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Over the last two years, there were several scandals in the Texas Executive Branch related to criminal activity, corruption, or other problems....

The Texas State Board of Education has made several controversial changes to textbooks used by schools in the state. In 2014, the state board was about to approve several social studies textbooks to be recommended to districts in the state; however, right-wing groups raised objections that resulted in all the textbooks being rejected. In the aftermath of a public hearing about the textbooks, the textbook publishers had to make last-minute changes so that the textbooks were palatable to these conservative groups. When the state board approved the textbooks, the members of the board had not seen the changes at all.


The problems with the textbook approval process in the state go back to 2010, when the state board passed several laws governing social studies and history textbooks used by schools in the state. These laws require the textbooks to include the role of the Bible in creating the United States, remove any mention of hip hop culture, and contain information that supports the idea that states' rights were more important than slavery in causing the Civil War (among many other claims).


Changes made to textbooks in Texas affect textbooks in other states, as Texas has so many students that publishers cater to the state's demands. This issue is important because it affects the way students learn history and distorts history. The government should change this issue by allowing historians, not politicians, to decide what appears in textbooks. (Note: You should also comment on another student's answer as part of your answer.)


Source:


http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/was-moses-a-founding-father/383153/

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