Does it bother you that the textbooks used across the country need to conform to the standards of the Texas State School Board?

How does it make me feel? Disgusted.

I’m not that bothered by it. Are the kids learning math? Are they learning how to read? Good.

I’d be more concerned that Texas is somewhere around #49 in the nation as far as education goes. I bet it’s more than just a textbook problem.

@Rude_Bear I think that the influence of Texas has been overstated (not by you, but by your probably sources) and that the likelihood that textbooks nationwide will end up being what Texas wants them to be is pretty low. After all, while Texas has a large impact as a large purchaser, the rest of the country together is bigger and there’s only so far publishers can go before they just stop buying. I expect there will always be better textbooks available.

That said, the politicization of the textbook approval process in Texas and what some of those involved are pushing is absurd. Whatever effect it has on the nation is bad, and the effect of those students on the nation when they grow up into voters is an even bigger problem.

Texas? Uh oh.

People in Texas can read? whoa.

Much about the Texas State School Board bothers me.

@NaturalMineralWater If the conservative partisans in control of the Texas textbook approval process have their way they’ll also be learning that white people are responsible for Civil Rights more than Martin Luther King, that Joseph McCarthy was right, that the founding fathers wanted us to be a religious nation from the start and never intended any kind of separation of church and state, that evolution is false, that our form of government is republican, not democratic, that the invasion of Grenada was a “rescue”, and that women should not work outside the home. (Apparently at least one publisher has already removed an image of a woman with a briefcase and replaced it with an image of a woman baking a cake at the request of Texas.

More details here.

@Snarp Do you really think they could ever have their way in this day and age? Highly unlikely.

I actually like the idea of some sort of standardization of school materials across the country. Meeting Texas standards does not mean it does not also meet some sort of federal standard. Both might be true, Texas might have the higher standard. If it has some religious crap in there then it should meet federal standards and should not be approved in Texas or federally.

Yes. Why should the standards of one provincial area control all the others in the country? Even if they are “good” it’s still the tail wagging the dog. Obviously it’s all driven by the almighty dollar.

@Snarp http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1001.blake.html

@NaturalMineralWater Clearly you don’t understand Texas politics. And they already had the picture of a woman with a briefcase replaced with one of a woman baking a cake. That says something.

But no, I don’t expect they’ll get everything they want. It won’t take everything.

@Rude_Bear That’s my link above ;)

@Snarp I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. Ugh.

Personally, I am almost offended that Texas is still part of the United States. It seems that many of them don’t want to play by Federal rules and take proud independence near (if not past) the point of fanaticism.

I say cut them loose. We did just fine with 49 states and a lot of them have been itching to leave for generations. Play nice or play with yourself.

@jerv LOL. I think many Texans are annoyed they became a state, and like the idea of being their own country. I actually cannot figure out why we fought to keep the south part of the union in general?? Although, I am happy southern Florida doesn’t require a passport.

A large part of the credit for this country’s failing public schools – and there’s plenty to go around – goes to Texas and their bassakward educational priorities.

Do they really not mind that they look like relics of the Dark Ages to others?