What does the Baptist Joint Committee have in common with the American Federation of Teachers, the NAACP, and the American Association of University Women? They are all part of a diverse collection of organizations calling for "academically sound" approaches to Social Studies curricula in the wake of the debacle that was the Texas Board of Education adoption of standards. A letter to Rep. Bernice Johnson (D-TX) signed by 23 groups, including the BJC, offers support for her H.Res 1593, which, among other things "supports standards that guide curriculum development, instruction, and assessment in classrooms that are developed by experts and not subject to political biases."
The letter (pdf) reads in part:
Some of the academically unsound and politically biased changes made by the Texas State Board of Education, resulting from the skewed process, are outside the mainstream of historic scholarship. For example, the Texas standards downplay the struggle leading up to and during the civil rights movement and undermine basic concepts of the constitutionally mandated boundaries between institutions of religion and government.
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We greatly appreciate your leadership on this important issue. Emphasizing that academic experts, rather than politicians, should develop curriculum standards that are clear, informed, and inclusive will help ensure that our students learn accurate history and acquire the analytical skills needed for success in college and the workforce.
This is great to see. The signatories to this letter represent diverse interests and constituencies but all can see the danger in allowing politics to drive the curriculum process. If they can push Thomas Jefferson and the separation of church and state out of textbooks, then most any truth is vulnerable.
