Good news; TX Board of Ed Passes Draft Curriculum

[Jeanfromfillmore]

TX Board of Ed Passes Draft Curriculum
A conservative-stacked panel of Texas Board of Education members endorsed a draft proposal of the state's social studies curriculum on Friday. The curriculum, if approved, will be used to create content for textbooks in the Lone Star State.
Conservative members had their way in the 11-4 vote, which came one day after several Democratic board members walked out, claiming the proposed standards dilute the contribution of minorities to American history and culture. The debate, which picked up again Friday morning, ended with only a single Democrat voting to support the new standards.
The draft will go on line for public comment for one month, and then the full Board of Education will meet in May for more debate and a final vote.
The proposed curriculum updates social studies standards used for courses, and by extension, textbooks that eventually may end up in classrooms across the country.
Members worked late into the night to pass amendments on everything from removing references to hip hop music to requiring students to study the concept of American exceptionalism.
The new standards, when approved, will be used in textbooks designed to be in Texas classrooms in the fall of 2013 -- but as a practical matter, administrators say it may be later than that.
The debate has spurred national interest, since Texas is such a huge purchaser of books for its 4.7 million students. Textbook publishers often take books that conform to Texas' curriculum and sell them to schools and districts in states across the country.
http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2...est=latestnews