What Texas Textbook Changes Mean For You

Texas Conservatives Win Textbook Change says the New York Times.

The new curriculum will stress "the superiority of American capitalism, questioning the Founding Fathers' commitment to a purely secular government and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light." The word "capitalism" is replaced with "free-market enterprise."

Added to the curriculum will be content about Phyllis Schlafly, the Contract with America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority, the National Rifle Assocation, and the Black Panthers. Students would also be expected to learn the "unintended consequences" of legislation such as the Great Society, affirmative action and Title IX.

History would be rewritten to be more sympathetic to Joe McCarthy. Meanwhile from a list of figures whose writings inspired revolutions in the late 18th and 19th century, Thomas Jefferson will be removed and replaced with St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin and William Blackstone.

The new textbook curriculum is likely to affect the rest of the country since most school purchase Texas-approved textbooks. However, most textbook publishers also have alternative textbooks available. We recommend that you contact your school board and ask how these changes might affect your district. Blue Valley in Kansas says they will stick with Kansas standards and Blue Valley curriculum and that the district often supplements textbooks with other materials to keep the high quality of its curriculum. Coming soon to the website will be a special page with links and information to different local school boards.