Last week, the Texas State Board of Education held a preliminary vote to streamline social studies curriculum standards in all public schools. That included the removal of several historical figures, including Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller. In the past, Texas high school students studied Clinton, the former U.S. Secretary of State who was the first woman to win a major party's nomination to the presidency, and third graders studied Keller, the famous deaf-blind activist and author. The Dallas Morning News reports how a special work group consisting of teachers, professors and curriculum experts made recommendations to the Texas Board of Education. The group assessed famous figures and assigned them scores of zero to 20, based on their historical significance. Clinton was given a five, Keller was given a seven and both were therefore recommended for removal. The group's suggestions also included removing evangelist Billy Graham from the curriculum, revising sections describing the Civil War as a states' rights issue and removing mentions of Moses' influence on the nation's founding documents. The state board voted to keep these elements of the curriculum.

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The decision sparked outcry from Democrat lawmakers like Texas state legislator Chris Turner. "SBOE needs to reject these changes. If Helen Keller was an important historical figure when I was in school (and she was), then she still is today," he tweeted. "Hillary Clinton is the first and only woman to be the presidential nominee of a major party in U.S. history. Enough said."