Curriculum

Texas Textbooks: ‘Pro-Islamic’ Bias?

By Erik W. Robelen — September 28, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Texas state board of education, which earlier this year stirred national controversy with its overhaul of social studies standards, is again drawing headlines—and fierce debate—over a resolution warning textbook publishers against infusing their materials with “pro-Islamic/anti-Christian distortions.”

The resolution, which was being debated by the board as of press time Sept. 24, declares that a “pro-Islamic/anti-Christian bias has tainted some past Texas social studies textbooks,” and says the board should reject any future textbooks that favor one religion over another. It cites one world history textbook that devoted “120 student text lines to Christian beliefs, practices, and holy writings, but 248 ... to those of Islam.” It adds that the book highlights “Crusaders’ massacre of Muslims at Jerusalem in 1099,” but the resolution cites massacres by Muslims that were excluded.

But the Texas Freedom Network, an advocacy group frequently critical of the board’s conservatives, calls the resolution’s claims “superficial and grossly misleading.”

The Texas board, led by a bloc of social conservatives, has repeatedly found itself engaged in politically tinged debates, especially over the teaching of social studies and science. (“Standards Debate Puts Texas Board in Hot Seat ,” June 9, 2010.)

Don McLeroy, a Republican on the GOP-controlled board who backs the resolution, said he believes world history textbooks have long failed to adequately discuss Judaism and Christianity and their importance in history. “This is bringing some needed focus on” those books, he said.

Critics note that the resolution refers to textbooks that are no longer used in Texas, as they were replaced in 2003. But Mr. McLeroy said board rules prohibit a resolution on the current textbooks. And he believes the perceived bias is still present.

Jay A. Diskey, the executive director of the school division of the Association of American Publishers, said that publishers “go to great lengths to create accurate and unbiased books.”

He added, “However, textbooks have long been in the cross hairs in Americas cultural wars.”

A version of this article appeared in the September 29, 2010 edition of Education Week as Texas Textbooks: ‘Pro-Islamic’ Bias?

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
Assessment Webinar
Rethinking STEM Assessment: Strategies for Administrators
School and district leaders will explore strategies to enhance STEM assessment practices across their district, within schools and classrooms.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Federal Webinar Keeping Up with the Trump Administration's Latest K-12 Moves: Subscriber-Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.

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

Curriculum Opinion Which Books Belong in Classrooms? Which Don't?
District officials, parents, and the Supreme Court are debating where to draw the line.
7 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Curriculum Video These Two Key Questions Form the Heart of Digital Literacy Instruction
Crucial lessons around digital literacy and digital safety can be framed around these two questions.
1 min read
Curriculum Opinion This State Is Achieving Impressive Reading Gains. Why?
How content-rich curricula is fueling a rise in reading scores.
7 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Curriculum Teaching Personal Finance to Teens in the Age of Online Gambling
Teenagers have more spending power than ever before. States are pushing schools to teach them how to be responsible with their spending.
5 min read
boy likely a teenager, sitting in a dimly lit room, holding a credit card and looking at a tablet screen
Nadzeya Haroshka/iStock