Social Studies/Christmas Update: Austin Liberals Lose Once Again at State Board of Education

See blog entry below.  Check back this week for detailed analysis.

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Social Studies Summary/Votes Today-Live Blogging

UPDATE: NOW, OVER 5,000 TEXANS HAVE SIGNED OUR CHRISTMAS PETITION!!  HAVE YOU?  www.christmastextbooks.com

10:45 p.m.- hearing concludes at end of 8th grade.  Rest of Social Studies will be taken up tomorrow.  And we’ll be here.

10:33 p.m. – SBOE Member Dunbar gets right to work: John Locke, William Blackstone added to Grade 8.

10:15 p.m. Wealth of Nations book, added.

9:58 p.m. SBOE Member Cynthia Dunbar is now in the room.  She appears to have had a schedule conflict over the past two days.

9:10 – Grade 6. Terri Leo brings amendment to go back to original list of holidays: Christmas, Easter, Ramadan, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah.  Would mean Vaisakhi and the annual hajj.  Amendment fails.

New list of holidays.  Christmas, Easter, Ramadan, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hoshanah, Vaisakhi, Diwali, and the annual hajj.

8:58 p.m. SBOE meeting is back on.  Up to be added-“understand the importance of morality and ethics in maintaining a functional  free enterprise system”  7 Vote for, looks like mostly Republicans.  It passes.  Mavis Knight votes against it.  Bob Craig doesn’t vote.  Is this a controversial statement?  Come on, where’s the leadership

7:17 p.m. Describe the significance of the Second Great Awakening.  SBOE Member Cargill brings the motion.  Voted down.

6:50 p.m. – Grade 5, Discussion over Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Paine, Sons of Liberty sought to be added.  Motivations of Founding Fathers. Approved. Thomas Paine doesn’t make the cut, but he’s still in Grade 8.

5:54 p.m. Justice Raul A. Gonzalez is added to Grade 4.

See below for our part in the America is Exceptional Press Conference yesterday.

5:38 p.m. Grade 3.  Agosto asks to put Henry Cisneros back (he was removed by writing teams).  Hardy objects to him, his role as HUD director led to housing debacle, according to her.  Amendment fails, Cisneros stays out.

5:27 p.m. Sam Walton is added in grade 3, section 8(C).  Milton Hershey also added.

5:14 p.m. James A. Lovell, pilot of Apollo 13, added by SBOE Member Mercer, others.  And Juliet Gordon Lowe.  Ellen Ochoa, first Hispanic astronaut, added.

5:02 p.m. “The Four Chaplains” added. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Chaplains  

Methodist Reverend George L. Fox, the Jewish Rabbi Alexander D. Goode, the Roman Catholic Priest John P. Washington and the Reformed Church in America Reverend Clark V. Poling

4:45 p.m. Paul Revere goes back in, he was taken out. American love of individualism, inventiveness, and freedom is in.  W.E. DuBois is in.

4:22 p.m. SBOE Member Mercer-add Nathan Hale to grade 1.  Passes. Hardy objects.

3:50 p.m. Social Studies debate and vote has started.  Columbus getting some love, and John Smith.  Added to Kindergarten grade, barely.  SBOE Members, Nunez, Berlanga, Allen, and Knight voted against, at least.  Couldn’t see the other hands against.

Jose Antonio Navarro also gets added to Kindergarten, with no objections.

Richard Alleen added to Grade 1, no objections.

SBOE Member Pat Hardy wants to strike the words “holding public officials to their word.”  SBOE Member Bob Craig is also against this phrase.  Reminds me of when he made rude comments about the 10,000 plus people that called on SBOE members to prevent censorship in the Science classrooms.

SBOE Member Allen opposes the phrase. SBOE Member Miller supports the phrase.

Phrase passes.

3:25 p.m.  Social Studies debate and Vote about to begin.

UNANIMOUS CONSENT ITEMS:

Democratic Republic is how our government will be described.

Grades 3-12, Celebrate Freedom Week information will be the same in all grades.

Specific Reading selections are removed from all grades, not just some.

We’ll be providing live blog updates for the State Board of Education meeting today when they vote on important Social Studies issues. 

Austin Liberals Are DESPARATE!  THEY HAD TO GO ALL THE WAY TO OREGON TO FIND AN “ACADEMIC”  THAT AGREED WITH THEIR ATTEMPTS TO CENSOR RELIGIOUS HERITAGE AND FACTS IN HISTORY, GOVERNMENT AND CULTURE. See yesterday’s blog post from hearing for details.

2:45 p.m. SBOE is still not on the Social Studies issue.  Stay tuned!

1:05- SBOE is still on another issue.  Should get to Social Studies soon.

11:05 a.m. The SBOE is taking up other unrelated issues at this point, but should get to the Social Studies issue soon!

For now, check out some coverage from yesterday! http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=852762 

http://www.texasinsider.org/?p=20444

Have you signed our Christmas petition?  There’s still time!  www.christmastextbooks.com

RECAP OF SOCIAL STUDIES ISSUES AT STAKE:

Mary Kay Ash in one place as she is mentioned more often than Christopher Columbus. 

●          Mary Kay-Grade 3, page 23 of Social Studies (remove), U.S. History, page 10

●          Christopher Columbus-Grade 3, page 21.

 Columbus needs to be added back in one section.

● Christopher Columbus has been removed(needs to be put back): Grade 4, page 30;

● Columbus Day does remain: Grade 5, page 45.

●          Return of Significant Figures Such as Neil Armstrong and George Patton Should Remain.

●          Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein should be put back in. Removed from World History,   

            section 26(c).

●          USSR reference as “expansionism” should be changed back to “aggression.” U.S. History 7(A):

●          U.S. “expansion” has been changed to “imperialism”.  It should be changed back to “expansionism”. U.S. History section 3(A).

*          Neil Armstrong and George Patton should stay in (they were taken out in 2009, but put back in after public outcry). Grade 5, section 23(A)http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/curriculum/pdf/ElementaryTEKSOct2009.pdf

& U.S. History 6(E) http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/curriculum/pdf/USHistoryTEKSOct2009.pdf

*  Keep Christmas in list of holidays.  (was taken out by appointed committee in July 2009 draft, but put back in by appointed committee, not SBOE, after public outcry.

* While Christmas has been attacked and taken out at one point, Diwali, Vaisakhi, and the annual hajj were added. Grade 6, 19(B), http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/curriculum/pdf/MSTEKSOct2009.pdf

* 

Christmas & Social Studies Vote Next Week! Sign the Petition & Act Now!

Click here for an update on this issuehttps://texaslegislativeupdate.wordpress.com/

Sign the “Keep Christmas” Petition. http://www.christmastextbooks.com/

Will Christmas stay or go? Will the Founding Fathers be given the respect they deserve? Will Columbus be buried in a lone corner of the curriculum? Will the effort to remove Veterans Day be stopped once and for all.  Will teaching about our state and national religious heritage be changed?  And much more!

Just a few questions that could receive more clear answers next week at the State Board of Education hearing & VOTE on all of the statewide Social Studies curriculum for K-12, next Wednesday.  This hearing and VOTE will affect every public school student.

SIGN OUR PETITION!!!  (Click link for petition) http://www.christmastextbooks.com/  Don’t Mess With Christmas in Texas!!

We will deliver the petition results and numbers to the SBOE members next week. 

After months of discussion……………..THE SBOE WILL VOTE ON THESE ISSUES NEXT WEEK!!

We need educators (former and current) and parents, and others to come testify with us at the hearing!

This Friday from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., you can call  512-463-9581  or fax: 512-936-4319 to have your name on the testimony list for the Wednesday, January 13th hearing at the TEA building, here in Austin.

You want to testify on Item #6 for next Wednesday. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=7691

If you plan to testify and/or attend, please let us know so we can be of help to you.  email us at legislative@freemarket.org

If you cannot come to testify, please call your State Board of Education member and let them know your concern for the future of Social Studies curriculum in Texas. Tell them to keep Christmas, respect the Founding Fathers and preserve our religious heritage in Social Studies classes.  Click here for contact information. https://texaslegislativeupdate.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/texas-state-board-of-education-contact-information/

Want to Make A Difference for Faith, Family & Freedoms? Give A Year-End Gift

Click here to Donate to our work TODAY!

(President of Free Market Foundation shown above as legal counsel for Hannah Giles, who helping take down ACORN.)

As you know, we, at Free Market Foundation/Liberty Legal Institute, are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.  We are funded solely by private donations.  We could not do the work we do without the support of so many generous persons. 

But our battles (and victories) have been many this year, and we need a strong December and finish for 2009 to cover the expenses for defending freedoms and family values in the courts, legislature and media.

Click here to donate to our work today!

2009 HIGHLIGHTS/VICTORIES!!!

In the Courts

• We won our third landmark case on religious freedom in the past three years at the Texas Supreme Court – this time protecting all churches in an opinion that national experts hailed as “groundbreaking”. 
• We won the first written decision from the IRS for pastors and churches nationwide in over a decade, explicitly protecting pastors’ rights to speak to the political issues of the day and equip their congregants to vote their values.
• We argued, along with the Texas Solicitor General, at the Federal Court of Appeals to defend the Texas Moment of Silence law, and we won! Now, we’re fighting again at federal appeals to defend the words “under God” in the Texas pledge in a lawsuit brought by an atheist plaintiff.
• And there’s more- our brief was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Summum case; we’ve won numerous victories for churches literally being banned from existing; we represent Hannah Giles, who has been sued by ACORN; we represent all the major veterans groups in the Mojave Desert Cross case at the U.S. Supreme Court; and, we represent Houston City Councilwoman, Ann Clutterbuck, in a lawsuit brought to try to ban prayers at city council meetings.

In the Legislature

• We won the major battle at our State Board of Education, stopping the liberal attempt to strip our students of academic freedom and their right to test the strengths and weaknesses of all scientific theories, including evolution.
• We led the charge, reversing the State Board of Education committee decision to remove Christmas from the coverage of religious holidays in our Social Studies books and standards.
• We won a last-minute veto from the Governor on a frightening bill which would have changed the Texas law on parental rights to allow government officials to take away and interrogate anyone’s children with no notice or requirement of “just cause.”
• Defeated Planned Parenthood’s attempt to takeover sex education in Texas.
• Defeated dangerous so-called “Hate Crimes” legislation.
• We helped lead the largest Pro-Life lobby day at the Capitol, with live ultrasounds performed for legislators.
• We tracked over 150 bills, testified in 25 legislative hearings, and held 9 press conferences during the Texas Legislative Session.
• Had nearly 50,000 hits on our Texas Legislative Update Blog

In the Media/Culture

• We were featured in over 2,000 interviews and stories this year including O’Reilly, Hannity, ABC National News, CNN, the New York Times, C-SPAN, the front page of the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and many, many other national and local media.
• We held two major press conferences at the National Press Club as well as others outside the U.S. Supreme Court including the Mojave Desert Memorial case where the ACLU is attacking the cross and our veterans’ memorials nationwide.
• We launched www.donttearmedown.com leading to more than two million views of our video and to interviews reaching 10 million through radio and t.v. alone.

$450,000 Taxpayer Dollars for Abortions & Planned Parenthood in Texas? Action Item!

Update!  A vote will come this Thursday, December 10 by the Travis Count Health District (TCHD)!  The sign up for the meeting will start at 5:00 p.m. and the meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. and this is only issue on the agenda for the meeting.  Call now (512-978-8000) to stop this! Email us if you can come testify against this proposal this week, on Thursday, or if you would just like to stand with us at the hearing!  legislative@freemarket.org

See Details below. Click here to DOWNLOAD & SIGN THE PETITION! Petition against TCHD property tax-funded abortions  Fill up the the petition and send it back to us by Wednesday, Dec. 9th; FAX to: 512-478-2229.

————————————————————-

The Travis County Health District will meet this week, Thursday, December 10th, at 5:00 p.m., to have a public hearing,  only to discuss and vote on $450,000 of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.  We also have reason to believe that Planned Parenthood will be seeking a portion of this money. See more details from the last hearing on this  by clicking here.

STAND WITH US & STOP THIS IRRESPONSIBLE SPENDING: Call the Travis County Health District (512-978-8000) and tell them you don’t want your tax dollars to be used to pay for abortions.  If you live in the Travis County area or know people that do, PLEASE alert them to this problem! They TCHD will vote next week and you can rest assured they are being heavily influenced by the pro-abortion lobbyists and staff.

Planned Parenthood had two persons there testifying IN FAVOR of tax dollars being used for abortions at the last TCHD meeting on this issue.

Email us at legislative@freemarket.org if you would like to come to the hearing next week.  We need your local support!

Make a Call! 512-978-8000

Send a Fax! 512-978-8156

LOCATION for Hearing on December 10th:
Travis County Commissioners Courtroom

Granger Building, First Floor

314 West 11th Street

Austin, Texas

We will be testifying ourselves, but we need a huge turnout from Travis county residents to also testify!  We will help you prepare for the 1-3 minutes you will have to speak.

Click here for details of more Government funding of PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TEXAS. https://texaslegislativeupdate.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/planned-parenthood-sex-ed-with-goverment-funding-controversy-continues/

Christmas out, Diwali in for Texas Social Studies

See details/press release below.  Media is already picking up on this story. http://www.kbmt12.com/news/state/59048292.html

Bible Curriculum Starts in Public Schools!

Click below for more details about how we successfully fought off attacks by the ACLU and Austin Liberals to defend the well-established constitutional right to having Bible curriculum in public school.  This link includes details about the new state law that went into effect this school year and how the ACLU agreed that a Bible can be used as a textbook in public schools!! 

Click here for important details http://www.freemarket.org/Legislature_Issues_BibleCurriculum.aspx

Here’s some of our analysis on Bible curriculum:

Purpose – to help students understand history and culture, and great works of art and literature. See the following examples:

• Literary works – Shakespeare, John Milton, Canterbury Tales
  They presuppose that one has some knowledge of the Bible and that knowledge will assist in a greater understanding of such literature.
• Arts – Painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci (considered “one of the most widely appreciated masterpieces in the world).
• The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy -“No one in the English-speaking world can be considered literate without a basic knowledge of the Bible…The Bible is also essential for understanding many of the moral and spiritual values of our culture, whatever our religious beliefs.”
• The American School Board Journal reported in 1998 that 80% of the respondents to its poll favor teaching the Bible in public schools.

Constitutional: The United States Supreme Court has stated –

• “[I]t might well be said that one’s education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization. It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment,” School Dist. of Abington Township v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203, 225 (1963)(June 17, 1963)
• The “study of religions and of the Bible from a literary and historic viewpoint, presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, need not collide with the First Amendment’s prohibition…” Epperson v. Arkansas, 393 U.S. 97, 106 (1968)(November 12, 1968)

For more on Bible curriculum, visit http://www.freemarket.org/Legislature_Issues_BibleCurriculum.aspx.