[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1593 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1593

 Supporting academically based social studies curriculum standards for 
     the Nation's elementary and secondary education public school 
                               textbooks.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2010

    Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas (for herself, Mr. Ortiz, Mr. 
    Hinojosa, Mr. Reyes, and Mr. Gene Green of Texas) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education 
                               and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting academically based social studies curriculum standards for 
     the Nation's elementary and secondary education public school 
                               textbooks.

Whereas the National Council for the Social Studies believes that State social 
        studies standards should be developed by consulting scholars for their 
        expertise, soliciting input from community members and educators, and 
        having master social studies educators write standards to ensure that 
        they are effective and grade appropriate;
Whereas the Texas State Board of Education appointed teachers and scholars to 
        serve on writing teams and tasked them to use their expertise and 
        professional judgment to draft curriculum standards for each subject or 
        grade level;
Whereas elected officials at the Texas State Board of Education disregarded many 
        academically based recommendations and approved politically biased 
        standards within the curriculum that are outside of mainstream 
        scholarship;
Whereas due to the size and influence of the Texas textbook market, curriculum 
        standards adopted in Texas have long exerted a strong influence on 
        public school textbooks used around the United States;
Whereas changes made by the Texas State Board of Education, such as downplaying 
        the struggle leading up to and during the civil rights movement and 
        undermining basic concepts of the constitutionally mandated boundaries 
        between institutions of religion and government are outside the 
        mainstream of historical scholarship;
Whereas over 1,200 history scholars from universities across Texas and the 
        Nation signed a letter stating that Texas' social studies curriculum 
        revisions would undermine the study of the social sciences in public 
        schools by misrepresenting and even distorting the historical record and 
        the functioning of United States society; and
Whereas civil rights organizations expressed concern that the curriculum 
        standards adopted by the Texas State Board of Education do not 
        accurately portray the struggle by minorities and women to achieve civil 
        and equal rights in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports standards that guide curriculum development, 
        instruction, and assessment in classrooms that are developed by 
        experts and not subject to political biases;
            (2) supports social studies curriculum standards that 
        reflect current historical scholarship to accurately present 
        vocabulary and content-specific knowledge to students, help 
        students acquire the analytical skills to understand 
        chronology, and engage in comprehension, interpretation, 
        problem-solving, and decisionmaking required for college 
        readiness and the 21st century workforce;
            (3) supports social studies curriculum standards that 
        accurately address the fundamental conflicts and triumphs that 
        have shaped the Nation's past and influence its future; and
            (4) supports social studies curriculum standards that are 
        clear, informed, and inclusive to allow students to be 
        knowledgeable of the Nation's diverse history and culture, just 
        as our diversity represents an integral part of the Nation as a 
        whole.
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