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

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. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Culture War Circus....Pages 2-17 “As Texas Goes, So Goes the Nation”....Pages 18-38 Hijacks and Hijinks on the US History Review Committee....Pages 40-58 A Voice Crying in the Wilderness?....Pages 60-73 Negotiating for Quality....Pages 74-87 Moving the Liberal-Minority Coalition Up the Education Pipeline....Pages 88-100 Front Matter....Pages 101-101 Names, Numbers, and Narratives....Pages 102-125 Why Do We Think of America as a Christian Nation?....Pages 126-147 Neo-Confederate Ideology in the Texas History Standards....Pages 148-168 A Missed Opportunity for World History in Texas....Pages 170-193 Standards before Standardization....Pages 194-210 A Perfect Storm in Austin and Beyond....Pages 212-230 Back Matter....Pages 231-243 "The politicians and pastors who revised the Texas social studies standards made national and international headlines. However, much of that coverage was sensational and squeezed the process into a narrow "culture war" storyline. Politics and the History Curriculum sets the debate over the Texas standards within a broader context by exploring the tangled and powerful mixture of politics, religion, media, and education. This volume provides a clear analysis of what happened and why, along with sensible recommendations for teachers and policy makers"-- Provided by publisher