Keith Tucker, WhatNowToons.com, via Tennessee Guerrilla Women
In a series of articles at George Mason University’s History News Network, historians from Texas and across the nation make a powerful case against the changes in social studies standards proposed by the politicians at the Texas State Board of Education.
Together, this is a powerful indictment of the actions of the SBOE, and strong repudiation of the raw political purposes and tactics employed in the War on Education by the “conservative” faction, including especially lame duck, anti-education crusader/jihadist Don McLeroy.
Texas scholars
- “A Culturally Irrelevant History of Melodramatic Minutiae,” by Iliana Alanís, University of Texas at San Antonio
- “A Sanitized History,” by Roberto R. Calderón, University of North Texas
- “An Almost Impossibly Large Set of Standards Produced by a Problematic Process,” by Jesús F. de la Teja, Texas State University-San Marcos
- “An Overstuffed Laundry List that Treats Seniors Like Kindergartners,” by Keith A. Erekson, University of Texas at El Paso
- “Review of the TEKS,” John Fea, Messiah College
- “An Incomplete Version of the Past that Silences Important Struggles,” by Kirsten Gardner, University of Texas at San Antonio
- “Plagiarized Work,” by Michael Soto, Trinity University
- “Is Texas Messing with History?” David Upham, University of Dallas
- “A Pattern of Neglect and a Missed Opportunity,” by Emilio Zamora, University of Texas
Scholars outside of Texas
- “The Texas SBOE and History Standards: A Teacher’s Perspective,” by Ron Briley, Sandia Preparatory School
- “Texas School Board Whitewashes History,” by Daniel Czitrom, Mount Holyoke College
- “What Texans Aren’t Talking About—But Should Be,” Keith A. Erekson, University of Texas at El Paso
- “Twisting History in Texas,” Eric Foner, Columbia University
- “We Prefer a Shiny Image of America,” Steve Haycox, University of Alaska Anchorage
- “One Classroom, From Sea to Shining Sea,” Susan Jacoby, Independent Scholar
- “Comment,” James McPherson, Princeton University
- “The Historical ‘Narrative’ Has Changed,” Joseph A. Palermo, California State University Sacramento
- “‘T’ is for ‘Texas Textbooks’,” Diane Ravitch, New York University
- “Texas SBOE Tries to Dilute History of Women, Minorities,” John Willingham, Independent Scholar
- “American History — Right and Left,” Jonathan Zimmerman, New York University
Historians can sign a petition set up for the purpose at a site that offers links to the essays, too, An Open Letter from Historians to the Texas State Board of Education.
SBOE will take up the issue again in meetings in Austin this coming week.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
[…] Historians warned us, back in 2010, that this was a problem […]
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