The Revision Thing

In their January meeting, State Board of Education members came armed with more amendments to the state social studies curriculum than they could vote on — a process hardly helped by the acrimony between the board’s socially conservative bloc and more moderate Republicans and liberal Democrats. And so the SBOE kicked the process of revising the standards down the road to this week’s meeting, where social studies rewrites will resume today.

Because of the flood of amendments under consideration, we’ve produced this annotated version of the high school U.S. History standards, which have been the focus of controversy. You can see exactly what the board has added, deleted and rewritten, along with our analysis of the current arguments and historical context behind each change.

Expect more at today’s meeting of what we saw two months ago: Many edits from the conservative bloc, with attendant gnashing of teeth from both their opponents and supporters. If previous meetings are any guide, scores of impassioned speakers from diverse statewide constituencies will address the board on what has become the state’s highest-profile battleground in the never-ending culture wars. At issue: the inclusion of minorities, particularly Hispanics; the balance between liberal and conservative; the clash between “pro-America” proponents vs. those who accuse them of a historical “whitewash”; the concept of American Exceptionalism; the proper role of religion; and, yes, even country music versus hip-hop.

Speaking of religion, the conservative board members have yet to pass any substantial amendments injecting their Christian fundamentalism into the history standards — despite rampant fears from critics and intense national press attention on that prospect. But what the members will do from here is anybody’s guess. Since the last meeting, board member and former chair Don McLeroy — the most aggressive amender of curriculum and a self-proclaimed “religious fanatic” who believes education is “too important not to politicize” — narrowly lost the Republican primary to lobbyist Thomas Ratliff, a moderate who campaigned on a platform of depoliticizing the board. But don’t expect McLeroy, who will serve the remainder of this year, to limp out like a lame duck. Asked whether the election results would affect his plans for the social studies curriculum, he said, “Gosh no. I had some tremendous opposition, and a lot of people working against me, and I still almost won. The fact that I would change would be silly.

“The people who write about there being a tilt to the right in the curriculum never write about the tilt to the left, because they just don’t see it,” McLeroy said. “The reason why there’s so many more amendments to the social studies curriculum than to other subjects is because the balance was lacking. The populists, the progressives, the Great Society, all that stuff is from the left. … This country was founded on conservative, limited-government principles.”

Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 113,
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies,
Subchapter C, High School

§113.32 41. United States History Studies Since 1877 Reconstruction (One Credit), Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.

(a)
General requirements. Students shall be awarded one unit of credit for successful completion of this course.
(b)
Introduction.
(1)
In this course United States History Studies Since 1877, which is the second part of a two-year study of U.S. history that begins in Grade 8, students study the history of the United States since from Reconstruction 1877 to the present. The course content is based on the founding documents of the U.S. government, which provide a framework for its heritage. Historical content focuses on the political, economic, and social events and issues related to industrialization and urbanization, major wars, domestic and foreign policies of the Cold War and post-Cold War eras, and reform movements, including civil rights. Students examine the impact of geographic factors on major events and eras and analyze their causes and effects of the Great Depression. Students examine the impact of constitutional issues on American society, evaluate the dynamic relationship of the three branches of the federal government, and analyze efforts to expand the democratic process. Students describe the relationship between the arts and popular culture and the times during which they were created. Students analyze the impact of technological innovations on the American life labor movement. Students use critical-thinking skills and a variety of primary and secondary source material to explain and apply different methods that historians use to understand and interpret the past, including multiple points of view and historical context.
(2)
To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source material such as biographies, and autobiographies,; landmark cases of the U.S. Supreme Court,; novels,; speeches, letters, diaries,; and poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Selections may include a biography of Dwight Eisenhower, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, and Martin Luther King's letter from the Birmingham City Jail. Motivating resources are also available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
(3)
The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructional purposes with the history and geography strands establishing a sense of time and a sense of place. Skills listed in the geography and social studies skills strands in subsection (c) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained when integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together. Statements that contain the word “including” reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase “such as” are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(4)
Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.002(h).
(5)
State and federal laws mandate a variety of celebrations and observances including Celebrate Freedom Week.
(A)
Each social studies class shall include, during Celebrate Freedom Week as provided under the TEC, §29.907, or during another full school week as determined by the board of trustees of a school district, appropriate instruction concerning the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their historical contexts. The study of the Declaration of Independence must include the study of the relationship of the ideas expressed in that document to subsequent American history, including the relationship of its ideas to the rich diversity of our people as a nation of immigrants, the American Revolution, the formulation of the U.S. Constitution, and the abolitionist movement, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation and the women's suffrage movement.
(B)
Each school district shall require that, during Celebrate Freedom Week or other week of instruction prescribed under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, students in Grades 3-12 study and recite the following text: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”
(c)
Knowledge and skills.
(1)
History. The student understands the principles included in the Celebrate Freedom Week program. The student is expected to:
(A)
identify and analyze the text, intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and the full text of the first three paragraphs of the preamble to the Declaration of Independence; and
(B)
identify and analyze the application of these founding principles to historical events in U.S. history.
(1)(2)
History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in U.S. history from 1877 to the present. The student is expected to:
(A)
identify the major characteristics that define an historical era;
(A)(B)
identify the major eras in U.S. history from 1877 to the present and describe their defining characteristics;
(B)(C)
apply absolute and relative chronology through the sequencing of significant individuals, events, and time periods; and
(C)(D)
explain the significance of the following dates years as turning points: 1898 (Spanish-American War), 1914-1918 (World War I), 1929 (the Great Depression begins), 19391941-1945 and (World War II),1957 (Sputnik launch ignites U.S.-Soviet space race), 1968-1969 (Martin Luther King Jr. assassination and U.S. lands on the moon) , 1991 (Cold War ends) , 2001 (terrorist attacks on World Trade Center and the Pentagon) , and 2008 (election of first black president).
(2)(3)
History. The student understands the political, economic, and social changes in the United States from 1877 to 1898. The student is expected to:
(A)
analyze political issues such as Indian policies, the growth of political machines, and civil service reform;, and the beginnings of Populism;
(B)
analyze economic issues such as industrialization, the growth of railroads, the growth of labor unions, farm issues, the cattle industry boom, and the rise of entrepreneurship , free enterprise, and big business; and
(C)
analyze social issues such as the treatment of affecting women, minorities, children, labor, growth of cities, and problems of immigrants, urbanization , and analyze the Social Gospel ,and philanthropy of industrialists.
(3)(4)
History. The student understands the emergence of the United States as a world power between 1898 and 1920. The student is expected to:
(A)
explain why significant events, policies, and individuals, including such as the Spanish-American War, U.S. expansionism imperialism , Henry Cabot Lodge, Alfred Thayer Mahan, and Theodore Roosevelt, Samuel Dole, and missionaries moved the United States into the position of a world power;

Expansionism: Imperialism Light. Board member Don McLeroy, R-Bryan, proposed this change and most others in the high school curriculum. The board’s appointed curriculum writing committee wanted “imperialism” here, as an acknowledgement of America’s subjugation of Indians, belief in manifest destiny, territorial expansion in places like Hawaii, and murkier operations, including covert CIA-backed coups in Latin America against democratically elected governments to benefit American business and political interests. An example: the U.S.-backed overthrow in 1973 of Chile’s Salvador Allende, a socialist replaced by a despot, Augosto Pinochet. State Board of Education members, with little or no debate, changed the term to expansionism, which, if you go by the Webster’s definition, isn’t that different (expansion into sovereign territory typically involves guns, economic sanction, or both, after all) but doesn’t have the overtly negative overtones. Later, in the curriculum, the board changes a reference to Soviet “expansionism” to Soviet “aggression.”

(B)
evaluate American expansionism imperialism , including near- and long-term responses from the United States, and acquisitions such as Guam, Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico , and the United States ;
(B)(C)
identify the causes of World War I and reasons for U.S. entry involvement in World War I, including propaganda (information disseminated by an organization or government to promote a policy, idea, or cause) and unrestricted submarine warfare;
(D)
understand the contributions of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) led by General John J. Pershing;
(E)
analyze the impact of significant technological innovations in World War I such as machine guns, airplanes, tanks, poison gas, and trench warfare that resulted in the stalemate on the Western Front; and
(D)(F)
analyze major issues such as isolationism and neutrality raised by U.S. involvement in World War I, Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and the Treaty of Versailles. ; and
(C)(G)
analyze significant events such as the Bbattle of Argonne Forest. and the impact of significant individuals including John J. Pershing during World War I; and
(4)(5)
History. The student understands the effects of reform and third-party movements in the early 20th century on American society. The student is expected to:
(A)
evaluate the impact of Progressive Era reforms, including initiative, referendum, recall, and the passage of the 16th, and 17th, 18th, and 19th amendments;
(B)
evaluate the impact of muckrakers and reform leaders such as Upton Sinclair, Susan B. Anthony, Ida B. Wells, and W. E. B. DuBois, and Robert LaFollette on American society; and
(C)
evaluate the impact of third parties, including the Populist and Progressive parties and their candidates such as Eugene Debs, H. Ross Perot, and George Wallace.
(5)(6)
History. The student understands significant individuals, events, and social issues, and individuals of the 1920s. The student is expected to:
(A)
analyze causes and effects of significant issues events and social issues , including such as immigration, Social Darwinism, race relations, nativism, the Red Scare, Prohibition, and the changing role of women; and
(B)
analyze the impact of significant individuals such as Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, Henry Ford, Glenn Curtiss, Marcus Garvey, and Charles A. Lindbergh.

Defending Evolution and Civil Rights: Board member Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, a member of the social conservative bloc, sought to remove Clarence Darrow and Marcus Garvey from this standard — but got voted down by fellow board members after an extended and pointed discussion. Darrow, an American Civil Liberties Union stalwart, successfully defended John T. Scopes in the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. Scopes, a teacher, had broken the Tennessee Law prohibiting the teaching of “any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals." (Darrow lost; Scopes was ordered to pay a $100 fine.).

Marcus Garvey was a pioneer in civil rights, an advocate of a Pan-African philosophy that would be named after him; he eschewed notions of integration over those of black economic power and rights. The SBOE’s Dunbar said she wanted to remove Garvey only because he was “born in Jamaica and was deported.” The deportation stemmed from a mail fraud investigation by a young J. Edgar Hoover, who once called Garvey a “notorious Negro agitator.” Many judged the charges, stemming from an allegedly misleading brochure for his Black Star Line, as trumped up. A 1919 memo from Hoover to his intelligence agency bosses seemed to confirm a witch hunt: “Unfortunately, however, he [Garvey] has not as yet violated any federal law whereby he could be proceeded against on the grounds of being an undesirable alien, from the point of view of deportation,” Hoover wrote.

(6)(7)
History. The student understands the domestic and international impact of significant national and international decisions and conflicts from U.S. participation in World War II and the Cold War to the present on the United States. The student is expected to:
(A)
identify reasons for U.S. involvement in World War II, including the growth of dictatorships and the attack on Pearl Harbor;
(B)
evaluate the domestic and international leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman during World War II, including the U.S. relationship with its allies and domestic mobilization for the war effort;
(B)(C)
analyze major issues of World War II, such as fighting the war on multiple fronts, including the Holocaust, the internment of Japanese-Americans, the regulation of some foreign nationals, the Holocaust, the battle of Midway, the invasion of Normandy, and the development of and Harry Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb weapons;
(D)
describe U.S. responses to Soviet aggression after World War II, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Berlin airlift.
(D)
analyze major military events of World War II, including the Battle of Midway, the U.S. military advancement through the Pacific Islands, the Bataan Death March, the invasion of Normandy, and fighting the war on multiple fronts;

Japanese War Crimes: McLeroy added the reference to the Baatan Death March, the forcible transfer of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war by their Japanese captors during World War II. More than 20,000 died or were murdered en route.

(E)
analyze the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam and describe their domestic and international effects;
(C)(E)
evaluate the explain the roles played by significant military contributions of leaders during World War II, including Omar Bradley, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Oveta Culp Hobby, Benjamin O. Davis, Chester A. Nimitz, George Marshall, and George Patton; and

Tuskegee Airman Commander dumped: Board member McLeroy made the motion to pull Oveta Culp Hobby and Benjamin O. Davis from this standard. Hobby — a Houston newspaper publisher, the director the federal health department in the 1950s, and the wife of Texas Governor William P. Hobby — shows up elsewhere, in the 7th grade curriculum. Davis, however, does not. Davis was the first African-American general in the U.S. Air Force and the commander of the Tuskegee Airmen in the World War II. The board did insert a phrase on the “contributions of the Tuskegee Airman” in the next section.

(F)
describe the impact of the GI Bill, the election of 1948, McCarthyism, and Sputnik I;
(F)
explain the home front and how American patriotism inspired exceptional actions by citizens and military personnel volunteerism and military enlistment , including high levels of military enlistment; volunteerism; American Indian Code Talkers, purchase of war bonds,; Victory Gardens, ; the bravery and contributions of the Tuskegee airmen, the Flying Tigers, and the Navajo Code Talkers; the Double V campaign, and opportunities and obstacles for women and ethnic minorities.
(G)
analyze reasons for the Western victory in the Cold War and the challenges of changing relationships among nations; and
(H)
identify the origins of major domestic and foreign policy issues currently facing the United States.
(7)(8)
History. The student understands the impact of significant national and international decisions and conflicts in the Cold War on the United States. The student is expected to:
(6)(D)(A)
describe U.S. responses to Soviet aggression expansion after World War II, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Berlin airlift, and John F. Kennedy’s role in the Cuban Missile Crisis;
(B)
describe how McCarthyism, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), the arms race, and the space race increased Cold War tensions and how the later release of the Venona Papers confirmed suspicions of communist infiltration in U.S. government ;

Defending McCarthy: Back when McLeroy was chairman of the SBOE, he sent a list of hand-scrawled editing instructions to the board-appointed curriculum writing committee, made up mostly of educators (the exception was McLeroy’s appointee, contrarian conservative gadfly Bill Ames).  It included a note on this standard that kicked off a storm of controversy. It read: “Read the latest on McCarthy — he was basically vindicated.” The Texas Freedom Network, an Austin-based nonprofit that monitors what it calls right-wing extremism, jumped all over the memo as the smoking gun of history revisionism. (Board Member David Bradley, R-Beaumont, calls group the “anti-freedom” network.) What the Venona Papers do and do not prove remains a topic in dispute. The consensus seems that, yes, Soviet communists spied in America, but, no, that doesn’t excuse McCarthy’s paranoid witch hunts, which led to censure by the Senate. McLeroy said he got his ideas from a book by M. Staton Evans, a conservative writer, entitled Blacklisted by History. A Publisher’s Weekly review says Evans is “given to conspiracy thinking—an approach that, by its nature, yields claims that can neither be confirmed nor falsified. Defense attorneys and debaters like Evans follow different rules than historians—they try to score points, not to advance knowledge.” TFN quotes what it calls the leading scholar on the subject, Harvey Khler, a professor at Emory University and author of Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America. “The new information from Russian and American archives does not vindicate McCarthy. He remains a demagogue, whose wild charges actually made the fight against Communist subversion more difficult.”

(C)
explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvement in the Korean Conflict and its relationship to the containment policy;
(D)
explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvement in foreign countries and their relationship to the Domino Theory, including the Vietnam Conflict;
(E)
analyze the major issues and events of the Vietnam Conflict such as the Tet Offensive, the escalation of forces, Vietnamization, and the fall of Saigon; and
(F)
describe the responses to the Vietnam Conflict such as the draft, the 26th Amendment, the role of the media, the credibility gap, the Silent Majority, and the anti-war movement.
(7)(8)(9)
History. The student understands the impact of the American civil rights movement. The student is expected to:
(A)
trace the historical development of the civil rights movement in the 18th, 19th, and 20th, and 21st centuries, including the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments;
(B)
describe the role of political organizations that promoted civil rights, including ones from African American, Chicano, American Indian, women’s, and other civil rights movements;

MALDEF, LULAC? No, Thanks: Board member Mary Helen Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi, on a crusade to inject Hispanic historical figures and events into the curriculum, proposed adding to this standard the names of specific Hispanic civil rights groups, MALDEF, LULAC, GI Forum, and La Raza Unida. She was voted down. She succeeded, however, on many other amendments involving Hispanic history. She later complained that the social conservative bloc on the board only gave Hispanics “a few crumbs” in the curriculum. One in the bloc, chairwoman Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas, countered that Berlanga got almost everything she requested and, further, that inclusion should be based on accomplishment or impact rather than race.

(C)
describe the role of groups that sought to maintain the status quo;
(B)(D)
identify the roles of significant leaders who supported or opposed of the civil rights movement, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Betty Friedan, George Wallace, and others;

Feminist Nixed: Betty Friedan, leading 1960s feminist, co-founder of the National Organization for Women and author of The Feminine Mystique, was cut in an amendment from board member Pat Hardy, R-Weatherford.

(C)(E)
describe presidential and bipartisan congressional evaluate government efforts, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to achieve equality in the United States, including desegregation of the armed forces, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and
(D)(F)
evaluate identify changes in the United States that have resulted from the civil rights movement such as increased participation of minorities in the political process.
(9)(10)
History. The student understands the impact of political, economic, and social factors in the U.S. role in the world from the 1970s through 1990. The student is expected to:
(A)
describe Richard M. Nixon’s leadership role in the normalization of relations with China and the policy of détente;
(B)
describe Ronald Reagan’s leadership in domestic and international policies , including such as Reaganomics and Peace Through Strength;

Republican “leadership”: To McLeroy and many of his colleagues on the board, it wasn’t enough that the standards discuss the “role” of presidents Nixon and Reagan in their major initiatives. Their “leadership” must be acknowledged. McLeroy also changed “such as” to “including” before the mention of Reaganomics and Peace through Strength, a move that guarantees their inclusion in the textbook.

(C)
compare the impact of energy on the American way of life over time;
(D)
describe U.S. involvement in the Middle East such as support for Israel, the Camp David Accords, the Iran-Contra Affair, Marines in Lebanon, and the Iran Hostage Crisis; and
(E)
describe the causes, key organizations, and individuals of the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schlafly, the Contract with America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority, and the National Rifle Association; and

Gang’s All Here: McLeroy added this laundry list of conservative leaders and movements from the 70s and 80s. (Phyllis Schafly, Contract with America, Heritage Foundation, Moral Majority, National Rifle Association). The move riled moderate and liberal members. “The justification speaks for itself,” McLeroy deadpanned in response. Board Member Hardy, a Republican who nonetheless often votes against the board’s social conservatives, remarked, “I think it’s awkward where it’s being put in, and we would want to call for some balance as well.” Board Member Mavis Knight, D-Dallas, asked if there would be a separate laundry list for the populists, progressives, the New Deal and the Great Society. (All but the Great Society are mentioned elsewhere in the high school standards.) “We need a way to express whatever we need to without being leftist or rightist. It opens us up to criticism that we’re inserting our point of view.” Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands, countered: “There are time periods in history that were more liberal-dominated; this one was more conservative-dominated, so why not put them in there?” That argument won out in a split vote.

(E)(F)
describe significant societal issues of this time period.
(10)(11)
History. The student understands the emerging political, economic, and social issues of the United States from the 1990s into the 21st century. The student is expected to:
(A)
describe U.S. involvement in world affairs, including the end of the Cold War, the Persian Gulf War, the Balkans Crisis, 9/11, and the global War on Terror;
(B)
identify significant social and political advocacy organizations and leaders across the political spectrum;
(C)
analyze the impact discuss the role of third-party parties candidates such as Ross Perot and Ralph Nader on presidential elections ;

Nader? Please: McLeroy is apparently no fan of third parties. In his memo to the teachers on the curriculum writing committee, he scoffed at this standard: “What is this? Delete.” Apparently, he settled for deleting references to Nader and Perot — arguably the two third-party candidates with the most historical impact — and leaving the general reference to third parties. But will it matter? If a textbook maker publishes a section on third parties, it would be an oversight, to say the least, to leave out Nader and Perot. Same with the teacher who will actually teach it.

(D)
discuss the historical significance of the 2008 presidential election; and
(E)
describe significant societal issues of this time period.
(9)(11)(12)
Geography. The student understands the impact of geographic factors on major events. The student is expected to:
(A)
analyze the effects impact of physical and human geographic factors on major events including the building of the Panama Canal, the Dust Bowl, the levy failure in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and the settlement of the Great Plains; and

Oops: Levee — not “levy” — is the name for the should-have-been protective structures that caused the floods in New Orleans.

(B)
identify and explain reasons for changes in political boundaries such as those resulting from statehood and international conflicts.
(10)(12)(13)
Geography. The student understands the causes and effects of migration and immigration on American society. The student is expected to:
(A)
analyze the causes and effects of changing demographic patterns resulting from migration within the United States, including western expansion, rural to urban, the Great Migration, and the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt; and
(B)
analyze the causes and effects of changing demographic patterns resulting from legal and illegal immigration to the United States.

Illegals called out: McLeroy insisted on the discussion of illegal immigration here. Other members, including Rick Agosto, D-San Antonio, and Mavis Knight, D-Dallas, called it unnecessary. “Because it’s a current event, I don’t see how we need the distinction between legal and illegal,” she said. Berlanga — among the members most at odds with McLeroy’s voting bloc — nonetheless could find no problem with this particular addition: “There’s legal and illegal, and I don’t have a problem discussing it,” she said.

(11)(13)(14)
Geography. The student understands the relationship between population growth and modernization on the physical environment. The student is expected to:
(A)
identify the effects of population growth and distribution and predict future effects on the physical environment; and
(B)
trace the development of the conservation of natural resources, including identify the roles of governmental entities and private citizens in managing the environment such as the establishment of the National Park System, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Endangered Species Act and efforts of private nonprofit organizations.; and
(C)
understand the effects of governmental actions on individuals, industries, and communities , including the impact of Fifth Amendment property rights.
(12)(14)(15)
Economics. The student understands domestic and foreign issues related to U.S. economic growth from the 1870s to 1920. The student is expected to:
(A)
analyze the relationship between private property rights and the settlement of the Great Plains
(A)
describe how the economic impact of the Transcontinental Railroad and the Homestead Act contributed to the close of the frontier in the late 19th century;
(B)
describe compare the purpose of the changing relationship between the federal government and private business, including the cost and benefit of laissez-faire, anti-trust acts, the Interstate Commerce Commission Act, with its performance over time and the Pure Food and Drug Act;
(C)
describe the impact of the Sherman Antitrust Act on businesses;
(D)(C)
explain how foreign policies affected analyze the effects of economic policies including issues such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Open Door Policy and Dollar Diplomacy, and immigration quotas on U.S. diplomacy; and
(E)(D)
describe the economic effects of international military conflicts, including the Spanish-American War and World War I, on the United States. ; and
(E)
describe the emergence of monetary policy in the United States, including the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and the shifting trend from a gold standard to fiat money.

Flawed Policy: Another McLeroy amendment. See more about the gold standard, fiat money and the Federal Reserve Act. Note other insertion in the standard below inserting “flawed monetary policy” as a cause of the Great Depression.

(13)(15)(16)
Economics. The student understands significant economic developments between World War I and World War II. The student is expected to:
(A)
analyze causes of economic growth and prosperity in the 1920s;
(B)
identify analyze the causes of the Great Depression, including the impact of tariffs on the decline in worldwide trade, buying stock on margin, the stock market speculation crash, and bank failures, and actions the flawed monetary policy of the Federal Reserve System;
(C)
analyze the effects of the Great Depression on the U.S. economy and society government, such as widespread unemployment and deportation and repatriation of people of European and Mexican heritage and others;
(D)
compare the New Deal policies and its opponents’ Herbert Hoover’s and Franklin Roosevelt’s approaches to resolving the economic effects of evaluate the effectiveness of New Deal measures in ending the Great Depression; and
(E)
describe analyze how various New Deal agencies and programs continue to affect the lives of U.S. citizens, including such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Social Security Administration continue to affect the lives of U.S. citizens.
(14)(16)(17)
Economics. The student understands the economic effects of World War II, and the Cold War and increased worldwide competition on contemporary society. The student is expected to:
(A)
describe the economic effects of World War II on the home front, such as the end of the Great Depression, rationing, and female women and minority employment;
(B)
identify the causes and effects of prosperity in the 1950s, including the Baby Boom and the impact of the GI Bill (Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944), and the effects of prosperity in the 1950s such as increased consumption and the growth of agriculture and business;
(C)
describe the economic impact of defense spending the Cold War on the business cycle and education priorities from 1945 to the 1990s and defense spending;
(D)
identify actions of government and the private sector such as the Great Society, affirmative action, and Title IX to expand create economic opportunities to all for citizens; and
(E)
describe the dynamic relationship between U.S. international trade policies and the U.S. free enterprise (capitalist, free market) system such as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil embargo, the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
(17)(18)
Economics. The student understands the economic effects of increased worldwide interdependence as the United States enters the 21st century. The student is expected to:
(A)
discuss the role of American entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, Sam Walton, and Mary Kay Ash in affecting the global economy; and
(B)
identify the impact of international events, multinational corporations, government policies, and individuals on the 21st century economy.
(15)(18)(19)
Government. The student understands changes over time in the role of government over time. The student is expected to:
(A)
evaluate the impact of New Deal legislation on the historical roles of state and federal governments;
(A)(B)
explain the impact of significant international events such as how the role of the federal government changes during times of significant events, including World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II, the 1960s, and 9/11 on changes in the role of the federal government;
(B)(C)
describe evaluate the effects of political incidents scandals, including such as Teapot Dome, and Watergate, and Bill Clinton’s impeachment, on the views of U.S. citizens concerning the role of the trust in the federal government and its leaders; and
(C)(D)
discuss predict the effects role of contemporary government legislation on the roles of state and federal governments in the private and public sectors such as the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; and
(D)(E)
evaluate the pros and cons of U.S. understand that the United States participates participation in international organizations and treaties.

The Old “Cons” Game: One presumes from McLeroy’s tweaking of the language here that he thinks there are more “cons” than “pros” to the United States participating in international treaties and organizations. American patriotism vs. global citizenry came up several times in the debates, with social conservatives on the board promoting the notion of American Exceptionalism and discounting references to “global” concerns. The “pros and cons” tactic harks back to the fierce controversies of the teaching of evolution vs. creation. McLeroy calls himself a young-earth creationist and once called evolution “hooey.” But he and other board members never tried to directly push the teaching of creationism, or its close cousin, intelligent design. Apparently judging that route politically unpalatable, they instead went with a strategy to ensure students studied the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution. McLeroy lost the chairmanship of the board over his handling of the resulting furor, during which he lost the faith of the Texas Senate.

(16)(19)(20)
Government. The student understands the changing relationships among the three branches of the federal government. The student is expected to:
(A)
describe evaluate the impact of events, including such as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act, on the relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government; and
(B)
evaluate the impact of events relationships among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, including Franklin D. Roosevelt's attempt to increase the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices and the presidential election of 2000 on the relationships among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
(17)(20)(21)
Government. The student understands the impact of constitutional issues on American society in the 20th century. The student is expected to:
(A)
analyze the effects of 20th-century landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions, such as including Plessy v. Ferguson, Hernandez v. Texas, Brown v. Board of Education and other U.S. Supreme Court decisions such as Plessy v. Ferguson, Hernandez v. Texas, Delgado v. Bastrop ISD, Regents of the University of Califormia v. Bakke, and Tinker v. Des Moines and Reynolds v. Sims; and

Squabbling Over the Supremes: The back-and-forth over this standard included a win for Berlanga, who inserted the Delgado v. Bastrop ISD, the case that struck down segregated schools for Mexican-American children. But will it make the textbook? Board Member Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, passed another amendment putting “such as” instead of “including” in front of that case, as well as Plessy v. Ferguson and Hernandez v. Texas, effectively making the study of all those cases suggestions rather than academic requirements. Brown v. Board of Education remains a requirement, however, despite a failed attempt by Board Member Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, to make that case merely a suggestion rather than a requirement, as well. Note also the addition, by McLeroy, of the amendment calling for such cases to be viewed the context of “strict construction versus judicial interpretation.”

(B)
discuss historical analyze reasons for the adoption of 20th-century constitutional amendments why to amend the constitution. has been amended; and
(C)
evaluate constitutional change in terms of strict construction versus judicial interpretation.
(18)(21)(22)
Citizenship. The student understands efforts to expand the democratic process. The student is expected to:
(A)
identify and analyze methods of expanding the right to participate in the democratic process, including lobbying, non-violent protesting, court decisions litigation, and amendments to the U.S. Constitution;
(B)
evaluate various means of achieving equality of political rights, including the 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments; and congressional acts such as the American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924; and
(C)
explain how participation in the democratic process reflects our national identity ethos, patriotism, and civic responsibility as well as our progress to build a “more perfect union.”
(19)(22)(23)
Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a democratic society. The student is expected to:
(A)
describe qualities of effective leadership; and
(B)
evaluate the contributions of significant political and social leaders in the United States such as Andrew Carnegie, Shirley Chisholm, Hector P. Garcia, Thurgood Marshall, Billy Graham, Barry Goldwater, Phyllis Schlafly, and Hillary Clinton. and Franklin D. Roosevelt;

“My Minority Hero”: Democratic members of the board tried but failed to insert both the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic woman on the court, into this standard. But they were shot down by conservative members. Said Board Member Pat Hardy, R-Weatherford: “I don’t want Ted Kennedy. I’m be fine with another person representing that political ilk.” When Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi, asked for the inclusion of Sotomayor, Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, countered that being named to the Supreme Court represents little accomplishment in itself: “Sotomayer has not served long enough to have any substantial accomplishment in American history,” she said. “Why aren't we talking about Clarence Thomas? He’s one of my minority heroes on the Supreme Court. We’re looking at skin color here (and shouldn’t be). I want my hero added in. You want your hero added in.” In the end, nobody’s hero got enough votes.

(C)
identify the contributions of Texans who have been President of the United States.
(20)(23)(24)
Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which they were created. The student is expected to:
(A)
describe how the characteristics and issues of various eras in U.S. history have been reflected in various genres works of art, music, film, and literature such as the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, rock and roll, and John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath;
(B)
describe the impact of significant examples of cultural movements in art, music, and literature such as Tin Pan Alley, the Harlem Renaissance, the Beat Generation, rock and roll, the Chicano Mural Movement, and hip hop , and country and western music on American society , including;

SBOE in the Hizzy: The amendment wasn’t exactly subtle: “I’d like to delete hip-hop and add country,” blurted McLeroy. Half the room gasped and the other half giggled: Is he serious? To some in the room, McLeroy might as well have said: “I’d like to delete ‘black’ and add ‘white.’” Some board members, particularly African-American member Lawrence Allen, D-Fresno, did not take kindly to the suggestion. “What exactly do you think hip-hop is? You might be deleting something you know nothing about,” Allen told McLeroy. An extended debate ensued, and McLeroy lost. This was one of several cases in which Chairwoman Lowe, a leader in the bloc of social conservatives, declined to break a tie vote, 7-to-7, allowing the measure to fail. She cited parliamentary decorum for non-binding committee votes as the reason; she definitely will vote when the standards come up for final adoption, she said.

(C)
identify examples of American art, music, and literature that transcend American culture and convey universal themes;
(E)(C)
identify the impact of popular American culture on the rest of the world. over time; and
(D)
analyze the relationship between culture and the economy and identify examples such as the impact of global diffusion of American culture through the entertainment industry via various media. on the U.S. economy; and
(21)(24)(25)
Culture. The student understands how people from various groups, including racial, ethnic, and religious groups, adapt to life in the United States and contribute to our national identity. The student is expected to:
(A)
explain actions taken by people from racial, ethnic, gender, and religious groups to expand economic opportunities and political rights in American society;

The Melting Pot Boils Over: The tensions underlying so many of the board’s debates exploded into the open with McLeroy’s amendment here, to nix any reference to the accomplishments of “racial, ethnic, gender and religious groups” in expanding opportunities in society. Cargill summed up the opinion of some other board members and many in the audience: That studying racial and other social groups separately “really takes away from the whole idea of the melting pot effect and just shouldn’t be in there.” Board member Knight, an African-American, fumed over Cargill’s comment. “I need a moment,” she said, stifling anger. “We are painting this false picture,” she said. “You would have us think we’re in some kind of Utopia that didn’t exist.” McLeroy, in making the motion, said he merely wanted to take out the “redundancy” in the mention of specific groups. In an interview later, he said: “The actions were taken by all the people, so why would you want to sit there and just single these people out? It unnecessarily focuses on the divisions rather the unity we have … I believe in the E Pluribus Unum concept. If you come here, you’re an American.” The proposed changes harked back to the advice of one highly controversial board-appointed “expert reviewer,” David Barton, the evangelist and founder of the Aledo-based ministry WallBuilders, which preaches that the Founding Fathers never intended to separate church and state. (See Texas Monthly’s superb 2006 profile of Barton.) The standards “even suggest that it is people from ‘racial, ethnic, and religious groups who ‘expand political rights in American society.’ This is an absolutely false premise,” Barton wrote in his review of the curriculum. “Only majorities can expand political rights in America’s constitutional society.” Trouble is, McLeroy couldn’t get a majority of the board to back him. In two separate split votes, the board cut one reference to the various “groups,” but left another one, along with the reference to their accomplishments in expanding political rights.

(B)
discuss explain efforts of the Americanization movement to assimilate immigrants and American Indians into American culture;
(C)
explain analyze how the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, gender, and religious groups have helped to shape the national identity American culture; and
(D)
identify the political, social, and economic contributions of women, including Frances Willard, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dolores Huerta, and Oprah Winfrey, to American society. ; and

Socialist Survives: Dolores Huerta cofounded the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez, whose proposed exclusion in the curriculum, along with that of Thurgood Marshall, caused a public stink last year. And then, at its January meeting, board members excised Huerta from the third grade curriculum on the grounds that she was a member of the Democratic Socialist Party of America. “I don’t think she should be in a list of people exemplifying good citizenship, like Helen Keller and Clara Barton,” said Geraldine “Tincy” Miller, R-Dallas, who made the motion to nix Huerta. The irony was apparently lost on Miller: Helen Keller was an ardent socialist, too. (Miller, a Republican who did not always vote with the bloc of social conservatives, lost her most recent election to a relative unknown after 26 years of service on the board.) What’s more, Huerta remains in the high school curriculum, here in this standard. But will she survive another round of amendments? As for Chavez and Marshall, board members have repeatedly assured the public they will remain in the standards. Gail Lowe, writing for the conservative online journal the Texas Insider, maintains the media whipped up the Chavez and Marshall controversies out of thin air. “It is patently untrue that we have proposed the removal of either individual from our standards,” Lowe writes. What she omits: The two evangelists selected by conservative board as “expert reviewers” of the curriculum, Barton and Peter Marshall, did indeed challenge the inclusion of Chavez. Peter Marshall wrote that Chavez was “hardly the kind of role model that ought to be held up to our children as someone worthy of emulation” and Marshall was “not a strong enough example” to be included. Marshall’s initial commentary has disappeared from the Texas Education Agency website, but you can read it here. See Barton’s commentaries, along with that of all other expert reviewers, here.

(E)
discuss the meaning and historical significance of the mottoes “E Pluribus Unum” and “In God We Trust.”
(22)(25)(26)
Science, technology, and society. The student understands the impact of science and technology on the economic development of the United States. The student is expected to:
(A)
explain the effects of scientific discoveries and technological innovations such as electric power, the telegraph and telephone and satellite communications, petroleum-based products, steel production, medical vaccinations, and computers on the economic development of the United States;
(B)
explain how specific needs result in scientific discoveries and technological innovations such as those in agriculture, the military, and medicine, including vaccines resulted from specific needs; and
(C)
understand analyze the impact of technological innovations on the nature of work, in the workplace and the response by business on the American labor movement and businesses.
(23)(26)(27)
Science, technology, and society. The student understands the influence of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on daily life the standard of living in the United States. The student is expected to:
(A)
analyze how scientific discoveries and technological innovations, including those in transportation and communication, have changed the standard of living in the United States; and
(B)
explain how technological innovations in areas such as space technology and exploration have led to other innovations that affect daily life and the standard of living impact the quality of life.
(24)(27)(28)
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A)
use a variety of both locate and use primary and secondary valid sources such as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information and to analyze and answer historical questions about the United States;
(B)
analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing and contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations, and making predictions, drawing inferences, and drawing conclusions;
(C)
understand explain and apply different methods that how historians use to interpret the past (historiography) including the use of primary and secondary sources, points of view, frames of reference, and historical context and how their interpretations of history may change over time;
(D)
use the process of historical inquiry to research, interpret, and use multiple types of sources of evidence;
(E)
evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and information about the author, including points of view, frames of reference, and historical context;
(F)
identify bias in written, oral, and visual material;
(G)
identify and support with historical evidence a point of view on a social studies issue or event; and
(H)
use appropriate mathematical skills to analyze and interpret social studies information such as maps, and graphs, and political cartoons.
(25)(28)(29)
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
(D)(A)
create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information;
(B)
use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation;
(A)(B)
use correct social studies terminology to explain historical concepts correctly; and
(C)
use different forms of media to convey transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using available computer software as appropriate.; and
(8)(29)(30)
Social studies skills. Geography. The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data. The student is expected to:
(A)
create thematic maps, graphs, and charts, and models, and databases representing various aspects of the United States; and
(B)
pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and available databases.
(26)(30)(31)
Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:
(A)
use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution; and
(B)
use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.