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ACTION ALERT - Texas State Board of Education
Earlier this year, we watched the State Board of Education (SBOE) attempt to insert intelligent design into Texas public school science curriculum and textbooks. The Board has now begun its revision to the social studies curriculum standards for grades K – 12. As you have probably seen in recent news reports, attempts are being made to change history to reflect a more conservative point of view.
Far-right members of the SBOE and the so-called “experts” they appointed have expressed their intention to distort American history, teaching students that the Founders intended our government to be based on a conservative, fundamentalist interpretation of the Christian Bible. The latest draft standards also include a mandate for students to study conservative activists and groups like Newt Gingrich and the Moral Majority.
Public comments on the preliminary draft of the social studies curriculum are being accepted until Friday, October 9. If you want Texas students to have a social studies curriculum based on mainstream teachings rather than political or religious ideology, it’s vital that the SBOE hears from you. Curriculum standards will be in place for a decade.
We encourage you to review the current drafts of the social studies standards. They may be found at: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=3643
The Center for History Teaching & Learning, University of Texas at El Paso has an excellent website that highlights many areas of concern in the standards and explains the process the SBOE uses to adopt new standards. This is at: http://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=61097
Action Needed
Submit feedback to the State Board of Education by October 9, 2009
- Via email to TEKS@tea.state.tx.us
- Fax to (512) 463-8057
- Mail to Curriculum Division, Attention: Social Studies Staff, 1701 N. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
When possible, include the course or grade level your comments correspond to in the subject line of your e-mail. Our current areas of concern, as mentioned above, are the mandate for students to study conservative activists and groups and the belief that our government is based on a conservative, fundamentalist interpretation of the Christian Bible. Talking Points
- The draft high school American history standards require students to “identify significant conservative advocacy organizations and individuals, such as Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly, and the Moral Majority.” But people should be included in the standards because of their historical contributions, not because of their political beliefs. And our students’ education shouldn’t be based on a political “quota system” for conservatives and liberals. (US History class)
- The curriculum writing teams also rightly resisted efforts to portray the Founders as creating a government based on a conservative interpretation of the Christian Bible. The writing teams should continue to resist political pressure to do so, and the standards should make clear that the Founders wanted a nation in which government neither favored nor restricted any particular religious beliefs. The Constitution protects the right of all Americans to practice the faith of their choice, or none at all, without government support or interference. (Social Studies grades 5-8)
- The curriculum writing teams should continue to oppose efforts to politicize the education of Texas schoolchildren. That means any revisions of their drafts should be based on the recommendations of real experts in social studies, not political activists who have few or no credentials in the social sciences.
- The curriculum writing teams should be praised for standing up to political pressure and keeping important labor and civil rights leaders like Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall in the standards. They also did a good job of opposing efforts by pressure groups and some State Board of Education members to downplay the significant contributions of minorities in American history and society.
Remember, comments are due by Friday, October 9.
Thank you for taking action on this important issue!
A DREAM for America: Back-to-School DREAM Act Day
Wednesday, September 23
NCJW supports comprehensive, humane immigration reform, reform that restores the rule of law, encourages a path to citizenship for more people, unites families, and guarantees the fair treatment of workers.
The DREAM Act would require that certain undocumented students earn their merits and obtain a higher education or join the U.S. Armed Forces if they wish to earn a path to legalization. It provides workable solutions that uphold American values and benefit the nation.
On Wednesday, September 23, NCJW Texas SPA is encouraging you to contact your legislators in Washington and ask them to support the DREAM ACT. See Background Information and Action Requested below.
You can also join the Texas DREAM Act Coalition at the Dallas City Hall for a press conference. It will be held in the 6th Floor Flag Room at noon. Greater Dallas Section President Cheryl Pollman is one of the featured speakers. Afterwards, DREAM Act supporter will go on congressional district visits. For those joining the congressional visits, please let the ULI know via email at ourdream2005@gmail.com to make sure you received all information for visits.
Background Information:
PASS THE DREAM ACT
S.729 (SENATE) / H.R.1751 (HOUSE)
What is the DREAM Act?
The DREAM Act is an earned opportunity for our U.S. undocumented immigrant youth. These are students who were brought to the U.S. as infants and young children and who have since been educated in the U.S. and raised to believe in our American ideals and principles. They are the nation’s future engineers, entrepreneurs, nurses, doctors, and teachers and will make up part of the educated workforce needed to help the U.S. compete in the global economy. There are over 1.2 million undocumented immigrant youth who are unable to have a driver’s license or work despite their higher education achievements. Some have grown up in mixed status families, with U.S. citizen siblings and/or documented parents that have permanent roots in this country. Some have already petitioned for family-based immigration relief, but continue to wait in a badly backlogged immigration line that forces them to live in the shadows and in constant fear of deportation. The DREAM Act is the only legal avenue for these students who want nothing more than to obtain residency and give back to the only country they call home.
The Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is a bipartisan federal piece of legislation introduced in the House and the Senate. It would grant conditional residency to undocumented students who were brought to the United States before the age of sixteen, demonstrate good moral character and graduate from high school. To obtain permanent residency students would have a six-year period to complete at least two years of study at a community college or university and/or two years of military service.
Action Requested:
Call your elected officials!
The most effective thing you can do to help pass the DREAM Act is to call your Congressional Representative and both of your Senators. If you cannot call that day, please send a fax.
Here’s how to call:
- Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator or Representative.
- You will be connected to a staff member or a machine.
- Inform the staff member (or leave a message) that you want your elected official to support and co-sponsor the DREAM Act (see “Call Script” for tips on what to say).
Call back later if their offices are closed or their voicemail box is full.
- They may ask you generic questions such as name or address. This is simply for their records.
- Hang up, call the Capitol Switchboard again and repeat for your other two elected officials.
Call Script
“Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’d like to urge [ELECTED OFFICIAL’S NAME] to co-sponsor and vote for the bi-partisan DREAM Act (S.729) and House bill (H.R.1751). The DREAM Act is an earned opportunity towards legalization for undocumented students who arrived to the U.S. as children; they had no control over the conditions in their home countries that forced their parents to come here. The DREAM Act also ensures the prosperity of our TX economy. Our state will reap the significant benefit of increased revenue from taxes paid by a more educated immigrant population. Thank you.
Direct Contact Information
You can also contact your Texas Senators and Representative directly (and bypass the Congressional Switchboard) by using the information below (you will be calling BOTH Senators and your SINGLE Representative):
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) 202-224-2934
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) 202-224-5922
Representative Louie Gohmert (R-1) 202-225-3035
Representative Ted Poe (R-2) 202-225-6565
Representative Sam Johnson (R-3) 202-225-4201
Representative Ralph M. Hall (R-4) 202-225-6673
Representative Jeb Hensarling (R-5) 202-225-3484
Representative Joe Barton (R-6) 202-225-2002
Representative John Culberson (R-7) 202-225-2571
Representative Kevin Brady (R-8) 202-225-4901
Representative Al Green (D-9) 202-225-7508
Representative Michael McCaul (R-10) 202-225-2401
Representative Michael Conaway (R-11) 202-225-3605
Representative Kay Granger (R-12) 202-225-5071
Representative Mac Thornberry (R-13) 202-225-3706
Representative Ron Paul (R-14) 202-225-2831
Representative Ruben Hinojosa (D-15) 202-225-2531
Representative Silvestre Reyes (D-16) 202-225-4831
Representative Chet Edwards (D-17) 202-225-6105
Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-18) 202-225-3816
Representative Randy Neugebauer (R-19) 202-225-4005
Representative Charles Gonzalez (D-20) 202-225-3236
Representative Lamar Smith (R-21) 202-225-4236
Representative Pete Olson (R-22) 202-225-5951
Representative Ciro D. Rodriguez (D-23) 202-225-4511
Representative Kenny Marchant (R-24) 202-225-6605
Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-25) 202-225-4865
Representative Michael C. Burgess (R-26) 202-225-7772
Representative Solomon P. Ortiz (D-27) 202-225-7742
Representative Henry Cuellar (D-28) 202-225-1640
Representative Gene Green (D-29) 202-225-1688
Representative Eddie Johnson (D-30) 202-225-8885
Representative John R. Carter (R-31) 202-225-3864
Representative Pete Sessions (R-32) 202-225-2231
Your Congressional Representative is determined by where you live. Remember, you can also give your zip code to the Capitol Switchboard Operator (202-224-3121) and have them look up the information.
Thank you for taking action.
Marlene Cohen & Janet Neuenschwander - NCJW Texas State Public Affairs Chairs
TEXAS SPA NEWSLETTER
From: Marlene Cohen and Janet Neuenschwander, Co-Chairs NCJW Texas State Public Affairs Action Network
To read the Texas SPA Newsletter, click on the issue date below.
January 2009
September 2008
August 2008
501 (c)(3) Regulations
As a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization, NCJW is limited in the activities in which it can legally participate.
To read a Q & A on how NCJW can participate in the election process, click here.
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