Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance-Thank The Texas State Board of Education!!

Martin Luther King, Jr. holds a prominent place in the Texas History and Social Studies curriculum standards.  That’s correct, MLK is one of the most discussed and studied persons in our Texas curriculum standards passed in 2010, under the leadership of conservative Republicans.  I have long been an admirer of Dr. King, so I am proud that our state is showing such support for an incredible man.

In 2010( and part of 2009) the Texas State Board of Education had numerous public hearings, votes, discussions, meetings, etc. to decide on a final product for statewide History and Social Studies teaching for K-12 public school children in Texas.  Conservatives led the way and eventually 2/3rds of the elected SBOE members, all Republicans, voted in favor of a final product that is expected to stay in place for around ten years.

You heard a lot of celebrating from our side in 2010, because of the teaching on American Exceptionalism, the focus on teaching the U.S. Constitution and religious liberty, the Founding Fathers, and also praise for a large increase in diversity of persons included, across the board (race, ethnicity, gender, etc.)

But you also heard incorrect and exaggerated complaints from the left, the media, Bill White and numerous others who didn’t have their facts straight on this issue.  That’s why we set up the website, www.juststatethefacts.com

So we encourage you to be proud that our Texas Social Studies standards highlight one of the most important figures in American history and that Texas students have the “I Have A Dream” speech and “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” as part of our curriculum standards for public school children.

And be proud that it was a conservative group of Texas State Board of Education members that made it happen.