Social Studies News in Brief

New Social Studies Texts Challenged in Texas

By McClatchy-Tribune — September 16, 2014 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Four years after state board of education members clashed over history standards in Texas schools, publishers are facing criticism over new textbooks based on those changes.

The Texas Freedom Network, an education advocacy and watchdog group, set up a panel of university faculty to review the books. It found numerous errors and shortcomings. Among them: books that negatively portrayed Muslims as more prone to violence and inaccurately described religions other than Christianity.

Two texts were cited for misinformation on the constitutional requirement of separation of church and state. Another was singled out for using outdated and offensive racial terminology in describing Africans.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the September 17, 2014 edition of Education Week as New Social Studies Texts Challenged in Texas

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, as well as responsible adoption.
Content provided by Lightspeed Systems
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by STARI
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Social Studies Opinion 5 Strategies for Teaching Social Studies in Turbulent Times
Giving students the chance to “tug” at current events enables them to explore the historical roots of contemporary issues.
7 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Social Studies Opinion What We Lose When We Only Teach ‘Respectable’ Black History
It’s tempting to overcompensate for the absence of Black history by teaching only perfect, pristine, and pure histories.
LaGarrett J. King
5 min read
Many hands build a pyramid of books.
Islenia Mil for Education Week
Social Studies Opinion What We Can All Learn From Black Women in Education
These eight extraordinary women in history have a lot to teach us today.
Dawnavyn M. James
5 min read
A group of children walk across a book under protective hands.
Islenia Mil for Education Week
Social Studies Opinion Can’t Teach AP African American Studies? Start a Club
My students wanted more Black history than our school curriculum offered. Here’s what we did.
Nick Kennedy
3 min read
Student silhouettes walk past a locked library cabinet.
Islenia Mil for Education Week