Texas Won't Adopt Common Science Standards Soon
New nationally developed common science standards may be on the horizon, but it is not likely that they will make their way into Texas classrooms soon.
Make that a “zero percent chance,” said Barbara Cargill, the Republican chairwoman of the State Board of Education.
The Next Generation Science Standards — produced by the National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science — are designed to chart a common science curriculum for students in kindergarten through high school, in every state. The standards are expected to be complete early next year.
But in Texas ...
Comments (26)
T D
This idiocy will stop only when business leaders lean across the pew and whisper to their neighbors: "Stop it, you're costing us money."
john cordes
Them kids gotta learn bout creationism.
cesar de la garza
this state embarrasses me sometimes...
cesar de la garza
we should be a leader in this field...we should be acting as leaders. instead, we turn up our nose because of politics. close minded fools
Native Texan
For those who are criticizing Texas because it does not adopt Common Core Standards, here is the deal: We can have excellent education AND not have the federal government intrude upon our authority in our own state. Rejecting Common Core Standards is about rejecting Uncle Sam's attempts to take over all of life in the USA. Texas is perfectly capable of developing a rigorous curriculum for its schools totally independent of Uncle Sam. We don't need Uncle Sam to tell us how to do it and to hold out the carrot of a lot of money. That money makes us slaves to do what Uncle Sam tells us to do. Get a life, people. Figure these things out for yourselves. The current SBOE is working toward reclaiming education in Texas. It had been dumbed down by liberals who are far more interested in teaching sex ed and diversity than they are in teaching rigorous courses in math, science and language. They spread propaganda, such as that conservatives want to teach Creationism in the schools. No they don't. But what they DO want to do is actually provide a thorough education in math, science, language, etc., without all the liberal experimental garbage that never teaches kids how to speak properly, how to write properly, how to spell properly, how to think logically, how to solve problems, etc. Kids nowadays do not have to memorize their math tables. They count on their fingers. They cannot tell you that 9 x 9 = 81 without counting it out on their fingers. I am not kidding you! And that is a result of liberals taking over education for the last however many decades. When I was in school... long ago!... I had to memorize all of my math tables. That is an essential element to doing well in higher math. We diagrammed sentences, which taught us to understand the inner workings of the language itself. We had to spell words correctly. Nowadays, liberals do not give a stinking fig about these things, and they do not teach them to our kids! We are turning out generation after generation of people who cannot actually compete with others where education standards are more rigorous. The liberal influence in schools is to make kids think about sex, diversity, and bullying. That is all liberals care about. It is a travesty. We should not waste one minute on things like that in our schools. We should be making our students jump through hoops to reach the highest possible standards. But no, we just want them to spend the whole day expressing their "feelings." Get over it, libs. You don't have a monopoly on education any longer. We are awake and we are pushing back.
cesar de la garza
native texas, there is no reason we shouldn't be involved. this is the united states, not the republic of texas. we should be good partners and share our knowledge and expertise like other states are. you don't shut the world out.
Russ Waddill
Native Texan,
I'm dumbfounded that you characterized learning how to speak properly, write properly, spell properly, think logically, and solve problems "liberal experimental garbage". I've got a Masters degree from Rice and my Houston public middle school and high school used to call all those things Honors English and Algebra I & II. What do you think diagramming sentences is? I'm pretty sure it is learning how to write properly.
I could go along with Texas setting our own standards, particularly in science, if we were trying to advance them beyond national requirements. But placing Creationism in science class and pretending that religious teachings have undergone the rigors of what you call a "theory", also known as the scientific method, is not advancing the science curriculum in our education system.
The conservative Republicans vision of repeatedly underfunding education in the public schools and forcing Texas universities to raise tuition and fees is creating an undereducated, increasingly permanent underclass in our state. And it is all done so they can say we don't have a state income tax. Nevermind that they created a new tax for small business owners like the one on my LLC - that somehow magically wasn't a new tax, because they never raise taxes.
They cannot run from their record on education of the last decade - and it is certainly nothing to brag about.
jrd
Russ Waddill" Native Texan, I'm dumbfounded that you characterized learning how to speak properly, write properly, spell properly, think logically, and solve problems "liberal experimental garbage".
Pardon me, RW, but that was not in NT's comment. Here is the quote: "But what they DO want to do is actually provide a thorough education in math, science, language, etc., without all the liberal experimental garbage that never teaches kids how to speak properly, how to write properly, how to spell properly, how to think logically, how to solve problems, etc."
Russ Waddill
JRD,
I stand corrected. After re-reading, I saw that Native Texan did in fact say that what he calls "liberal experimental garbage" NEVER teaches kids how to speak properly, etc.
I will add that I must've misread / inferred it after hearing last week that the Texas GOP platform included a plank (supposedly by mistake) that is against teaching critical thinking skills in schools. I'm sure Native Texan disagrees with this plank.
Proud Texan
Speaking of the GOP platform, here's the language. Shocking, simply shocking.
"Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority. "
So, if a child's "fixed beliefs" that were taught by their parents are racist, sexist or anything else, we wouldn't want to challenge those through critical thinking and education?!
Caitlin Gilchrist via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No surprise here. If it doesn't conform to the views of the board's uber-conservative WASP members it's clearly not worth teaching.
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
and the few talented science kids who make it through our crappy schools will leave Texas in a New York minute.
Michelle Michon via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Time to Vote OUT the do-damage, know-nothing Republicans!
Robert Adams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Keeping Texas Dumb.
vernon
Native Texan,
1. The federal government isn't trying to take over every aspect of our lives. Having minimum core standards isn't evidence of a shredded Bill of Rights...neither is a tax penalty for not buying health insurance.
2. Former chair Don McElroy and member David Bradley wanted to teach creationism as a sound scientific theory, just to name two conservatives. No one has to spread propaganda about the push to teach creationism when the SBOE members do it publicly.
3. Sex ed is pretty important. When Texas ranks in the top five states in the nation for teen pregnancy rates, it’s obvious we’re not doing enough.
4. As for bullying and diversity, I’m not sure how many mandatory classes we have focusing on those areas, but I bet it’s close to zero. I’d like to see your evidence to the contrary.
5. Your idea that students aren’t made to memorize multiplication tables isn't true. It’s just not. Did you see one kid counting on his fingers or something and apply that one incident to the state-wide student population?
You make so many leaps in logic in your missive, it’s astounding. You blame every ill on liberals despite conservatives having a recent majority on the board and fully controlling the state government. You make unfounded, demonstrative and blatantly false statements.
If you’re indeed a “Native Texan”, you’re a clear example of Texas failing in at least one category that you brought up: Thinking logically.
Jim Batchelor via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I love my state. Education is by the states and we just put in new standards
Tim Starry via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Because you know that Texas science has to be better, right?
Minor Baker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas is getting to big for their britches
Tom Berg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't see Texas putting a man on the moon anytime soon. . .
todd wilson
Rick Perry is illiterate.
Gabriel Chance via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't see Texas fixing mental health, or poverty, or illiteracy, or underemployment, or education, or drug addiction anytime soon. Texas politicians are about as bright as a string of broken christmas lights. Even still, many Texans would say it is better than having no lights at all.
Rene Ocelot via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I lernted n texass
Alice Taylor
Sigh. I'm just flat embarrassed to tell people I live in Texas when this sort of nonsense comes up. If Texan standards were BETTER than the Common Core and if Texas fully funded an equal education for all of it's children, then proudly asserting that "we can go our own way because it's better" makes sense. But Texas is all hat and no cattle when it comes to education.
caesar parker
It really makes me wonder how future Texas students will get into Harvard and Yale. Maybe, they will be happy just finishing high school.
Rudy Gonzales
There many who have their heads up theirs. Noted scholars and highly educated people will not come from Texas as long as chest-thumping power rich make the rules and effect changes they want in education. Texas lags behind every other state in science and mathematics, and as long as limited mental's gain control of the State Board of Education and act unilaterally from national standards, Texas will continue to be the laughing stock of America along with Governor "Deer in the head lights."
nick pell
Texans will stop hating the feds when a Republican is back in the WH. Then "daddy's" word will be sacrosanct. It's magic how that happens!