Posted on 05/16/2010 12:52:31 PM PDT by Altura Ct.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California may soon take a stand against proposed changes to social studies textbooks ordered by the Texas school board, as a way to prevent them from being incorporated in California texts.
Legislation by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, seeks to protect the nation's largest public school population from the revised social studies curriculum approved in March by the Texas Board of Education. Critics say if the changes are incorporated into textbooks, they will be historically inaccurate and dismissive of the contributions of minorities.
The Texas recommendations, which face a final vote by the Republican-dominated board on May 21, include adding language saying the country's Founding Fathers were guided by Christian principles and a new section on "the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s." That would include positive references to the Moral Majority, the National Rifle Association and the Contract with America, the congressional GOP manifesto from the 1990s.
The amendments to the state's curriculum standards also minimize Thomas Jefferson's role in world and U.S. history because he advocated the separation of church and state, and require that students learn about "the unintended consequences" of affirmative action and Title IX, the landmark federal law that bans gender discrimination in education programs and activities.
States that place the largest textbook orders have traditionally held significant sway over the materials used in American classrooms. Texas is the country's second-largest textbook buyer, behind California, which has more than 6.2 million public school students in grades K-12.
Under Yee's bill, SB1451, the California Board of Education would be required to look out for any of the Texas content as part of its standard practice of reviewing public school textbooks. The board must then report any findings to both the Legislature and the secretary of education.
The bill describes the Texas curriculum changes as "a sharp departure from widely accepted historical teachings" and "a threat to the apolitical nature of public school governance and academic content standards in California."
"While some Texas politicians may want to set their educational standards back 50 years, California should not be subject to their backward curriculum changes," Yee said. "The alterations and fallacies made by these extremist conservatives are offensive to our communities and inaccurate of our nation's diverse history."
But some publishing industry experts say worries that the Texas standards will cross state lines are unfounded.
"It's an urban myth, especially in this digital age we live in, when content can be tailored and customized for individual states and school districts," said Jay Diskey, executive director of the schools division of the Association of American Publishers.
Diskey, whose group has not taken a position on SB1451, said the California Board of Education's existing review process is so rigorous that the state "may be the last place that would end up with the Texas curriculum."
Tom Adams, director of the state Department of Education's standards and curriculum division, said the Texas standards could make their way into national editions of textbooks, but those aren't used in California.
"Our main concern is whether materials meet California's standards," he said. "There's nothing in our review process that says we should be following Texas or anything like that."
Adam Keigwin, Yee's chief of staff, acknowledged that SB1451 was "a precautionary measure" and that California's curriculum standards already are strong.
"But there are still things that could sneak their way into our textbooks, and we want to be sure. We don't want any of those changes that Texas has proposed," he said.
Three companies are responsible for about 75 percent of the country's K-12 textbooks, Diskey estimated. Representatives for two of them - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and McGraw-Hill - on Friday referred inquiries from The Associated Press to Diskey. The third, Pearson Education Inc., did not respond to a request for comment.
For now, California's curriculum will not be subject to any modifications, Texas-influenced or otherwise. Last July, the Legislature suspended until 2013 the statewide adoption of new educational materials to give cash-strapped districts a break from buying new textbooks.
Yee's SB1451 is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday.
Some of the other bills the Legislature will hear next week include:
- A bill by Sen. Dean Florez that would require utilities to keep private information they gather about consumers' energy use through so-called "smart meters." Florez, D-Shafter, has been critical of Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s use of the meters to electronically gather information that used to be collected by meter-readers. His SB837, to be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, would prohibit utilities from sharing, selling or otherwise disclosing individual customer information without written permission from the customer.
- AB1778, by Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, would require any state entity that uses public money for television commercials promoting California or California products to film those ads within state lines. Lieu objects to a recent California Milk Advisory Board campaign promoting "happy California cows" that was actually filmed in New Zealand. Lieu's bill is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.
- Contributors to the governor and legislators would have to disclose donations of $1,000 and up more quickly under a bill before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday. Sen. Roy Ashburn's SB1118 would require online reporting within 24 hours if the contribution is made while the Legislature considers the state's annual budget, during the 15 days before the Legislature adjourns each year and while the governor considers whether to sign or veto bills. Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, argues those periods are when most fundraisers are held, and when the public is most suspicious of special interest influence on lawmakers.
- Toddlers with a taste for 2 percent milk would be out of luck under a bill that would create new beverage standards in California's licensed day care facilities. AB2084 by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, would require day cares to serve only low-fat or nonfat milk to children ages 2 and older, limit juice to one serving a day and ban drinks with added sweeteners. Brownley says this will help combat rising childhood obesity by reducing children's caloric intake and teaching healthier habits. AB2084 is scheduled to be taken up by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.
---
Don’t worry we’ll get our books from La Raza!
Given that the libtards in Cali don’t have enough money to buy a box of crayons - much less textbooks - is the publisher really going to give a rat’s ass?
Isn’t Mr. Yee, the idiot that is demanding Palin’s contract with a non-profit @ Turkey Tech, I mean Stanislaus State?
Oh oh! I smell another infamous Cauliphonia “boycott”.
CA is quickly overtaking NY as azzhat nation.
Why doesn’t CA just print their textbooks in Spanish and get it over with.
Ya, we’ll get textbooks from La Raza, and we’ll learn that Harvey Milk was the most significant Californian of the 20th century. We’ll learn that Berkeley was ground zero for a 2nd American revolution, as they were among the first universities to have big student protests in the ‘60s. I’m sure there is other politically correct history that we can teach our kids.
Thank heavens all my kids are grown. The last one we pulled from the public school system and enrolled her in a local successful Christian school.
Truth often is.
"a threat to the apolitical nature of public school governance and academic content standards in California."
*eyeroll*
Not possible to live with people like this -
we’ll have to separate in some manner,
either by expelling them or by excluding ourselves.
They will not let others live in peace, though, it’s not in their ideologicaly makeup.
Why don’t they mind their own business. They’ve successfully ruined the state of CA, crazy liberals occupy their schools, government, and media. Why doesn’t that make them happy? Why do they feel the need to comment on another successful states laws?
You mean that pauper state can afford textbooks?
Too bad Texas will have to educate all the pathetically under-educated kids from CA when their parents move here from that Socialist wasteland. The typical CA transfer is at least one grade level behind his/her chronological peers in Texas.
I hate the ban on whole milk stuff. Whole milk is good for brain development.
My kids all drink whole milk and are as skinny as rails.
Milk isn’t making kids obese.
Wouldn’t want no conservativism sneaking into the
classrooms. unhunh!
The last two weekends (when I normally never turn on the TV), Tucker Carlson has had two specials about textbooks on FNC. For some reason, none of the 3 major publishers will talk to Fox. I did recognize Robert Cox, a Texas who may be the National Sales Manager for Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, at one of the committee meetings in Austin.
“Why doesn’t CA just print their textbooks in Spanish and get it over with.”
It would be more cost effective.
Next stage ( rapidly upon us): Destabilization!
Marxism is our nation's MOST serious threat. Government K-12 schools are the Marxists’ MOST powerful weapon against us.
Yet...Conservatives continue to have no rational plan for RE-moralization of the nation.
Hint: Shut down the atheistic, socialist, government K-12 schools and work to get the nation's children into conservative private schools. Do that and in 5 to 10 years our nation's college classrooms will be filled to the brim with youth capable of defending their faith and our nation's founding principles. Their Marxist professors would wither before their righteousness.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.