Texas school books

[smokefan]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100521/...social_studies

Does any one else think this is odd or think it seems wrong? Or is it me?

[RoadToad]

I think it's wrong, but coming from Texas, I don't find it odd at all. This is the same school board where last year they almost quit teaching evolution as accepted mainstream science.

[kygorski]

This isn't anything new! We have been changing history since the beginning of this country, bad things are ommited, and then hopefully forgotten.Why? Because contrary to what we like to believe, we are not the humane nation we claim to be.What we did to the indians is not written or taught in schools.Our supreme libertys were done away with several times in our history, did you know we had martial law in at least 3 of our citys?, not including the recent new orleans ordeal.I went to both public and parocial schools in Chicago, we needed top take civics lessons for all 8 yrs of primary education.So what did we learn? Nothing about the hell holes people worked in, like the meat packing industry, the kangaroo courts like at haymarket square. Or that there was a union army prisoner of war camp right in the city. Why, because we didn't do nice things to folks.Some of those wacked ideas the third riech had, started here in this country. We call ourselves a peace loving country, name how many countrys we have fought wars against.Its not texas, its us!We want free elections all over the world, yet we seldom ever vote over 60% why?But it isn't nationaism, or religion, man is homocidal by nature, so live with it. Stop abortions, but keep executing people. We have the largest prison population in the free world, areas of poverty that almost rival africa.But dont teach that, it isn't nice.

[jcb]

For all our problems in education, we can all be thankful that the KY Dept. of Education does not micro-manage the textbook adoption process like TX, TN, KS and other states do.

[walkeraviator]

For all our problems in education, we can all be thankful that the KY Dept. of Education does not micro-manage the textbook adoption process like TX, TN, KS and other states do.

No, they just invent crap like KERA to send us 10 years behind all other states in education. I for one like the fact that they are teaching the UN as a bad thing. I am a hard right conservative, and where as i think downplaying civil rights is criminal, i agree that they need to teach the power of US sovereignty. The UN and organizations like it are making us weak.

I also think the entire idea of public school is a bad idea. but thats a whole new debate in itself.

[RoadToad]

Maybe KY doesn't micro-manage it like that, but what Texas does has a ripple effect. Texas is the biggest customer the textbook publishers have, so they tend to include content that fits into Texas' rules. Aviator, you make a valid point about the UN, but I personally wish they didn't teach one way or the other. Present both viewpoints, and the arguments for and against each, and let the students decide for themselves. I don't think schools should be teaching WHAT to think, just HOW to evaluate the facts and make your own decisions.

[kygorski]

Road toad your right,are schools are not doing the job they can, What good are trext books when several areas in america have illiterate high school graduates.A minimum of 5 years of college in most states is needed for entry level for teachers.In most cases two yrs more are needed for high schools and universitys. So what does allthis education get those teachers? Inmany states subsistance wages, and even that is groused about.We let a few vocal narrow minded parents change curriculums. We want our children to believe that there are no hard times in life, that everyone is a success, So our smiling high school grads walk out of one school, and into another 'the school of hard knocks".