The Debate Over Texas Education Curriculum Changes
Politically Motivated
Why then the protest?
One of the most widely used arguments against the curriculum changes is the renaming of the slave trade to the "Atlantic Triangular Trade" in 8th grade texts.
What was the Atlantic Triangular Trade?
If you were not taught that in school then that is exactly why it needs to be taught.
Instead of promoting segregation and racism by continuing to teach that the Atlantic Triangular Trade was only about slavery and that black people are nothing but victims and white people are nothing but racists, why not teach what the "slave trade" was called and what it was all about.
The profits that were made from the Triangular Trade concentrated mainly of sugar, tea, tobacco, rum, rice and coffee. For many centuries this trade route provided capital for the industrial revolution and development of our economy.
Along with the trade of commodities, Sir Robert Rich founded the London-based company of Adventurers to Guinea and Benin to trade with West Africa and supply enslaved Africans to Americans.
What is wrong with the truth?
Another widely used argument is the emphasis on the Christian faith of some of the Founding Fathers.
People seem way to concerned that the curriculum is reducing the role of Thomas Jefferson; who was a secular Deist that argued for the separation of church and state.
Why is it alright to solely teach the principles of secularism but not alright to teach the principles of religion? Both played a major role in shaping our history. If not for religious principles the first amendment would not exist. If not for secularism the separation of church and state would not exist.
Why is it alright to omit one and solely concentrate on another? It's not right, hence the change.
Yet another argument is in our teaching changes about McCarthyism and the Cold War tensions. Teachers must now also mention how the Venona Papers confirmed the suspicions of communist infiltration in our government.
Yet again, what is wrong with teaching our children the truth?
Class exercises will now focus on "the concept of American exceptionalism" and describe how our American values are unique from those of other nations.
What is wrong with teaching our children what makes America different than any other nation in the world?
Here's another widely used argument, I just love this one. Our students must now learn about the "unintended consequences" of federal antidiscrimination policies such as the education statute known as Title IX and affirmative action.
Why is it wrong to teach our children the unintended consequences of such things, especially affirmative action? I just love this one because it stirs up a lot of emotions and it should.
This is a very important issue in our country in order for us to advance beyond racism. Affirmative action includes everything from improved recruitment of minorities to policies that encourages racism and segregation, though completely unintended.
Every ten years states curriculums are evaluated, changed, and updated. Previous to the election of President Obama, these changes would not and have been a drastic issue.
While the Democrats controlled the board of education in Texas, they quietly made the changes to our texts. Until the actual texts were in the classrooms, no one had any idea to the changes.
Republicans on the Texas board , on the other hand, has debated this issue publically. Students, parents, teachers, and others have had open invitations to debate the curriculum changes.
The only logic I see behind the uproar is that it is completely politically motivated. It is yet another opportunity for the democrats to belittle republicans in an effort to further their political agendas. This has nothing to do with education. It has everything to do with the fact it's not them making the changes.
References :
(http://www.nmm.ac.uk/freedom/viewTheme.cfm/theme/triangular)
(http://www.k-state.edu/media/webzine/0203/aapros&cons.html)
Published by Anthony Tedeschi
I'm 32 years old and have been married for 7 years. I have two children. A daughter and a son. (thats it for me :) ) I'm a self employed professional painter and artist. I live in the hill country of Texas.... View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentThanks for your comment. However, Secularism is the idea that government should exist seperatly from religion or religious beliefs. Without this type of idealism "seperation from church and state" would not exist. Reguardless of the details that brought forth the declaration, it is the idealism that is important here. And technically only the idea behind seperation of church and state exists, for its only true mention is in the delaration of independance.
"Secularism" didn't motivate the separation of church and state. It was England, which has an "established" religion, the Church of England. The colonists were rebelling against an oppressive government that was also the hierarchy of its own church.