July 18, 2014 6:43 PM

SBOE tries to calm conservative critics of history curriculum

Rule changes likely to accommodate conservative concerns over Common Core

The most valuable lesson the State Board of Education appears to have learned out of the lingering CSCOPE controversy last year is that when it comes to criticism, the board can never act too swiftly to address conservative activists.

More than a dozen angry parents and a couple of college students were on hand for an informal hearing around the AP US History framework this morning. The topic was not set for the agenda, but Chair Barbara Cargill made it known that people who wanted to express concerns could address the board on Friday morning.

Such a decision seems to flout the spirit of the Open Meetings Act, but when it comes to addressing controversial topics, it might be a smart move. The rise of conservative media ready to latch onto topics such as CSCOPE or Common Core – and post updates on a weekly, daily, or even minute-to-minute basis – makes quick responses imperative.

“This is radical departure from what our Texas teachers are accustomed to,” testified activist Alice Linahan, who has a pretty broad outreach with her Women on the Wall Radio shows. “We’re shifting from passing a Texas US history state exam, based on our Texas TEKS, that are traditional, foundational and knowledge based and going to APUSH, which has a completely different philosophy of education.”

By Kimberly Reeves