Conservatives rewriting history in school textbooks

[jackmormon]

As well as teaching religion as science. No word on whether any books were actually burned. 

http://www.houstonpress.com/news/5-reasons-the-new-texas-social-studies-textbooks-are-nuts-7573825

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/01/creationism_in_texas_public_schools_undermining_the_charter_movement.html

 

[ph90702]

Get the government out of the education business.  Problem solved.

[Old_SD_Dude]

23 minutes ago, ph90702 said:

Get the government out of the education business.  Problem solved.

WTF are you talking about. Did you read the articles? These textbooks denying evolution are being used at charter schools with minimal governmental oversight. Government is anything but the problem in these cases. 

[ph90702]

10 minutes ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

WTF are you talking about. Did you read the articles? These textbooks denying evolution are being used at charter schools with minimal governmental oversight. Government is anything but the problem in these cases. 

Don't send your kid to the school then.

[Old_SD_Dude]

5 minutes ago, ph90702 said:

Don't send your kid to the school then.

It's funded by public money. If we're going to publicly fund schools teaching untruths about science and history, why collect money and fund schools at all?

[bluerules009]

54 minutes ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

It's funded by public money. If we're going to publicly fund schools teaching untruths about science and history, why collect money and fund schools at all?

There is this thing called freedom of religion.   I don't believe in imaginary people and I understand that vaccines and GMO foods are saving lives but there are uninformed (ignorant) people everywhere and in a free society they get to be free.  I support their choice to believe in stupid things.   I want to keep my rights and so I will support their rights because god knows.  If we left these things up to people like SDdoubleD we would all be goosestepping in perfect little uniforms before the alter of the absurd within the year.

[Old_SD_Dude]

8 minutes ago, bluerules009 said:

There is this thing called freedom of religion.   I don't believe in imaginary people and I understand that vaccines and GMO foods are saving lives but there are uninformed (ignorant) people everywhere and in a free society they get to be free.  I support their choice to believe in stupid things.   I want to keep my rights and so I will support their rights because god knows.  If we left these things up to people like SDdoubleD we would all be goosestepping in perfect little uniforms before the alter of the absurd within the year.

So you support using public money to teach them stupid things?

[Aslowhiteguy]

1 minute ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

So you support using public money to teach them stupid things?

How do you get more stupid than teaching kids that climate change is settled science? WTF is a settled science?  

How do you get more stupid than a publicly funded school board banning books? 

IMO, we need to get back to emphasizing the 3 R's in primary education. We once had one of the best public education systems in the world.  Then we "modernized" it. 

 

 

[CPslograd]

2 hours ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

WTF are you talking about. Did you read the articles? These textbooks denying evolution are being used at charter schools with minimal governmental oversight. Government is anything but the problem in these cases. 

I did.

On the first one it seems like the author had an axe to grind.  Don't get me wrong, segregation and Jim Crow should absolutely be taught in HS American history, but honestly the author seemed to be bringing his own bias too.  It may be a problem, but I'm not sure I trust this guy to be objective.  

It's impossible to be apolitical when discussing post antebellum history, so it's always going to be a fight.  I'd have to know a lot more of the specifics in the Texas case to have an opinion.  I hate when southerners minimize the role of slavery in the civil war, but the author says a board member said slavery was a side issue, he didn't really say what was in the textbook.  If the entire section on the Civil War only refers to slavery as a side issue, then that is outrageous.  But I have my doubts that is the case.

The second one I'm  inclined to agree with you.  I have no problem with vouchers being used for theological schools, but charter schools are public schools and shouldn't be theological.  The text excerpts seemed to indicate the intent to discredit evolution in favor of creationism empirically.  That's wrong in a HS class.   Although remember we are only getting the excerpts the author chose, we don't have the context.  If it was presented as "creationists argue...." Then it would be fine IMO.

[bluerules009]

2 hours ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

So you support using public money to teach them stupid things?

Who is decide what is stupid.  I certainly don't want you deciding such things and I doubt you want me making those decisions.   So elected local school districts get to spend that money how they please.  It is the American way, it is freedom.  Are you against the American way and freedom?

The best part is if you don't like the school your kid is in you can move anywhere you want and put your kid in a different school.  You have the freedom to pull your kid out of school and teach them anything you want as long as the kid can pass a reading and math test appropriate to his age group.  

Your way is fascism Old_SD_Dude, don't you understand that?   In order to have freedom, you have to allow for what you and me consider stupidity.   Otherwise you don't have freedom.

[BSUTOP25]

7 hours ago, Aslowhiteguy said:

How do you get more stupid than teaching kids that climate change is settled science? WTF is a settled science?  

Sorry but I am going to have to disagree with you on this. Climate change is a settled science as it has been around as long as the earth itself. What is being disputed however is the theory that all motorized vehicles running on fossil fuels, with lone exception of the Subaru, are perpetuating a warming trend. 

[happycamper]

Wait, Texas is f*cking up education?

Texas?

And this is news?

[youngredbullfan]

Lol, I love the state of Texas but their history textbooks are a running joke in the historical community.

 

A sad joke.

[pokebball]

11 hours ago, jackmormon said:

As well as teaching religion as science. No word on whether any books were actually burned. 

http://www.houstonpress.com/news/5-reasons-the-new-texas-social-studies-textbooks-are-nuts-7573825

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/01/creationism_in_texas_public_schools_undermining_the_charter_movement.html

 

When you find a book burning or banning incident, get back to me.

[roswellcoug]

School books have been liberal for years

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwja2OTUgPPMAhVHK1IKHeiTD1AQFggjMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Flocal%2Ffrederick-shouldnt-use-slanted-3rd-grade-textbook--even-if-it-leans-same-way-i-do%2F2011%2F07%2F06%2FgIQAJVpC1H_story.html&usg=AFQjCNHlb-RFgK2KmpZTp83gFQ-hy6H6og

[pokebball]

10 hours ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

It's funded by public money. If we're going to publicly fund schools teaching untruths about science and history, why collect money and fund schools at all?

So, who do you think owns the whole truth?  Branches of our govt can't even agree on shyt?

[jackmormon]

1 hour ago, pokebball said:

When you find a book burning or banning incident, get back to me.

When the State School board determines what version of history is allowed to be included in text books, and any text that includes actual history outside of their predetermined criteria is not allowed, is that not in effect, banning?

What makes this all the more disturbing, is that other states piggyback on Texas textbook orders in order to cut costs.

[pokebball]

56 minutes ago, roswellcoug said:

School books have been liberal for years

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwja2OTUgPPMAhVHK1IKHeiTD1AQFggjMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Flocal%2Ffrederick-shouldnt-use-slanted-3rd-grade-textbook--even-if-it-leans-same-way-i-do%2F2011%2F07%2F06%2FgIQAJVpC1H_story.html&usg=AFQjCNHlb-RFgK2KmpZTp83gFQ-hy6H6og

Honestly, the best professors and teachers I had were the ones that were open to discussing all viewpoints over controversial issues.  One of my best friends growing up is a HS science teacher.  He's a die hard liberal and he encourages discussion around creationism.  He teaches evolution and all of the scientific support of it, telling his students that they need to learn it as prerequisites to the next level of science, to prepare them for their ACT test, etc.  But he feels it's important for all of his students to understand what creationism is and the differences between evolution and creation belief.  His students have some of the highest ACT science scores in the state.

[pokebball]

14 minutes ago, jackmormon said:

When the State School board determines what version of history is allowed to be included in text books, and any text that includes actual history outside of their predetermined criteria is not allowed, is that not in effect, banning?

What makes this all the more disturbing, is that other states piggyback on Texas textbook orders in order to cut costs.

I believe all school districts select the version of history that is taught, including the texts that are used.  They have forever.

Your concern would be a concern of mine if standardized tests, including ACT and SAT scores, supported your concern.  Until then, your concerns appear rather political; pretty much the antithesis of those you are concerned with.

[Akkula]

The problem with all of this is that the objective facts are being hidden and spun intentionally.  There is also this pervasive argument with fact deniers that tries to turn facts and professional consensus into opinions.  If all facts can be turned into opinions, then the logic is that all opinions (at least their opinions) should be able to be expressed on equal footing with generally accepted scholastic knowledge.   

The obvious retort is to deflect and to say, "well the liberals do it."  That is always how it works.  

The real answer is that nobody should be spinning history, science and facts.  It is not a political game to be played and everyone who knowingly engages in such practices, regardless of their agenda, is despicable.  If you are going in and picking school books in hopes of indoctrinating the next generation with you preferred political philosophy, you should be ashamed of yourself.  Bias is undeniable and should be combated and different points of view should be represented.  But the prescription to eliminating bias is not to try to indoctrinate with more bias.  What is with some of these people!