpoints no matter how odd or “crazy” we may think that view may be. Facts should be able to stand on their own and will prevail in a science class.
Hi Sean,
We don’t agree on a lot of topics, but I think we can agree that teaching hip-hop *instead* of the Battle of the Alamo is a bad idea. What the Texas Education Agency wrote is that hip-hop won’t be brought up in schools. As a personal opinion, hip-hop is a way of live and has contributed to American society since the later part of the 20th century.
I urge you to watch the clip of Jon Stewart as he shows some of the meetings from the school board meeting when many of the elected officials who are not educators or possess a background in science or social studies rail against education experts. I think you’ll find that sometimes we can ignore some view points “no matter how odd or ‘crazy’ we may think that view may be.”
Sean-
I absolutely agree with you that students need to be taught a wide array of theories but lets not confuse theories, such as the theory of evolution (a theory tested over the course of 150 years using the scientific method) with creationism (an idea espoused by the church based on oral tradition converted into a book that has been translated countless times over the past 2000 years). While creationism has a longer history it seems to lack certain scientific principles that would be helpful when teaching it in a science class. Additionally while I agree that teaching hip hop instead of the battle of the Alamo would be a little unorthodox ignoring the contributions of African Americans to the broader make up of the United States doesn’t make sense in the largest state in the nation.
We need to allow educators in this country dictate what is taught, just like we need doctors to guide healthcare reform. These people are experts in their field. If you want to get a theory included in the education system then you should be able to provide scientific proof of its legitimacy.
@jason,
Hip-Hop has no place in public education, period. I’m sorry, but as a topic of study Hip-Hop has no educational value. Before I continue let me disclose that I graduated with a degree in Music Education, so I’m fairly well versed in musical styles and history. If you want to have students study a popular musical style that has had great influence on our society then Jass or Jazz would be the clear winner, and a historical study beginning during the time of slavery would be the place to start, not the late 20th century.
Jazz is the root of all popular music in this country – including Hip-Hop – but even conceding that point I would still feel some trepidation of including a robust section on Jazz in the public schools at the expense of another historical study. And to really make an impact you would have to teach the history of Jazz for more than a week, it’s not like explaining a scientific theory – which could be done in a class period. Of course, in a perfect world we’d have 48 hour days and the ability to teach every social and historical topic, but in today’s educational system with emphasis on standardized tests and higher education constantly berating the public schools for their lack of proper focus and low standards tough decisions have to be made.
@Matt, within this context I feel the “teaching” of intellegent design or creationism should fall along the same lines of mentioning Galileo’s struggles in testing and proving heliocentricism. The fact that a divergent view point shouldn’t be ignored but studied and explained within scientific context as to why scientists believe the theory of evolution is a more appropriate explanation for our current level of existence. If the schools take this to mean that they should endorse, again as scientists in the classroom, this theory as fact that would be wrong and just as unethical as teaching Darwin as a solid fact instead – as you pointed out – a theory that has been tested for over a century. The problem we have in this country is the academics trying to suppress all other stated views from the public forum under the guise of “the debate is over” where science should be built not only on theories that have been tested and proven within our current knowledge but also our mistakes. To ignore these views is detrimental to fostering an environment of critical thinking.
I think my issues is with how they are deciding to just leave out information if it doesn’t suit their taste. How is that possible? Who are they to decide if that information is or isn’t important to our future generations of students, workers, and leaders? I am not going to get in the Hip Hop debate because I think that is not the main issue and too many times in this country we concert on the wrong issues at hand.
The issue at hand is 15 partisans trying to write history as they see it, not as it happened or what is significant. Who cares if they are conservative we need both views in our history books and taught in our schools because their are both sides to every story. We need our students taught to get down to the issues and form an their own opinion on each and every issue. Not for some dentist or who ever to decide it for them.
That is my opinion and I am entitled to it.
Hey Sean,
I also agree that students need to be taught a wide array of theories…but I agree with Danielle in that a board (of 15 people in all) can honestly leave out information that doesn’t suit their particular tastes. One of the board member’s arguments for leaving out of a world history book Oscar Romero, an El Salvadorian human rights advocate who affected a large chunk of Americans from Latin America, was because “people don’t really know about him.” Well of COURSE people won’t know about him and countless others if they haven’t learned about him…in school. Do remember reading all about the civil rights movement in school? Guess what, if it hadn’t been there you might not of known or cared about MLK, the ACLU, and the giant civil rights movement that changed the social structure of our country. Our textbooks need to reflect the diversity of our country — that includes stories of people who affected our nation from every background. If that means our textbooks will be a little fatter…so be it. It’s unspeakable that 15 people with a very narrow breadth of representation decided alone what will be taught for all the children across the country. It is NOT a good repesentation of diversity.
Tell me that this idiot knows the importance of history and that of “hip hop? What the fuck is hip hop in history? ZERO ass hole. How about classical music? Do you know what that is?
How about i come over there and zone you with a brick. Will that yelp you? You want to study South America? Fucking MOVE there!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It isn’t our history, it is illegal alien history. ya mope
Doctors to guide health care reform? Are you talking about the AMA? Less than 30% of doctors belong to the AMA, it was a prop… white lab coats and all… the WH issued them free lab coats for the photo-op.. 70% of doctors do NOT agree with the killbill.
Where do you people get your information? Do they teach this shit in school? If so you’re fuck ed because you have been ripped off of an education. And yes, I have a BA in Political Science. and others. llI just hate when you asses write your comments, you are just so stoned…