California Fears Controversial Texas Curriculum is Contagious

by Alison Leithner June 02, 2010 06:21 AM (PT) Topics: Curricula & Methods, Education Reform, School Boards

Despite reassurances from publishers that market demand, not Texas, controls what gets printed, many states, including California, are still concerned that elements of the Texas curriculum will end up in their textbooks. On May 28th, the California Senate voted in favor of Senate Bill 1451, which requires the California Board of Education to monitor for Texas's adaptations in their textbooks.

The board will review all history and social studies texts that will be used in California classrooms and report any information that conforms to the new Texas standards but not the existing California ones. A special focus will be given to the inclusion and accurate portrayal of minorities in U.S. history.

California's bill passed in a bipartisan vote of 25-5, indicating that Republicans in California, just as in many other states, disapprove of the religious and majority-focused changes made in the Texas curriculum. Now, the bill must go to the Assembly and then on to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk before it can go into effect for the 2010-2011 school year.

Since the controversial social studies curriculum was adopted in Texas two weeks ago, textbook publishers have tried to quell concerns that books in all fifty states will reflect the changes. Publishers and market research companies agree that because of technological advances in recent years, it is far easier (and cheaper) to make different textbooks for different markets.

What this means is that publishers are already planning to create multiple editions of history and social studies textbooks. School districts will have the option of following the new Texas curriculum or of steering clear of it. This is a wise move considering the violent response from many state school boards and districts when word came down that the Texas Board of Education had approved the new curriculum. If a publisher only prints textbooks that conform to these changes, they stand to lose a lot of money from the bluer states and school districts.

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Comment:

The California State government seems quite concerned over the possibility that their children might be taught conservative values. That would be terrible, wouldn't it?

Now let's recap California's liberal accomplishments. They bankrupted the state. They want to legalise marijuana. They want to legalise queer marriage. They have more companies that produce pornographic trash than any other state. They have made illegal aliens more welcome than any other state. They have one of the worst school systems in the country due to falling standardized test scores. And all thanks to liberalism.