GOP “Moderate” Pushes Back Against Flawed Fordham Institute Report; Supports Texas Teachers Attacked By D.C. Group

SBOE member Pat Hardy has over 30 years of teaching Social Studies in Texas.  When it comes to this topic, it’s not hard to argue that she is an “expert”.  I put “moderate” in quotes because the media likes to place labels on all the Republican SBOE members only, including Pat Hardy, and the media frequently likes to refer to her as a moderate Republican.

But Pat (details here about her background  http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=3420) has been one of the most outspoken supporters of our current Social Studies standards and I think it is safe to say she will help block any ridiculous effort to start the Social Studies standards adoption process all over again.

She also pushed back recently against the biased and false report by the Fordham Institute, that she felt unfairly attacks teachers.

“State Board of Education member Patricia Hardy, a Republican from the Fort Worth area, said the institute’s concerns about the curriculum structure don’t give teachers enough credit. Content criticisms, she said, are the result of differing philosophies between some board members — who believe social studies should link history to economics, geography and culture — and Fordham’s criteria.”

See more flawed and misleading reporting here at http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/state-curriculum-for-u-s-history-flunks-evaluation-1257184.html

Once again, still no “mainstream” reporter willing to actually look at the specific language of the Texas standards and compare that to what Fordham Iinstitute actually says are in the standards.  That’s the real story.   We have and others have caught on to this quickly.  The fact that the media is relying on Thomas Ratliff, the lobbyist and newly elected SBOE member, as an authority on social studies is telling.

See our side by side analysis of Fordham Institute report vs. actual Texas social studies standards. https://txvalues.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/fordhaminstvstexas.pdf

Also, ask yourself if you would expect these words and phrases to be used when you read a report by a “think tank” like Fordham Institute:  “invented”, “inculcate”, “tenditious”, “misrepresentation at every turn”, “all but ignored”, “largely missing”,  and my favorite – “uncritically celebrate”.  Uncritically celebrate?

See more of the Texas Social Studies myths debunked here,  www.juststatethefacts.com

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