UN Conspiracies, Communism and the Common Core: These were just some of the critiques brought up during the final public hearing over the revisions and adoption of the state’s 2015 social studies textbooks.
Conservative activists, and some on the State Board of Education, did not react positively to certain revisions made to a selection of social studies textbooks up for adoption this week.
Mary Lynn Gerstenschlager is a legislative liaison for the conservative Texas Eagle Forum. She testified before the state board on what she saw as a one-sided view of climate change.
“The UN is promoting the redistribution of wealth, they want wealthy nations to lower their standard of living by eliminating greenhouse gases, and they want to use the money to raise the standard of living of the developing nations,” she said.
Another heated moment came after state board member, Tincy Miller was informed there multiple references of Common Core in one textbook publisher’s selection. Texas Legislators had banned the use of Common Core “standards” during the 2013 session.
“I don’t know how this book even got past anybody with the words 'Common Core' in there, based on the law,” said Hardy.
A preliminary vote to gauge where each board member stood, ahead of Friday’s final adoption, was to no avail. Too many people abstained for the mock vote to even be counted.
