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Machi4velli
SFN Regular
USA
854 Posts |
 Posted - 05/21/2010 : 22:30:34
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http://tfninsider.org/2010/03/11/blogging-the-social-studies-debate-iv/
Someone blogged the changes they were making to social studies curriculum. I'm surprised Voltaire even made it through (I assume they didn't know about his religious views).
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"Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people."
-Giordano Bruno
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge."
-Stephen Hawking
"Seeking what is true is not seeking what is desirable"
-Albert Camus |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2010 : 23:25:47 [Permalink]
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Damn, these wingnuts are as stupid as the most ideological of the Teabaggers.
The Enlightenment: Out! Thomas Jefferson: Out! List of ethnically mixed recipients of the Medal of Honor: Out! The word, "capitalism": Out! The possibility that government programs can do good: Out! Freedom of expression via firearms: In!
I mourn for benighted Texas. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 05/22/2010 : 03:03:05 [Permalink]
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Looks like it's a done deal. TX is well on it's way to producing a glorious crop of Christian dullards.
More conservative textbook curriculum OK'd
12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, May 22, 2010
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – In a landmark move that will shape the future education of millions of Texas schoolchildren, the State Board of Education on Friday approved new curriculum standards for U.S. history and other social studies courses that reflect a more conservative tone than in the past.
Board member Mary Helen Berlanga showed frustration at the numerous amendments offered during a meeting of the State Board of Education on Friday in Austin. Split along party lines, the board delivered a pair of 9-5 votes to adopt the new standards, which will dictate what is taught in all Texas schools and provide the basis for future textbooks and student achievement tests over the next decade.
Texas standards often wind up being taught in other states because national publishers typically tailor their materials to Texas, one of the biggest textbook purchasers in the country.
Approval came after the GOP-dominated board approved a new curriculum standard that would encourage high school students to question the legal doctrine of church-state separation – a sore point for social conservative groups who disagree with court decisions that have affirmed the doctrine, including the ban on school-sponsored prayer.
Before the final votes – one for standards in elementary and middle schools, the other for those in high schools – the board's five Democrats criticized the Republican majority for injecting their political and religious views into the curriculum and giving short shrift to important minority figures in history.
The GOP majority, primarily social conservatives, called the standards a major step forward that will boost instruction in history, government and other social studies classes.
Regarding the complaint that Republicans and conservative ideology have been given more prominence, board member Don McLeroy, R-College Station, said the panel was trying to make up for the liberal-slanted curriculum now being used in schools.
"I think we've corrected the imbalance we've had in the past and now have our curriculum headed straight down the middle," said McLeroy, one of seven social conservatives on the board. "I'm very pleased with what we've accomplished.
Board Democrats accused the Republicans of a "cut-and-paste" job that included a flurry of late amendments undoing much of the work of teachers and academics who were appointed to review teams to draft the curriculum requirements last year.
"Here we are trying to approve standards for our children that will be used for years, and we are being asked to approve all these last-minute cut-and-paste proposals," said Mary Helen Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi.
"I don't think any teacher would accept work like this," she said. "They would have thrown this paper in the trash. We've done an injustice to the children of this state."
Board member Mavis Knight, D-Dallas, called the proposal a travesty.
"The board has made these standards political and had little academic discussion about what students need to learn," she said. "I am ashamed of what we have done to the students and teachers of this state."
Several Republicans left the board meeting room while Democrats laid out their objections to the document, but returned to defeat a Democratic effort to delay action on the proposal until July. One Republican, Bob Craig of Lubbock, supported the delay motion.
Board member Geraldine Miller, R-Dallas, was absent for both votes, on postponement and then final adoption.
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At least they put Jefferson back in.
| Before approving the standards on Friday, board members adopted scores of additional changes – including the restoration of Thomas Jefferson's name to a list of political philosophers that students will study in world history. Board members had come under criticism for removing Jefferson's name earlier this year though they pointed out that Jefferson would still be studied in other areas of the curriculum such as U.S. history and government. |
But this is interesting:
Board members also gave a thumbs-down to requiring history teachers and textbooks to provide coverage on the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy, while the late President Ronald Reagan was elevated to more prominent coverage in the curriculum.
In addition, the requirements place Sen. Joseph McCarthy in a more positive light in U.S. history despite condemnation by most historians of the late Republican senator's tactics and his view that the U.S. government was infiltrated by communists in the 1950s.
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We all know what a befuddled, old dolt Reagan was and how he started the economic over-the-cliff situation we are in now, but I am appalled by their insistence on raising Joe McCarthy to any sort of prominence. I am old enough to have a fairly good memory of his utter bullshit Senate hearings, wherein he, along with his buddy Tricky Dicky Nixon, destroyed the lives of a lot of people, notably Jews, in the movie industry. I agree that he should mentioned, but in his proper context: that of an insane, alcoholic mouth-breather with too much power. There is an excellent lesson to be learned with Ol' Joe -- heh, did you know that a nickname for syphilis is "Old Joe?"
It is obvious to me that McLeroy/Dunbar/et al. are not at all interested in teaching history, as they know nothing of it themselves, but brainwashing a new crop of proto-conservative whackaloons. We can only hope that White sends Perry packing in the coming governor's election, and sorts this botched abortion out.
I wonder; d'ya think that Mexico would take TX back if we sweetened the deal with AZ?
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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| Edited by - filthy on 05/22/2010 03:09:27 |
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Fripp
SFN Regular
USA
727 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2010 : 05:25:18 [Permalink]
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| It's crap like this that makes me so cynical. It is so blindingly obvious that the conservative/republican philosophy is wrong, wrong, wrong, but so many morons (educated and uneducated) simply REFUSE to acknowledge it. For example, in the past 50 years or so, there have some 11 recessions; 10 of them happened under republican presidents, BUT it's the economic policies of the LEFT that's at fault. (don't quote on the precise numbers -- I read this from a centrist but right-leaning think tank... yes, RIGHT-leaning). Why are so many republicans caught on sexual scandals if they follow the "right" moral principles? I could go on, but I am just so sick of this. I really wish our american empire would go ahead and collapse already. |
"What the hell is an Aluminum Falcon?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought my Dark Lord of the Sith could protect a small thermal exhaust port that's only 2-meters wide! That thing wasn't even fully paid off yet! You have any idea what this is going to do to my credit?!?!"
"What? Oh, oh, 'just rebuild it'? Oh, real [bleep]ing original. And who's gonna give me a loan, jackhole? You? You got an ATM on that torso LiteBrite?" |
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Machi4velli
SFN Regular
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2010 : 02:07:20 [Permalink]
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It's not really conservative philosophy, it's just incorrect, biased (and most definitely idiotic) history. What can possibly be wrong with the words capitalism and enlightenment? And I would love to see the argument that links Thomas Aquinas with the American Revolution.
I don't see that the number of recessions under which presidents are particularly important, I mean the opposite party has controlled Congress during many presidencies, especially Republican ones (and Republicans under Clinton for a bit I believe). I don't mean to try to implicate Democrats, but the matter of which policies actually got through would seemingly be more important than who the president was. |
"Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people."
-Giordano Bruno
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge."
-Stephen Hawking
"Seeking what is true is not seeking what is desirable"
-Albert Camus |
| Edited by - Machi4velli on 05/23/2010 02:25:26 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2010 : 03:29:30 [Permalink]
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To an extent I agree, but it's Neoconservative "philosophy," Machi4velli. (Actually not a philosophy at all, but merely a modus operandi.)
The NeoCons think that their holy ends justify whatever means they choose to employ, be it blatant and deliberate historical distortion, red-baiting, fueling ethnic fear and religious sectarianism, extrajudicial spying upon their fellow citizens, or inventing lies about their enemies.
Yet there has been this undeniable streak of dishonesty and unethical opportunism among some leading conservatives long before the NeoCons. Joe McCarthy, the John Birch Society, etc., etc.
The NeoCons may have distilled the most aggressively dishonest and repulsive of these techniques, but the methods have been around since before Father Coughlin. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1487 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2010 : 22:23:20 [Permalink]
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Could we please let them succeed now? 
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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2010 : 23:52:27 [Permalink]
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Well, California's not planning on taking this:
| California may soon take a stand against proposed changes to social studies textbooks ordered by the Texas school board, as a way to prevent them from being incorporated in California texts. |
| Under Yee's bill, SB1451, the California Board of Education would be required to look out for any of the Texas content as part of its standard practice of reviewing public school textbooks. The board must then report any findings to both the Legislature and the secretary of education. |
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>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
| Edited by - the_ignored on 05/23/2010 23:52:55 |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2010 : 00:16:48 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by ThorGoLucky
Could we please let them succeed now?
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I might be for letting them secede, but I'm definitely against letting them succeed.
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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Fripp
SFN Regular
USA
727 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2010 : 07:05:43 [Permalink]
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| If we let them "succeed", no matter how badly they fail, they will still refuse to acknowledge that faults of their philosophies. They will instead say that some "liberal/democratic" provision/amendment is the cause all the problems. Look at how bad they got their asses handed to them in the last election. What was their solution? More of the same but even MORE EXTREME. They are so convinced of the unerring accuracy of their particular worldview, they are immune to seeing it's faults. |
"What the hell is an Aluminum Falcon?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought my Dark Lord of the Sith could protect a small thermal exhaust port that's only 2-meters wide! That thing wasn't even fully paid off yet! You have any idea what this is going to do to my credit?!?!"
"What? Oh, oh, 'just rebuild it'? Oh, real [bleep]ing original. And who's gonna give me a loan, jackhole? You? You got an ATM on that torso LiteBrite?" |
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Machi4velli
SFN Regular
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2010 : 15:33:08 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
To an extent I agree, but it's Neoconservative "philosophy," Machi4velli. (Actually not a philosophy at all, but merely a modus operandi.) |
I suppose. Ah, to be a man without a country.  |
"Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people."
-Giordano Bruno
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge."
-Stephen Hawking
"Seeking what is true is not seeking what is desirable"
-Albert Camus |
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Texas Curriculum
