Politics and the History Curriculum: The Struggle over Standards in Texas and the Nation

by K. Erekson (Editor)

Overview

The politicians and pastors who revised the Texas social studies standards made worldwide headlines. Politics and the History Curriculum sets the debate over the Texas standards within a broad context of politics, religion, media, and education, providing a clear analysis of these events and recommendations for teachers and policy makers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137008930
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	05/31/2012
Edition description:	2012
Pages:	243
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

KEITH A. EREKSON is an award-winning writer, teacher, and historian. He teaches history at The University of Texas at El Paso, USA, where he is the founder and director of the university's Center for History Teaching & Learning.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Preface xi

Part I Rewriting History in Texas

1 Culture War Circus: How Politics and the Media Left History Education Behind Keith A. Erekson 3

2 "As Texas Goes, So Goes the Nation": Conservatism and Culture Wars in the Lone Star State Gene B. Preuss 19

3 Hijacks and Hijinks on the US History Review Committee Laura K Muñoz Julio Noboa 41

4 A Voice Crying in the Wilderness? An Expert Reviewer's Experience Jesús F. de la Teja 61

5 Negotiating for Quality: Taking a Proactive Approach to Achieve a Positive Outcome Stephen Cure 75

6 Moving the Liberal-Minority Coalition Up the Education Pipeline Emilio Zamora 89

Part II Analysis and Alternatives

7 Names, Numbers, and Narratives: A Multicultural Critique of the US History Standards Julio Noboa 105

8 Why Do We Think of America as a Christian Nation? Richard T. Hughes 127

9 Neo-Confederate Ideology in the Texas History Standards Edward H. Sebesta 149

10 A Missed Opportunity for World History in Texas David C. Fisher 171

11 Standards before Standardization: The Affiliated Schools Program, 1885-1917 Linda J. Black 195

12 A Perfect Storm in Austin and Beyond: Making the Case-and Place-for US History in Texas and the Nation Linda K. Salvucci 213

Notes on Contributors 231

Appendix for Teachers 233

Appendix for Policy Makers 235

Index 237

Editorial Reviews

"What's the matter with Texas? Outsiders too often dismiss it as an overgrown and ignorant child, shrouded in right-wing politics and fundamentalist religion. But that view is itself a gross caricature, as this close study of history and myth-making in Texas demonstrates. Rooting their story firmly in the social and political history of the Lone Star State, Keith A. Erekson and his colleagues bust a few big myths themselves. Read this book if you want to understand why Texans continue to contest their shared past, and why the rest of us should stop condescending to them." - Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of Education and History, New York University

"In these behind-the-scene essays, history educators and all citizens interested in history education will find chilling accounts of how the conservative Christian right played power politics to ensure that young Texans learn a largely white-washed U.S. history while remaining uneducated about world history. The essays in this important book give voice to teachers and history professors who were steamrollered by the Texas Board of Education." - Gary Nash, Professor Emeritus, Department of History, UCLA; Director, National Center for History in the Schools

"Politics and the History Curriculum offers the most comprehensive, thought-provoking, and timely examination yet of the ongoing controversy over history standards in Texas and across the nation. As an historian and textbook author, I especially appreciate the range and analytical quality of the essays collected here. This book is a must-read for any teacher, administrator, or citizen engaged with these issues." - Daniel Czitrom, co-author, Out of Many: A History of the American People

From the Publisher