Schoolbooks are flubbing facts - Texts filled with errors and political correctness

NY Daily News ^

[Sub-Driver]

sums things up.......

[DumpsterDiver]

"Here we are about to go to war for a second time with Iraq — and I can't even read about the first time we went to war with Iraq," said Martin Quiles, a 17-year-old senior ...

Martin, try using a library. They have loads of books there.

[LiteKeeper]

bump

[redbaiter]

"To please rednecks in Texas, they're censoring science in New York — and all over America," said Bennetta.

There you have it, folks. Even the guy who makes it his job to root out inaccuracy in textbooks thinks that people who believe in the literal truth of the Bible are just a bunch of subhumans, or rednecks or whatever. Remember now, this is the good guy in this story. Home schooling, anyone?

[helpontheway]

I would argue that nowhere here is subhumanity mentioned, or necessarily even inferred. But come on, the Bible as literal truth in a science textbook?

[Momaw Nadon]

Just an idea here:

Why doesn't someone edit the Koran and remove all references of violence against the "infidels," i.e. us.

This could then be passed off as the Official version of the Koran.

Maybe this is a way to "tame" Islam.

Any thoughts?

[unixfox]

Martin, try using a library. They have loads of books there.

Why would he do that? Kids aren't supposed to think for themselves.

[Fishrrman]

On the shelves of school libraries is a biography for young readers of the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is said to hail from the "long tradition of activist ministers like Martin Luther King Jr."
But the book might offend some with its own stereotypes, like this line in a chapter on Crown Heights: "Poor ... in the cities often found themselves at the mercy of Jewish shopkeepers and landlords, who decided when and when not to advance credit to their customers."

... Sounds like something right out of Mein Kampf?

Cheers!
- John

[DumpsterDiver]

Kids aren't supposed to think for themselves.

There seems to be a proliferation of people of all ages who can't think for themselves. They show no desire to learn something, anything, on their own. I'm beginning to think that there is decline in intellectual curiosity.

I sound like some crabby old codger, don't I? :-)

[Abcdefg]

Probably more accurate than those textbooks!

[Karsus]

You are overlooking the fact that the earth IS millions of years old...

[helpontheway]

Very unlikely.[P] I don't want or intend to turn this into a crevo thread, since the sorry state of education is (for me) infinitely more interesting. But the creationist POV is, IMO, not something that belongs in science textbooks.

[tutstar]

bump to get kids out of government schools

[Abcdefg]

could be billions or even trillions of years old!

[ivanhoe116]

said William Bennetta, who heads The Textbook League, a California-based watchdog group that researches textbook inaccuracies.

Oh brother!

[geedee]

Sounds like something right out of Mein Kampf?

Liberals and the Democratic Party (otherwise known as the PPV Party -- Professional Perpetual Victim Party) are at a wastershed point in their shame-filled history. In a day of instant news and gratification, where memories are short and the tolerance level for BS is nil, they've run out of tricks . . . one can only use race-baiting and victimization-threatening tactics so long. Although their tactics have served them for fifty years, the internet and the corresponding conservative-activists it has empowered can easily and quickly dispel their socialistic BS.

The only area left to them is public education. The PPV Party likes to train their enslaved victims young and keep them forever entrapped in a dependent state . . . preferably from cradle to grave. But, through posts like this and activists like yourself, us conservatives are going to put a stop to this tactic as well.

But we have to attack. We have to take back our schools. I don't have children, but I perused my nephew's American History book when he was here yesterday. Shocking!!

I won't bore you and list details but will only relate this . . . IMHO achievements of those who the "liberal elites" worship are raised to cult status while anyone who might have a broader appeal are swept aside with quick editorial brushes. For example, Martin Luther King had three times as many pages devoted to his accomplishments as did Abraham Lincoln. MLK is an American hero, I don't argue that. His accomplishments are noteworthy and ALL Americans, not just those of a particular skin color, should acknowledge that. But was he three times as important to the American culture and history than Abe Lincoln.

I don't get it. Perhaps it's just me since I'm one of those Texas rednecks referred to.

[usmom]

The book's authors say their goal is "to reform the way high school mathematics is taught," presenting it in a manner that reflects how it's used in the real world.

Our school district went to one of these 'new math'programs 2 years ago when my kids were just entering K and 1st grade. It was absolutely ludicrous. Parents packed the school board meetings to speak out against it, but it went through anyway, because we all know the administrators know what's best for our children more than parents, don't we? In all of first grade, my daughter was not required to memorize one math fact. It was all writing about how would you solve this, give your best answer, count things at home, etc... Thankfully, I am able to homeschool and their progress in math using a traditional program is phenomenal. Public schools use children as guinea pigs for their little pet projects and then think they can go back and fix it if it is a disaster.

[chainsaw]

It is no wonder that 2 in 19 high school seniors can tell you how many inches there are in a foot, or make chage at a cash register, without looking at the register to find out how much you are supposed to get back.

If you want an education, the next time you are at a restaurant with a teenager at the register and the bill comes to say $1.52. Give that person two dollars and 2 cents. It really spoils their day.

[redbaiter]

No I'm not. I take no stand on creationism here. I just point out that the guy in charge of finding errors in textbooks is himself burdened by some pretty blatant bias. The guy just blurts out that southern bible-believers are a bunch of rednecks. And that's when he's talking to the media! Imagine what he says when no one is writing his words down. I am all in favor of his finding errors in those textbooks, but I wouldn't him teaching my kids any more than I would the NEA.

[redbaiter]

When someone says rednecks in Texas they don't mean 'charming, freshly scrubbed people, pillars on the community, models of virtue, with whom I have substantive differences on important matters of principle touching on our shared values.' They mean sub-human. IMHO.

And if you read my post again you'll see I'm not supporting creationism. If Bennetta had limited his objection to the notion of creationism being taught as science, and pointed out that it flies in the face of the evidence, he would be right on. But instead of sticking with the facts, which are on his side, he made a mean and gratuitous remark about religious folk in the south.