'Experts' stir controversy over social studies textbooks

And be careful about erasing folks like Henry Cisneros from those history books just because of some distant indiscretion, Mary Helen Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi, warned.

One expert reviewer appointed by the board has recommended that Cisneros be yanked from the history books because the former San Antonio mayor and Clinton Cabinet secretary created legal troubles for himself in the 1990s by not fully disclosing support payments he had made to a one-time mistress.

“No one is perfect. To delete someone who is of Hispanic descent because of some issue that somebody has with him is not fair — unless they're going to put everybody on that same chopping block,” Berlanga said.

If Cisneros goes, so should Thomas Jefferson, she added. Jefferson, one of the founding fathers, had children with one of his slaves.

The board will spend coming months deciding new social studies curriculum standards for 4.7 million Texas public school children.

About 75 teachers, principals, social studies coordinators, college professors, retired teachers and ordinary citizens are developing the new curriculum standards. The so-called “writing teams” are taking guidance from six expert reviewers appointed by the board. The group's first draft is expected to be finished before the board's September meeting. Public hearings will follow before the board acts next spring.

But some of the expert recommendations are already stirring controversy, suggesting for example that biographies of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen F. Austin should not be included in books for early grade-school children. And some of the experts want to emphasize the role of the Bible and the Christian faith in the settling of the original colonies.

National spotlight

The suggestions also are attracting the attention of the national media, which lampooned Texas earlier this year when the board struggled with the teaching of evolution in public schools.

In an article earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal noted that two of the expert reviewers appointed by the socially conservative state board members have strong Christian perspectives.

David Barton is founder of WallBuilders, which pushes America's Christian heritage. Another expert reviewer is the Rev. Peter Marshall, a Christian minister who preaches that Watergate, the Vietnam War and Hurricane Katrina were God's judgments on the nation's sexual immorality.

No factionalism

Board members said Thurs­day they are optimistic they will avoid repeating the rankling that brought attention to the debate over new science curriculum standards.

“I don't see at all that we will divide into factions,” said new board Chairwoman Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas.

Bob Craig, R-Lubbock, said of the task: “It's very difficult. It's very emotional. I hope we would keep it factual.”

Emphasizing the nation's Biblical principles remains a hotly debated topic, but religion influenced the founding fathers, who declared in their independence from Great Britain that all people were “endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights,” said Don McLeroy, R-College Station.

Mavis Knight, D-Dallas, said it was important for school history books to chronicle the historical contributions by minority groups.

“Everything is not lovey-dovey in the founding of our country,” Knight said. “If you don't have a look at the ugly side balanced against the positive side, you have kind of rewritten history.”

gscharrer@express-news.net