Culture war claims social studies

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The debate over the state's social studies curriculum -- in front of a packed meeting of the State Board of Education -- came down to who was in and who was out in the current curriculum proposal.

Conservatives want God and the country's early historical documents in, and emphasized, in the curriculum. Liberals want to make sure that African-Americans and Hispanics play a more prominent role.

The culture war already has boiled over once in the social studies debate, when the Free Market Foundation accused the social studies curriculum writing teams of creating a "war on Christmas." In a lesson on the intersection between religion and culture, Christmas and Rosh Hashanah were cut from the curriculum and Diwali added in order to provide one example of a holiday from each of the world's five major religions.

This morning, hundreds were in attendance although only a dozen or so signed up to speak on the social studies proposal, including the Texas Freedom Network, the NAACP and LULAC. Experts, hand-picked by board members, also testified on their individual perspectives of the curriculum.

Concerns already raised included where, and under what circumstances, individuals such as scientist Albert Einstein, social activist Cesar Chavez and civil rights pioneer Thurgood Marshall are noted in the curriculum.

Those historic figures will likely stay and that the board will likely add Rosh Hashana and Christmas back to the sixth-grade social studies curriculum, Chair Gail Lowe told the audience in a preface to testimony.

"I think there is significant, broad support for returning to the original standard," said Lowe. "I don’t think anyone on our board intends to take out Christmas."

However, that has some political groups calling foul.

"What I am concerned about is some members of this board seem to be willing to listen to political advocates and be more concerned political ideology and political agenda than they are with sound scholarship,” said Kathy Miller, with Texas Freedom Network.

The curriculum will not be finalized until March 2010.