Challenges to Separation of Church and State

I, too, found the article disturbing. A small handful of people with a political agenda are polluting the educational system of the entire nation. If Texas wants its citizen poorly informed, that's one thing. But for the publishers to then foist this rubbish on the rest of the country? Perhaps we should arrange a boycott of the publishers who cave to this parcel of scoundrels.

reply to post by DJW001

This whole issue is why I support Federal standards of education. No group of fanatics who have managed to stuff the ballot box (and that is what has been happening ever since the early 90's when the religious right discovered next to no one voted in school board elections) should have the right to force their views down everyone else's throats...and especially our children's.

It does a disservice to the children...the community and the nation.

Originally posted by DJW001
A small handful of people with a political agenda are polluting the educational system of the entire nation. If Texas wants its citizen poorly informed, that's one thing. But for the publishers to then foist this rubbish on the rest of the country? Perhaps we should arrange a boycott of the publishers who cave to this parcel of scoundrels.

While the publishers are indeed cowed by the Texas State Board of Education our own State's are also at fault. Whether by laziness or ignorance they have foregone reviewing and modifying their curriculums on a state level and instead have adopted Texas' views and modifications to school textbooks. We all have a portion of blame to except in this situation.

The publishers themselves have admitted in writing that they have modified the textbooks after changes were not approved by the Board. They could not afford to lose Texas as this would impact their ability to vend their products to other states who have adopted the Texas model.

There is a vote the first week of March and many of these members are facing challenges to their board positions. How will the voters of Texas respond?




[edit on 15-2-2010 by AugustusMasonicus]

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus


I would like to think that there are enough intelligent voters in Texas to end this madness but then again they did give us junior....

but I suspect that was merely to get him out of the state.

Originally posted by iMacFanatic
I would like to think that there are enough intelligent voters in Texas to end this madness...

I tend to agree. However, as you rightly pointed out, then ones voting in large majorities are the ones promoting this agenda. This is a very troubling circumstance as the Texas curriculum is the defacto curriculum for 46 more states.

One would think that if New York and Illinois were to co-ordinate their textbook standards they would out-weigh Texas in terms of market sway.

Originally posted by DJW001
One would think that if New York and Illinois were to co-ordinate their textbook standards they would out-weigh Texas in terms of market sway.

True, but then you would have to convince the other states which have adopted the Texas standard to reopen their curriculum standards and examine those of New York and Illinois. The issue is these other states have decided not to assemble their own curriculum but adopt those of Texas in a case of fiscal expediency at best and sheer laziness at worst.




[edit on 15-2-2010 by AugustusMasonicus]

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus

Either that or the people elected have no idea what standards there are or should be...

and if that is the case then they shouldn't be in office...especially if its out of sheer laziness.

I suspect though that its more the publisher's doings...because after all; as it stands with no national standards to go by, who does having all the states buying the same textbooks benefit the most?

[edit on 2/15/2010 by iMacFanatic]

Ratliff told me. “I think the state board of education has lost its way, and the social-studies thing is a prime example. They keep wanting to talk about this being a Christian nation. My attitude is this country was founded by a group of men who were Christians but who didn’t want the government dictating religion, and that’s exactly what McLeroy and his colleagues are trying to do.”

Amen. Keep speaking out, candidate Ratliff!

I would say that their idea of a "Christian nation" also means a "White Christian nation" and a nation of only the "correct" Christian beliefs. This upswell of such thinking has its roots in a certain geographical location, a location which spawned the violence of the Klu Klux Klan, who were anti-Catholic following the immigration of non-Protestant European immigrants.

To me, the rhetoric of the CN proponents smack of KKK-lite, KKK thinking minus the violence.

And we think we can invade a nation with deeply held religious-govt ties and change will come quickly, when we still must put out flareups in our own nation.

A pox on every politician who has ever pandered to these groups for want of a vote!

Originally posted by iMacFanatic
Either that or the people elected have no idea what standards there are or should be...

I have to choose this option as according to the article none of the individuals pushing this agenda has any educational experience and it comes down to pure religious bias and the desire to promote their agenda.

Originally posted by AugustusMasonicus
... the individuals pushing this agenda has any educational experience and it comes down to pure religious bias and the desire to promote their agenda.

True. School board members in the United States have traditionally not had educational experience. Members were chosen on their willingness to make decision as public servants, and not to have a financial interest in the schools. Locally, it usually consisted of hiring personnel to teach from state printed texts.

For some the 1960 Supreme Court decision to prohibit state sponsored prayer in public schools amounted to an attack on religion, nay even God, as public schools were seen as the disseminators of Protestant (Catholic schools had already established their own system) morality needed for the moral fibre of the nation. To them, morals could only be achieved, were only understood, through religion (God). Woe to the nation who didn't understand that only God had absolute truths!

Schools were viewed as the bulwark against "Godless Communists". To "take back" the govt institution responsible for public morality, religious conservatives (who had been taken in by political conservatives) were sent forth to fill state and local public school boards.

Since state school boards made curriculum decisions, religious fundamentalists at that level could then dictate (or thought they could) what was placed in state textbooks, which by then had spun off as private enterprises funded with tax payer dollars. Not only did religion/God have all the answers for moral education, He had all the answers to science and history exams. too.

My children attended public schools, where it was expected of them not to lie, cheat, or steal, and to be respectful of others... basically, the Golden Rule. If I wanted them to learn religious dogma or doctrine, they were sent to religious studies.

Maybe more of our political leaders should have paid more attention to their public school teachers who espoused the virtues of honesty and respect for all.

Originally posted by desert
...had all the answers to science and history exams. too.

Don McLeroy has already attempted to promote his 'Young Earth Creationist' dogma through the School Board. It would not surprise me to see further assualts on reason by the same people as they continue to cycle through the curriculum.