aug_glencoe1.htm

Response to Oral Testimony — August 23, 2002

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

September 13, 2002

The Publisher provides responses in boldface type within each reviewer's testimony that pertains to one of the Publisher's submissions.

BEFORE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY

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PUBLIC HEARING ON TEXTBOOK ADOPTION

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On the 23rd day of August 2002 the following proceedings came on to be heard in the above-entitled and numbered cause before the Chair Grace Shore, Chairperson presiding, held in Austin, Travis County, Texas:

Proceedings reported by Computerized Stenotype Machine; Reporter's Record produced by Computer-Assisted Transcription.

CHAPMAN COURT REPORTING SERVICE 512.452.4072

PROCEEDINGS August 23, 2002

CHAIR SHORE: I want to thank all of you who came today and who plan to testify. I think this is an important hearing for the public to be able to give their opinion. I would ask you to please adhere to the three-minute time limitation, because we have 55 people signed up to speak. And there are several of us who are going to have to leave. And we would hate to leave you speaking, like the House of Representatives does, to an empty room. But I have a plane to catch and some other people have planes to catch, so we need to be — we need to get the hearing done as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

We will take a break for lunch, probably about 45 minutes.

So with no further adieu, we will get started. And I will ask Terry to start reading the names.

MR. RIOS: Richard S. Collins.

MR. COLLINS: As noted, my name is Richard S. Collins. I reviewed the books The American's Reconstruction to the 21st Century. On Page 887 of this book, the author states, "It is

clear that the new century America faces will bring changes, but those changes need not deepen divisions among Americans. With effort and cooperation, the change could foster growth and tolerance. The 20th Century brought new ways of destroying and enriching lives. What will the 21st bring? Much will depend on you, the dreamers, the decisionmakers and the voters of the future."

I think the authors of this book have done well in preparing students for change. A change that will not deepen divisions among Americans in fostering growth in tolerance and in stating the challenges of a new century for the dreamers, the decisionmakers and the voters of the future. I did not find factual errors in this book. I did not find the, "antiChristian, antiAmerican, anticapitalism," much talked about by those that would impose their own personal beliefs and morality upon the rest of us. I did find a neutral, at times possibly understated, recitation of events in our collective history.

I think the authors' efforts to track the contributions of women, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans and the successive ways of European migrants to building a

4 modern America are commendable.

I believe this text could and

probably will be challenged by ideologues of both the left and the right, which indicates to me that the authors have driven right down the middle.

I was troubled by the lack of context in some of the side bars. For example, on Page 824, there is a side bar that is a block of pictures and text titled history through films. The text reads in its entirety, and I quote, In 1983 on her way to meet with a reporter from New York Times, Karen Silkwood, a worker at a nuclear power facility, was hit and died in a car crash. In the film dramatization, Silkwood, 1983, Meryle Streep played Karen and Kirk Russell and Cher her coworkers. The death of Karen Silkwood and the controversy over it were important, but you would never guess why from this side-bar.

Enough of the matter, of course, is what is fact. Was the editorial process fair and balanced in text and graphics as to what was included and what was excluded? In my judgment, the graphics were appropriate and without bias. I think reasonable people can differ reasonably over the text, since no book of 1,000 pages can be expanded

to 2,000, 3,000 or more pages without boring a student half to death and completely negating the learning process.

I think the authors made defensible choices. In short, I recommend this book.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MS. MILLER: Mr. Collins, I have a question. Was this the only book you reviewed.

MR. COLLINS: Yes.

MS. MILLER: It was. Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: I think we need to reflect for the minutes that Rene Nunez is not present.

MR. NUNEZ: Right here.

CHAIR SHORE: That David Bradley is not present.

MS. MILLER: Your microphone.

MR. McLEROY: Can I ask a question?

CHAIR SHORE: Just a minute. I just want to reflect for the record for the minutes that Mr. Bradley is not present and Dr. Sorrells is not present. And everyone else is present.

MR. McLEROY: How did you come to select this one book? Just picked it up at random?

MR. COLLINS: No, I was going to take

another history book. And I got to thinking, my son works for a publishing company. And my God, could that be the publishing company he works for? And it was. So I quickly, while sitting in that sweat box where the books are kept over there, I took another text and this was the one I took.

MR. McLEROY: Thanks.

MR. BERNAL: What qualifies you for your assessment here?

MR. COLLINS: My — I put some biographical notes of myself in the back. I have a degree in history. I recorded some history textbooks for the blind.

MR. BERNAL: Do you teach it?

MR. COLLINS: Pardon?

MR. BERNAL: Do you teach it?

MR. COLLINS: No, I do not.

MR. BERNAL: Have you taught it?

MR. COLLINS: No.

MR. BERNAL: Could you — could you — you said that the book — I haven't read the book myself, but you said that the book was very fair regarding women, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, et cetera, et cetera. What makes you — I'll be very specific:

What makes you think that it was fair with Hispanic-Americans and why would you say that?

MR. COLLINS: Well, first of all, obviously, I am not Hispanic-American, so my judgment —

MR. BERNAL: No, that wasn't the question. The question is: How did you come to assess that they had been fair regarding Mexican-Americans or Hispanic-Americans.

MR. COLLINS: There were separate threads running throughout the period that devoted itself to Hispanic-Americans, as it did African-American, women and so forth. So you traced each of these and their contribution through those threads. And it seemed to me that the threads were admirably fair.

MR. BERNAL: Have you written in this area or have you taught in this area, say, diversity, a class on —

MR. COLLINS: No, I have been a writer and an editor for 40 years, but not specifically on this, no.

MR. BERNAL: — class, gender.

Okay. Thank you.

MR. COLLINS: Surely.

MR. UNTERMEYER: Mr. Collins, you are not being compensated in any way for your reviewing of this, are you?

MR. COLLINS: Of course not.

DR. ALLEN: Just a little information I wanted to say to Mr. Collins. The paragraph which reads, "I was troubled by the lack of content in the side bar for the McDougal Littell book," which is a reference to a set of films or lead to maybe the children seeing the movie Silkwood. But there is a set of films that accompany these books. I've read them. And so there — I think it refers to the teacher to refer to the set of films so that it goes in depth and we get that information that you thought was lacking.

MR. COLLINS: Right. You have to get that, though, from the teacher.

DR. ALLEN: Yes.

MR. COLLINS: Yeah, there are several side bars that way that are very incomplete.

DR. ALLEN: Well, I think it leads to the completeness when you review the film.

MR. COLLINS: Yeah, puts the burden on the teacher to do that, yes.

DR. ALLEN: Right.

DR. ALLEN: Thank you.

MR. COLLINS: Any other questions? Thank you all.

MR. RIOS: Don Zimmerman, followed by Meg McKain Grier.

MR. ZIMMERMAN: I would like to — my name is Don Zimmerman. I'm with the Republican Liberty Caucus. I'm also a proud member of the Citizens for a Sound Economy.

I'd like to thank the Board for

letting me speak today and also for letting me move up, because I do have to get back to work, as I'm sure a lot of others do, too. Thank you very much for that.

As you get —

MR. BERNAL: You're a proud member of what did you say? Would you repeat that?

MR. ZIMMERMAN: The Citizens for a Sound Economy, CSE, and also I'm the executive director of the Republican Liberty Caucus here in Texas.

So I'd like to start this very brief testimony with a remark: In the name of God, amen. So now that I have sufficiently polarized everybody, I'll go to the point. The first item I've got on

Page 94, this is the Prentice Hall American Nation Beginnings through 19 — through 1877, James West Davidson. I believe this is an Eighth Grade text.

On Page 94, the Mayflower Compact is in the book started as "We whose names are underwritten have an undertaken for the glory of God in advancement of the Christian faith and honor of our King and country," et cetera. Now, when I looked this up, I had a recollection of this from reading a long time ago. I looked it up. And all of the references I found to the Mayflower Conflict started with, "In the name of God, amen." So I was naturally curious as to say, for people like me who are very passionate about our faith and who believe that America was founded by a lot of people who believed in God and some who didn't, I thought it was very important and very poignant that this was left off.

Now, for those of us in here who are

of the atheist bent or agnostics, I think they would be equally disturbed by the mention of God. We had a good example of that in the 19th Circuit Court of Appeals. People who think that under God is a violation of the Constitution, which I find that amazing.

But anyway, everybody in here, all of us have our own biases, you know. And it's really not possible for us to write a history book without interjecting our bias, whether we like it or not. I think there are a great number of people in the country who would be very satisfied with this textbook. You know, that it's a balanced approach, it's a moderate approach, it reflects everything fairly. A lot of people would believe that. And there's a lot of people who don't. So rather than try to say, well, this is right, this is wrong. The point I'd like to make to this group is that the very fact that we have a — oh, I'm out of time.

MR. McLEROY: No, you have 30 seconds.

MR. ZIMMERMAN: Thirty seconds. Okay.

So the fact here is that this is really kind of a confrontational thing, because taxpayers are being required to pay for books and they're being given to our children, not necessarily in the wishes of the parents. That's really my point. So if anybody has any questions on any of the particular items on the list, I'd — I can entertain those.

MS. THORNTON: Sir, I have a question.

MR. ZIMMERMAN: Yes.

MS. THORNTON: Are you basically saying that you would like to see the entire document stated in the text for the children?

MR. ZIMMERMAN: Oh, that would be a great idea, sure. The Mayflower Compact is very short.

MS. THORNTON: I understand.

MR. ZIMMERMAN: Very brief. Yeah. I don't know why you wouldn't just include it in its entirely. It would fit easily in the side bar.

MS. THORNTON: That was my next

question. I don't have the book before me. So my next question is: If the publisher and the author were willing to put the whole document in, is there indeed room on that page?

MR. ZIMMERMAN: Oh, yeah, there's plenty of room.

MS. THORNTON: Thank you.

MR. ZIMMERMAN: Okay. Thanks. Thanks very much for your time.

MR. RIOS: Meg McKain Grier, followed by Chris Patterson.

MS. GRIER: Good morning. As the

author of the Texas World History Grass Roots Women, I interviewed hundreds of women involved in politics at all levels since the early 1950's. Their universal concern is to communicate the value of freedom and the duties of citizenship to children, our future voters.

I commend the publishers this year from proving cognitive challenges to students and appealing to higher levels on Blooms taxonomy. I'm not here today to pick apart the textbooks for errors, although I could briefly list a few. Texas and Texans, Page 579, "Women Republicans seem to appear out of nowhere in 1993." In fact, Barbara Colver was elected Midland County judge in 1962 and Republicans nominated the first statewide woman candidate since Ma Ferguson, Mary Lou Grier, who ran for Land Commissioner in 1972.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

Women in politics do not just "appear out of nowhere in 1993." The page referenced by the reviewer, 579, is from a section on Texas Politics Today. In the previous chapter, the text states on page 568:

Women in Politics

"During the 1960s and 1970s, women became more active at all levels of Texas political life. They increased their numbers on school boards, city councils, and in the state legislature.

In 1958, Hattie Mae White became the first African American to serve on the Houston School Board. Anita Martinez was elected to the Dallas City Council in 1969. When Barbara Jordan was in the state Senate and Frances "Sissy" Farenthold was in the state House, they were the only two women in the legislature. The Texas Women's Political Caucus, the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the Mujeres por la Raza encouraged more women to run for office. Farenthold ran for governor twice,

although she did not win. By 2000, 86 women had served in the Texas legislature.

In 1972, as women's political power kept growing, Anne Armstrong became the first woman to give a keynote address at a national political party convention. A few years later, San Antonio and Austin elected women mayors."

No survey history text can possibly chronicle every event or election. Rather, historians deal with large brushstrokes of history. On page 579, the textbook is dealing with Texas politics today and the events that helped shape it.

It begins on page 578 by summarizing for students information they need to know to then explore the Texas political scene from the 1980s to today. It states:

"The Texas political scene continues to undergo many changes. The events of the 1960s and 1970s so transformed Texas politics that, by the 1980s and 1990s, groups that had been excluded from political power were included now. The political power of minorities, women, and urban dwellers (those who live in cities) grew significantly."

The text then explores in depth the political events from the 1980s to the present. It explores; in particular, the role of women in political life. The main idea of the passage is that women, both Republicans and Democrats, were participating in greater numbers at both the local and state level during this time. By the late 1980s, for example, the text points out that Houston, Dallas, and El Paso all had female mayors. Students read:

"Both parties welcomed women into greater political participation. Democrats nominated Ann Richards for state treasurer in 1982. She held the office until 1991, when she became governor for a term. Democratic women such as Sheila Jackson Lee and Eddie Bernice Johnson were African Americans who represented Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican women also became more prominent in their party. Kay Bailey Hutchison was elected to the U.S. Sentate in 1993 and reelected in 1994 and 2000. In 1996 Kay Granger became the first Republican woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas. She was reelected from her district in 1998 and 2000."

Celebrating Texas, Page 531,

Barbara Jordan was credited as the first woman to give a keynote address in the major political convention in 1976. In fact, it was Ann Armstrong at the Republican Convention in 1972.

Loan Star, Page 456. Authors say

sought political office in the 1960s after the call

for equal rights with the Texas Women's Political Caucus formed in 1971 encouraging them. This is true, but the Republican Party had encouraged women leaders and candidates since the 1950s.

Texas, Page 595 said women were

making successful bids for local office in the mid to late 1970s. In fact, women were elected to local office in the 1960s.

These factual problems lead to the main concern I have for Texas history and U.S. government texts. Individuals who wanted freedom and opportunity founded Texas and the U.S. The message communicated by all of these texts is subtle and just the opposite. In order to contribute to the political process, you need an advantage or group to give you access.

In sections on citizenship, texts emphasized being an informed citizen. This is important, but passive. Texts don't teach students how to be active in the political process. In discussions of political parties, texts do not mention that citizens participate in precinct conventions to influence political parties.

Additionally, students will think that working through special interest groups is the

only way to communicate to elected officials. Only one texts mentions that citizens can write letters directly to an official.

Government textbooks continue this omission spending little, if any, time explaining grass roots organization, but highlighting the importance of special interest groups and political action committees. In chapters about political parties, government texts also mention of precinct conventions.

If Texas and the U.S. are to have an educated and an involved electorate in the future instead of the apathetic one we have now, these admissions must be rectified.

MS. MILLER: Meg?

MS. GRIER: Yes.

MS. MILLER: Thank you for coming forward. Was this the only book you reviewed?

MS. GRIER: I reviewed four Texas history books and four government books.

MS. MILLER: This was your —

MS. GRIER: This is a summation.

MS. MILLER: A summation of your concerns over these books.

MS. GRIER: Yes. With three minutes,

16 it's difficult.

MS. MILLER: Yeah, I understand. And I know how hard that is. And I congratulate you for trying to work that in. It was very informative. But I think these factual errors are important and I appreciate you bringing them forward to our attention.

MS. GRIER: And in the interest of the publishers, a lot of this information had not been compiled for them to use as a resource.

MR. McLEROY: Have you talked to any of the publishers on these?

MS. GRIER: Just informally this morning. I have not had any conversations in depth.

MS. BERLANGA: I have a question: In your comment to the work Lone Star, you say, "Authors say that women sought political office in the 1960s." And your concern there is that the Republican Party had encouraged women leaders since the '50s. But I think — it appears to me that we're talking about two different things. One is the encouragement, everyone could argue their party encouraged women to run for office. Here the point made by the authors — and I'm reading from your

17 comments —

MS. GRIER: Right.

MS. BERLANGA: — were that they actually sought political office, not just encouragement. They actually sought political office.

MS. GRIER: Well, and they also sought them in the 1950s as well.

MS. BERLANGA: Okay.

MS. GRIER: It was hard to put the whole quote in this brief recap.

MS. BERLANGA: And did they seek office and were they elected?

MS. GRIER: The first one I was able to find was in 1962 as the county judge. The implication in the excerpt from Lone Star, if you read the actual text, it — it's more towards the later — the end of the '60s, after the Civil Rights Movement became more prevalent.

MS. BERLANGA: Well, it's just that what you just answered, 1962, coincides with what the authors are saying in the book, that they sought political office in the 1960s. And evidently, that person that you're referring to in '62 was just right exactly during that time period.

MS. GRIER: But women also sought office in the '50s.

MS. BERLANGA: Okay. I have no further questions.

MR. WATSON: Sought, meaning they

filed for election and ran, but weren't necessarily elected. But they did file and run.

MS. GRIER: Yes. Right.

MR. BERNAL: Right.

MR. BERNAL: You also had a lot of mayors — women running for mayor and getting elected mayor.

MS. GRIER: Yes.

MR. BERNAL: How early was that?

MS. GRIER: From — I had —

MR. BERNAL: We had Lila Cochran in San Antonio very early. But I don't think it went down to 1950s. I think it was in the late '60s, early '70s.

MS. GRIER: That's correct. And I

think there were some women. And I want to say one of the other textbooks, I can't remember which one it was, mentioned that there was a Hispanic woman and a black woman elected to school board positions in the 1950s.

MR. BERNAL: On school board?

MS. GRIER: I believe so.

MR. BERNAL: That goes back to —

DR. ALLEN: Hattie May White.

MR. BERNAL: Irena Zavala's —

Lorenzo Zavala's granddaughter ran for the school board back in the '20s. I think she got elected. And so did Mrs. Guerra. Mary Nunen Guerra was on the school board back in the '20s.

DR. ALLEN: That was Hattie May White, Houston, Texas, in the '50s.

MS. GRIER: Thank you. I couldn't remember exactly who it was.

DR. ALLEN: That's how old I am. (Laughter.)

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Chris Patterson, followed by Scott K. Harris.

MS. PATTERSON: Good morning, Madam

Chairman, members of the Board. Thank you for this hearing and the opportunity to tell you about the publishers' response to the Texas Public Policy Foundation's textbook review.

I'd like to report that publishers addressed 65 percent of the errors that were noted

by reviewers and we submitted to the TEA on a list. Those errors that the publisher addressed, the publishers agreed to either revise statements to correct factual inaccuracies or to add clarifying statements to rectify ambiguity. Two of the five publishers addressed over 80 percent of the errors noted in the textbook.

Harcourt, we only reviewed one textbook, addressed 85 percent of the errors. Prentice Hall addressed 82 percent of the errors reported over six textbooks. And also Prentice Hall deserves recognition for the most improved textbooks in four of the six different subject areas that we reviewed. And the changes made by Prentice Hall represent substantial improvements. And examples are appended to my testimony.

Errors were refuted by all publishers for several reasons. In few cases the publishers made convincing arguments that detail different facts by different experts and cited sources. However, in none of these cases did publishers agree to note in the textbooks that expert sources disagree. In many cases the publishers denied the information as incorrect and stated that the reviewers misunderstood the textbook.

And lastly, when reviewers challenged that the textbook failed to provide the facts needed to fully satisfy the TEKS, the publisher challenged the reviewer's in interpretations of TEKS and the text. These responses clearly identify broad differences of opinion as to what constitutes a factual error. And I recommend that this means that the Board should adopt a definition of factual error. A definition that recognizes factual errors can be caused by ambiguous statements, partial information, by a statement that distort objective understanding of the facts.

And I'd like to suggest that the

words of John Locke offer some wisdom on this. He noted, it's one thing to show a man that he is in error and it's another thing to put him in wisdom of truth— possession of truth.

The textbook should identify what is true, verified and undisputed fact, while acknowledging conjecture, theory, interpretation and academic disagreement. And I ask the Board to ask publishers to address these ambiguous, incomplete or bias statements that are noted.

I'd like to conclude that the response of the publishers is substantial but yet

disappointing, because we need and want the best textbooks, the most complete, accurate and objective textbooks to address the changes and improvements in performance that we're demanding of our students.

High quality textbooks are especially essential because they determine classroom learning, especially, particularly where classrooms are led by novice teachers. In Texas 30 percent of teachers are teaching out of their field and a third have less than five years experience.

We're ending social promotion, asking students to pass social studies exams. And today one out of four students failed the social studies TAAS test in Eighth Grade American History. We need quality textbooks. And so I urge you to closely examine the petitions revision in textbook improvement.

And I'd like to conclude by saying that three of our reviewers are present today to answer questions about the review, to provide some explanation of publisher responses.

And I thank you.

DR. NEILL: Madam Chair.

I have a question, Chris. You mentioned there was considerable disagreement as to

what constituted a factual error. Do you have maybe an example or two?

MS. PATTERSON: I'm going to give you just general — two general examples and then — and defer to my experts who are here, because they're prepared to answer that in detail.

One, for example, is one reviewer said that in the world cultures textbook, Sixth Grade, that the textbook went into great detail about cultural celebrations and holidays, but no patriotic holidays. And, asks for example Presidents Day and different days to be included. And one publisher responded, well, this is a book about culture. This is not a book about patriotic holidays. We're not required to cover it. But our reviewer's comment is that this book is about our culture and patriotism and patriotic holidays are a part of our culture.

Another example is that one of our reviewers said that there's a different interpretation that's widely held by the second — of the Second Amendment. And you've only included one. And the publisher cited lots of places where he said that there were explanations covered, but there were no explanations covered. It just was an

answer that really diverted attention from the fact that the publisher didn't cover a second opinion.

But I'd like to ask you to ask those questions. We have Dr. Ricky Dobbs, who looked at American — high school American history; Scott Harris, who looked at high school world history; and Chris Hammons back to talk about the government textbooks. And they have explicit examples.

DR. NEILL: So your response from the publishers was some were okay, some were so-so and some were pretty disappointed with.

MS. PATTERSON: Well, some of the publishers responded to less than half, about 40 percent, and basically just dismissed. Now, it was a coin toss, yes. We'll acknowledge that there was some additional information needed here. No, here (indicating). Other publishers were much more circumspect, such as Prentice Hall.

DR. NEILL: Do you have a list of those publishers, the ones that —

MS. PATTERSON: There are actually — yes. Listed in the back of my testimony have tables about the percentages of responses made.

DR. ALLEN: Ms. Patterson, on the

25 bottom of Page 2.

MS. PATTERSON: Yes.

DR. ALLEN: Where you list an example from the Prentice Hall book, because there's so much there and I haven't had an opportunity to read it, would you explain your concern and then explain the publisher's response to me, please?

MS. PATTERSON: You're right. There's a lot of material here.

Okay. Actually, if I may call

Chris Hammons up to the mic. This is one — his criticism and he can best explain this.

Chris, would you come up and address this example from Prentice Hall.

I'm sorry, Chris didn't have access to this either. This is your — where you talk — what was your problem and why?

DR. HAMMONS: Let's see, I'm going to have to look and see which textbook this was from.

MS. PATTERSON: Prentice Hall.

DR. HAMMONS: Oh, Prentice Hall. If I recall, the Prentice Hall statement in the textbook as it reads is — let me see what the actual statement in the book is. I think I have it here.

The text — the Prentice Hall textbook reads, on Page 750, that the Second Amendment as was added to the Constitution to protect the right of each state to keep a malitia. And later, on Page 571, the textbook says that, "Many insist the Second Amendment also sets out an individual right. And the Supreme Court has never — but the Supreme Court has never accepted that interpretation of the Second Amendment."

And those statements are true, except for the fact that there's great division among scholars, citizens in the courts over how to interpret the Second Amendment. There's that recent court case out of the Fifth Circuit. It's U.S. versus Everson where the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that there is an individual right to keep and bear firearms. And so my criticism to the publisher — suggestion to the publisher was to included both perspectives. I mean, argue that some people say it only applies to the states and also the flip side, that many people believe the Second Amendment is an individual right as well. And I think that's what the criticism here addresses. DR. ALLEN: No. Page — on your handout the bottom of —

DR. HAMMONS: This is her handout, not mine, but let me see.

MR. UNTERMEYER: There are two.

DR. ALLEN: Page 2, Reviewer Note 19.

MS. PATTERSON: Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you, Chris.

I'd like to call Dr. Ricky Dobbs,

because this was his criticism and he's here. But he — I don't know if he's had time to look at this either. This is a criticism with regard to the book's coverage of segregation and voting restrictions.

MR. MONTGOMERY: She's talking about this Page 2.

DR. DOBBS: Your question was, ma'am?

DR. NEILL: What was your question?

DR. ALLEN: My question was: Because of the length of it, because it starts on the bottom of Page 2 and it goes over to the next page, I didn't have time to read it all and nor did I have time read the to the publisher's response. So I was asking, for me, to just summarize your concern and then —

DR. DOBBS: My concern —

DR. ALLEN: And summarize the publisher's response to you.

DR. DOBBS: My concern was that the history of the populists movement in the late 19th century cannot be properly explained without its direct link to the disfranchisement of African-Americans and poor whites at the turn of the 19th century and early 20th century. The book does not make that connection.

One of the results of

disfranchisements and one of the things that disfranchisement helped accelerate was the process of segregation. And the book also does not make that link.

On the second page, the book had

presented a chart which detailed which states use which types of restrictions. I was under the impression that Mississippi had used all the restrictions indicated. But as it turns out, the book is cited as source J. Martin Cowser, a widely-respected historian of this topic. The suggested Mississippi did not. That's something I am willing to concede. However, the coverage did not discuss the white primary system, which was invented in Texas in 1905. And by the end of the

1910s it spread to the entire South. So there are some omissions. There's also a failure to make a critical connection.

Is that helpful?

DR. ALLEN: Yes.

DR. DOBBS: Thank you.

MS. PATTERSON: I provided those examples as an exemplary model of how — of the changes that publisher can make in relatively short space to substantially add information and change and give a broader context and more objective and accurate view of what occurred.

MR. BERNAL: I've got a question. Because on that same page, the comment under Reviewer No. 19 says, "The effort to restrict voting by African-Americans is taken entirely out of context." And I know he goes on to try to explain that. But I'd have to look at the textbook itself to see what the exact wording is. And I guess we can come back to that. But I'm just curious —

DR. ALLEN: Why are you talking —

MR. BERNAL: — as to why they can say that that is entirely taken out of context.

DR. ALLEN: Could I see the book, too? I'd like to see that book. Could I have a

copy of it, please? Prentice Hall high school American History after Reconstruction.

MS. BERLANGA: And while they're

doing that, I'd like to ask you a question: You were talking about celebrations — oh, wait, before you get to that.

I was — I thought while Alma was

looking at the book. You mentioned something about celebrations and how you were concerned about different dates that they had noted as dates of celebrations, is that what you were saying?

MS. PATTERSON: Actually, it's not my concern. It's a concern of actually two of the reviewers looking at the — both reviewers looking at this particular — and I don't have this. I said that this was a general. And I can go to my seat and actually pull the criticism.

MR. BERNAL: And what books they were concerned —

MS. PATTERSON: Both reviewers were

concerned because the TEKS call for a description of holidays in Grade 6. And only cultural holidays were given, not any patriotic holidays. And the reviewers said that both are important and both are integral to the culture that we enjoy. And so the

patriotic as well as cultural holidays should be included. And the publisher refuted that.

CHAIR SHORE: Did they have the 4th of July?

MS. PATTERSON: No.

MS. MILLER: I think after 9-11 every book ought to have it in there.

MS. THORNTON: Chris, do you have the name of that book?

MS. PATTERSON: I will give you the

name of the book. I brought the error list and I'll give that to you.

DR. DOBBS: Ms. Allen?

DR. ALLEN: Yes.

DR. DOBBS: What were you asking

again? Would you remind me, was it taken entirely out of context? Is that what you're concerned about?

DR. ALLEN: Yes.

DR. DOBBS: What I'm suggesting here is that coverage of disfranchisement segregation ought to be carefully linked with the decline of the populist movement and its collapse in the late 19th century. Instead, the chapter, "The World of Jim Crowe," does not make any reference back to that

important link. You cannot understand segregation without failing to understand the failure of populism. The two things feed off one another.

Populism was a biracial movement.

And in order to quash that biracial movement, you had to deprive poor whites and African-Americans of the vote. And in order to divide them, you had to institute segregation. That's my point.

DR. ALLEN: Do you have a copy of the book?

DR. DOBBS: Yes, right before me.

DR. ALLEN: You only have one?

Go ahead. Go ahead so I can read.

MR. BERNAL: Ms. Patterson.

MS. PATTERSON: Yes.

MR. BERNAL: While she's looking at that, I just asked her permission to go ahead and question. Would you make an attempt to define for us, at least recommend a definition, for what is factual error?

MS. PATTERSON: Yes.

MR. BERNAL: Would your

organization — I know you spent a lot of time and money in this effort in sizing up the books that we're adopting. Would you be able to have time and

money set aside for developing a good definition — recommended definition that we could consider? Because that's what you're asking for.

MS. PATTERSON: Absolutely. I thank you. I would — yes, absolutely, we'd love to do that. And what we would do is not write it ourselves, but go back all of our reviewers and ask them to help us write a proposal for the Board and send it to you within a week.

MR. BERNAL: While you're considering that. Two things that as I read through your very poignant comments about factual errors and the definition of the factual error and citing John Locke saying — and that's where I ask that you come up with a way by which we could possess a greater truth by giving a definition and reaching for that greater truth.

Two things that bother me in

everything that is missing here. One is that we fall back to a lot of legend, especially in Texas history. How would you cover that factually, you know? That's one, that we have lived with a lot of legend. And we build heroes that are not six-feet tall but maybe 12-feet tall because of legend.

The other is a whole seriousness of

omission. That you have a lot of territory there that's omitted because the people that wrote the book were writing it with a bias. You know, they were writing it for people that would read it. And oftentimes there's a lot of — a lot of matter omitted that could give us that — that possession of truth that we would be seeking. And I don't mean revising and rewriting history. I just mean capturing and getting —

MS. PATTERSON: All the facts.

MR. BERNAL: — further away from legend, because legend, to me, is just propaganda and it builds a false situation where it shouldn't be. Because I have a lot of respect for the people that died in the Alamo, but to build them as 12-foot tall doesn't make it a better story, if you're seeking truth, especially in Texas history.

And in the whole area of omission, how — if you were submitting a definition of factual error, I certainly would want to have those two issues brought into the definition.

MS. PATTERSON: Absolutely. And in fact, you'll hear with Dr. Dobbs' testimony in a minute that he's focused on just those points that you talk about. But I thank you for the opportunity

35 to work with you on a definition.

MS. MILLER: I just want to say, I

support Dr. Bernal's suggestion. And I also want to thank you for the thoroughness, Chris, and your organization studying these books. The end result will be better books for our children and that's what we're about. Thank you.

MR. McLEROY: I would like to invite everybody in the room to send in a submitted definition.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. I want to go — can we revisit that paragraph?

DR. DOBBS: Certainly, Ms. Allen, if you'd like.

DR. ALLEN: Okay, I'm looking at it, and it has not been changed in this book, has it, the book that we have?

MS. PATTERSON: No, the —

DR. ALLEN: The error has not or the part that you consider an error has not been changed?

DR. DOBBS: The question about the context?

DR. ALLEN: Yes.

DR. DOBBS: No, ma'am, it has not

36 been changed.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. Because I'm reading it and —

DR. DOBBS: My feeling is that a

decent introductory paragraph or two leading from populism to this would be sufficient to link this chapter up with populism.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. Leading to or

following? Because I see the information here as being very factual.

DR. DOBBS: Oh, I'm not disputing the facts. I'm disputing the context. I'm disputing that it's not linked up to something that's important to understand why it came about. I would not begin to dispute the need to cover this stuff. It's simply covering it correctly and covering it well so that students have a grasp of the sweep of things.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. Then is that the

place where you would like it at that paragraph, if you wanted that information? I think that —

DR. DOBBS: If I were king?

DR. ALLEN: If you were king, would you put it there or would you put it —

DR. DOBBS: If I were king, I would

do what — what the American republic has done. And that is, have segregation, disfranchisement, Jim Crowe come immediately after populism and a full chapter on populism followed by a full chapter on Jim Crowe, which links the two together. Because they are, in fact, inseparable.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. And there are no other places where populism is mentioned in the book?

DR. DOBBS: Yes. Populism is mentioned quite extensively earlier, if I recall.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. Where is that?

I'm just wondering why it's needed there if it's — if it's mentioned, if it's covered and the students have had an opportunity to review that particular concept, then why —

DR. DOBBS: My complaint, Dr. Allen,

is that if you remove the impetus of the origin from the subject — I mean, from the thing that we're talking about here in this case, segregation, disfranchisement — then as a concept in and of itself populism is no good and as a concept in and of itself Jim Crowe is no good. The two depend upon one another in order to be understood well. And that's my beef, essentially. It's not a beef with

the individual facts, necessarily, that are presented. It's rather an issue of one thing leads to another thing, leads to another thing, instead of them being isolated concepts floating about in space.

MS. MILLER: So you're talking about a causal kind of relationship?

DR. DOBBS: Yes, a causal relationship that's not really related here.

DR. ALLEN: Yeah, I hear that. And I hear you also saying that it's been covered. Now what you're thinking, it ought to be closer to this — this particular paragraph in the book —

DR. DOBBS: Yes, ma'am.

DR. ALLEN: — is what you're

saying. I don't want this facts — these facts watered down.

DR. DOBBS: Certainly not. In fact, if anything, they're watered —

DR. ALLEN: Because they are accurate.

DR. DOBBS: They are also watered downed because they don't include the white primary. So they're accurate but also watered down. That's one of the problems with a lot of the

39 textbooks.

MS. BERLANGA: Personally, Ms. Allen, in looking at this particular section, I think it's very well done.

DR. ALLEN: Uh-huh, I do, too.

MS. BERLANGA: I think to change that to rewrite a paragraph or rewrite a page just to cover additional information that's already covered earlier in the book, would really be taking away from the material as it's written. And I think it's written very well. I would hate to see that.

DR. ALLEN: I do, too. And if you

read it close enough, I think you'll find — if you read it closely you might find in there what you really wanted to say. But because of that — because it really does cover well, I don't think the —

DR. DOBBS: Well, with respect, Dr. Allen, I spent a long time with this book.

DR. ALLEN: I know. That's why I know you know it well. That's why I wanted to reviewed it. You probably had a longer tome on this particular item that I had. That's why I wanted it —

DR. DOBBS: But I guess what I —

just to rephrase: I'm not suggesting that there is an absence of fact. I'm suggesting there's not enough of it in that there's not a mention of the white primary. And I'm also suggesting there's not enough of it and it's not connected to the impetus for it. You know, this thing brings this thing.

MS. BERLANGA: I'm against rewriting it.

DR. ALLEN: Yeah, I would like to see this stand alone, especially if that concept is covered prior to this one. I surely don't want this one watered down.

DR. DOBBS: Certainly not. But I would submit that it is watered down.

MS. MILLER: I think it's linking it. And let me ask you this, Mr. Dobbs: Is it possible to bring the linkage together without any major rewrite or whatever? Can it be done? Because that's the key is the expense.

DR. DOBBS: I'm not a publisher, but

I would suspect that an introductory paragraph would be sufficient to make the link between the fall of populism and segregation.

MS. MILLER: I think that's a reasonable request.

MS. BERLANGA: Well, Ms. Miller,

before you-all start rewriting the textbook, let's me just say, just by the comments that he made on the bottom of Page 2, where he says, "The effort to restrict voting by African-Americans is taken entirely out of context," I think that kind of raises a red flag. Because that's pretty much telling us what the mentality is. And then you look at the textbook and it's very well written.

DR. DOBBS: Which mentality, Ms. Berlanga?

MS. BERLANGA: There is no reason to rewrite that is not like that. The material that you're concerned about is already covered.

DR. DOBBS: Whose mentality?

MS. BERLANGA: Your mentality, if you're the one that wrote that statement.

DR. DOBBS: I wrote that statement, madam, because if you are teaching a college level course in American history, you invariably pass from populism to disfranchisement to segregation. So logically, if you teach a concept or an idea or a time period completely separate and isolated out from another one that is related, then students will miss the point that a whole lot of disfranchisement

and segregation was a backlash against the populist party. That is not covered in this text.

MS. BERLANGA: I think you said that it was.

DR. NEILL: That makes very good sense to me.

MS. MILLER: Makes complete sense what he's saying.

DR. DOBBS: And I would point out that this is not a conservative viewpoint by any stretch of the imagination.

MS. PATTERSON: And it is not an

attempt to water down — if I may add, it's not an attempt to take any information out or water down the problem of segregation or Jim Crowe or anything else. Just merely to add information to tie this to how it developed.

DR. DOBBS: From whence it came.

MS. BERLANGA: It is there.

DR. DOBBS: I think I'll go sit down now and wait for — do you have anymore questions for me?

MS. THORNTON: I have a question. Do you have the book in front of you?

DR. DOBBS: Yes.

MS. THORNTON: Would you turn to Page 281, please, sir.

DR. DOBBS: 281. Yes, ma'am.

MS. THORNTON: Are you saying that

the area that's called the populist on this page is in the wrong place?

DR. DOBBS: I beg your pardon?

MS. THORNTON: Would you say that the area that is titled "Populist" is in the wrong place in the textbook?

DR. DOBBS: Am I saying it's in the wrong place?

MS. THORNTON: Yes.

DR. DOBBS: That would be up to the authors and publisher to decide. My point is that it needs somehow to be linked contextually with the matters we're discussing with respect to disfranchisement and segregation.

MS. THORNTON: So you're saying that area that we're discussing, which would be in the lower section of this area, should be related, again, on the page that we're speaking about, which is 331?

DR. DOBBS: Not a complete rehash, but a connection.

MS. THORNTON: But that one area?

DR. DOBBS: Yes.

MS. THORNTON: Since the populists were involved in other areas.

DR. DOBBS: Absolutely.

MS. THORNTON: And other issues.

DR. DOBBS: And other issues. In the South particularly.

MS. THORNTON: As stated on this page.

DR. DOBBS: I'm sorry?

MS. THORNTON: As stated on the page. The other issues are stated.

DR. DOBBS: I'm sorry, which other issues?

MS. THORNTON: Well, increased circulation of money, unlimited —

DR. DOBBS: Yes.

MS. THORNTON: — minting of silver, et cetera.

DR. DOBBS: Yes, populists or biracial movement —

MS. THORNTON: So this all right. What you're saying is that the area that we're talking about should be integrated over here on

45 Page 331 as a linkage?

DR. DOBBS: That's precisely the word I would use "integrated."

DR. ALLEN: Does that paragraph not say exactly what you want said?

DR. DOBBS: No, ma'am, it does not.

DR. ALLEN: Start with sinking or

breaking through deeply-rooted prejudice, populist sought to unite a united front of African-Americans and white farmers.

DR. DOBBS: Doctor Allen, what I'm seeking to have — what I'm suggesting ought to be said is that the populists did these things listed here. Then in response to the electoral threat that the populists posed, the conservative democratic establishment in the South, the white democratic establishment, took the vote away from African-Americans and poor whites. Once the vote is taken away, then segregation can be imposed as well.

DR. ALLEN: They say it once over there.

DR. NEILL: So what I hear you saying is you're trying to tie everything together it's — one thing follows another in sequential order.

DR. DOBBS: Yes. I don't believe

that you can teach history as a concept floating around in the air.

MS. MILLER: I agree.

DR. ALLEN: I don't understand what ought to be taken away. It's there.

DR. DOBBS: No, ma'am, I understand that. I'm —

DR. ALLEN: Now, if you wanted a side bar that made a reference back to Page 281, that would be okay. But I certainly would like to see that voting restriction paragraph — part of the Page 333 stand alone. If you would like to have a reference back.

DR. DOBBS: That would be up for the publishers to decide. But my suggestion — you know, we've apparently hit sort of a brick wall with each other.

You asked me what I felt would be the appropriate way to —

DR. ALLEN: Yeah.

DR. DOBBS: — to handle this and I

answered that question. As for a side bar, I think it minimizes it. I think a lot of these side bars in a lot of these books are simply factoids that leave more questions unanswered than answered. I

47 would be concerned about that approach, too.

DR. NEILL: Give me your background. I think you may have mentioned it, but —

DR. DOBBS: I'm an assistant

professor of history at Texas A&M University, Commerce. My specialization is in Texas history, history of the modern South. I have a book accepted at Texas A&M University Press about Allen Shivers and the role of — the role of segregation, the role of civil rights in the production of the modern Republican Party in Texas.

So I'm not approaching this from a conservative point of view, I assure you. I am simply pointing out that scholars tend to link these things together. These things are not concepts that can be separated.

MS. BERLANGA: I think scholars will talk about these things together, but I don't think that we want to take — I mean, I —

DR. DOBBS: I haven't taken anything, Ms. Berlanga.

MS. BERLANGA: I have a real — I

don't have anymore questions of you. I think I just have some comments that I'm going to make to my board members. I don't have any — I understand

where you're coming from. And I appreciate your comments. I don't have anymore questions from you. But I do want to make some comments to my board members.

MS. MILLER: I just want to —

DR. ALLEN: I want to make a comment right there.

MS. MILLER: I'd like to state, if I may, that I want to thank — is it Dr. Dobbs?

DR. DOBBS: Yes, ma'am.

MS. MILLER: I want to thank you for taking the time and the effort to do this. Obviously, you've got a background of very fine expertise. And I respect that and your — and your efforts to do this and bring forward. And I think you're — all you're trying to do is create a balance. That's all we're trying to do in these books. And it's very obvious that you are not trying to take out anything but you're just trying to create something.

You know, in history, when things

happened back there, you know, looking back at it, but what you're trying to do is create the situation where the young people learn, this is what was happening then.

DR. DOBBS: Rather than try to take anything back, take anything out, I am suggesting that there's not enough in. That's my point.

MS. MILLER: Anyway, thank you.

DR. DOBBS: Yes, ma'am.

DR. ALLEN: And I appreciate your

effort, too. And I understand the background and I understand how much effort has been into it. We all have some background along that line. And so the only thing that I might have that you don't have is, I've been Black 63 years.

DR. DOBBS: I wouldn't dispute that. And I acknowledge that.

DR. ALLEN: Let me read give you one line and then I want to just kind of make this the last justification for what I'm saying. It says here — and we're talking about, for the public's information, this was about Blacks receiving the right to vote by paying poll tax and being given literacy tests.

DR. DOBBS: Could you give me a page reference, please, Ms. Allen?

DR. ALLEN: Page 333.

DR. DOBBS: Yes, ma'am.

DR. ALLEN: I want you to go to

50 voting restriction.

DR. DOBBS: Yes, ma'am.

DR. ALLEN: Go down to — in the

third paragraph, the last three lines, "But like the property tax requirement" — I'm sorry . "But like the property requirement and the poll tax, literacy tests were really designed to keep African-Americans from voting. In fact, Blacks were often given more difficult tests than whites."

I understand what you're trying to say is that they were trying to — that both the Blacks and the whites were discriminated against. What I'm saying is that, that there was discrimination for both. But listen to the last line one more time. "The fact is that often Blacks were given much more harder tests than whites." So even when it got right down to the door, we were still discriminated in another way. That's why I wanted that information to kind of stand alone.

DR. DOBBS: I believe I now ascertain the reason for your concern.

DR. ALLEN: Thank you.

DR. DOBBS: I understand. I would not want that obfuscated or covered at all.

DR. ALLEN: Thank you.

MS. BERLANGA: Thank you. I don't have any comments.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Chris, I just wanted to ask you one question regarding your testimony last month when I was asking you about your organization to some degree. Do you remember? You said that — and I quote, "Our organization does not have a membership. No one joins the organization." Yet, when you go to your web-site, on your home page, there is a place to click on that says "Membership. How to join the TPPF." Then you go to this page and it says, "Becoming a member." And there are seven levels of membership here. So I just wanted to —

MS. PATTERSON: Well, I appreciate

that. And then I must apologize, because I haven't looked at our web-site and I'm only repeating what — what — what we have said at Texas public policy. So I'm going to have to find out how we distinguish our membership because we don't publish members. We don't have a membership, as far as I know, in the traditional sense.

MR. MONTGOMERY: You couldn't provide us with a membership list then?

MS. PATTERSON: I will be glad to go

back and investigate this and send you all a statement about it.

MS. BERLANGA: I have one more

question of this individual. Going back to the issue of the celebrations. And I would love to see 4th of July in there. But if I understand, Grade 6, Page 30 of the proclamation, which is where we kind of outline what we want from the publishing industry when they're developing their books, there is a section that says, "Culture. The student understands the relationships among religion, philosophy and culture. The student is expected to explain the relationship among religious ideas, philosophical ideas and cultures and explain the significance of religious holidays and observances." And it goes on and gives examples. Perhaps this is what they covering in Grade 6, what was in our proclamation.

MS. PATTERSON: You have an advantage over me. I don't have a copy of the TEKS with me. I thought that there was a section of TEKS that just called for a description of the Sixth Grade TEKS of holidays separately rather than the cultural connections. I will be glad to get back with you as soon as I — does anyone here have a copy of the

. TEKS I could quickly look at?

: DR. ALLEN: Yes. The objective would

I be in the front of the book. TEK.

MS. BERLANGA: It's under Culture i 6.19. i I mean, I would be in favor of

putting in the 4th of July. I mean, I think you i could say it's, you know, part of our philosophy, i it's part — you know, I don't have a problem with I putting in the 4th of July. But I did want you to

see what it was that we were requiring of the ! publishing industry. ! MS. PATTERSON: Well, I see the

6.19. I'm just looking to go through to whether — i I thought there was another requirement. ; MS. BERLANGA: No, not in Sixth

' Grade.

! MS. PATTERSON: You're quite right,

i That's the only reference to holidays and I requirements for holidays.

MS. BERLANGA: Thank you.

: MS. PATTERSON: But I would go back

i and take out that particular recommendation and

bring it forward. Thank you. i DR. NEILL: Chris, I have just one

quick question. I want to be real brief and don't spend a lot of time on it. But I — just in very general terms, at the last meeting — I was a little surprised by your response and I was glad to hear it, but it sounded like a pretty optimistic testimony last meeting. This meeting, I sense — I wouldn't say negative by any stretch, pessimistic. But it seems you're maybe a little more disappointed at this point. Am I reading you right or is that off base?

MS. PATTERSON: You're reading me right because some of the publishers made very little change.

DR. NEILL: I mean, I see some that

are 30 percent, 33 percent. And that's more than a little disappointing to me, but I sense that in your tone as well.

MS. PATTERSON: What's disappointing to me is that not the fact that there weren't whole scale changes to the textbook, but rather an admission that the textbooks could be interpreted differently and that there were disagreements about how the textbook could be read and about varying opinions. And where — where there's confusion in textbooks, if the experts can't disagree, students

can certainly not get a clear understanding of a person's significance, of an event. And so I think that it — and we were very careful about choosing reviewers with expertise in teaching and scholars. And I think that I take — and their recommendations very seriously and hope you do as well, that the textbook can only be improved by clarification and additional information.

So, yes, I'm disappointed that more

publishers didn't take more of the opportunities to improve the textbooks. And it's very important to us in Texas to get it right for our students and our children, but also throughout the children Nation that are going to be using these textbooks.

DR. NEILL: Thank you for all the time you put into it. I take the report very seriously because I know all the time and effort they put into it. So I have some legitimate, I think, very big concerns here.

Thank you.

MS. BERLANGA: I have one last

comment to make. You know, I look back here and I see where you're talking about all your different percentages. And I think, what gives the right to the Texas Public Policy Foundation to come up and

say that this group is this percent or that percent? I mean of what? Of your comments? I may not even agree with everything. We've seen some disagreements this morning. So if you're telling me the publishers have already made changes to suit your concerns when I'm not sure I agree with your concerns — some of your concerns may be legitimate. If there are factual errors, I'm going to agree, but I have to see them. Because sometimes those that you designate as factual errors are not.

I have a concern with having

percentages because I think that's sending a wrong message to anyone that picks this up. They may think that this is the State Board's recommendation. And it's not. You're not elected, you're not appointed. You're simply people that are making recommendations to our board. If anyone is going to have percentages it ought to be the State Board of Education. And it would be at the end of this process after every citizen has had an opportunity to make a presentation before this State Board and we have studied everything carefully and decided whether or not there is an error or not an error.

At that point, we could be looking at

percentages. But to do so prior to that, when you're not appointed or elected as a State official, I think it's sending the wrong message to the public.

MS. PATTERSON: With all due respect —

DR. NEILL: Any organization can do this. Texas Freedom Network could do this.

MS. BERLANGA: I think that it's sending the wrong message.

MS. PATTERSON: With all due respect, if I may respond.

DR. NEILL: They ought to bring their report. What's wrong with that?

MS. PATTERSON: With all due respect, if I may respond. These percentages would never — in this report would never be interpreted as something coming out of the State Board because right at the top of it, it says, "Texas Public Policy Foundation, Social Studies Textbook Review." And because the State Board of Education or the TEA can look at the content and determine the quality, how well the textbooks meet and satisfy the TEKS, we contacted experts that we think are the best in Texas. We got recommendations. We have social

studies teachers who are teaching in the field. And we have university scholars who are — I hope, would be respected by all. So this is not a review that was conducted by Texas Public Policy. It was sponsored by Texas Public Policy. The report is published by Texas Public Policy. But it is, word by word, a report of experts who we trust to teach our students, both in public schools and in colleges, history.

MS. BERLANGA: Well, thank you very much. And I don't have questions of you. I just want you to hear my comment. There are many, many professors out at the universities across this state and they may not agree with the people that you have had review your material. That's why I am not in agreement that these numbers mean anything. I appreciate your hard work. I appreciate anyone that goes into the sacrificing time that they give up from their families to review textbooks. And I think every citizen ought to be involved in the process.

I just say that this information — and I've seen organizations go out there and start publicizing it and, you know, knock down publishing companies because of their numbers. And I'm just

saying these numbers are not necessarily reflective of what we will ultimately decide.

And, again, I appreciate your

testimony and the testimony of your experts. But there are many other experts out there and they will not all agree.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Ms. Patterson,

you're not planning on sending these ratings to public schools when they make their final decisions, are you? They don't mean anything other than just your group's rating.

MS. PATTERSON: This is our group's rating.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Right.

MS. PATTERSON: It will be published on the web-site. We will put out the report that — a rating that you received last month that shows this was the top pick of the reviewers for this particular category of social studies textbooks, Grade 6.

MR. MONTGOMERY: But when local

textbook committees make their final decision — and they are the ones that make the final decision as far as content is concerned, at least, or lack thereof — they won't have a copy of this sent from

you where you've told them, look, we've rated this company. They agreed to follow our suggestion. You're not going to do that type of thing type thing?

MR. McLEROY: Why couldn't they?

MS. PATTERSON: We certainly are going to pub — we will send the grading that —

MR. NEILL: What's wrong with that?

MR. MONTGOMERY: Nothing. I'm asking.

MS. PATTERSON: And we will advise

teachers and schools to take a look at our web-site and see what the reviewers think of it because we stand behind the integrity of our review and our reviewers.

MS. BERLANGA: I rest my case.

MR. MONTGOMERY: I understand. And I'm not criticizing you if you do. And there's no need for my colleagues to be defensive. I'm just asking the question.

MS. PATTERSON: And I'm saying, no,

but I'm taking collections and would be willing to send it out if I had the ability to do so.

MR. MONTGOMERY: There is some feeling that some groups have a little more clout,

you know. And I agree that we should be objective here and we should listen to the comments of individuals who, as the gentleman said, receive no compensation whatsoever for his work, nor do the textbook reviewers that the TEA picks or has to review the books.

MR. NUNEZ: Nor do you.

MR. MONTGOMERY: So there is some

feeling that the publishers, knowing that money has been spent to pay reviewers, they have more clout, therefore, they are more likely to edit their books and agree to make changes based upon that. And there's nothing wrong with you having an advantage in that way. But, you know, we shouldn't be defensive either when we just simply ask these questions.

MS. PATTERSON: Well, I'd like to suggest, then, you may want to reconsider paying Texas Tech for the review that I believe is it 60,000 or 80,000 you're asking them to just check for errors. It is an accepted practice. And you can call any publisher up here and ask them how many people they've paid to review their textbooks for organizations such as the Texas Education Agency to pay reviewers. Those teachers that have been

impaneled, they're here for a day, they go through to check, oh, quickly summary to see if the TEKS are covered. Our reviewers spend weeks pouring over the textbooks. They weren't paid a lot. What they were paid represents a honorarium that they well deserve for giving up weeks of their lives to do this.

So thank you.

MR. MONTGOMERY: When am I going to get a check?

MR. NUNEZ: You don't get paid either.

DR. ALLEN: How many more textbook hearings do we have?

CHAIR SHORE: We have one more in September.

DR. ALLEN: One more. We have another textbook hearing on this very same book?

CHAIR SHORE: Yes.

DR. ALLEN: So my concern is that

after every meeting or after every hearing or after every contact to — with the publishing company, that the publishing companies come back and say, "Okay. You said this was in error and I'm going to change it." So next week or next — in September we have another hearing. Suppose that same incident

come up, I'm going to change it again. So I think the — as Ms. Berlanga suggested, that after we have finished, after we have gone through and — all of the hearings and after we have digested everything that has been put on the table, then it is our decision which is in error — what should be voted on in a book.

And to put out this kind of data as in the chart in this handout that you have here, that a publishing company,; i.e. example, Prentice Hall, did 100 percent of the request we said for them to change. That that group said change. But like McDougal Littell only did 90 — 89 percent. And look at Holt Rinehart and Winston, they only did 57 percent. So there's a public perception — et cetera, et cetera. There's a public perception that these companies are more accommodating than others and that we are only halfway through the game. So I think it's only fair that we don't do this. That this is not the image that we want out and I think we ought to wait until we get to the end of the hearings, come back together and then decide what it is we want the publishing companies to change. That they ought not jump every month and change books.

MR. NUNEZ: And that should be a

message to the publishers. That's a message to the publishers.

DR. ALLEN: Did you hear that publishing companies?

CHAIR SHORE: Dr. Allen, with all due respect, I don't have David Anderson here to back me up. But it's my understanding that what you suggest is not the proper process.

DR. ALLEN: What is the process, then?

CHAIR SHORE: Well, the publishers —

DR. ALLEN: Change it every time I want one? Well, I'm going to make a few changes every week, too. I can call them every week and say, "I want a few changes."

CHAIR SHORE: Well, you're certainly free to suggest a changes, too. But I believe that legally any group, any person can appeal to a publishing company. And they have the right to listen or reject or change. I mean, it's not up to us to decide whether the publishing companies make these changes at this point.

DR. ALLEN: No. I'm just simply asking that all —

CHAIR SHORE: Well, you can ask, but

I mean, we don't legally have any right to do that, to ask them to not make changes in response to public testimony.

MS. BERLANGA: Well, I would think that if we're going to select the books that we should have a lot more say than people that form organizations and come and give us statistics and numbers and they're not appointed and they're not elected. Everyone in this room can give their opinion.

CHAIR SHORE: That's right, everyone can.

MS. BERLANGA: But we're going to be the ones to make the decision. And I also don't want the publishing companies make changes according to what some of these people are recommending, because we may not be in agreement with that. And until we hear all of the testimony and hear — get all of the input, then we can decipher through the information, decide, well, this was in error, this was not error, whatever.

CHAIR SHORE: I don't think it would be possible for us to do that. It would be too lengthy.

MS. BERLANGA: Well, September, we'll

66 have time.

CHAIR SHORE: I still don't think it will be possible. I mean, I've got boxes of information. And the public has a right to come here and suggest these changes to the publishers.

MS. BERLANGA: I think they have the right.

CHAIR SHORE: And they can do it or not do it.

MR. NUNEZ: Madam Chair, they have the right, but they don't have the right to manipulate the system.

CHAIR SHORE: I mean, you can call it manipulation, but —

MR. NUNEZ: Sure, it is.

CHAIR SHORE: I don't see that we have a right to stop it.

MR. MONTGOMERY: After all these

changes have been made by publishers responding to citizens and citizen groups, it appears to me that it's a possibility if they make so many changes, they would have to go back before a review committee to see if they still follow the TEKS. They might come from conforming to nonconforming. I don't — you know, if there's just going to be wholesale

67 changes —

CHAIR SHORE: Well, anyone on the

Board has the right to review all this material and make objections as well. I mean, we all can — you can do that if you choose to do that.

MR. MONTGOMERY: That's what we're trying to do.

MS. BERLANGA: We're trying to comment on them as a — you know —

CHAIR SHORE: Well, that's why we're here. That's why we're here. But, I mean, we have that right, but so does everyone in the room have that right. And the publishers have the right to respond as they choose.

MS. BERLANGA: I just don't want them to feel obligated because they hear someone that's trying to water down some section that they think that because we're silent or we're not speaking up that we are in total agreement.

CHAIR SHORE: Then we need to speak up, if you disagree. And there are a lot of publishers here. I'm sure they're listening to everybody, including you. So — I mean, that's why we're here, to give everybody a chance to speak.

MS. MILLER: In all of my experience

on this board and every time we come to a textbook adoption process, it's always a very — usually a very interesting debate, if you will. And that's part of politics. And — but this is one of the best processes of selecting textbooks —

FROM THE FLOOR: Speak up, will you? We can't hear you.

MS. MILLER: — in the country and we study textbook adoption. I'm one with you on this board and probably the only one that's really sat through the complete selection process from the beginning. And the — I welcome citizen input. It is one of the best ways to filter through and get at the best that we can and to the truth. And that's what this is about.

MS. BERLANGA: Well, it's —

MS. MILLER: That's all this is

about. And so to — and they're all citizens. They all have a right to come forward. And that's what we are. We're the body that is here to listen to the people. And then we can debate, we can argue, we can whatever. But in the end, we're going to have the best — much better books than we had at the beginning. And I don't want to minimize the input that we have from our citizens because they

69 are our constituents.

MS. BERLANGA: Well, I don't want them dictating what is really our responsible.

MS. MILLER: Ms. Berlanga, they're not dictating, they're coming and giving their opinion.

MS. BERLANGA: Well, excuse me,

Ms. Miller. Today they're giving their opinion before our board. But I know what they're doing behind the scenes —

MS. MILLER: Oh, really.

MS. BERLANGA: — and what they're doing when, you know, we're not in board session.

MS. MILLER: Everyone has an individual right to their own opinion, Ms. Berlanga.

MS. BERLANGA: I agree.

CHAIR SHORE: All right. Let's go on to the next speaker.

MR. RIOS: Scott K. Harris, followed by Ricky Floyd Dobbs.

MR. HARRIS: I hope you'll pardon my lack of printed material. This is my first time at this, so I did not have that ready in time. I represent the Texas Public Policy Foundation, for which I did textbook reviews, and the National

Association of Scholars, of which I am a member. I also have taught high school history for 10 years.

In some of the books that I reviewed, there is a systematic selection of anti-western views and feel-good history. Instead, there should be balance. Both the good and bad of western and non-western societies should be presented.

Quickly, then, two examples. In

McDougal Littell's Pattern of Interaction, several opinions of Columbus' voyage to America are listed. In one, the publisher claims that a Native American cited, "Disputes the so-called benefits that resulted from Columbus' voyage."

If the benefits are so-called, let the person being quoted make that claim. The publisher did not refer to the pros and cons of any viewpoint as so-called. Further this viewpoint was listed in color bold type and a font twice as big as any opposing viewpoints. Students know that important things in a chapter are highlighted this way.

In the same book, Ulrich Zwingli, a key reformation figure, is absent. Instead, there are six paragraphs of "women who played prominent roles in the reformation." Katherina Zell's

prominent role was that she, "once scolded a minister for speaking harshly of another." This act is admirable, but certainly not prominent.

Similarly, Katherina Von Bora

played — "played a more typical behind-the-scenes role. Her well-run household became a model for others to follow." Are we to we believe that her well-run house was popularly and widely known and that it had an impact on the reformation?

Women should be included. But let us not glorify common things, gild daily life and call it prominent.

There also seems to be a systematic bias against capitalism and free enterprise, of which the text demands are covered extensively. Capitalism seems to be worth mentioning only when it makes technological improvement and not improvement in workers' lives. Instead, socialist Utopias such as Owens — Robert Owens are listed as a success, even though his venture was never profitable and it lasted only three years. Some books say that he inspired success. And I've research those and those, as well, failed. Yet capitalists such as Henry Ford who paid his workers $5 a day when the going rate was to 85 cents to $2 per day is only

mentioned for the assembly line. Who had a greater impact on worker's lives?

Cornelius Vanderbilt revolutionized both train and water travel. And the only Vanderbilt mentioned in any of the books I reviewed was one Consuelo, who married the Duke of Marlborough, bringing her already wealthy husband $10 million.

The free institutions of this country represent the zenith of the human experience. It is the greatest achievement of humanity. This country will ultimately collapse, as all countries in history have. And when it does, the response will be typical.

If I can conclude. It will be that we collapse because of our excess. If we collapse, it will not be because of your access, it will be because of infidelity. Infidelity to the institutions that made this countries great, lifted people out of poverty, eliminated slavery, et cetera.

Thank you.

MS. THORNTON: Sir, I have a question, if I may.

MR. HARRIS: Yes, ma'am.

MS. THORNTON: Would you give me the name of the book, again, that mentioned that Robert Owens was a success?

MR. HARRIS: Yes, ma'am.

MS. THORNTON: And the publisher, please.

MR. HARRIS: Actually, in my speech, I don't have it. But I do have it on my textbook reviews, which is posted on the web-site. I will say from memory that all four of them covered him. If I recall —

MS. THORNTON: All four of what?

MR. HARRIS: I'm sorry, four of the world history books I recovered — recovered — reviewed. That was Holt's book, Glencoe's book, McDougal Little's and Prentice Hall's. If I remember correctly, two of them gave fair treatment, I thought, of Owens and two painted it a little rosier than I thought was realistic.

MS. THORNTON: But you made the

statement that the book said that Robert Owens was a success.

MR. HARRIS: Yes.

MS. THORNTON: Do you recall which book that statement was made?

MR. HARRIS: No, ma'am. I was

condensing my speech quite a bit and that was one of the paragraphs I drew a line through. I have here, "Only half the books mentioned that his experiments failed after three years." Again, I can get that for you. I just don't have it at hand.

MS. THORNTON: Please do.

MR. HARRIS: I will.

MS. THORNTON: Thank you.

DR. ALLEN: And would you give me the name of the textbook that trivializes the women's contributions ?

MR. HARRIS: I don't think it

trivializes women's contributions. I certainly believe that women's contributions should be added. I am trying to understand how a well-run household made an impact on the reformation, which was an historical movement. I simply don't think it did. And you can say, "Well, we're arguing about word choice."

DR. ALLEN: That's why I wanted the book, because —

MR. HARRIS: Oh, I apologize.

DR. ALLEN: — if they mentioned it, speaking of trivial acts, you know, what we consider

something very small, I don't know what impact that had. Rosa Parks sat down on the bus.

MR. HARRIS: Yes, ma'am.

DR. ALLEN: Trivial, but it had a large impact.

MR. HARRIS: Correct.

DR. ALLEN: That's what I mean. So I wanted to read it in context, rather than just take it out of context.

MR. HARRIS: Certainly.

DR. ALLEN: Clean house.

MR. HARRIS: It's McDougal Little's. And the page number is 434. And I agree with you the context should be there. Perhaps there was some impact that she had, either one of those women, but you certainly wouldn't know that from reading the text.

DR. NEILL: What was at the very end you mentioned. You lost me there. I believe it was about society collapsing. Say what you said again there. Is that a quote from —

MR. HARRIS: No. That was a comment.

DR. NEILL: Okay.

MR. HARRIS: Do you want me to repeat

76 it?

DR. NEILL: Yeah, if you don't mind.

MR. HARRIS: I was arguing that this country will eventually collapse. Hopefully, not for hundreds of thousands of years. And I think there will be people that will celebrate when this country does collapse. And people will say it's because of our arrogance, our excess and so on. I think it will be because of — and I think history backs me up — our infidelity to the institutions that made this country work.

DR. NEILL: Right. Okay. Thank you.

DR. ALLEN: Which group are you with?

MR. HARRIS: McDougal Little's Pattern of Interaction Page —

DR. ALLEN: No, what group are you with — representing?

MR. HARRIS: Texas Public Policy Foundation and the National Association of Scholars.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. Now, give me your background.

MR. HARRIS: I'm a high school

history teacher. I went to Southwest Texas State University and received a bachelor of arts in

history with a minor in psychology. I have taught world history, U.S. history, psychology, a course called theory of knowledge and a philosophy club.

DR. ALLEN: Okay.

MR. HARRIS: I also do some

educational consulting and teacher training independently for myself.

MR. BERNAL: How did you come out to

the conclusion — you mentioned — the word was used here that you trivialized women's contributions. And you countered by saying that you didn't want ordinary women's work to be considered a great contribution or something to that effect. I don't want to quote you. But would you quote yourself on that again?

MR. HARRIS: Yes, sir.

MR. BERNAL: And say — and would you answer, then: What did you have in mind when you said that?

MR. HARRIS: Yes, sir. I said women should be included, but let us not glorify common things, gild daily life and call it prominent. And my key complaint here is the use of the word —

MR. BERNAL: Were there examples where that was done where women were just doing

78 their ordinary housework —

MR. HARRIS: Yes.

MR. BERNAL: — as you — as I interpret you to mean and making it a major contribution to the changes in society? Was there any particular book that said that?

MR. HARRIS: Yes, sir. The book we —

MR. BERNAL: How did they say it?

MR. HARRIS: I'm going to quote it

for you. McDougal Little's Pattern of Interaction Page 434, "Women" — and this is quote. "Women who played prominent roles in the reformation" — they cite two examples. One of which was Katherina Von Bora, who, "Played a more typical behind-the-scenes role. Her well-run household became a model for others to follow."

And my question is: Is that

prominent. Is that widely and popularly known? And more importantly, did it have an impact on the reformation?

Zwingli, who was a key figure in the reformation in the formation of the protestant church, is completely absent. Now, some will say, well, that's college-level material, but if you pair

him with Luther and Calvin, you have a nice little triumvirate of the key figures that truly changed the world as far as the reformation.

If I were king for a day, the change I would put would be the role of women was whatever. And then list what it was. This notion that we've got to elevate everything that everybody, every group played a — had an impact on everything, may or may not be the case. But let's just list what the role was and let teachers and students decide what the impact was.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. I have it here. And they said they played behind-the-scene roles.

MR. HARRIS: Right.

DR. ALLEN: Where they influenced

their husbands or whoever was in position because they didn't have a face on the outside.

MR. HARRIS: And as you mentioned

earlier, they may well have a role. I don't pretend to be an expert on the reformation. But I would like to see if they played a greater role or even just removed the statement about having an impact on the reformation saying they played a role. Here are even prominent women during the reformation. But to say they prominently had an impact on the

80 reformation is not clear from the text.

DR. ALLEN: Yeah, that's a prominent

impact when you change the women's equal role in the marriage. In those days that was prominent. Because we were just talking about women's roles just getting elected to the board. Now, we're saying the first women elected to the —a Board of Education was 1950. So we're right in the back door. If you were addressing the role in 16 — what is this? This is 1500s and 1580. That's way back there. That was the prominent role.

MR. HARRIS: I am married. I am aware of the prominent role of women. I —

MR. BERNAL: Would you care to

include that statement that you just made in the book, then?

MR. HARRIS: Sure, sure.

MR. BERNAL: I am married, but I know how to take orders. Let me ask you —

MR. HARRIS: She gives me my allowance for the week.

MR. BERNAL: — if you were to more accurately define what they meant by behind-the-scenes, I would go along with you. But you're just leaving it alone. And behind-the-scenes

was very significant. You know, I'm thinking of FDR's wife. I think she moved FDR in many, many ways. And later on we found out that she had a life of her own because of the impact that she had on FDR.

MR. HARRIS: And I agree with you I think —

MR. BERNAL: And that was behind the scenes.

MR. HARRIS: — that should be

detailed. I really don't think an junior is going to run across that and have that historical context that we as older persons have. I think they're going to look at it and go, household? What does that have to do with anything? So a side bar or —

DR. ALLEN: That's when they do that deep thinking. That's when they do that higher-level thinking, right then.

MS. BERLANGA: I think that McDougal Little book — I'm looking at it. I think it's — looks like a great paragraph.

DR. ALLEN: Yes.

MS. BERLANGA: I would not touch that. It is very, very interesting.

MR. HARRIS: I am not opposed, if I

may, say to those six paragraphs being there. I do still have a strong problem with Zwingli not being there because he was a huge figure.

MS. BERLANGA: Who?

MR. HARRIS: Zwingli. Yeah, apparently not that huge.

MS. BERLANGA: I'm looking at the paragraph. I'm not following where you're speaking.

MR. HARRIS: I think — and this is a good question the kids are going to ask. Who? Because it's not in any of the books. He was number three behind Luther and Calvin. And I know we can't list the top 10 or the top 100 influences —

MS. BERLANGA: We're talking about

the paragraphs you wanted to remove or rewrite. I'm saying that the way that they're written, I think makes it very, very interesting for a student. I think especially young girls. Probably, for the first time in the history book, they'll go, wow, you know, we were important even back then. And even though it may have been behind-the-scenes, but look what we were able to do. You know, I like it. I think we need to leave it alone.

MR. HARRIS: Yeah, I like them too. I'd like to see Zwingli along side it.

DR. ALLEN: Yeah, leave the women alone.

MS. BERLANGA: Don't touch them.

MR. MONTGOMERY: You're a high school social studies teacher now?

MR. HARRIS: Yes, sir.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Where do you teach?

MR. HARRIS: I taught at ten years at Judson Independent School District in San Antonio. And this is my first year at Ronald Reagan High School in the Northeast Independents School District in San Antonio.

MR. MONTGOMERY: In your teaching

your classes, is the textbook the main thing that you use in your classes to teach your students?

MR. HARRIS: More and more with

standardized testing, the schools would like that to be so. To answer your question, I don't know what percentage I would put on it. Say "main." I certainly try to be in the book very, very often and they certainly have assignments out of the book on a regular basis. I do include a lot of extra material, including Zwingli, if need be.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Including what?

MR. HARRIS: Zwingli. All right. I

84 give up on Zwingli. We'll move on.

MR. MONTGOMERY: We need to keep you here.

MR. HARRIS: He's not going to make it to the book.

MR. MONTGOMERY: My question is — my concern in just getting your opinion: Do you consider it a little bit of a put down that so much emphasis is put on scrutinizing textbooks, yet, as you say, there's tons of other materials out there that teachers use, number one, which should be your own knowledge of the subject matter that you give to your students.

DR. ALLEN: No. Uh-huh.

MR. MONTGOMERY: And you have a lot

of other material out there, such as library books, and you have all kinds of computer programs now, curriculum supplements. And we don't scrutinize that at all. Doesn't that seem a little odd to you that we spend so much time on textbooks and this is just one of the tools that a teacher uses?

MR. HARRIS: I do scrutinize

everything that comes into my classroom from the posters that go on the wall to the teaching methods of other teachers. And that's why I got into

educational consulting, because of some of the bad methods I saw out there. So I think the good teachers are scrutinizing everything they come across.

MR. MONTGOMERY: But I mean, they're not scrutinized by a public board like ourself.

MR. HARRIS: Every year, our

districts all hire consultants that come during in-service. And these people get paid very well to present some things that are sometimes very good and sometimes nonsense on stilts. So we do have to try and watch out for that.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Did you get paid for this review?

MR. HARRIS: Proudly so.

MR. MONTGOMERY: And I believe that Dr. Hammons testified last time that he did not ask you or any of the other reviewers anything about their political affiliation, their ideological beliefs. It was just a nonissue. And you consider yourself an independent reviewer?

MR. HARRIS: Yes, sir. I am registered with neither party and never will be.

MR. MONTGOMERY: In fact, he said that even in a number of instances, there were some

reviewers who said that they disagreed with most public policy positions of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and paid me. Are you one of those who disagrees with most of their public policy stands?

MR. HARRIS: To be honest, I don't know that I know enough about them to make that judgment. I have seen their web-site probably five years ago and every once in a blue moon click on to it, but have not much to do with them until they made this offer. I was very excited about the chance to have whatever influence I could on creating good history books.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Thank you, sir.

DR. NEILL: In other words, it's not a conspiracy.

MR. HARRIS: I haven't signed up for the membership, yet.

MR. MONTGOMERY: You can.

DR. ALLEN: There is no membership.

MR. BERNAL: I just wanted to ask

you, Mr. Harris: Are you going to go tell your wife that you learned a lot from these two ladies here?

MR. HARRIS: Yes, sir, I will.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Ricky Floyd Dobbs,

87 followed by Dr. Christopher Hammons.

DR. DOBBS: I participated in this

textbook review project of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, despite the fact that my politics are generally to the left of the Foundation's. I'm, in fact, a liberal democrat. If I were living in Corpus Christi, Ms. Berlanga, I would be voting for you.

MS. BERLANGA: I appreciate it. I'm on the ballot.

DR. ALLEN: Thank you.

DR. DOBBS: Unfortunately, I live in Conroe.

There's a great deal of talk about hidden agendas over the past few months in these proceedings. I want to stress to people on the right that no academic historian I know hates America. And no academic historian that I know wants to destroy the free enterprise system. We all expect much of America and we all expect justice in our economic system.

Now, of the four texts I examined, I would like to offer kudos to the American Republic published by Glencoe McGraw-Hill. It was the best of the four and most closely resembles a college

textbook. The problems I encountered in the texts were common in varying extents in all of them. One of them was organizational incoherence about which we had the conversation a moment ago. The other one was triumphalism, heroification, things that Dr. Bernal mentioned awhile back. Sanitization and conflict avoidance.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

The publisher appreciates the positive comment.

Organizational incoherence means that a text is not only hard to follow, but the organizational problems actually undermine or distort historical understanding.

Triumphalism is the presentation and misinterpretation of historical events in a manner that suggests the inevitability of progress. Sometimes triumphalism even invents positive outcomes that never happened. A good example of triumphalism is the refusal to acknowledge the efforts of the two major political parties to destroyed populism, out of which sprang disfranchisement and segregation.

Heroification is the presentation of historical figures, except of course, Hitler and Stalin, as personifications of virtue and greatness, without attention to their human characteristics. In its worse form, it creates heroes out of people

Response to Oral Testimony—August 23, 2002 9-13-2002

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

CHAPMAN COURT REPORTING SERVICE 512.452.4072

unworthy of the term. A notable example of the worst kind of heroification is Charles Lindberg, the aviator who flew across the Atlantic alone in 1927. Also, the Nazi sympathizer who received decorations from the German government, praised Hitler, cavorted with British Fascists and warned that a Jewish conspiracy sought to embroil the United States in World War II.

In three of the books, Lindberg

appears as a lonely voice crying against war in 1940 and Ml. Students are asked in two to consider how Lucky Lindy's call for peace may have, "damaged his reputation." Lindberg is used as a civics lesson about the importance of speaking out on behalf of an unpopular cause.

Unpleasant realities are routinely sanitized. Good example would be the withdraw of out of many texts because of a statement, which true but, was nonetheless objectionable and offended some folks.

A final issue, of course, is

textbooks' avoidance of conflict. And one of the most serious problems with that comes in the coverage of the Civil Rights Movement and the failure to adequate explain — if I may complete.

MS. MILLER: Go ahead.

DR. DOBBS: The failure to explain the extent of white resistance to integration. White resistance to integration was — permeated southern culture. And it is not dealt with in any sort of meaningful way in any of the books.

Now, the four major problems continue to create these. One of these creates these problems in the textbook. One is the accountability system. Another is poor the quality of teacher preparation in the subject material. Another is an excessively utilitarian rationale for the teaching history. And the last is the politicization of the process itself.

I will leave you with this last

remark from James Lowen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. College teachers in most disciplines are happy when their students have had significant exposure to the subject before college. Not teachers in history.

History professors in college

routinely put down high school history courses. A colleague of mine sees his job as disabusing his charges of what they learned in high school. In no

other field does this happen. Mathematics professors, for instance, know that non-euclidean geometry is rarely taught in high school. But they don't assume that geometry was mistaught. Professors of English literature don't assume that Romeo and Juliet was misunderstood in high school. Indeed history is the only field in which the more courses students take, the stupider they will become.

On Monday, I will return to the

classroom and I'm looking forward to it. And I will encounter a bunch of bright-eyed freshman taking History 122. But unfortunately, until something is done here, I'm going to have to come in with those same basic assumptions that Dr. Lowen's colleague had.

Thank you.

MR. McLEROY: I have a question.

DR. DOBBS: Yes, sir.

MR. McLEROY: On the — what do you

see as the greatest problem of misinformation of the students that you get in college? I mean, it can't be — I mean, you have a specific example of Lindberg. I love history myself. I've read a lot about lots of neat facts like that that are not

92 portrayed.

DR. DOBBS: I guess the problem —

MR. McLEROY: What do you see in

general? Can you give me a couple of major themes that you see as the biggest problem of what the children have to be re-taught when they get to college?

DR. DOBBS: Have to be re-taught?

For one thing, people come from an inability to see context, how one thing flows to another. And part of the reason why I suggest that that would happen is that, oftentimes, in trying to meet the text, we teach history in a disembodied sense, without some sort of continuity from one thing to another, which was the thing that I was involved in a tete-a-tete with Ms. Berlanga about a minute ago.

Factual information incorrect. But factual information, really, those are sort of the things we focus on in this debate. But the reality of it is, is that there's more to the truth than the facts. That's — one of my history mentors put it, there's more to history than the facts. There's why one thing leads to another thing. And that's usually the most critical problem. Students aren't taught to think about that.

MR. McLEROY: Why do women — for

instance, why do women have such a — their place in the — in the world today globally in the West? Why is it?

DR. DOBBS: I'm not necessarily

inclined to agree with that. It is better in the West certainly than it is in the East. But we've got a long way to go. Equal pay still isn't quite around.

MR. McLEROY: Well, let's don't go there. You did agree with me that it's better. I agree it's better, also. Why?

DR. DOBBS: Why?

MR. McLEROY: Yeah. I mean, what's your trend? Just in general you're talking about major trends. What would you — why do — how do you attribute that to your class? This is the only example.

DR. DOBBS: Now, I don't usually deal with the wider western world. I'm dealing solely with American history. And I would argue that the reason why things get better in America is because people get upset in America a lot easier than they do in some other countries. And when they get upset, they speak up. And when they speak up,

94 things can get better.

MR. McLEROY: That's it. Nobody else gets upset?

DR. DOBBS: I'm sorry?

MR. McLEROY: So in the rest of the world people — okay.

CHAIR SHORE: Afraid they get shot.

DR. DOBBS: Once again, Mr. McLeroy, my expertise is in U.S. I reviewed the U.S. textbooks and what I teach is U.S. So that's what I'm referring to.

MR. McLEROY: Thank you. You are in my district. I'd appreciate your vote.

DR. DOBBS: Is Ms. Berlanga running in your district?

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you very much.

DR. DOBBS: Thank you. Anything else?

MR. BERNAL: Yes.

DR. DOBBS: Dr. Bernal.

MR. BERNAL: You're a democrat and you're teaching at A&M.

DR. DOBBS: A&M, Commerce. Used to be East Texas State University.

MR. BERNAL: Oh at Commerce. Okay.

95 By fingers, how many of you are there?

DR. DOBBS: I got an undergraduate degree to Baylor, but — so A&M thing doesn't entirely work out. I would say the entire department is.

MR. BERNAL: Okay. Could you define a little better than what you did here in a couple of lines about how the states accountability system creates a major problem for teaching social studies, and specifically, history.

DR. DOBBS: If you read the text,

Dr. Bernal, you'll find that the texts are very much a format or a formulaic approach to things. In other words, the text will list, say, 10 heroes that are on the list. And these become cannon. And those are regurgitated back by the textbooks, usually on the premise that they are, in fact, heroes when, in fact, they may have some seamy underbellies, like Mr. Lindberg. That's one problem.

Another problem with the text is that a significant portion — I believe there were 24 competencies if I have off the top of my head from the review process. Four of those deal with something called social study skills, which I'm —

being a historian, I'm unfamiliar with. The entirety of modern American history since 19 — actually since 19 — heck, 1941 is a single competency. In other words, the whole suite is given the same — is given less latitude than the skills, these undifferentiated skills out there.

And that's a real problem from where I'm at. We have students who jump through the hoops of TEKS or actually, up until this point, jump through the hoops of TAAS and come to college thinking that they can read and write. And they can't do it very well.

DR. BERNAL: They define history as a skill. Is that a problem?

DR. DOBBS: I guess what I'm saying is, is that social studies isn't a discipline. It does not exist in the academic world. It is a creation of public schools. And it's a mish-mash of these different types of disciplines, economics, government, history. And in the mishing and mashing, the subject material is discounted in value in favor of skills, more often than not. But that's my — I guess that would go right back to what Mr. McLeroy was asking a minute ago. That's really a source or a wellspring from where that comes from.

MR. BERNAL: Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you. Go on to the next person.

MR. RIOS: Dr. Christopher Hammons. Followed by Bill Ames.

DR. HAMMONS: Good morning and thank you. I've reviewed the three government textbooks that are up for adoption. These are from Prentice Hall, Holt Rinehart and Glencoe McGraw-Hill. And one of the questions I've had the people ask me is: What should a good government textbook include? And I would say there are three components. One is, they should include some discussion of the powers, processes and institutions of government. That is sort of the meat and potatoes of an American government course. It's also the most boring part of the American government course. It's one reasons that the students don't want to take American government.

The spice on that meat and potatoes is discussion of public policy issues. Students love to discuss public policy issues. Things like gun control, welfare, affirmative action. Because even if you don't know a lot, everybody has an opinion. And a lot of people take political science

courses or fancy themselves future lawyers or legislators and they want to be heard.

The problem with the textbooks is, is there are many instances where they present theory on conjecture as fact in the discussion of public policy. And I'll give you two examples. One of the classic questions that students are asked is: Why has our Constitution lasted so long? And there are a number of different theories. But two of the three textbooks states that the answer is because the U.S. Constitution is a living document. That is, there is an organic interpretation of the document which allows it to be read in many different ways. And because it's flexible, it has persisted for so long.

Now, that's a valid theory, but it's not a fact. The alternative viewpoint held by many judges, constitutional scholars, historians, citizens, is that the reason that the Constitution has lasted so long is because it's fixed. The principles are immutable and we cannot translate them in different ways.

This classic debate between strict constructionism and a loose construction. Two of the books say specifically, well, this organic

approach is the reason why. And one book even suggests that students read a book by Jack Rackoff (phonetic), who's written an indictment of the strict constructionist approach. That does a disservice to the students. Because what happens is, they leave thinking that what is theory is basically fact. It closes off any sort of intellectual discussion. It's a disservice to them when they get to the college level and they haven't had this background.

Another good example is a discussion of the Second Amendment, which I discussed earlier. Two of the three textbooks mention that the Second Amendment only applies to the state's ability to maintain malitia. Being in Texas, in particularly, where the Second Amendment is a hot issue, many students and citizens feel it's the right of individuals to maintain firearms. And the books don't do a good job of covering both sides.

The last thing that I would say that the textbook could improve upon is some discussion of patriotism, which is a requirement of the TEKS. The textbooks have confused patriotism, which I would define as participation in the political process, running for office, love of our country's

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institutions, defense of liberty, and substitute instead political activism, movements and causes. Things like environmentalism, protesting multinational corporations. One book suggests setting up a gun control organization on campus. Protection of the homeless. All admirable causes, but if the books are going to promote certain agendas, they should also offer other agendas or at least the alternatives so students can investigate both and participate in a larger civic discourse which is required of them in political science classes.

I'll answer any questions you have at this point in time.

DR. ALLEN: Dr. Hammons, were you paid for your work?

DR. HAMMONS: Yes, ma'am, I was.

DR. ALLEN: For your review of the textbooks, you were paid.

DR. HAMMONS: Yes, ma'am, I was. A lot of our reviewers the — I coordinated the review. And we paid all our reviewers. A lot of them, to tell you the truth, didn't want to do the review. It's very time consuming. Particularly when we sent out the standards by which we were

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going to conduct this review. We wanted documentation of cites and sources. We had specific criteria that we asked them to comment on.

And many reviews that are often

conducted are more impressionistic. That is, a person reads a book and they say, "What is your impression of the book?" And we tried to avoid that.

And frankly, when we approached a lot of the reviewers and said, "This is the commitment we want from you," there was some hesitation. Dr. Dobbs was one of those. And I — I think the money helps because people had to take time off from their summers, give up teaching stipends in the summer, cancel summer vacations to do this. And I don't think without the money we could have had as quality a review as we had.

DR. ALLEN: I don't get paid. I do quality.

DR. HAMMONS: Oh, you should be paid.

DR. ALLEN: I should be. Let that be shown in the record.

(Laughter.

DR. HAMMONS: We're working too cheap.

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MS. THORNTON: Dr. Hammons, may I

speak to you, please. I thank you very much. And I have to tell you, I certainly think you should have been paid. And I have to certainly agree with Dr. — we should be paid, also, I think.

I want to tell you that being

government teacher myself, I started looking at some of these textbooks. The first area that I look at is the Constitution of the United States is a rather important document, I believe. And one of the area I've noticed in some of the textbooks is the incorrect statements or the lack of correct statements in dealing with the Second Amendment. I immediately called the publishers and I said, "We have a problem." They — I want you to know that they responded quickly. I am told that they have corrected that error.

DR. HAMMONS: Yes.

MS. THORNTON: So I want to tell you, I thank you. I totally agree with you. But I did want you to know that, to my knowledge, they have responded. And we actually walked the walk on that amendment, because I think it's important for the children to know the truth.

DR. HAMMONS: Certainly. And I would

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contend that that's one of the benefits of this process.

MS. THORNTON: I think so, too. But I want to say one other thing, if I may, right now. I don't see anything wrong with paying people to review a textbook. I think if someone has that problem, I challenge them to review one, correctly. Spend the long hours, look up sources, make sure they're right, make sure the textbook's right or wrong. And I would say that I don't think you can begin to even look at one of these government textbooks without spending at least a total of three entire weeks totally hours, minimum. I think you should be paid. And I think that the teachers and professors that were paid to look at these books, I personally want to say, I'm grateful. I'm thankful. And we ought to do more of it.

DR. HAMMONS: I would second that.

And I will tell you that the public school teachers whom we paid were very appreciative of the extra stipend, the honorarium.

MS. THORNTON: I'm sure they were as I was.

DR. HAMMONS: We had a number of people who said that the money would help to buy

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computers for their kids going to college, to fix a broken garage door. They were all for it.

MR. MONTGOMERY: You didn't take

social security out and then they retired that day, did you?

DR. HAMMONS: I don't know how that works.

MS. THORNTON: And I want to say something else. I really have a real problem, I guess, being a teacher myself, when I hear anyone that says anything negative about teachers' professionalism. I did find out the names and — I knew some of the teachers that were paid to review these books. And I can certainly say, as a member of the State Board, these people are professionals, because I know them. And I know the number of years that they've stood before children in our state and taught them factual information.

And so I think what we need to be

very careful when we're negative in any respect of paying professional teachers that we put before our children. And I thank you. I thank any group that's willing do this. And I think to ask anyone to review a textbook without pay is wrong. And I thank you, even though you and I may not agree on

105 all things.

DR. HAMMONS: Thank you.

MS. THORNTON: But I do want you to know that I feel like the publishers have corrected this, to my knowledge, on this Second Amendment. And if you come across a book that you feel like they haven't, let me know. Because the publishers were extremely positive about it.

DR. HAMMONS: That's been my response and my reaction as well. The TPPF web-site will publish reviewers' criticisms and the publishers' responses, as they were submitted. And in all cases I have no doubt that the results of this interaction result in better textbooks. The dialogue is better, the coverage of facts is better. I think there are sometimes an attempt to whip this up into some sort of a battle because it makes a good media story. But the truth is, it's just a — it's a better — the result is better textbooks.

MS. THORNTON: Thank you, sir. And I would like more people to think about that.

The other is, the — when I taught government, I taught that the Constitution was a living document. And the reason I taught it was a living document was that our nation changes from

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generation to generation, but you can still go to the words of this document that is not changed and you can apply it to our lives. And I think that's important.

I never heard of anyone teaching that the constitutional document changed. You can't change it. You can only amend it. But you can't change a word in it. And I think that's important.

I have also found some information in which I thought the students might tend to look at it that way. I have spoken with the publishers again. And I also believe that is being corrected. I think it's important. Because as we know, as our nation has grown and changed through years and years, that document has stood strong and has guided us well. And so it is alive. And I'm glad it's alive for the people in this country.

So I thank you for that. But I did

want you to know I think the publishers are working very hard —

DR. HAMMONS: I agree.

MS. THORNTON: — to change these

things and alter these things for our children. And thank you.

DR. HAMMONS: Any other questions?

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MS. BERLANGA: I have a question.

Since you have several pages here, are you — like, if you start out on Page 1 and you're talking about constitutional interpretation, are you stating what the publishers said in their textbooks and are you telling us they made changes? Or are you telling us that you're concerned about these issues and, you know, you're raising a concern?

DR. HAMMONS: These were — these were some general areas. And these specific instances that have been bulleted were the selections from the text so you can see what was printed. If the publishers responded, I put those responses at the back of the testimony so you could see how they responded. And in some cases, the publishers contended that they felt that their text, as presented, was accurate and not misleading. And that's their prerogative.

In other cases, the publishers would say, "We can see how you might interpret it that way. How about if we just tweak one or two words? Does this clarified the meaning of the statement?" And I published all of those here for anybody who's interested for seeing what sort of work they've.

In my opinion, there is no — the

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books cannot be any clearer. Students have a tendency — and I get this at the college level as well. That they read whatever is in the books as gospel. That is, if the con — if the book says that the constitution a living document, it is very flexible, then that's what they take away from them. And the advantage of having diverse points represented in the books is it will elicit some discussion.

I don't particularly care whether my students come out as liberal or conservatives. What I want for them is to develop opinions themselves. To be able to defend their opinions and to know what the opposition thinks. And in doing that, you strengthen your own beliefs. And that's the benefit of the process.

MS. BERLANGA: You know, I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about any of these, because it requires reading in all the texts and comparing textbooks —

DR. HAMMONS: It's very time consuming, yes, ma'am.

MS. BERLANGA: — and comparing your comments with how the textbook is written, because sometimes the textbook is written in such a way that

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there appears to be nothing wrong with it. So, you know, I'm not sure where I would fall in this category, but I will look at the specifics that you've outlined.

DR. HAMMONS: And I've got page numbers here as well in case you —

MS. BERLANGA: Yeah, that's fine.

DR. HAMMONS: Yes, ma'am — oh, I'm sorry.

MR. BERNAL: Your statement of organic versus strict construction. I don't consider them necessarily as being polars or being opposites, because I — I agree with our secretary that it's a living document because parts of the Constitution can be amended by the Congress.

DR. HAMMONS: That's correct. There — I'm sorry.

MR. BERNAL: Let me finish. There's portions of the Constitution that seem — that are going to be there for eternity that probably would never be changed. And I suppose people can construct them very strictly because they've been there. And I don't think that anybody would want to change some of our first 10 amendments, for example.

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But the idea that they seem to be — in your comments that they seem to be at opposites aren't necessarily so. I think that people want to construct — that want to interpret it very strictly can, but it doesn't take away the fact that the Congress can change, amend it. So it's a — I've always referred to it as an open-ended Constitution.

DR. HAMMONS: I agree. They're not mutually exclusive. I think this is the point that — the previous that she was making as well is that you can be a strict constructionist and still believe the Constitution is adaptable over time.

My concern was that the way the books present the information, one book in particular notes that it is a living document. And then in the same section, offers additional reading for materials, which is an indictment of the strict constructionist approach. And so my suggestion was: Why not, in that bullet where you offer — or that side-bar when you offer additional reading, why not offer books that only indict the strict constructionist approach, but also support it? And so students can get a better education by reading from different scholars and different backgrounds.

Those sort of things, I think, only

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help clarify the content of the book as our discussion.

MS. STRICKLAND: I'd like to make a comment, too. I think it bears repeating. And I concur with you, versus my colleagues here, because I really feel like, as the previous speaker, Mr. Harris, stated in his good quote that if we have a downfall of a nation, one of the things is the lack of truth. And I firmly believe in the strict constructionists viewpoint.

We also are moving from the fact that it is republic to showing that this is republic to showing it as a democracy. And it's — they're not one and the same. So in my opinion, we're following in that slippery slope with what has been discussed here. And I commend you for what you're saying. And I think we need to tell the truth so our children with know what to think.

Thank you.

DR. HAMMONS: Any additional questions?

Thank you very much.

MR. RIOS: Bill Ames, followed by Lynette Ames.

MR. AMES: Good morning. I'm a — my

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name is Bill Ames and I'm here as a volunteer representing the Citizens for a Sound Economy.

I have spent a good portion of the

last four months crawling through two books, line by line, page by page, developing a report. But I'm not going to talk about those books this morning. And I'm not even going to share with you which books they are, because I'm going to spend my three minutes this morning talking about an observation that — that I made that overrides all others.

And that observation is how the TEKS standards affect the quality of the books I reviewed. TEKS standards drive the publisher to vulcanize history by race, gender and class. The TEKS standards encourage multicultural revisionism of history. As an example, TEKS scorekeepers check two compliance boxes when the biography of an African-American female aviator named Bessie Coleman is included in a section about aviation pioneers. The TEKS give no credit for inclusion of the Wright brothers. The possible result, Coleman in, Wright out.

Further, there is a TEKS standard that requires analysis of social issues such as treatment of minorities and problems of immigrants.

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Such negativism results in a preponderance of horror stories which undermine any notion of pride in America that a student might dare to have. But there is no balancing standard requiring stories about those who have achieved the American dream.

TEKS standards require discussions of popular American culture. The entertainment industry and even rock-and-roll. And those — those requirements lead to the inclusion of historical giants like Jimmy Hendrix, Archie Bunker, Maude and even anarchists Mario Savio and Tom Haden.

But there are no TEKS standards requiring discussions of contemporary business leaders. So inspirational stories about Sam Walton and Walmart, Katherine Graham and the Washington Post, Robert Johnson and Black Entertainment Television are all relegated to the dust bin of history.

TEKS scorekeepers check the Normandy Compliance box when they read about the invasion of Omaha Beach, but there is no TEKS checklist given for the display of bravery or patriotism. And as a result, there is no discussion of the legacy left to us by the men and fought and died on Omaha Beach and no discussion about the responsibility our students

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inherit to jealously guard the individual liberties and freedom for which 3,000 men died.

On July 4th of 2002, columnist George Will wrote, "We are supposed to prefer explaining the past, not with reference to an event making individuals, but in terms of the Holy Trinity of today's obsessions, race, gender and class."

While these textbook reviews are

important, my conclusion is that a thorough review and revision of the TEKS standards is a far more productive way to permanently improve my textbooks — our textbooks.

Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

THE COURT:

MS. STRICKLAND: Mr. Ames, I just

want to thank you very much. I have to say that you succinctly say what many teachers, many citizens are saying, that we're getting the cart before the horse. We need to go back and revise and an readdress the TEKS that they are scoped and sequenced and there's continuity and not just —

MR. AMES: Thank you,

Ms. Strickland. Those words, I know, are adversarial, but they need to be said. Those issues

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need to be out on the table. And I would hope that you — you would actually consider having a hard look at the TEKS to make sure that the stuff that's in the standards doesn't flow down into the textbooks, because it really does. It drives the publisher into a — what I would consider to be a bad textbook.

Thank you, Ms. Strickland.

MS. STRICKLAND: Thank you. And I was not here when the TEKS were adopted. But this is almost as much as I hear about the TAAS — or did about the TAAS, I hear about the TEKS. So thank you.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Mr. Ames, have you heard of Thomas — over here, the white-haired guy.

You heard of the Thomas Fordham Foundation, haven't you?

MR. AMES: No, sir.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Well, they're an old school education group. And they ranked the Texas TEKS in the top three in the nation for curriculum. That's George W. Bush's rewrite of the curriculum passed by the State Board of Education by many of my colleagues here in 1997. So what I'm hearing you say is that, if the books are bad, it's not because

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of the publishers. They have no choice but to follow these TEKS, which are ranked so high in this nation.

MR. AMES: I have no background to

understand the quality of the TEKS because I have no basis for comparison. In fact — in fact, if I were a board member, I would be concerned by using a very localized set of standards because there is no way that you can stare me in the eye and tell me how our kids in Texas are doing versus kids in Oklahoma or Iowa or Minnesota or New York or anywhere else — or in Europe or anywhere else in the country, because we have developed a set of standards that is unique to Texas and there is no measure for comparison with other states.

MR. MONTGOMERY: I'm just telling

you — and I'm not an expert on it either. And I wasn't here when the TEKS were passed. But I do know that many, many well-known, well-respected, old education research groups, not new age groups, rank the TEKS as one of the best in the nation, in the top three.

MR. AMES: Well, that is an opinion that some people hold.

MR. MONTGOMERY: That's not my

117 opinion. That's their opinion.

CHAIR SHORE: Actually, there is a

way to rank Texas with other states. We have what's called the NAPE — the NAPE tests and results. And Texas is ranked with all other states and other countries. So we do have that information. And I'm sure if you'd like to see it, Dr. Smith could provide it.

Thank you.

DR. ALLEN: On the way up.

CHAIR SHORE: It is on the web, I think.

MR. McLEROY: I've a question, Mr. Ames.

CHAIR SHORE: He's gone.

MR. McLEROY: No, he's not.

CHAIR SHORE: I was hoping.

MR. McLEROY: Other than the vulcanization of the TEKS on the process —

MR. AMES: Yes, sir.

MR. McLEROY: — do you have any

other — I mean, you've spent a lot of time looking at these books. Do you have any other themes or anything you would like to add to the three minutes?

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MR. AMES: Are you asking for an example of vulcanization?

MR. McLEROY: No, sir. I'm asking for another example of other problems besides the vulcanization of the — because of TEKS. Do you have any other?

MR. AMES: I have primarily four problems. One was what I called vulcanization. Second is what I call the death of American pride by 1,000 cuts. Third is just flat out revisionism where opinions are presented as fact. Opinions are presented without the opposite view. And, frankly, there is a category of revisionism, which just involves making stuff up. Fourth, I question the kinds of — the kinds of questions that appear in the text in this particular textbook. And — and it is — it is sets of questions that are designed to solicit an emotional rather than a factual response.

Now, why is that important? The

students are asked to describe feelings rather than factual material. And —

MR. McLEROY: Do you highlight that

in your — did you document when you wrote this down in some reports?

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MR. AMES: Yes, sir.

MR. McLEROY: Okay. And that's — is that included in —

MR. AMES: It's all documented —

MR. McLEROY: — Citizens for Sound Economy information.

MR. AMES: — but it is work in process, and so I am — I have not revealed it, yet.

MR. McLEROY: Oh, haven't finished it. But the publishers will get a copy of it soon?

MR. AMES: Yes.

MS. STRICKLAND: One more comment. You're saying that the children feel good and self-esteem. I recently read that there was an international contest where the American students came in No. 1 in self-esteem but dead last in their subject matter. South Korea came in last in self-esteem and first in subject matter. So the point well taken.

MR. AMES: Well, excuse me, it's not a matter of self-esteem.

MS. STRICKLAND: No, I'm talking about —

MR. AMES: It's a matter — the real issue is it's an indoctrination.

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MS. STRICKLAND: Exactly. MR. AMES: It is presenting material in a biased way, for example, McCarthyism. And the overwhelming tone of the McCarthyism topic is that — well, the quote is something like, the Rosenbergs were — there was a lot of feeling that the Rosenbergs were not guilty, that they were victims and there were a lot of petitions and stuff. An overall tone of sympathy towards the alleged communists.

Now, the Verona papers that were

released in the mid 1990s to some extent exonerated McCarthy's efforts, even though his tactics were bad. But the question at the end of the text, having set up the student to believe that McCarthyism was totally the bad guy and that the communists tended to be the victims, the question is: What do you learn about the McCarthy era? And Answer C was something like: There were a lot of communists who had infiltrated the government of the. And the D question was something like fears of traders tend to breed intolerance and discrimination. Now, you can tell the touchy-feely attempt to pull out the D answer where the C answer is probably the more accurate.

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MS. STRICKLAND: Well, thanks for clarifying that. I happen to believe that real self-esteem comes from knowing and doing not just thinking or feeling good.

MR. AMES: Yes.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. McLEROY: Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: I think there was some

question earlier about why do we have these hearings and why is it important to be able to discuss all of the things that we have found and other people have found. And I think that we — it's part are of our democratic process in the country to do this. But I want to call attention now to a book that I found.

I don't think anybody reviewed this

book. I went over awhile ago and picked it up. And just thumbing through it, it took me about five minutes to find something very objectionable. It's pornographic. I can't even read it to you.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Go ahead.

MS. THORNTON: No, Chairman, don't read that. No.

CHAIR SHORE: I cannot read it to you.

MS. BERLANGA: Ladies don't.

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CHAIR SHORE: This book was — the staff told me they're recommending that we reject this book, but not because of the pornographic material but because it does not meet — because it meets less than 50 percent of the TEKS.

Now, there's something wrong with the process if we can't reject this book because it's pornographic. But anyway, I'm quite certain that my colleagues will vote to reject this book on recommendation of staff because it is less than 50 percent of the TEKS. And I'm certainly glad it is, because I'd find some way to reject this book. So if — but this is why we need this process and we need the — we need the ability to look at these books. And now everybody is going to run over there and try to get this book. And I think all the copies are gone. But — but none of the groups out there reviewed this book. And I just happened to pick it up. Somehow or another, I just happened to pick up a couple of books and opened them. And it's like, you know, why did I go over and pick this book up? I don't know. But it's definitely one that we're going to reject. I can predict that. But I think it just shows why we need this process today and why we need these hearings and why they are

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MS. STRICKLAND: If this book met the TEKS, we would really need to change the TEKS.

CHAIR SHORE: Absolutely. We'd have to find some way to reject it if it did meet the TEKS.

But anyway, it's just — I just

wanted to make a comment about the fact that that — that's just one of the reasons it's important that we have this hearing today. But it's also important that we along. We're going very slowly.

MR. RIOS: Lynette Ames, followed by Peggy Venable.

MS. AMES: Good morning. My name is Lynette Ames and I'm from Dallas, Texas. I am a member of the Citizens for a Sound Economy and I'm the literacy chairman or literary chairman of the Golden Corridor Republican Women in the Dallas-Piano area.

This past June, I spoke with U.S.

congressman Pete Sessions about the Texas textbook review process. We discussed the importance of a balanced curriculum in our taxpayer supported public schools. One that would reflect our heritage as a godly nation, how we became a great nation, and the

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sacrifices and contributions of our citizenry for a better world.

Recognizing the importance of the

difficult challenges that lie ahead for those of us who are working so diligently to this end, Congressman Sessions sent a letter to Chairman Grace Shore. He asked me to read a part of the — of that letter to you today.

"Dear Chairman Shore. I am writing to express my thoughts regarding the upcoming textbook review hearings that are scheduled to be held in Austin. I'm aware of the awesome task that your board faces. As the second largest state in the nation, Texas takes a lead role in determining what is appropriate content for not only our state but for the country as a whole. I know that you don't take that duty lightly and I applaud you for your dedication to this effort.

The intent of my writing is to ask that your board accept a challenge to focus on a standard of excellence within those textbooks and not to accept less than a complete product. I'm concerned, also, about the literary license that may be taken at the expense of accuracy and honesty. Sincerely, Pete Sessions, Member of Congress."

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CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Peggy Venable, followed by Carol Jones.

MS. VENABLE: Good morning, almost good afternoon. I want to thank you, those of you who have defended the public participation in this process. I think it's extremely important. You know, students graduating today may be more teary-eyed at hearing "We are the World" than in hearing the national anthem. And so today I'm just going to focus on another "P" word. That is, patriotism, not the pornography in the textbook that seems to be — have woken everyone up in the room.

We at CSE have as our mission

supporting the teaching of our founding father's documents and patriotism. For students to become active, participating students with an appreciation of our democracy and free enterprise as is required by state law. And publishers are now the vehicles in this important public policy debate.

As we look at some of the

organizations that have opposing views from most of the citizen's participation, most notably the Texas Freedom Network, a group frankly, disturbingly has received funding from the Texas State Teacher's

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Association PAC, when the Texas Freedom Network has supported the district court decision to ban the Pledge of Allegiance in our schools. That is an important point in what I'm trying to make today.

Also, an organization that was

discussed at the last meeting that there's some teacher representatives here, the National Counsel for Social Studies. At that organization's national conference in November, keynote speaker James Lowen — he is the author of Lies Across America, which is a tour of nation's monuments whose "Lies and omissions suggest times and ways that the U.S. went astray as a nation," warned against patriotic displays like the singing of God Bless America.

Allen Schulman, a participant in a

panel examining the impact of September 11 on social studies professionals at a meeting of a greater New York NCSS affiliate chapter, got to the heart of the matter. Responding to a teacher who said her students had been wanting to know more about American history since the attacks, he said, "We need to de-emphasize the United States. We are just another country and another group of people." In fact, Shuleman's de-exceptionalizing of the United

127 States perfectly captures the core of this debate.

Now, many states have embraced NCSS' idea that you don't need to know much American history to be an effective citizen. And I could list those states. But among others I think the states that are developing stronger history standards have included Texas. And I say hats off to the teachers of Texas.

I'll not suggest that the Texas group shares the national group's views, which I do consider dangerous. My daughter is in a public school here. If I thought that public school teachers in Texas unanimously agreed with that perspective, I would be concerned.

But Lynn Chaney recently spoke to the James Madison Institute and expressed the concern that graduating high school students that said, among other things, that being an American was nothing special.

I have interest in making sure that my daughter and children have an appreciation of what our forefathers fought and died to provide us in our individual freedoms and liberties. We need to examine the focus of these discourses today and what we're undertaking. It's clearly a turning

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point in history education. Do we teach history and provide our children with a sense of pride in country and in our state or do we focus on multiculturalism and a neutral perspective on our national patriotism and heritage?

I think it's a very important

debate. I guess one would say then, why are our textbooks shortchanging patriotism and capitalism? I believe there is a national move afoot for that to be the case. Is patriotism a part of our national culture? Is the 4th of July an important historical holiday? It is in the minds of most Americans. And thank you for facilitating citizens participation in important debate in this process.

MS. BERLANGA: I have a question.

You said something that's kind of puzzling to me and maybe a little bothersome. You seem to think that there's a great debate between multiculturalism and patriotism. I don't understand why people don't understand that being from different cultures doesn't mean that you're less patriotic to your country.

MS. VENABLE: I agree with you totally.

MS. BERLANGA: If you're born in the

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United States of America, you're an American and you're proud to be an American and you seek justice and equality for all that we talk about, whether we're saying the pledge of allegiance or whether we're singing "America the Beautiful," you know, "Star Spangled Banner." I mean, it brings tears to our eyes. We — our ancestors may have been from other countries. I mean, this is a America. It's the melting pot.

MS. VENABLE: If I may address that.

MS. BERLANGA: I think we all come

from different backgrounds, but it doesn't have to be a debate. I think we're all very patriotic. And we — this is our country. We'll fight for our country, we'll die for our country. We have done it in the past and we'll continue to do it and we'll do it in the future.

MS. VENABLE: Thank you for saying that, but I must say I believe that it is some naivete on some of our part to believe that that is what is being taught across this country.

MS. BERLANGA: What is being taught?

MS. VENABLE: When someone says we need to de-exceptionalize the United States, we're not — we are just another country and another group

130 of people. I'm using direct quotes.

MS. BERLANGA: Yeah, but I don't know what their whole speech was. You may be taking it out of context.

MS. VENABLE: I think that would very tough to take out of context in my book.

MS. BERLANGA: I don't know. I mean, I'm just telling you, I've seen that happened in the past. So I don't know what they're saying. Maybe they were not trying to put down measuring when they said — you know, maybe they said something like all these countries need to learn to work together because, you know, we all are a — this is a global society and we all need to work together. After all, we're just one other country. That's not saying that we're not the most important people within our own country. But I mean, I'm not sure in what context they said it. You may be isolating one sentence that was said in a totally different context.

MS. VENABLE: I believe it is the

theme of what was said. And frankly, I think many of us of Citizens for a Sound Economy and others have been wondering why are the textbooks so void of patriotism. And frankly, that's where we have

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started a discussion across this country. I've spoken, this weekend, to a history professor in Ohio, to people in California have been calling and e-mailing me. There truly is a discussion and a very sincere concern that there is an effort afoot that is well documented. And I will be glad to share more information with you. And I so much appreciate your views and hope that those are the views of others, too.

MS. BERLANGA: Well, let me just say this: That the speakers that you're making reference to are not in the textbooks. We're here today to discuss the textbooks, so —

MS. VENABLE: We're talking about what — if I may say, with all due respect, I was here to talk about why is some of the material that is in the textbook in the textbook and why is some of it is that isn't is not there.

MS. BERLANGA: Okay. But you have to be a little — maybe you can come back in September and tell us what book was not patriotic when they talked about a particular, you know —

MS. VENABLE: I think you made a good point earlier in that publishers are getting their responses in and we are waiting for our final

132 assessment for that.

MS. BERLANGA: We do have a proclamation that we have to go by.

MS. VENABLE: I do understand.

MS. BERLANGA: We've given that to the publishers and we tell them this is what we think you need to cover in all different grade levels and that something new that comes up every time that there's a state —

MS. VENABLE: I realize you have the

task in front of you, but I think we need to look at the bigger picture.

MS. BERLANGA: Excuse me, I'm not

through. Excuse me, I'm not through. And so that's the guide. But every time that patriotism is in there and we've got to discuss it within a certain segment of the particular grade level, then I think the publishers have a duty to do that. And I think they've done that. But if they haven't, then you need to tell us which publishing company and what page and how that compares to the other companies. And that's all I want to say.

MS. VENABLE: Thank you.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Ms. Venable, you and your group —

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MS. VENABLE: Yes, sir.

MR. MONTGOMERY: — testified here last month, I believe.

MS. VENABLE: Yes, sir.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Did the publishers

answer your — did they meet some of your requests, also, as they have some of the other groups, as far as making changes that you suggested?

MS. VENABLE: I think publishers are very focused on making sure the textbooks are accurate and at hearing consumer's concerns about the textbook. And we certainly haven't reviewed, but we did get from TEA a box of the responses from the textbook publishers and are going through those now. Responses to our comments and to others.

MR. MONTGOMERY: So you do expect that they will answer some of your concerns, also?

MS. VENABLE: By law they have to.

MR. MONTGOMERY: That's really my concern here —

MS. VENABLE: Yes, sir.

MR. MONTGOMERY: — in asking these kinds of questions is that there is a perception sometimes that the groups seem to have more power and whatever — and there's certainly nothing wrong

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with paying somebody to review a textbook. It's just that maybe some of the average citizens sometimes say there's no reason for me to go up there and talk to the board members because I don't have the clout that another group has. And I'm just concerned that all the people that have a — a problem about things in textbooks get the same response as those groups that have clout with certain board members and so forth and maybe have the money to pay for these things.

And I notice you're a little

different here in your group. Explain to me, most of your people are — have their names Texas Citizen for Sound Economy beside their name. Are they testifying on behalf of your organization or are they testifying as their individual self?

MS. VENABLE: We actually don't have a centralized process that we're approving everyone's testimony. We're encouraging people to get involved in the process and welcome our members and others doing so. So whereas — they're representing themselves, but they are members. We're a membership organization. We have 48,000 members in the State of Texas and they join because they agree with our mission to promote free market

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MR. MONTGOMERY: So you would expect the publishers then to respond to your individual members rather than your group?

MS. VENABLE: I hope they are, yes, sir. I hope they're responding — and as a matter of fact, I believe that by law they need to respond to anyone who has brought up errors. They can either accept or not accept those, but I believe that is just part of the process and that's what we're in the process of reviewing.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Thank you.

MS. VENABLE: Yes, sir.

DR. ALLEN: May I ask a question,

please? Would you tell me once again — and I don't have a written copy of your testimony. Is there a written copy?

MS. VENABLE: There is not right now.

DR. ALLEN: No written copy. Were you paid to do this?

MS. VENABLE: Actually, I'm fortunate that I am paid to do something I believe in. I am the paid executive director of Citizens for a Sound Economy.

DR. ALLEN: That's very fortunate.

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You should give them a written copy if they're paying that well.

MS. VENABLE: I didn't say how well.

DR. ALLEN: Would you — if they're paying you at all, I'd give them a written copy. Would you tell me once again who made that quote that you —

MS. VENABLE: Yes, ma'am. As a matter fact, I will get you a written copy. I apologize, I modified my comments some after what I occurred earlier had been said.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. Who made that quote?

MS. VENABLE: Which quote was that? Because I believe I gave two quotes.

DR. ALLEN: Something about we're not the only citizens or we're not the most important citizens.

MS. VENABLE: That was Allen Schulman.

DR. ALLEN: And she is?

MS. VENABLE: It is a man,

Allen Schulman. And I do have more information on just who he is and I don't have it right here in front of. But I will be glad to give you a full

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context of where that came from. I'd be glad to get it to the entire board.

DR. ALLEN: And I'd like to know background because — his name is Allen Schulman.

MS. VENABLE: S-c-h-u-1-m-a-n.

DR. ALLEN: Yeah, I'd like to know who that is.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Are you saying that because he made these kinds of statements — I'm sorry.

DR. ALLEN: That's okay. No, I was going to say, I'd like to know who that is and why they take the liberty to make such a statement or what their stance is. And — because that could come from anybody.

MS. VENABLE: Yes, ma'am. I thank you for your interest in that.

DR. ALLEN: A homeless on the street might feel the same way, you know, just hadn't — the country has not been very kind to me, so I'm making the statement. So I don't know who that is. If I were making a quote, I would certainly bring some background to give what you're saying credence because I don't want that —

MS. VENABLE: I'll be glad to do so.

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DR. ALLEN: — to have an impact.

The publishers are running out every time your group is making a statement. And so I don't want that to have an impact on what we do here today.

MS. VENABLE: I'm simply providing

that — excuse me, but I am simply providing that to give a context for what some of the national organizations focus seems to have been in looking at what has happened at their national conference and the speakers that they're having there.

MR. MONTGOMERY: You don't

necessarily think that an organization would necessarily support all of the statements that a keynote speaker at their convention would make, do you?

MS. VENABLE: No, sir, I would hope not.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Sometimes people who make speeches don't reflect what that organization stands for.

MS. VENABLE: But certainly

organizations invite people who are leaders in the field to speak to them. And I'm simply saying this is someone who obviously was a respected leader in that field to have been brought to speak to that

139 organization.

MR. MONTGOMERY: But you're not saying that that is the stance of the National Counsel — what is it? Counsel for Social Studies?

MS. VENABLE: The National Counsel for Social Studies. As a matter of fact, they do have in some of their documents on their web-site their mission statement. And I do have exceptions with some of their mission statements. But I think I made very —

MR. MONTGOMERY: Now, we're talking about something else now.

MS. VENABLE: Yes, sir.

MR. MONTGOMERY: You were talking about the statement that the keynote speaker made —

MS. VENABLE: That a speaker made.

MR. MONTGOMERY: — at their meeting.

MS. VENABLE: Right.

MR. MONTGOMERY: And there was an implication here that this is the stance of that organization just because a speaker made that particular statement.

MS. VENABLE: Yes, sir.

MR. MONTGOMERY: And I think we should clarify that.

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MS. VENABLE: I understand. And they also have, I think, about 19 mission statements and —

MR. MONTGOMERY: We're not talking

about the mission statements here. Just the speech that you referred to.

MS. VENABLE: Yes, sir. I'll be glad to reference those, also, though. I appreciate that comment.

DR. ALLEN: Are you representing the National Counsel of Teachers of Social Studies?

MS. VENABLE: I am not.

DR. ALLEN: I just wanted to put that on the table.

DR. ALLEN: Yes, ma'am.

MR. BERNAL: You said you were going to come back with a remark in September or what?

MS. VENABLE: Yes, sir. We're in the process of looking at the publishers' responses to the — to the testimony and to the errors that have been found. We are not finished with that.

MR. BERNAL: Could you come back with a specific comment or written statement that would have you conclude that multiculturalism goes along with lack of patriotism? I want to — because that

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really bothered me, also. Ms. Berlanga took it up, but —

MS. VENABLE: I actually am not

saying that. And I thank you for giving me the chance to clarify that.

MR. BERNAL: What you were saying when you said multiculturalism versus patriotism?

MS. VENABLE: I believe that there needs to be emphasis on patriotism and there seems to be a de-emphasis on patriotism and an emphasis on multiculturalism. And my daughter is involved in a program in her school on multiculturalism and I support that. But I want her to be taught history and I want her to say the pledge of allegiance and I want her to grow up to be a patriotic American.

MR. BERNAL: I heard it in the same sentence, in the same breath relating the two as being opposites, perhaps, or — or being contradicted.

MS. VENABLE: I think it's an issue of emphasize.

MR. BERNAL: I'm sorry?

MS. VENABLE: I believe it's an issue of emphasis. What are we emphasizing?

MR. BERNAL: You can emphasize

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multiculturalism because we're having a change in society. Here in Texas, for example, you've got a minority-majority state. And that's a big change from 1836 or whatever, at the turn of the century.

CHAIR SHORE: Not really.

MR. BERNAL: So your interpretation

that just because we're changing we're going to lose patriotism, at least that's my conclusion from your remarks, that you seem to conclude that, that's very unfair.

MS. VENABLE: This really isn't my

assessment. This is what some experts are actually proposing.

MR. BERNAL: Could you relate those experts and could you comment on those experts and cite them at your next coming?

MS. VENABLE: I actually cited two

and I'll give you more references and background for those. Before the next hearing, I'll give it to you in writing. I'll be glad to do so.

MR. BERNAL: In written form?

MS. VENABLE: Yes, sir.

DR. ALLEN: Is this your second time testifying before this committee?

MS. VENABLE: I've actually testified

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in the past. I did on science textbooks, also. Yes, ma'am.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. Did you testify on this textbook the last time we had a hearing?

MS. VENABLE: On these textbook, yes, ma'am.

DR. ALLEN: So you've testified twice.

MS. VENABLE: That is correct.

DR. ALLEN: So you know the process, right?

MS. VENABLE: Yes, ma'am, I do.

DR. ALLEN: Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Carol Jones, followed by Margie Raborn.

MS. JONES: My name is Carol Jones and I have testified here before as well. I am a mother, I have a master's degree, I have a teaching certificate and I've worked in public policy for over 25 years. I really had prepared remarks today. As Peggy did, I changed those after I heard some of the other comments today.

What I would really like to say is that there seems to be a lot of concern about the

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influence that citizens have on textbooks and the influence that we might have with publishers. I got really interested in who really does influence textbooks last year during the environmental science textbook reviews.

This year, I found, through much

research, that there are many major organizations that have major funding that influence textbooks before they ever get to the citizen level. There's a group, for example, called the National Counsel on Islamic Education. There are women's groups. NOW is one that I know of who works with publishers. There are black groups. There are many groups that influence these textbooks before you see them or before I see them.

I think that that makes citizen input even that much more important. And in our case, in Citizens for a Sound Economy, we are not necessarily well-funded. We have certainly paid nobody on our team to review textbooks. We think, as do they, that there is something called public service that is still very valuable today.

And I would just like to say that I appreciate the comments here about the fact that we are not an elected. No, we are not. But we elect

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you. And we are the people who pay the tax bills. And so I thank you for the opportunity to say that today. And I would encourage you — I intend to do more research on the influence on textbooks and I certainly, if you're interested, I encourage you to do the same.

Thank you.

DR. ALLEN: What's your name again?

MS. JONES: Questions?

DR. ALLEN: What's your name?

MS. JONES: Carol Jones.

DR. ALLEN: Ms. Jones, were you paid for your participation?

MS. JONES: I work — I worked for — work for Citizens for a Sound Economy, yes.

DR. ALLEN: Uh-huh. Are you paid in that position?

MS. JONES: Yes, ma'am.

DR. ALLEN: Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MS. MILLER: I just want to make a comment that I thank you-all for taking on this issue. Since we lost the opportunity in 1995 to determine content in books and can only determine factual errors, it's really been encouraging to see

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citizens step forward to give up their time, whether paid or unpaid, but to help in this multilayered, if you will, process so that we can all get to creating error-free books that are factual. And — and I have seen over the many years that I've been on this board, even when we were over content, that books still could get into the hands of our children that the content itself was incorrect. And I was invited to school districts to see for my own eyes this. And so believe me, this is a very, very important to have everyone, if you will, look at the books and come together as we sort through and find the best books, if you will, and try to bring error-free books to our children.

And I thank you, Carol and all your efforts.

MS. JONES: Thank you. Thank you very much.

CHAIR SHORE: Mrs. Miller, now that you mentioned content. I don't think our legislators ever anticipated content such as I found in book on Page 109.

MS. MILLER: The more you talk about

that, Grace, the more everybody is going to look for that book.

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CHAIR SHORE: I want them to.

MS. MILLER: Well, I don't think —

MR. RIOS: Margie Raborn, followed by Terri Reid.

MS. RABORN: Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you again. However, it's a bit overwhelming to try to decide what to say in just three minutes. I've completed reviews on six books. I'm in the process of reviewing two others. But there's just not enough to time to address specifics.

Last time I tried to address the need for the inclusion in accurate definitions for "republic" and "democracy" in each social studies book. And that I believe it's important to have a clear explanation that America is a republic. And that should be a minimum requirement.

However, this time I decided to

address another general topic. And that's the issue of using textbooks as advertising instruments.

I do not mind if "Time" and CNN and "National Geographic" receive recognition in the credit sections of these books for what they — their contributions. But I believe it is wrong the repeated and blatant way the company logos are used

148 throughout these books.

Since some try to question the SBOE's authority to address the content of book, I'm sure there would be a big outcry if you started to address advertising policy. However, I would appreciate it if the board would request that the publishers refrain from such blatant advertising. If they choose not to comply, then citizens must address this issue when the books are adopted at the local district. This is very similar to the problem with Channel 1 using students as a captive audience for their commercial promotions.

Now, I'm a big proponent of free

enterprise and entrepreneurship and capitalism. I have no problem with Pepsi Cola or Nike advertising at the Super Bowl. But targeting our classrooms and targeting our textbooks to capture the buying power of students is the kind of thing that gives capitalism a black eye. It is my hope that the publishers will see the validity of my comments and correct this problem themselves.

And if there's time, I can give you a simple example. Do you want an example?

MS. THORNTON: I do.

MS. RABORN: Okay. This is a Glencoe

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textbook. Whoops, things are falling out. Let's just — every map, it says "National Geographic," "National Geographic," "National Geographic." Let's flip over to the other pages. "Time," big sections. Six pages, "Time." "Time." Let's flip over. "National Geographic." All the way through. I have a problem with that.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

Glencoe has no advertising, nor have we sought any advertising for our

textbooks.

Glencoe, like all other major publishers in the social studies adoption, has brand identification in its textbooks when material was developed by other content providers.

Glencoe, for example, is proud to have National Geographic, the world's largest scientific and educational nonprofit organization, in our book. National Geographic is an author responsible for providing geographic content, photographs, and maps. As an author, we pay them rather than their paying us.

The key here is that National Geographic actually owns the copyright to the content they provide. As noted in the copyright notice in the books, "National Geographic contributions, identified by the trademark, are designed and developed by National Geographic School Publishing. Copyright 2003 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved. The name National Geographic Society and the Yellow Border Rectangle are trademarks of the Society, and their use, without prior written permission, is strictly prohibited."

The brand and the yellow rectangle are used to distinguish the National Geographic content from that of the other authors in the books.

Both the content and the maps are distinctive assets to the textbook, and we believe they provide the highest quality of information to our Texas teachers and students.

DR. ALLEN: What book is that? What

book is that?

MS. RABORN: It's one of the Glencoe books.

DR. ALLEN: And what is it? What kind of book is it?

MS. RABORN: It's social studies for Sixth Grade.

Now, Harcourt, on the back of theirs, has CNN, Mapquest and "Time." I would rather that have been somewhere inside under credits, but they give their maps and there's no — there's no credit given on every page.

However, they have a big section in the front "Time for Kids." "Time" is out there hustling. I have to give them credit. But this is just a comment. I hate to see our textbooks used for commercial benefit.

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And I thank you for what you all are doing. I thank you for the opportunity to appear here.

DR. ALLEN: I have one more question.

MS. RABORN: Okay.

DR. ALLEN: Were you paid for your review?

MS. RABORN: No way. If anybody wants to contribute, I'd be glad to receive it.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Ms. Raborn, when you testified here at our last meeting, were you testifying for yourself or for the Texas Sound — Citizens for a Sound Economy?

MS. RABORN: I guess you could say I'm a member of the Citizens for a Sound Economy. But whenever I speak, it's for Margie Raborn and nobody else.

MR. MONTGOMERY: And I appreciate that.

MS. RABORN: I don't want what I say to reflect negatively on Citizens for a Sound Economy, because I probably fall in that radical right-wing, extremist group.

MR. MONTGOMERY: The reason I'm asking is that when you speak to us — and you do

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eloquently several times since I've been here — do you — do the publishers respond to you and you — they are willing to make changes and things of that nature? And do they —

MS. RABORN: We're having some discourse. Let's put it that way.

MR. MONTGOMERY: I see.

MS. RABORN: I had planned to make some comments today and I presented that to the publisher. And I'm hoping they're going to see by my graciousness of not pointing out some things that we can continue to work together.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Well you just might have solved our problem with the permanent school fund. We might just start charging advertising in textbooks and we won't have to furnish anymore money.

MS. RABORN: I don't like — you know, they don't answer to me. But I wonder if their bid goes out, Mapquest, "National Geographic," how much the textbooks, you know, do they — I don't know. But I — and I have no problem. I want every one of these publishers to make money. I want them to hire students when they get to that age. I'm for money and profit. I'm just saying, I know that

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companies like to get their names before buyers at the earliest age and you build up a loyalty.

MR. MONTGOMERY: But you're not

suggesting that these companies might be paying the publishers for this, are you?

MS. RABORN: Well, I'll tell you, I'd be in the competition if I were out there. If I was "U.S. News and World Report," I'd be hustling.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you. We're going to take a 45-minute lunch break. Please just make it 45 minutes. And I hope the afternoon goes faster than the morning.

(Luncheon recess.)

CHAIR SHORE: We're about to get

started with the first person on the list. And I believe the next person on the list is Terri Reid.

MR. RIOS: Terry Reid, followed by Mike Fowler.

MS. REID: Hi, I'm Terri Reid from

Dallas, Texas, and I'm No. 13 and it's Friday, so I guess I'm the lucky one here. And I appreciate a chance to get to talk to you. I've testified before this group a number of times. Got involved last year. I am listed with Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy, but I'm not paid. I've never been paid.

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I'm a total volunteer. And the only reason I'm doing this is because I truly want to have the best quality education materials for the kids and for our country. And I have no hidden political agenda in this matter. And I'm an accountant and a business woman. I'm not a teach or an educator by profession. And so I may be giving you some information that's kind of like auditing.

There are a number of films in the over 200 items on the list of materials to review this year for the history and social studies. And the books — the sets of books are two to eight for each item, if you include the teacher's materials. So there's a lot. And no one person or one group, whether it's the Board or anybody could read all that and do a good job. And I really think that it's a healthy process for the citizens to be involved and make a contribution. And I hope that you all feel the same.

I thought that films made a bigger

impact on kids than books sometimes because you know every kid is going to watch the film in class and they don't always do their homework or read their assignment. And when I was in public school, we were always real excited to get to see a film. So I

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thought it would be a good idea for somebody to watch the films before the kids saw them. And I selected a group of 18 films that I watched them all and some of them twice. They're really good.

A multimedia CIS world geography learning system. And this is by Public Media Incorporated. And I'm here to tell you that I am very happy. I have really great news, I think. It was an excellent set of materials. They were very well balanced and they gave a lot of — of opinions. For example, on the global warming, on the population, on energy and resources — sometimes in these hearings it seems as if there's a they and us or two opposing viewpoints. But I think a lot of these issues are very complicated and you can't really address them in a 20-second sound byte or a three-minute testimony.

And I think to get a lot — there are a lot of complications in some of these issues. And what I was really impressed with is that these films, by and large, gave a very good broad set of information of all the views. And I think that's really where you can make critical thinking. Then you get to decide for yourself when you have more of the facts.

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So I have three minor things that I

wanted to bring as strictly constructive criticism. And one is that there are two films in the set that have — may I just have an another minute?

MS. MILLER: You have 30 seconds.

MS. REID: There are two films in the set that have the virtually the same footage. And I went back and looked at both of them very carefully. We don't need to pay for two of the same. And so that's one thing that could be improved.

This one right here (indicating),

it's called "Trade Debt and Aid." This is the one film in the whole set of 18 that I think is inferior in comparison to the others. The others had, as I said, a broad base of opinions and more of the complexities of the issue. This was very one-sided about the Third World debt. And I think that it could either be enhanced. But it's just — I just wanted to let you know, it's not as good a quality as the others.

And finally, my last comment about this set is that these films were produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. And as I said, they did an excellent job. But unlike what they

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said in the cover sheet, that they were edited for this audience. They are not really — they're not really speaking to American students because this is geography. And where they try to give you a way — an analogy to understand distances, they all — about 95 percent of the time they use kilometers. And that's okay. I'm not here to debate the merits of the metric system versus ours, but I'm just saying that if you're going to sell to the American public, then write to the American public. They were certainly happy to, in all their films, have a United States map and our FBI requirements on copyright law. So I think they could just change. And when somebody says, about how far that is, if you say miles, we — all our road signs are miles. We know how far that is, sort of. Most people in America don't really get kilometers as well. And I would change that.

And that's really all I have to say. But I would recommend this very highly and I'm excited to have having something good to recommend and to say.

DR. ALLEN: What company is that?

MS. MILLER: Terri, thank you very much for that. I appreciate your comments.

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MS. REID: Thank you. It's called Public Media Incorporated. And I didn't see a lot of books for them. But as I said, when I went to Region 10 to check these out, they didn't even know that there were films. And we found them. But that told me that a lot of people aren't looking at the films. And so that's what I picked out to do for my contribution.

MS. MILLER: Thank you.

MR. WATSON: Are these ancillaries for some major publisher's books or what?

MS. REID: I didn't — I couldn't

discern that. It took us — in fact, I had to get help trying to figure out who is the publisher here, because it's not like McGraw-Hill or anyone.

Now, let me tell you, I'm not really finished. I'll be back in September, because they have a book and you can get on the software and get all these maps and go to web-sites. And I want to finish and come back to you with a completed report.

But with three minutes and, also, in the way the publishers need time to look at what they want to do. I just thought I would, you know, break it up into workable parts.

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MS. MILLER: We need to ask Dr. Laos what — can you answer that, Dr. Laos, about this — these videos? Are they —

DR. LAOS: The materials in question are published by Public Media, Inc., as was mentioned. They were submitted in the area of world geography studies and were reviewed against the essential knowledge and skills and are being recommended as conforming for that subject.

MS. MILLER: Okay. As a form of a textbook, right?

DR. LIOS: That's correct.

MS. REID: They have — they have — as I said, they have software so that students can do maps on their computers and they have a lot of information for the teachers. And that's — I have a whole box of this I'm working on. So like I said, when I go through that I'11 come back and give you my findings in September.

MS. MILLER: Are those two videos identical; is that what you're saying? There's a redundance?

MS. REID: The majority of the

footage on these two were. And I watched it twice to make sure and it was word for word.

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MS. MILLER: Well, we need to get that back to the panel on that. Thank you very much.

MS. REID: Uh-huh.

MS. MILLER: Chairman Shore, I'd like to recognize a group who got on a bus really early this morning and came down here to sit in the audience and observe our work on textbook adoption. I'd like to recognize them and ask them to stand. They — they come from the Dallas area. I wondered if you all would stand and let us recognize you. (Applause.)

MR. RIOS: Mike Fowler, followed by Dr. Kenneth Green.

MR. FOWLER: Thank you. I'm

Mike Fowler from Pasadena and I represent the Textbook Coordinators Association of Texas. To let you know that when the smoke clears and the books have been adopted and they're shipped and they arrive at a school district, we're the guys who actually take them off the truck and get them to the kids.

And we do have an agenda. That

agenda is plain and simple: Get the best book to the kids in the most timely manner possible and work

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with the Texas Education Agency, work with the publishers and the community and sell them on, that's what we did and that's why we did it and we did a good job.

I want you to know that we have — we represent over 1,000 school districts, of course. And we have an elected board. We have a membership in the T-CAT organization of over 400. And we meet once a year at — usually in Austin. We — our board meets quarterly. We take questions from our constituency back to the Board and we discuss issues that involve textbooks. And we work in a way that meets the kids' needs with what's wrong in your school district that we can correct? Is there something that we can do in our school district to help you? And we stay in constant contact with Dr. Laos, who has been most valuable asset to us. And with the publishers. And we are a conduit from time to time in that regard.

We are anxious as an organization to assist you and to assist the Agency in meeting the immediate needs of children. And we can do that, we feel, because we actually hand them the book. We're the guys who actually pull them off that truck. We put the numbers in them, because we have a waiver.

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We, as an organization, want to be a helpmate. We want to be part of the process. Curriculum is not our issue, although it's been entertaining today. Our issue is, get the books to the kids and it's the book that you guys chose.

We have an executive director here

stationed in the Austin area who will be contacting you to give you information on how you can get a hold of us and how we can get a hold of you in a timely manner if there are issues that need to be addressed with — with packaging or shipping or freight considerations.

Once again, I thank you for moving me up so I could speak at this time. And I appreciate your time. Thank you.

MR. BERNAL: I have a very minor question.

MR. FOWLER: Yes, sir.

MR. BERNAL: We had — somebody give testimony that the books were very heavy. Do you get that kind of complaint? Do you get that type of complaint from your type of work where you said you hand the books over to the students. Do you have complaints from parents or students?

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MR. FOWLER: Yes, sir.

MR. BERNAL: And how many — how

would you weigh the number of complaints, if you have any?

MR. FOWLER: The number of complaints that come to me — I'm the executive director in Pasadena, so they are often filtered at the campus. Level, but if they get to me, I get eight or ten or fifteen a year. And typically, it's a parent who has brought a newspaper article that shows that their backpack holds X amount of books and that weight is not consistent with what a junior high school student or an elementary student or a high school student should be carrying. And subsequently, a number of schools have gone locker less where we keep books at home. We're trying that on one of our campuses in Pasadena, where we keep a set of books — the child keeps a book at home and that similar book at school so they don't have to tote them back and forth and they don't have to put them in the locker. And once again, that's a security issue.

MS. MILLER: Can they afford two books, different books?

MR. FOWLER: Well, since many of our

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publishers have provided classroom sets, we've found a way to use the classroom set as the 1 through 35 in the classroom. And then the books that we issue the students or the ones that they take home, we actually check it out to them. At the end of the year they bring it out. And there's no interim, they left it in the grocery store or the car or the back top of the truck or whatever.

Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Dr. Kenneth Green, followed by Laura Sargent.

HON. RICK GREEN: Well, good

afternoon. I'm Dr. Kenneth Green, chief scientist with the Reason Foundation. And I'm proud to say I am paid through the donations of over about 60,000 people who share Reason's enlightenment values with regard to public policy and education.

I guess I want to start with a broad

question, which is: Why should we minimize bias and fallacy in social studies textbooks? I have environmental here because that's what I do and that's what my mind was. But in this case, it's all textbooks. Why should we eliminate bias and fallacy in all of our textbooks?

Well, I'm sure you're going to hear

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people tell you that we — or rather you shouldn't and the decision should be left to individual school teachers. But frankly, we know that's just another way of saying, let the National Education Association set the agenda for what our children learn. And I know from your recent deliberations over environmental textbooks that you take your role more seriously than that.

Before getting into the legalities of the situation, I'd like to state the obvious. Our children will go forth in the world that still is dangerous, still where they will have to use their wits every bit as much as we have to preserve a good standard of living and to live happy, healthful lives. We have a moral imperative to produce textbooks that are factually and contextually correct to enable our children to tackle the challenges they'll face in a rational manner. Sending our children out into what is still a world fraught with peril, armed with a distorted knowledge base seems irresponsible at the very least.

Thankfully, you have the authority to insist that Texas children get textbooks that accurately and contextually present a balanced view of history, philosophy, religion, western culture,

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environmental impact and more. You not only have the moral right to insist on this, you can easily find support in the Texas Education Code which says, "The primary purpose of public school curriculum is to prepare thoughtful, active citizens who understand the importance of patriotism and function productively in a free enterprise society, with appreciation for the basic democratic values of state and national heritage."

Well, Webster's 9th New Collegiate

Dictionary defines "thoughtful" as characterized by careful reasoned thinking. They define "reasoned" as to persuade or influence by the use of reason. And they define "reason" as the power of comprehending, inferring or thinking, especially in orderly rational ways. It's hard to see how allowing bias to distort the portrayal of history, social studies, science or any other subject fulfills the obligation to foster thoughtful understanding of that subject.

As for being free of factual error, the same sort of dictionary exploration suggests that "error" is an unintentional deviation from truth or accuracy, while "factual" means relating to something having an actual existence. Thus, free of

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factual error should mean that a text is as free as it can be from even unintentional deviation from the truth or accuracy about something that actually happens or exists.

In my field, we say there are lies, damn lies and statistics. In the social sciences there are errors of commission, errors of omission and errors of misrepresentation. Either way, the concept of error transcends simple misstatements of fact and must include questions of context, balance, tone and shading. I urge you to make every effort to remove bias from our children's texts. We owe that to them as they will face many challenges and they will need sharp, rational minds, unclouded by bias or fallacy.

In conclusion, my very last comments are that I'm kind of amazed at the — some of the reception that nonprofit groups have gotten here today. Nonprofit organizations represent ordinary people and exist to carry those people's voices to the political process. Just like labor unions, such collective actions are valuable and legitimate aspect of democratic society and forms a vital check on government power. I'm shocked to hear an elected official instruct a nonprofit institution on what it

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should publish and who it should distribute it to. And I hope that everyone's voice counts here, individuals and groups of individuals alike, employed, not employed or supported by campaign contributions.

Thank you. I'll take questions, of course.

MS. MILLER: Thank you for your remarks.

MR. RIOS: Laura Sargent, followed by Linda Massey.

MS. SARGENT: I guess I'll get

started. I'm Laura Sargent. I am not representing anybody, although I'm an atheist — lifelong atheist who attended parochial school from nursery school to Twelfth Grade.

I reviewed the textbook The American

Nation, Beginnings through 1877. And at first I was very impressed with the book, but now I'd like to say that I completely object to it. There are so many things wrong with this book that I'll be supplementing my testimony at a later date, including citations and page numbers. But right now, some historians are reviewing my work and I don't have their feedback yet.

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I'm going to quickly touch on the top five groupings of categories of things that are wrong. There were so many things wrong that I can't even cover it. So my first request is that it became obvious in reading this book that somebody with a very narrow viewpoint was able to get hold of the book before it was printed the first time. And I think that more normal, just regular people should be able to look at this book before it gets printed because there were so many things wrong with the book that you can see in the first 135 pages, look at how many things that I have that are wrong with this book.

Okay. And my — one of my first points is that things aren't actually factually incorrect. What they do is, the factually correct information is in the text, but it's sort of hidden over to the side or it's only includes in the teacher's aside and it's not included. They'll have a topic and it will discuss for three or four paragraphs something and it will have a real narrow viewpoint on it. And then the very last sentence tucks in what everybody else thinks.

So my complaint on the book are that the first 135 pages have been hacked apart by

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somebody with an agenda. And I don't appreciate it. After the first 135 pages, which deal with the founding of the — all the way prehistory to the founding of the nation, after that it turns into a wonderful textbook. And it's readable and it's logical and one thing flows from the other and explanations are in the in the textbook. But previous to that, it's just a bunch of facts stringed together with very misleading information and the true information only in the teacher's aside.

Some examples of that are that — and which bothers me is that any religion that's monotheistic and patriarchal is given a title and it's fully explained. Any other religion or non-religion is very sketchily described, not given a label or out and out denigrated. In this textbook we're treated to the intimate details of Christianity, Judaism and Islam and nothing is said about ancestor worship, paganism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Buddhism, atheism and anything else.

The Crusades are presented only as having positive effects, no negative effects. Nothing is said about all the people who were slaughtered. Performing miracles is presented as a

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real thing that happens. Women are treated, in many cases, as either invisible, the little woman or as traitors. The reasons for the founding of the various colonies are not emphasized and other misleading information is emphasized. The illustrations are blatantly biased in a religious way and present women in a negative light. They're either irrelevant or show misleading information.

And at the beginning of every single chapter there are quotes in the setting the scene section. They're extremely biased and gratuitous in a religious way. Most of the time the quote irrelevant to the chapter and the only reason the quote is included at all is that there is God mentioned in there somewhere. The only relevance is that the person uttering these supposed quotes lived during that time period. Most of the time the topic of the quote has nothing to do with the information in the chapter.

One other thing, Christianity and Judaism are presented as being the progenitors of the Roman Empire, instead of arising out of the Roman Empire.

I would like — as I said at the very beginning, I have about 30 pages of different things

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that are wrong with the book that I'd like to present later. I was so astounded at so many things in this book that it's taken me about 100 hours of work to get it into these — and these are just some of the categories that I chose to touch on.

No comments? I'm the only one that cares that in Aztec society there are no women, there are only men? That's what it says in the textbook.

MR. MONTGOMERY: You must be —.

MS. SARGENT: That's it.

MS. BERLANGA: Actually, your

comments are very interesting. There are so many pages of it. I do plan to take it home and read it.

MS. SARGENT: I did a little summary on the first page up to the top of the second page that's kind of the categories of most of the things. And I mean, I have 30 pages worth of things that are wrong with the 100 — first 135 pages of the book. And I have virtually nothing to say after the first 135 pages, which is prehistory up to the founding of the nation. But I can supply that later after I get — I'm getting feedback from some historians about all the different points that I was

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outraged over and they haven't provided me with their feedback, yet.

DR. ALLEN: Bring it back with pages and numbers so we can properly address it.

MS. SARGENT: I will. I have that on a separate thing.

MS. BERLANGA: And also, when you go back and do that, it might be possible that that section that you — the sections that you object to, it may be possible that — that there may need to be more wording but not necessarily — it may not necessarily mean that the book is bad. If 100 — you know, if you said after certain number of pages, the rest of the book is wonderful —

MS. SARGENT: Yeah.

MS. BERLANGA: — I'm just thinking in the first part when you have an objection, if it's a paragraph or a title or something, that it may be something that can be examined. And it may be something that we agree with. I mean, I don't know. I haven't read your comments fully. But I do intend to. And I need — I will compare it to the textbook. But that does help if you go through and say the page and the paragraph and so forth.

MS. SARGENT: There were just so many

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that — I mean, here's — my other preliminary thing is 20 pages long. And that's without getting the feedback from the historians yet. But I will provide it with you — to you. Thanks.

MS. BERLANGA: Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Linda Massey, followed by Sue Blanchette.

MS. MASSEY: Good afternoon. Thank you again for the opportunity to speak. I'm Linda Massey, the textbook committee chairperson for the Texas Council for the Social Studies. As of Monday, I will begin my 31st year teaching for the Dallas school system at Seagoville High School, where I have taught my entire career.

In the Dallas Morning News,

August 2nd, as the schools' accountability ratings were being released, it was written that, "The lower ratings for school districts were primarily the result of poor scores by Eighth Graders on TAAS social studies questions." The Commissioner was quoted as saying, "Social studies was the key factor in the drop." His prediction was that schools will put more focus on social studies in the next few years now that it has become a permanent element of the accountability system.

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As social studies teachers, we have known for years that there needed to be more recognition of our subject area. And the time has arrived and it cannot be ignored any longer. The TEKS are in place. The TEKS objectives are in focus. And now it is time to give us the textbook resources that we so desperately need.

The books we use now relate to

essential elements. Only one book social studies is using now relates to the TEKS. We welcome the textbook process this year and are ready to begin the selection of books. The books that are currently being reviewed should be on the list for the districts and their teachers to consider.

We feel that the legitimate errors pointed out in July will be taken care of by the publishers. Much of what was said to be factual errors was really the request for further interpretation of content.

Further explanation and exploration of content is called enrichment to the classroom teacher. It is our job to aid the students to further explore and question presented content. The textbooks are just one source in the classroom. And our time is limited to cover everything.

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Our reviewers were not paid and had

to use their vacation time to review the books. My only compensation is that Dallas gave me the day off, which today is a teacher workday, and I will work tomorrow. Fortunately, I didn't have to have a substitute today.

Our process within our organization

was a service to our membership. Unfortunately, our report is not a complete one. Yet, the strengths and weaknesses printed there for you are what some Texas teachers are looking for in the new textbooks. But we know that there will never be a perfect textbook, but we know that with the process, we're getting closer.

These new textbooks will be a

welcomed item in the classrooms in the fall of 2003. It is time to make social studies a number one focus.

Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: I have a question. I

didn't see when I quickly looked at this review, did your group review the Glencoe Sociology and You book?

MS. MASSEY: No, we stayed with the core social studies book. We did not go into the

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THE COURT: You might look at that one.

MS. MASSEY: All right.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Ma'am, do you have

publisher responses from your — from your testimony of last month, did you have publisher responses?

MS. MASSEY: No, I —

MR. MONTGOMERY: Could that have been because you didn't have any specific complaints?

MS. MASSEY: Probably so, but I have not had — I've had one contact with a publisher. It was at a staff development meeting. It was just general conversation. But, no, I have not had any responses from the publishers directly back to my committee.

MR. MONTGOMERY: But you didn't have any complaints much either, though.

MS. MASSEY: No, it was a very general statement, just the fact that we were offering our teachers a service with an instrument that our organization put together to help teachers review the books. And by the way, I've had many e-mails from small school districts thanking us for that instrument because they didn't have anything in

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place for their teachers to use as they go through textbook cycle.

MR. MONTGOMERY: And you also

mentioned something about the textbook, in your opinion, is just one tool that a teacher uses in relaying information to their students. But you will have to admit, though, that there are some school teachers — maybe not many, but too many if there's even one — that really relies almost 100 percent on the textbook because they might not be quite so prepared. As someone said, they might be a novice or might not have actually taken enough courses in their — and they've been too busy taking education courses and might not be quite as — as good as they could be. So the textbook is still extremely important, especially in those cases, wouldn't you agree?

MS. MASSEY: It's very important.

You're right, 100 percent. I dealt with the teacher yesterday. In my particular school, my department does not have enough teachers in order to fill the sections that we need to accommodate our student body. There are some sections of social studies classes that are given out to other content teachers. I met with one teacher yesterday, he's

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brand new to teaching. He is a marketing teacher. He is going to teach one class of world geography. How did indoctrinate him to world geography yesterday was by taking the textbook and going through it and showing him — he — he didn't even have the ancillaries. He just had a textbook. And I showed him what parts of the textbook he could use as additional resources, maps, primary sources, et cetera.

DR. ALLEN: May I —

MS. MASSEY: You're right. There are many teachers out there like that.

DR. ALLEN: May I also remind you, while I knew a brand new teacher coming to the classroom may not have those years of experience and know how to us a textbook as a jumping point in order to go all off into whatever else you want to do, I simply want to remind everybody in the room — everybody, because we don't want to get that far from the textbook. I want to remind you that the new TAK test is taken directly from the textbook.

The other side of that coin is, when you have — am I all right, Dr. Smith, with scope? Am I right that the test is built on the TEKS and it's in the textbook?

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The other side of that coin is, while I know that there are some teachers who will teach exactly what's in the textbook, I also know from my years of being a teacher and my 16 years of being a principal that there are some teachers who don't teach anything. Won't even teach the textbook. So I want to remind you that if you don't have anything else do, if you don't teach anything else, you'll be in better shape for the TAK test if you teach the textbook which is the TEKS.

MS. MASSEY: And I agree with you.

Any other questions?

Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Sue Blanchette, followed by Robert M. Bohmfalk.

MS. BLANCHETTE: Good afternoon. My name is Sue Blanchette. I'm president of the Texas Council for the Social Studies. And since credentials have been something that seems to be asked for lately, I have a bachelor of science in history from Central Connecticut State College. Yes, I'm a transplanted Yankee. I have a masters from SMU. I teach — on Monday, like Ms. Massey, I will be starting the school year. I will be starting my 25th year of teaching in the Dallas

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Independent School District. And like her, I will be at school tomorrow hanging bulletin boards and doing all those things that we do on our work days, because the only person — the only entity that pays me is the Dallas Independent School District. And they let me have my day off, but I'm going in tomorrow to finish up for Monday.

I have a prepared statement that's being distributed, but I would like to address an issue that came up earlier that is not in my prepared remarks. And that has to do with the comments about the National Council for the Social Studies.

I'm also a member of the National Council for the Social Studies. In fact, the president of the National Council for the Social Studies teaches American history at Monterey High School in Lubbock, Texas. And I think he would be somewhat concerned about comments that were made about NCSS today.

I would specifically like to talk about the annual conference that was referred to. The NCSS conference takes place once a year. In that three-day period, there are 300 or more sessions that are offered for teachers to attend on

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so many topics that it is impossible to even mention them. All right. In Phoenix this year, for instance, I'm going to be giving a session on the British industrial revolution. I'm sure that there's a small portion of the people there that want to hear about that.

The session that was referred to by Lowen was one of 350 sessions that was given last year, okay. The topic was his book, Lies Across America, which is a very provocative title. The chairman of this Committee gave us a perfectly beautiful teaching example today on how to be provocative when she held up a book and said, "This has got pornography in it" and then set it down. And I guarantee you that almost everybody in this room scrambled during lunch to find out what on earth she was talking about. It was a beautiful teaching technique, okay.

Lies across America is another

provocative way of getting you to look a book about the monuments that have built — been built across this country commemorating different issues in American history. And that was the topic of his speech. And I know what it was.

Madam Chairman, may I continue?

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CHAIR SHORE: Just for a minute.

MS. BLANCHETTE: I know what it was about because I was sitting there listening to him in Washington D.C. last year. And the point of it was: We need to look at these monuments critically, because they are sometimes erected in the height of passion and they reflect only one point of view. For instance, they indicate the subjugation of Native Americans, the subjugation of women, confederate war memorials versus union war memorials. And that was the whole focus of that book.

This is something that is critical to us today as the debates begin to evolve on how are we going to commemorate September llth. That was the focus of that session. That was the focus of that book. And I just wanted to clarify that by someone who was actually there listening.

Okay. Now that — I'll get off my soap box and talk about what I came to talk about, which is textbooks.

In social studies, we teach students

that facts are those items which can be proven. For historical research, such proof can be found in our primary sources, such as diaries or letters, and

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legal documents, such as the Constitution, Supreme Court decisions. It can be found in written records of meetings. It — or newspapers or magazines. It can be found on TV and radio, on computers. We teach our students how to discriminate among sources and how to analyze the bias of the sources in order to determine their validity.

For example, this is a copy of the

minutes of your meeting for March 2002. This is the official document for your meeting, but is it a complete record of that meeting? Does it, for instance, contain all the research that you may have — as individuals have done on any of the issues that were before you that day? Does it reflect the number of times that, as individuals, you get up and communicate with your compatriots on this board to clarify an issue? Does it notate the passion with which some of those conversations take place? And Mr. Bradley's not here today, but I'm still going to make my comment anyway. When he is intensely involved in an issue, his whole body radiates that intensity. But that doesn't show up in this document. Okay. But that doesn't make the document wrong. Okay.

In the same fashion, omission of

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every minute detail in a textbook does not make the book inaccurate. And you've just discussed the issue of the books as a tool. They are a vital tool. No teacher will ever tell you those textbooks aren't a vital part of our classroom. But they are a tool. And it is up to the teacher to make the connections, to springboard the educational process. And even the novice teacher had better learn how to do that, okay.

The purpose of the textbook is to

provide solid, basic information. The TEKS, that is the basis of our curriculum. So that the teacher can use it to make the subject come alive.

The second issue I would like to

address today also deals with omission, but is the omission of necessity? The high school U.S. history book that I currently use in my classroom is just under 900 pages long. I believe it's 896 or something like that. And it's 10 years out of date. Of those 900 pages, approximately 60 pages, or roughly 6.6 percent, are review of the material covered in the Eighth Grade course. All the United States history books currently under consideration run in excess of 1,000 pages. Of those 1,000 pages, each one contains review chapters that one run from

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150 to 250 pages. That's anywheres from 15 to 25 percent of the textbook. Why? Very easy answer, TAKs.

The inclusion of early American

history on the TAKs has made it imperative that this review format be followed. Many of our current high school juniors were not in Texas in Eighth Grade and have not had the course in early morning history. Since they will be tested on that material and their diploma is dependent on that material, it is incumbent upon the high school teachers to cover the material. And let's face it, most of the students who even were in Texas in eighth grade, unfortunately, probably don't remember a lot of what they learned four years ago, anymore than you could remember exactly what you discussed at a board meeting four years ago, without going back and reviewing it just a little.

In order to include the review

material necessary for TAKs and still keep the book from weighing the 20 pounds that was referred to, material is going to have to be eliminated. Doesn't mean the omission is error, simply practical necessity.

To use a historical phrase, please

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don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Bona fide errors, when they exist, need to be corrected. But omission for brevity or practicality is not error.

Thank you.

MS. THORNTON: Thank you, Sue. I appreciate it.

MR. McLEROY: I have a question. We had a speaker earlier, Dr. Dobbs, said he had to re-teach his students everything when they got to college. How do you responds as president of the Texas Council for the Social Studies?

MS. BLANCHETTE: I'm going to take

that hat off. I am no longer president of the Texas Council for the Social Studies. I can answer that as Sue Blanchette history teacher. And that's how I would choose to answer it. He has a valid point, because I teach both regular level American history and Advanced Placement American history. And to quote one of my students, she wants these books to make it real. She wants to know a — more — she wants to know the nitty-gritty. She doesn't want it sugarcoated. And she felt that the books, in some cases, were sugarcoated because it doesn't — it — there is a perception that students shouldn't no

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certain things at this level. And so, yes, I think he has a valid point. And in my classroom, I try to present a broad picture and develop the student's ability to discriminate based on their own beliefs, their own heritage, their own ideas. But, yes, I think he has a valid point, because I tend to have to do it myself. They will say to me, "Why didn't they teach me this in Eighth Grade? Why don't they tell us these things." So, yes, he has a valid point. But that's my opinion.

MR. McLEROY: Thanks.

MS. BLANCHETTE: Thank you for your time. I appreciate the opportunity.

MR. RIOS: Roberts M. Bohmfalk, followed by Claudia Gomez.

MR. BOHMFALK: Good afternoon. I am Robert Bohmfalk. I testified at these hearings in 1978 and in 1985. I was the one who found America's moon landing absent from two American history textbooks. Another had one sentence on Watergate and two pages on the Vietnam war. By 1985, all but one of these textbooks had greatly improved.

I found the high school American

history textbooks this year well-balanced and of — and objective. A picture of a Phyllis Schafly

188 (phonetic) was found in each book.

All of American history should be

included in these high school history textbooks. It should include the good, the bad and the ugly, warts and all. A — a nation grows and matures by learning from the mistakes made in the past. All events that shocked us as a nation should be in — included. Nothing should be taken out unless the facts are wrong.

The best books that I reviewed were

the Americans Reconstruction to the 21st Century by McDougal Little, America, Pathway to the Present by Prentice Hall and The American Pageant by McDougal.

As good as all these textbooks are, they can become even better next time. Many important events of the last quarter century were left out. Every textbook left out Jim Jones and the Jonestown mass suicide of the People's Temple in September 1978. Students need to know how easily it is for people to be brainwashed by a religious cult and follow a — follow a spiritual leader to mass suicide.

And it's happened twice since then

with the David Koresh and the Branch Davidians near Waco in 1993 and the Heaven's Gate cult near San

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Diego in 1997. Also the Columbine school shooting was in only one textbook.

Some other events absent in some of

these textbooks were the Three Mile Island incident, the marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, the Challenger explosion, David Koresh and the FBI siege near Waco and the bombing of Oklahoma City.

And I was sorry to learn that the

textbook out of many was withdrawn because it had one — one paragraph on prostitution in the Old West. Well, no American history textbook can ever or will ever have as much sex and violence as the Old Testament of the new — of the Bible. We would not have much of a Bible today if some of the critics and groups here were around when the Bible was written.

(Applause.)

MR. BOHMFALK: So all of these

American history textbooks should be made available for the individual school districts themselves to choose which ones they will use.

Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Since you brought that — that issue of prostitution up, I did a

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simple Internet search. I even learned how to do all of that lately. And I found that the word "prostitute" or "prostitution" appears in the Holy Bible 85 times, no less.

MR. RIOS: Claudia Gomez, followed by Lupita Ramirez.

MS. GOMEZ: Good morning. My name is Claudia Gomez. I'm currently a student at the University of Texas at Brownsville pursuing a degree in bilingual education. I work as a bilingual aide where the majority — in a school where the majority of children are migrant. I have come before you today primarily as a voice for these children who are in need of a more complete education that teaches them a history which they may identify themselves with other than question, where in this history does their origin place them.

As the only United States citizen in

a Mexican family, I was educated in American schools and find it a shame that I was not aware of names such as Jose M. Lopez, Gregorio Cortez, Felix Longoria, Cesar Chavez and many other prominent names in Mexican-American heroism until my sophomore year at the university.

It amazes me that while looking

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through the current textbook options, I will realize that children today are studying the same history that I was studying 20 years ago. However, this is not the same American as back then. If Hispanics played an outstanding role throughout the history of this great nation, what prevents them from obtaining the deserved recognition of history if they are currently the fastest growing minority in the United States?

In the books I reviewed, for

example, The Americans, Reconstruction to the 21st Century published by Rand McNally, there is mention of Felix Longoria as a "Mexican-American World War II hero." And on Page 573, Littell simply mentions, "17 Mexican-American soldiers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor."

Aside from these facts, it is important to mention as Meier and Ribera do in Mexican-Americans/American-Mexicans: From Conquistadores to Chicanes, "More Chicanes served in combat divisions than any other ethnic group. They volunteered for the more hazardous branches and also took part in most of the campaigns of World War II."

This information is crucial because

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the Mexican-American participation in the war marks a transition from being underestimated as citizens to a positive sense of self-confidence, which contributed to their future status as Americans.

In the same page of The Americans in mentioning the Mexican-American — the Mexican Braceros during World War II, Littell states that, "When their employment was ended, they remained in the United States illegally," which implies a derogatory image of Mexican immigrants and would only make migrant children feel ashamed instead of proud of their heritage.

In conclusion, while I found this book contains many positive points, I do believe that if we are seeking inclusion of Hispanics as equal Americans, it is necessary to include an adequate percentage of relevant facts that are transcended in the improvement of education for the Mexican-Americans in the United States.

Are there any questions?

MR. BERNAL: Would you happen to have the names of the 17 Congressional Medal of Honor winners?

MS. GOMEZ: I don't have that.

MR. BERNAL: Perhaps you could offer

193 to the publishers as a footnote.

MS. GOMEZ: I'd be glad to bring it to you for the next meeting. And if you're interested in looking it up, it does come in the book, Mexican-Americans/American-Mexicans by Meier and Ribera.

MR. BERNAL: By who?

MS. GOMEZ: Mexican — Meier and Ribera.

Any other questions?

MR. BERNAL: Yeah. There was a

meeting in San Antonio recently called Los Tejanos and they have a publication that goes to Hispanics' involvement in — historically all the way up to — down to 1776 and on to — through all the wars, including World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the people that perceived Medal of Honor awards. They're up in the 80s. And I've got a copy of that in case somebody would want it. It has the names of the individuals. One in particular — I will just give you an idea.

I went to an elementary school not too far from David Barkley Elementary. And as a grown-up member of the State Board, I just happen to have been asked to go speak to the group of teachers

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at David Barkley. And it dawned on me, I said, this school has been here in the middle of this community for years and I don't know of any — I don't know who David Barkley was. Come to find out, it was an Hispanic, David Barkley. I think it's Fuentes or something like that. A World War II Congressional Medal of Honor winner. In World War I, not II, World War I. And it's right in the middle of the barrio. And I didn't even know who David Barkley was because nobody ever mentioned who he was. But he had lived in some of the alleys in San Antonio and had grown up in San Antonio, was a native of Laredo, Texas. So there's some history there in other documents that could very well be put into some of these textbooks, if not to elaborate, to maybe put them as footnotes.

MS. GOMEZ: Exactly. And it's actually ironic that that happens.

Any other questions?

Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Lupita Ramirez, followed by Dr. Norman Binder.

MS. RAMIREZ: Hello, my name is Lupita Ramirez. I'm an undergraduate student at the

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University of Texas at Brownsville. And according to the 2000 census, I do live in the poorest community of the United States, that's Cameron Park.

I am asking you to help me break the cycle of poverty by giving our students a better education. I reviewed American Government published by Holt and found some clerical errors, which are laid out on my text that you are receiving. However, I would like to focus on the incomplete information about Mexican-Americans.

On Page 342 to -44, the topic was

immigration policies, immigration restrictions. The authors failed to mention that repatriation was another form of restrictive immigration.

On Page 347 to 348, the topic was

civil rights, equal protection to joint (phonetic) segregation. This section on civil rights fails to mention the Chicano movement, which dealt with the civil rights of Mexican-Americans. It does not mention Reies Lopez Tijerina, Land Grant War movement. Nor Corky Gonzales in Denver who defines the meaning of Chicano in his poem, "I am Joaquin." Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers, the struggle of the urban youth in California, nor the growing

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political awareness and participation of the Mexican-American through the La Raza Unida party.

On Page 352, extending civil rights, subtopic Hispanic-Americans, there's only two small paragraphs on Hispanics and one small sentence which states that we base discrimination in several areas such as employment and housing. It fails to mention that Mexican-Americans were refused service and that there were signs that read no Mexicans or dogs allowed. It also does not mention the other forms of discrimination that Mexican-Americans and Tejanos faced. To list a few, in 1901, Gregorio Cortez who shot the local sheriff in self-defense in Karnes County, fled to Mexico knowing he would face lynch law. There's denial of due process. In November 1910, Antonio Rodriguez was accused of killing a white woman, was taken out of jail by white vigilantes in Rock Springs, Texas, and burned alive. There are so many others. There's one in 1911 when White Marvin Rodel, Texas, beat 14-year-old and Antonio Gonzales to death and his body was dragged, tied in the back of a buggy.

Making our students, including

Mexican-American students, aware of these and many more incidents that the Mexican-Americans has had to

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deal with, will make them aware that conditions have existed since the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe in 1848. Documenting these struggles and victories will give them confidence they will need to become great leaders. To me, stop the dropout rate by giving them something to relate to and give them the courage to make a difference in their community.

As a proud member of Cameron Park

Community, I'm asking you to give the opportunity to our Texas students, as well as our Mexican-American students. In this fast-growing global village, everyone needs to learn the struggles of all ethnic groups to know that everyone is fighting for the same cause.

Thank you for your time.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Dr. Norman Binder, followed by Jaime Rena.

DR. BINDER: My name is

Norman Binder. I teach at the University of Texas at Brownsville. I teach introductory government courses. And it's that course that we're required by the general ed requirements to teach diversity issues. And so when I talk about diversity issues, especially with minorities and women, I find that

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our students in Brownsville — and I'm going to primarily talk about the lack of information about Hispanics on this particular book.

When in discussing diversity issues in my courses, I'm appalled at how little my Hispanic, black, white students know about the role of Hispanics in the political, economic, social and cultural history of America. I'm appalled at their lack of information about politics. Few, if any, of my students as Lupita mentioned before, have ever heard of Chicano Movement, La Raza Unida political party, the GI Forum, LULAC, MALDEF or any of the other groups that fought long and hard for civil rights, not only for Mexican-Americans, but for all Americans in the United States.

When I mention leaders like

Corky Gonzales, Jose Angel Guiterrez, Reies Tijerina, Berk Corona (phonetic), I see blank faces. We've never heard of them before, they say. Cesar Chavez appears to one of the most well-known Mexican-American leaders. Some young people think that the person we're talking about is a boxer. It's really rather disappointing.

I'm appalled that they no nothing about the long history of conflict between

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Hispanics, all along the border area region, in California and New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, between Hispanics and the majority population.

They're amazed when they learn that Hispanics, too, were victims of segregation. They also endured massive lynchings. Few, if any, Mexican-Americans ever realize that

Mexican-Americans, too, were lynched throughout the American southwest. Like southern county sheriffs who frequently brutalized blacks, the Texas Rangers — or Los Ranges as we call them — frequently were the instruments of brutality against large numbers of Mexican-Americans.

They don't know that their land was stolen from them. When the United States occupied the area of the American southwest about 99 percent of all the land owned by individuals or community — communally was owned by Mexican-Americans who became — or Mexicans who then became Americans. Within 45 years, 95 percent of all of the land was taken from them.

I'm appalled that they don't know about the contributions Mexican-Americans or Hispanics have made to American society. Why do they know so little? Because of our lack of

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information in the textbooks. I, too, looked at the American government Texas edition Holt. And I'm going to make some representations in terms of inclusion of information about Mexican-Americans. Under the Court — the section on the federal courts, there's no mention of lack of minority representation in the district courts, in the appellate courts. We need to know how many blacks, how many women, how many Hispanics, Native Americans there are and why aren't they equally represented. It's the same thing in terms of civil rights.

I handed a whole series of things out for you, but I'm just going to sort of kind of quit. In fact, I find that I can read this book — this government book and it would be very difficult for me to know that we had slavery. I read this book and I find no information in terms of we have killed hundreds of thousands of Indians, allowed and facilitated the theft of most of the land from the Hispanics.

Not only do they not include

information about Hispanics, but even blacks. NAACP is mentioned one time. Martin Luther King is mentioned one time. It's in these kinds of books that I think we need reinforcements for our students

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in terms of understanding who they are, where they come from and where they're going.

Thank you.

MS. MILLER: Dr. Binder, just to — thank you so much for your information, very interesting.

And I certainly agree that we — and thank goodness we can include more history for you Hispanics and their impact on this country. But I was just thinking here, we just had a history teacher who is head of the — the social studies group who just sort of supported omissions, because sometimes that they were necessary and that you couldn't really go into any broad detail. So how would you — and what I'm hearing you saying is, there's too many omissions. And so how would you react to that, Dr. Binder?

DR. BINDER: I think in the State of Texas, okay, within the next 15, 20 years, this is going to become a minority state. Combinations of Hispanics, blacks, are going to make up the majority. If Mexican-Americans and blacks don't understand their history well, if whites don't understand the relationships that existed between blacks and — and whites, between Hispanics and

202 whites, we're going to be in serious problem.

So this is not only an issue that

needs addressing in terms of minorities, but I think for the majority a whole in the State of Texas, we're definitely going to have to work and live together, work together and acknowledge that minority groups have made significant contributions to American society.

MR. MONTGOMERY: You're talking about government books here, aren't you? You're not talking about history books.

DR. BINDER: Yes. I'm talking

primarily — I'm really pleased to see that there is a growing emphasis on history. But I think it needs to be reinforced in government books as well. For example, there is no mention of Maldef in this particular government book.

MR. MONTGOMERY: But the same things that you say are omitted very possibly could be in the history books that you did not —

DR. BINDER: Yes, exactly.

MR. MONTGOMERY: — examine. Thank you.

DR. BINDER: But in terms of political parties, for example, no mention of the La

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Raza Unida party. And yet, this is the Texas edition. Okay. That I think is very important and — or of political organizations by minorities in the State of Texas.

MS. MILLER: Well, the issue is

omissions that we're talking about, whether it's in the government books or the history books.

DR. BINDER: Right.

MS. MILLER: And so we're trying to come up with some kind of a balance. And thank you.

DR. BINDER: Any other questions?

Thank you so much.

MR. NUNEZ: I want to update you.

The latest census that I've read out of the Texas Educational Agency, out of the Legislature is 4,100,000,000 students in K through 12. The majority of students are Hispanics, as of today.

DR. BINDER: Exactly. Thank you.

The majority of the students in public education today in the State of Texas are Hispanics. And I find, for example, when students read about their history, they take an intense sense of pride in who they are. They're proud to be Americans anyhow. I have never seen Hispanic students who have ever

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suggested or even — I could never imagine that they were going to be unAmerican. In fact, as an earlier person said, this group has died in higher proportions than any other minority group in America for their country. And they love it dearly.

MR. NUNEZ: Thank you.

DR. BINDER: Okay. Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Jaime Rena, followed by Nora Sanchez.

MR. RENA: Good afternoon. Good

afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, of the Texas Board of Education. My name is Jaime Rena and I'm currently an junior at the University of Texas at Brownsville. I come here today in order to address certain concerns pertaining to the Texas book adoption procedures.

The book that I was given the

opportunity to review is a book titled Horizons, United States History. My concerns upon reviewing this text, what bothered me the most was the minimal mentioning of minorities and women.

For instance, in the text, Page 310

has a total of four paragraphs that are dedicated to the over 200,000 African-American — African-Americans who took part in the Civil War,

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and yet, no mention of the over 15,000 Mexican-Americans who also took part in the Civil War.

Page 310, it has a total of four

paragraphs that are dedicated to women and their fight for equality.

Pages 585 through 589 are dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement. The two key figures that the text mentions are Dr. Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez. There is a minute credit for Ms. Rosa Parks, and yet, no mention of political parties such as La Raza Unida or Seneca Falls Convention. There is also no mentioning of other obstacles that minorities face, such literacy testing, all-white primaries or poll tax.

Other than that the book, upon reviewing it, is a well-rounded book based on history. But yet, when — like I mentioned before, when it comes to the minorities and women, we have less than 40 pages dedicated to minorities and women.

In conclusion, having graduated in 1993, I can vividly remember the feeling of embarrassment while learning about San Antonio de Balero, better known as the Alamo, being told a

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story of Santa Anna and his 6,000 troops marching up and practically murdering Davey Crockett and Daniel Boone, yet, no mention of Esparza or Seguin or the seven other Tejanos that also died — that also lost their lives defending the Alamo.

Ladies and gentlemen, what it is that I wants to say is, we, too, have our heroes, men and women who took part in the shaping of this country, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, fighting alongside their white brothers during World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The female nurses who patched them up in the field hospitals. We're not asking to change history, we only ask for equal credit for our people, our heroes who proudly fought and helped shape this great country.

The women that are still fighting — fighting to break those glass ceilings. Many insignificant differences, gender, culture, skin color, even language all fighting for the same cause, the advancement of this great country, the United States of America.

Thank you. Any questions?

Thank you.

MR. RIOS: Nora Sanchez, followed by and Dena Guerra.

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MS. SANCHEZ: Good afternoon. My

name is Nora Sanchez. I'm currently a graduate of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas' southmost college and will be taking graduate courses in the spring of 2003.

I am present here today to stress the importance of diversity in the United States and how it transcends from generation to generation, race to race with the help of textbooks.

Education is a bridge to respect. We live in a world where we shun people away where we do not find common ground. When someone has been exposed to cultural differences, there is room to grow and embrace diversity in every aspect. This is where we come in.

In collaborations such as this one,

where one has the ability to better inform students, is the deal process. I studied two textbooks, Making the 13 Colonies and A History of the U.S., published by Oxford University Press. The first textbook, which stems from 1600 to 1740, gives significant information about relationships between Mexican-Americans and the Europeans. A text makes reference to the hostile environment between both races due to lack of knowledge and understanding.

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The second book dates from 1789

through 1850, though, and reveals a lack of very important facts about Mexican-American involvement in the United States. For instance, although the text briefly mentions the Missouri Compromise of 1820 that settled disputes between Texas and New Mexico over boundary issues, it completely fails to mention treaties such as the Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty of 1848. This treaty took about 50 percent of Mexico's lands and handed it to the United States for an outrageous cost of $15 million. The result over this treaty was that the United States gained access to states we know now as California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Texas. Not only did the U.S. gain such states, but it also increased its population by adding from 80,000 to 100,000 Mexican-American U.S. citizens to their nation.

It is with this in mind that we must remember who we are, where we come from and what links us to others different from us. With information such as this, we offer students the opportunity to see diverseness as a positive aspect, not a negative one. Even a brief mention will lend students curiosity. They will wonder about history

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other than their own. But if we fail to mention anything at all, there is nothing left to question, and, therefore, Mexican-American history ceases from existing.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Thank you.

MS. SALAZAR: Dina Guerra, followed by Emily Vasquez.

MS. GUERRA: Hi, good afternoon. My name is Dina Marie Guerra. I'm a graduate at the University of Texas at Brownsville with a major in political science and a minor in history. I am also a part-time employee with the university. I would like to express my gratitude to be part of the process of the adoption to the textbooks.

Growing up in the Cameron County area, the schools I attended did not mention the achievements that Hispanics and women accomplished. It was not until I began college that I learned of Hispanics such as Cesar Chavez, Corky Gonzales, Felix Tijerina and Jose Lopez.

The text I reviewed,

Harcourt Horizons, People in Community, is well-proportioned with the information it gave on

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the communities and people. The cover page alone grabs the attention of the person by showing all different kinds of individuals who accomplished major achievements in their lifetime. This cover obtained my attention and as a student will give me the curiosity to acquire more information.

On Page 219, it gives information on Davey Crockett and how he fought the battle of the Alamo. However, it could have elaborated on what the battle was exactly about and give emphasis to the Mexicans who fought with the United States during this battle. The text does give credit to Hispanic leaders such as Cesar Chavez on Page 255 and what his accomplishments were concerning the Mexican-American farm workers.

Yet the text lacked in giving mention to women who have contributed the same amount of progress as men. For example, on Page 103, a small cap on Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is given. More could have been given on her descriptions, such as what she — what measures she took to achieve the status she gained.

It was interesting, however, to read about how Hispanic women like Virginia Ramirez, on Pages 74 and 75 has been given recognition to her

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accomplishments. The text gives a variety of information that is simplified to give the elementary students a better understanding.

Pages on geography, on the

definitions are implemented. This utilization makes the learning processes easier for the students. Examples, Pages 202 and 203.

Culture and customs are also provided in this text. A Mexican custom celebrated Cinco de Mayo on Page 269 was mentioned in the text providing colorful pictures of the costumes worn by the children and adults, so that the students may see the customs.

As a Hispanic, I believe the mention

of cultures is an important learning process for all children. I hope that more continued efforts go into the process of including minorities and women in the textbooks children learn from. This should include the elementary level for the learning process begins, but in secondary schools as well.

I am grateful to have been given this opportunity to be part of this review. Thank you.

MS. BERLANGA: Thank you.

MS. GUERRA: Thank you.

MS. SALAZAR: Emily Vasquez, followed

212 by Dr. Manuel Medrano.

MS. VASQUEZ: Hello. My name is Emily R. Vasquez. I'm a graduate of Saint Leo College and currently a student of the University of Texas at Brownsville, pursuing a second bachelors in history.

My interest in education exceeds beyond my own. As a mother it flows over to my children. I believe what we teach about the past makes an instrumental difference on what the future holds for our children.

I stand before you as a student, a mother and a Hispanic woman hoping to implement a small change in the way Texas, U.S. world history and government books are written concerning minorities and women.

As a child, I obtained more information about Martin Luther King, George Washington and other individuals who made a significant difference in United States' history. However, I received no educational information on great Hispanic or Mexican-American leaders who also helped shaped Texas and U.S. history.

As a Hispanic, I have come across people who have no idea of what my ethnic background

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is. In South Carolina, I came across incidents that I will never forget. My oldest son, Robert, was mistaken for an African-American child. At a grocery store, a person intrigued with my skin color asked where I was from. When I mentioned my ethnicity, where I was from and that it was a border town, the individual assumed I was a migrant worker. It was also astounding to this individual that I spoke English so well. With this in mind, I realized not very many people know about the Hispanic population.

I reviewed the text Lone Star, The Story of Texas. I'm impressed with the amount of information given in this text. Timelines and questions are provided to inform and obtain the student's focus on what they will be learning. And with all the technology we have today, certain areas in the book give a web-site so the student may retrieve more information if needed.

Despite resources given, it lacks emphasis on Hispanics, Mexican-Americans and especially women who have made a difference in Texas, whether in its history or culture.

For example, on Page 456, a brief description was given on Ann Richards, former

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governor of Texas. Even less was mentioned about Marion "Ma" Ferguson, the first female governor.

In the school district that I work for, 97 percent of the students are Hispanics and they still do not receive information on Mexican-American people who have changed some process for their future.

In this district, as in any other, I think it is vital students learn about different ethnic backgrounds. Having said that, I would like to conclude by quoting words written by author Ann Schlessenger, "Americans must learn much more about other races, other cultures and other continents. As they do, they acquire a more complex and invigorating sense of the world and of themselves. What students are taught in schools affect the way they will thereafter see and treat other Americans."

Thank you.

MS. SALAZAR: Dr. Manuel Medrano, followed by Javier Soliz.

MR. MEDRANO: I'm No. 29. Actually, my name is not Manuel, it's Manuel. Manual refers to a how-to-do guide or one who works with his hands. I'm garden, but I work with my mind.

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I am currently a professor at the University of Texas at Brownsville, will be a visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin next summer, a member of the Distinguished Speakers Bureau for the Texas Council of Humanities, a panelist for the Rockerfeller Foundation, consultant for Improving Communities on the South Texas border, a reviewed published historian for Texas A&M Press, a published poet for Longley Pearson Publishers and a reviewer for the third and fourth editions of America, Past and Present, third and fourth brief editions, a nationally used college text. Mayas Enviro (phonetic) oral history documentaries are in the LBJ Library, the Smithsonian Institution, the California Polytechincal Institute at San Luis Obispo. And the University of Parma in Palermo, Italy. This is my humble opinion.

Generally speaking, the book that I have reviewed is both meritorious and weak in conveying relevant, accurate information. And the textbook is America, Pathways to the Present, 19 — 1860, Prentice Hall. The following are specific comments that I believe will enhance student comprehension and truly represent the text I love,

216 America, Modern American History.

On Page 607, liberating France,

include the photograph of Jose Lopez, Medal of Honor recipient for the United States and Aguillar Esteca, recipient for Mexico, and Audie Murphy, Medal of Honor recipient from the United States.

On 629, working women add faces to the ex-Rosy the Riveter's returning to home life.

On 704, leaders and strategies

include Mexican-Americans civil right's efforts spearheaded by Cesar Chavez, Jose Angel Gutierrez, Reies Lopez Tijerina, Rudolfo Gonzales, and academic, Americo Paredes.

On Page 730, encounters with

segregation include a Mexican school in South Texas or a sign indicating no Mexicans allowed in Texas and other states.

On 776, you have a question the last number. Ethnic minorities seek equality, include Americo Paredes imminent a folkloreist and scholar from South Texas as an academic activist, who through his scholarly research and writing championed cultural pride.

I will end with a poem that I wrote for this occasion.

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Pin /KHA before me /PEA Lynn /KHE,

traitor before hero, Mexican before American, man before woman. All erroneously sequential, all historically consequential, all potentially fatal. Conquistador, Santana Villa, savaged before civilized, mixed blood before mestizo, vanquished before victor, culturally deprived before culturally enriched. Historically relevant, but categorically forgotten. Order before understanding. Documentation is a mighty word — is a mighty sword to those still standing at the battle's end. But a battle does not make a war, olive skin does not make a whore, machismo is not a terminal disease, majority is but a state of mind, and minority is my nemesis.

So where do we go? What do we do?

Who is to blame? What have we gained? What have we lost? What is the cost of our power and of our knowledge? It is not in selective fragments or in superficial glimpses or in did-you-know inclusion. It isn't in the totality of our historical essence. It is in — with /HRA /PEA Lynn /KHAOE and Dolly Pitcher, with Santa Anna and Gregorio Esparza, with Alvin York and Marcelino Serna, with Audie Murphy and Jose Lopez and the American blood that

218 flows in the veins of all of us.

Mucho gracias. Any questions?

MR. BERNAL: That last part that you were — your poem, can you make that available to us?

MR. MEDRANO: Certainly.

MR. BERNAL: Thank you. And it's not Manuel, it's manual?

MR. MEDRANO: Yeah, it's manual.

MR. BERNAL: Just pulling your leg.

MS. BERLANGA: Dr. Medrano, I want to thank you. I know that you and the students that have come before us today have traveled all the way from Brownsville. I know it's several hours. And I wish to thank all of you. And I would like for everyone of you to stand, those of you that are seated, because I know you-all all came together with Dr. Medrano. If you'd stand.

Thank you. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

MS. BERLANGA: And I know yours has

been unpaid because I know the University can't pay you, but we really appreciate your input.

MR. MEDRANO: Claudia Gomez, the first young lady that spoke was docked a day and a

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half because she's a teacher's aid and she came for this meeting.

MS. BERLANGA: Thank you.

MS. SALAZAR: Javier Soliz, followed by Lucy Camarillo.

Javier Soliz, followed by Lucy Camarillo.

CHAIR SHORE: Are either of these people here?

All right. Go on.

MS. SALAZAR: Dr. Vera Preston-Jaeger, followed by Mark Levin.

Lucy, are you hear?

MS. CAMARILLO: Yes.

MS. SALAZAR: Lucy Camarillo, followed by Dr. Vera Preston-Jaeger.

MS. CAMARILLO: Thank you. I'm Lucy Camarillo, mother of two, business woman, graduate of Baylor University, not part of the UT group Brownsville. I come from the north side of Texas.

I recently had the opportunity to

review three of the American history textbooks being considered for adoption in the year 2002. They are: America, Past and Present, published by

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Longman; American History, A Survey, published by McGraw/Hill; America, Reconstruction to the 21st Century, published by McDougal Littell. I found that the MacDougal Littell edition contained the most information on Hispanic historical contributions. But even there, only one-liners, such in the case of Diego Rivera on Page 512 where his name is only mentioned in the section "Artists Decorate America." He was one of the best known artist in the 21st century. He painted 27 murals on the walls of the courtyard of the Detroit Michigan Institute of Art in 1932. This huge project depict the history of science and industry. He was also hired by John D. Rockerfeller Jr. to paint a mural in the lobby of the RCA Victor — RCA building, yet none of his work is featured.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

Both the publisher and the author of American History: A Survey firmly believe that the history of Hispanic Americans should be fully integrated into the text and presented in proper historical context. When the textbook discusses the exploration and settlement of America on pages 17-23, it presents examples of the Hispanic contribution to that effort. The text notes that, while the first Spaniards came to conquer, that

"most Spanish settlers in America traveled to the New World for other reasons. Many went in hopes of creating a profitable agricultural economy. Unlike the conquistadors, who left little but destruction behind them, these settlers helped establish elements of European civilization in America that permanently altered both the landscape and the social structure. Other Spaniards went to America to spread the Christian religion."

Students go on to read about St. Augustine in Florida and the encomienda system of the Southwest and learn that "by the end of the sixteenth century, the Spanish empire had become one of the largest in the history of the world."

When the text discusses life in the West in the 1800s, it provides extensive detail on Hispanic culture in New Mexico, California, and Texas on pages 558-560. During the discussion of the Great Depression, the author details the plight of Mexican Americans, noting that they often faced discrimination. On page 852, students read:

"Chicanes (as Mexican Americans are often known) filled many of the same menial jobs in the West and elsewhere that blacks filled in other regions. Some farmed small, marginal tracts. Some became agricultural migrants, traveling from region to region harvesting fruit, lettuce,

and other crops-----Even during the prosperous 1920s,

theirs had been a precarious existence. The Depression made things significantly worse. As in the South, unemployed white Anglos in the Southwest demanded jobs held by Hispanics."

The immense impact of the bracero program of World War II, the fact that over 300,000 Mexican Americans fought for the United States, and the discrimination that Mexican Americans faced is detailed on pages 940 and 941.

Students learn about the move toward activism in the 1960s and 1970s on pages 1079 and 1080 where the text details the growing influence of various groups of Hispanic Americans as well as the rise of La Raza Unida.

By focusing the narrative on important historical developments in the United States and by presenting the Hispanic role in those developments, the texts avoid giving token representation to Hispanic Americans. Instead Hispanics are presented as active participants whose contributions and struggles in the historical process have played an important role in the development of Texas and the United States. The author and publisher have integrated the story of Hispanic Americans and their contributions throughout the textbook.

On Chapter 17 of the McDougal

edition, there is no mention of Hispanics in the military. California born pilot Everett Alvarez was shot down and became the first American prisoner of war in North Vietnam on August the 5th, 1965. In 1982, he was appointed deputy administrator for the VA by President Reagan. And in 1988, President Reagan awarded him the POW medal.

Nothing appears in the history books

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about other heroisms of the many Hispanic soldiers like Daniel Tamez, a native of Cameron, Texas, which is about 45 miles north of here, who in June of 1997 had a camp dedicated in his honor in Subic Bay naval base in the Philippines. Not in the United States, but in the Philippines.

Nor is Sergeant Roy Benevides from El Campo, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Reagan in 1981.

On Page 593, a paragraph was

dedicated to the Zoot Suit Riot, but nothing is mentioned after these soldiers who have fought in World War II came back to the United States hoping to be treated as equals, found no job opportunities for them. And how dead soldiers were refused burial in local cemeteries.

We have a picture showing a very

sorrow way the history of Hispanics not served in the public restaurants — got it here — or given haircuts in the Anglo barber shops. This forced the creation of Mexican restaurants and the Mexican beauty shops and barber shops. This was the beginning of the Hispanic entrepreneurship north of the Rio Grande.

This whole chapter — there's a whole

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chapter dedicated to Harlem renaissance, but not one line is said about the creation of the Conjunto and Tejano music and how it has evolved.

If I would be allowed to finish, I only have a few more comments.

A Texas Music Hall of Fame museum has recently been opened in Alice, Texas. Since most of the Hispanics living in Texas during the 1940s and '60s migrated from Mexico, they still have a patriotism closer to the mother country, so they created Comite Patrio Mexicanos owes. These Comites created festival — fiestas patrias for the Cinco de Mayo and Dies y Seis Septembre. I know that a lot of you don't understand this, but this was their only way of trying to teach their children patriotism in their own way, even if they had to rely on their mother country's heroes.

So consequently they also

incorporated things like the national anthems of the United States and of Mexico. This is how we learn about patriotism back of my old days. As you can tell, I'm quite older than some of these girls.

In the 1960s, with the introduction

of Rock and Roll, artists like Ricky Valance crossed over to American music. This trend has continued to

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the present with Grammy winners like Carlos Santana and others like Selena, Gloria Esteban, John Secada and Mark Anthony.

Hispanics have also tried to break

down the barriers in art. Movies and TV celebrities like Raquel Welch, Anthony Quinn, Martin Sheen are examples of Hispanics who have changed their names in order to be able to get acting roles in films, theater or TV.

In 1980, more Hispanics make their way to success, like Carolina Loera (phonetic), international fashion designer who designed Carolyn Kennedy's wedding dress in 1986. She also created her own line of perfume in 1988 and a fragrance for men was introduced in September of 1991.

Roberto Goizueta, graduate of

Yale University, was hired by Coke-cola in 1954 as a chemist, worked his way up the ladder to become CEO in 1981.

Phil Roman, animator, who has

produced and directed several made-for-television movies of Garfield and Peanuts. Greg Nava, who has produced Selena, the movie and is producing the PBS show American Families.

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Judith Baca, who has painted the worlds's largest outside mural in Los Angeles depicting the history of California.

Dr. Elena Ochoa — Dr. Elena Ochoa's picture is shown on Page 879 of the McDougal textbook, but it does not say who she is. She was the first Hispanic woman astronaut. She boarded the Discovery with the four astronauts on September the 12th. She earned her PhD in electrical engineer from Stanford University.

Thank you. Is there any questions?

MS. BERLANGA: I had a question. You said something about that you had a — that there was a very subtle way of the Hispanics not being served in restaurants. And then right before you went into the barber shop, you kind of raised a picture and said you had something. What is that picture?

MS. CAMARILLO: Yes, ma'am. I have a picture of one of the local towns here, not too close from here, but in Texas, where the sign reads "white kitchen cafe," which was their way of letting the public know that Mexicans were not served in that institution.

I also have a witness who is still

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alive. He was a member of a football team that came to play in this town. At that time, he was just a young boy. And he was asked to leave the cafe while the rest of the team was served in the cafe. And his lunch was taken to the — to the bus where he ate it. This gentleman is now probably in the late 80s, but he's still alive and can verify this.

I also have another lady that was

refused service at the restaurant, but later two or three years later, she was able to come back and eat there. But she had to come in through a back door and be served in the kitchen, because they were not allowed.

My father has a lot of stories that he used to relate to me. And so this is really closest to me for that reason.

MS. BERLANGA: So that's actually a picture of that restaurant that didn't allow —

MS. CAMARILLO: Yes. And it does say "white kitchen cafe." And this picture was really taken because of the parade that's happening there. And this man that's leading the parade is a Hispanics. So this is a reason, but in the background you can see the building and the stories behind it now that all the other people have come

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forward. And like I said, they're still alive so there's verification of this.

DR. ALLEN: Where is that cafe, Livingston, Texas?

MS. CAMARILLO: No, ma'am, it's in Kingsville, Texas, in the 100 block of Clayburg Avenue.

DR. ALLEN: There was run one in Livingston. That's why I asked.

MS. STRICKLAND: A point of

clarification: Did these things happen a long time ago or fairly recently?

MS. CAMARILLO: What are you referring to, ma'am?

MS. STRICKLAND: Where they were not served.

MS. CAMARILLO: This particular

picture is taken from 1929, I understand. But there were other things that happened recent. It's some things that actually happened to me. I was in high school. I was asked to present a science project by my biology teacher in my sophomore year. And at that time, the teacher informed us that anyone who won will be put in the yearbook and will be given a $25 gift certificate. As you can tell, I'm quite

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old. I'm not going to tell you what year that was. But I won first place in the biological division. I was taken to — or I was brought here to Austin as a representative of my school. But I'm still waiting for the picture in the annual and I'm still waiting for the $25.

MS. STRICKLAND: I guess my point

is: What's your point of putting more things into the textbook that expose this or what —

MS. CAMARILLO: I think I have the same idea that these children behind me have, that they did not realize what was going on. So consequently, they need to be aware. I want my child to know the sufferings of his grandfather, of mine. Since it affected me — I'm getting emotional, I know. But we suffered a lot. I mean, it happened to me, because I grew up in Central Texas. So life was totally different than what is now shown or what now everybody is experiencing. We suffered a lot.

MS. STRICKLAND: I understand that, but I think we can go back and everybody in this room with our ancestors that suffered a lot of things to come to this land. But fortunately, I think, we're making it all better for all of us.

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I would like one point of

clarification and maybe somebody in this room knows this. I've told that today that there is a town in South Texas that only speaks Spanish. No English conducted at city offices or Chamber of Commerce meeting is all in Spanish. Do you know anything about that?

MS. CAMARILLO: I'm not aware of

that. Most of the meetings that I have attended in the cities and towns that I have lived in, they're conducted in English. In the offices that I have worked, I have been told repeatedly, you need to speak English. I have lived and worked. I work in the Texaco office in South Texas. And I had an engineer who the guys would come in to leave the reports. And since they were giving the reports to me and they were Hispanic, they had a tendency to tell me, you know, this is happening to this well or this is happening out in the field in Spanish. Not so much because they were trying to tell me something, it was because it was a lot easier for them to express this to me. And he would come in there and would tell us that we need to speak in English. To me, it didn't matter, since I was able to understand both languages.

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MS. STRICKLAND: That cuts both ways because there was a lady in Florida that recently was dismissed from city office job because she could not learn Spanish. She tried, but she just didn't pick it up real fast.

I guess my point is, and this may be totally out of line. But I've seen this discussed — I've heard it discussed a lot lately. And I think that we all come from our different backgrounds and it's good to keep our culture and our ethnic background. But this is the United States of America. Out of many we become one. And it is — I think English is the international business language. English is the English of the United States of America. And I really think that we need to speak English in the United States.

MS. CAMARILLO: I agree with you.

MS. BERLANGA: Excuse me. I don't think she is promoting Spanish.

MS. CAMARILLO: That's what I was trying to tell her.

MS. BERLANGA: I don't think in her testimony said one thing about speaking Spanish.

MS. STRICKLAND: Well, I was getting so confused thinking how —

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MS. CAMARILLO: I agree with her. I think we should conduct ourselves in English. I should put it to you this way: I think when addressed in English, I will respond in English. And I think the rest of my people will probably do the same. But when we're together, we will speak Spanish, also. My — as you can tell, I can speak reasonably good English. My first language was Spanish. When I was in the first grade, I did not know a word of English. So I mean, I feel like we have the capacity to understand and do both languages. It doesn't bother us.

CHAIR SHORE: Let me ask you for

clarification. Weren't you trying to make a point that the textbooks should reflect some of the hardships and discrimination that the Mexican-Americans experienced, as well as the African-Americans? I mean, I thought that's what your point was.

MS. CAMARILLO: I just want to

have — yes. So that my children will also know because the textbooks —

CHAIR SHORE: Okay. Make that point clear.

MS. CAMARILLO: — do not have that.

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The two textbooks I reviewed did not have — like I said, there was an one-liner. And it actually said, Gil Rivera was just another painter in the group. Duh. They had another picture right there of some guy, his work that I have not had — no idea who the heck in guy is. But yet, Diego, who is a well-known artist, you know, his work is not even reflected. You know, Dr. — the picture of Dr. Ochoa, it's got her name on there. She's dressed in an astronaut outfit, but who the heck is she?

MS. STRICKLAND: I understand. I wanted to clarify that point.

CHAIR SHORE: Point well taken.

Let's go on. Thank you.

MS. SALAZAR: Dr. Vera Preston-Jaeger, followed by Mark Levin.

CHAIR SHORE: Is Dr. Jaeger here?

MS. JAEGER: Madam Chair and members of the State Board of Education, my name is Dr. Vera Preston-Jaeger. I live in Bastrop, Texas. I'm a retired educator, a mother, grandmother and citizen.

Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of the process for reviewing textbooks. It is important to correct factual errors and omit bias.

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It is important not to reject books that are factually correct. The local school systems have the responsibility to choose appropriate textbooks for their schools.

Children are our future. What type of future do we envision? When Native American leaders are making a decision that will affect their community, they consider what will affect the next seven generations. That's 140 years.

You have a tremendous responsibility as you make decisions affecting Texas children. Because Texas is such a large state, publishers write their textbooks to Texas requirements. As a result, students in other states are affected by your decisions. The Gablers were mentioned as influencing textbook content when I was in North Carolina on a — in 1979, when I asked why some things were not in the book — in the textbooks we were looking at. I want you to be aware of how far-ranging your decisions are.

I read all 700 plus pages of the Harcourt Horizons World Regions Sixth Grade textbook. I enjoyed reading it. I was impressed with the format. It is student and teacher friendly. The teacher's edition is very helpful.

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My written testimony includes a complete review of the book and lists mistakes, typographical errors and comments, so it goes into more detail.

Some of my concerns are that, one,

the book is misleading when it states the right to vote was given to all male citizens in 1870. Many Native Americans and African-Americans were denied the right to vote by states using unrealistic literacy tests and charging poll taxes, which has already been mentioned.

The only mention of slavery in the

United States is on Page 110 and I quote, "Many of these laws had to do with slavery." The slave trade and slavery are mentioned in other chapters of the book, as if it never existed here in the United States. That is misleading the children of the United States.

Pages 374 and 375 have inappropriate information about Christianity for a social studies textbook that will be in schools all over the United States. There is more information on Jesus and Christianity than on Judaism and Islam. The three religions should be covered similarly.

Thank you for your attention.

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Any questions?

DR. ALLEN: What book was that where you had only one mention of slavery? What book was that?

MS. BERLANGA: Harcourt Horizons.

DR. ALLEN: Sixth Grade?

MS. JAEGER: Yes, ma'am. It's a Sixth Grade textbook.

DR. ALLEN: May I see one of those books, please, Harcourt Horizons, Sixth Grade? I want to read it. That's all. I'll read it. Thank you.

MS. JAEGER: Do you have some questions once you see the book?

DR. ALLEN: After I see the book. I want to read it. Because I have to read it in context. I don't lift it out. I want to see how it is addressed. Since you brought it up. I'm glad you brought it up for me so it called it to my attention. But I want to read it. Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MS. SALAZAR: Mark Levin, followed by Jennifer Walter.

Mark Levin.

Jennifer Walter, followed by

235 Linda Parrish.

Jennifer Walter.

Linda Parrish, followed by Andrew Rigsby.

MS. PARRISH: Good afternoon, I'm

Linda Parrish. I have been a public school teacher in Abilene, Dallas, Houston and Bryan. But for the last 24 years, I've been a professor at Texas A&M University in College Station. But today, I'm compelled to be here as a past school board president who experienced the cultural wars of textbook adoption at the local level.

I am not being paid. In fact, I have taken annual leave from Texas A&M today to be with you. But not being a history professor, I did not presume to be qualified to critique the history text, so my testimony that is written and is being distributed to you has been written and signed by three distinguished professors of history at my university. They are Dale Bohm, Armando Alonzo and Joseph Dawson. They were not paid either, but are very interested in the education of history at the secondary level, as we get many of those products at Texas A&M.

Their comments are as follows:

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"The edition of America, Pathways to

the Present will meet with favor among both teachers and students serving easily in any Texas high school as a successful teaching instrument and an absorbing introduction to modern American history. Although the book provides coverage of all the standard topics such as political, diplomatic and military events, it also extensively covers social, cultural, religious and economic change.

"It deals not only with the great men, but also with the people excluded from the so-called canon. Women, youth, ethnic Americans and racial and cultural minorities receive appropriate attention.

"Moreover, the authors have done

their best to integrate these newer areas to the larger picture of an evolving modern American society. The result is much more than a mere chronological rendering of names, dates and facts. The book sets a larger goal of showing how real people confronted real problems complete with triumphs and failures.

"Throughout the narrative, the

authors are guided by their intellectual commitment to increase the tolerance of students for differing

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interpretation of historical change and thereby providing a fundamental knowledge that a well-educated person needs concerning the American experience.

"The structure of textbook book is deliberately fashioned to encourage the students themselves to grasp and evaluate the difficult choices that generations of people have made in molding the texture of life in the United States.

"The authors have accomplished their mission in a sensitive and compelling presentation guaranteed to minimize boredom.

"The authors of American pathways —

America, Pathways to the Present, Prentice Hall, are well-regarded scholars of American history who teach at first-class institutions of higher learning. They have been assisted in the writing of this textbook by an array of individuals."

And I will skip to the final paragraph. You have all the other in front of you.

"The shortcomings of this textbook are no more or less than those plaguing virtually all similar history textbooks, namely minor and unimportant factual errors. If there are an abundance of facts omitted from this textbook, it is

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only because their inclusion would bring high school students closer to the level of understanding of American history required by a Ph.D. degree program of study. As such, it would be no longer considered a textbook.

"Short of this last concern, there is no reason that America, Pathways to the Present should be rejected for approval for use in the high schools of this great State."

Signed by three professors of history, Texas A&M, College Station.

DR. ALLEN: Great.

MS. PARRISH: Yes.

MR. McLEROY: Dr. Parrish, I

appreciate you coming. This is great. Do you have any suggestions about the — you've been very active in all this from the local school board president and all that. Do you have any suggestions on textbook adoption process, the whole process.

MS. PARRISH: Well, I appreciate —

MR. McLEROY: At all the way to the local decisionmaking.

MS. PARRISH: I appreciate the

opportunity to come and be heard here and have my colleagues, who became very interested in this

239

process, but really weren't aware of it when I informed them about this opportunity. And I think it's — it's a great system for us to be able to be heard. I also think at the local level, as you well know, we are involved with this as a great — a great deal. My colleague, Dr. McLeroy has been on the Bryan school board. I've been president of the College Station school board. So we have gone through many iterations of textbook adoptions, particularly in the areas of health.

MR. McLEROY: Health.

MS. PARRISH: Not in history. I found them all fascinating. And I think in my district, the teachers were the ones who made the difference and we actually did go with what the teachers, the professionals, along with parent input, determined would be the best thing.

MR. McLEROY: I'll ask you the same

question I asked the other lady that — when the — what was his name, Dr. Dobbs spoke, did you hear his testimony.

MS. PARRISH: I did. I came over

early this morning, thinking No. 37 would be about 10:30.

MR. McLEROY: Thank you for being

240 around.

MS. PARRISH: I'm not a mathematics professor either.

MR. McLEROY: Do you have any opinion about the preparation of the students' knowledge of history or whatever when they get to college?

MS. PARRISH: Actually, my colleagues who wrote this in history found —

MR. McLEROY: What did they say?

MS. PARRISH: — that it will be

important for them to have really good textbooks. And they determined that this one was one. We determined to stay away from the textbooks that our colleagues actually were editors or authors on, because that's an obvious conflict of interest. But we do, also, think those are good books as well.

I teach and will start teaching Labor Day, as we don't have that holiday, 344 students in one class. I can tell you that I think the majority of our students are some of the best in the country, not just the State. And I think they're prepared because of public school teachers in Texas. I cannot comment on the history aspect.

MR. McLEROY: Thank you.

MS. BERLANGA: I have a question.

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MS. PARRISH: Yes.

MS. BERLANGA: This is an American history book that you're saying is very good and that it's pretty much almost short of saying perfect.

MS. PARRISH: And it does not say that.

MS. BERLANGA: I know, I'm saying just almost short of that because I think it's —

MS. PARRISH: Right.

MS. BERLANGA: — very little that you say needs to be corrected or changed or whatever. But let me ask you this: Because it's called America, Pathways to the Present, I assume it's one of the American history books.

MS. PARRISH: Uh-huh.

MS. BERLANGA: Do you remember — in the area of civil rights, do you remember what they said about the — what they said about Mexican-Americans in the area of civil rights?

MS. PARRISH: I will confess, when I

looked at the history textbooks, it took me about an hour and a half to decide that I must pass this on to my colleagues to say, "Please, give me advice on this." So I do not. But I trust that

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Armando Alonzo gave that some attention. If you would like for me to inquire further with Dr. Alonzo, I will.

MS. BERLANGA: I was just wondering about your opinion on that, if you remembered that being covered in the book.

MS. PARRISH: Absolutely, I would not because, as I said —

MS. BERLANGA: I don't have any further questions.

MS. PARRISH: Okay. Because this is a testimony delivered from my colleagues rather than from myself.

MS. BERLANGA: Oh.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you very much.

DR. ALLEN: Let me say how much I

appreciate your professional, unbiased presentation to the Board. Thank you.

MS. PARRISH: Thank you, Ms. Allen.

MS. SALAZAR: Andrew Rigsby, followed by John Roland.

MR. RIGSBY: Good afternoon. I'm an associate professor of classics here at the University of Texas at Austin. I'm an ancient historian by profession.

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I'd like to draw some lessons for this review process from a really good book, withdrawn by its publisher before it could get a fair hearing before this Board. I want to start with two observations about this book Prentice and Hall's Out of Many that we've already heard a little about today.

First, it doesn't dodge the

complicated issues. Take the old question of slavery versus State's rights as causes of the Civil War. In fact, it's not just a question of balancing those two against each other, but of showing how two causes amplify each other. And even more so when you add in other factors like the evolution of a party system and the leadership of Abraham Lincoln. It's not just that there are four or more pieces to the puzzle. Each one actually changes the shapes of the others.

Second, Out of Many recognizes that the history of America is so often the history of progress, of overcoming problems and difficulties. But students can't understand the progress if they aren't told what the problems and difficulties were. So, for instance, the authors make their brief, now overly famous, observation about women in

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the frontier west driven to prostitution by poverty.

So complexion stories and stories of progress. Both of these features make a book like Out of Many good, but they also make it vulnerable to attack by anyone without the facts on their side, but with an ideological agenda. Picking one piece out of the store behind a complex event like the Civil War not only unbalances the book's account and then blames the book for lack of balance, but it even distorts the meaning of the piece that is picked out and then blames the book for that, too.

We had a couple of good examples of that in this morning's testimony.

Picking out only the beginning of any of the stories of American progress makes a book look antiAmerican, by hiding the genuinely patriotic message of progress, and again, my misreading.

Now, even at face value, most of these attacks don't really raise questions of factual error. But I'm more worried about two other things.

First, the better a book is, the more danger it's in. And second, giving into such attacks lets political agendas into this process

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through the back door. Publishers ought to be looking at their books and thinking, "Is this true?" Instead, they have to go sentence by sentence asking, "Can the Eagle Forum take this out of context and use it as a sound bite?" It's easier to leave out true history than to take on distortion.

And it gets worse, not only do we

lose the books, that are actually turned down, but the ones that are never offered to us at all. Texas students deserve the best materials available. But when the Board rejects quality books by serious professionals at the whim of fringe groups, it tells publishers to invent inferior products for us. Rejecting quality books goes against this Board's statutory duty to access facts, not politics. It goes against the State Constitution's guarantee of the general diffusion of knowledge. And it goes against common sense.

Kids in other states are entitled to all of our history, why not in Texas?

Thank you.

DR. ALLEN: I love you, too.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. McLEROY: Sir.

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MS. SALAZAR: John Roland.

MR. McLEROY: Since you're the

college prof, do you have to re-teach the kids when you get there?

MR. RIGSBY: Well, I guess one of the good things about —

MR. McLEROY: Or however he put it.

MR. RIGSBY: — primarily an ancient historian is they come in nothing about it, everybody's okay with that. They do, occasionally, say things or make comparisons to things they think they know about American history that are a little disturbing. But I think that's too small of a sample for me to be a fair judge of that question.

MR. McLEROY: Does ancient history go through how far? How far do you —

MR. RIGSBY: Say the fall of the Roman Empire, basically.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MS. SALAZAR: John Roland, followed by David Rogers.

MR. ROLAND: Good afternoon. My name is John Roland, I represent the Constitution Society. In our last session, I testified on McGruder's American Government. During this

247

session, I'm testifying on three additional textbooks. The First, United States Government by Richard C. Reamy; The American Republic, by Joyce Applebee, et al; and American Government by Stephen Kelman.

Now, by way of full disclosure, I need to mention that the lead author of American Republic is a personal friend and supporter of the Constitution Society. Therefore, I had to give her book special scrutiny. I went over it intensely and was only able to find one smaller error.

In the appendix, a clause in the Constitution is blued out, indicating that it was affected or removed by amendment when, in fact, it had not been. The Thirteenth Amendment affected the clause just before it, but did not affect the clause that was blued out.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

To clarify this issue, the publisher will make the following content changes:

Page 232, caption in gold, 2^nd sentence: Content Change

Change:

"For easier study, those passages that have been set aside or

changed by the adoption of amendments are printed in blue."

To:

"Those passages that have been set aside, outdated by the passage of time, or changed by the adoption of amendments are printed in blue."

Page 241, column 1, lines 9-10 Editorial Change

Change:

the phrase "—between Citizens of different States," from cyan to black

United States Government by Richard Reamy, published by Glencoe McGraw-Hill has many good features. It's well-organized, well-presented, but it does contain some problems. On Page 85, it has a passage that states are free to regulate the use and sale of firearms. This is a conclusion of law, which is not based upon historical fact. In fact, the Supreme Court has not

248

ruled on this issue. And until it does, the textbook should only report that the Supreme Court has not ruled on this issue.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

To clarify this issue, the publisher will make the following content change:

Page 85, column 1, paragraph 3, lines 8-9 Content Change

Change:

"States are free to regulate the use and sale of firearms."

To:

"Many state constitutions guarantee the right to keep and bear arms."

On Page 159, a column of implied powers is presented, which presumes that the implications are valid. They should not be thus presumed in textbook, they should rather be presented as considered to be by the majority of those now in government when, in fact, they are controverted.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

The text that introduces the column of "selected implied powers" explains that the implied powers are often subject to conflicting interpretation. The text points out that the meaning of the necessary and proper clause has been under debate, almost from the time the words were written. On page 157 students read:

"Because of the far-reaching implications of the expanding power of Congress, the Supreme Court has often been the site of conflict over what is 'necessary and proper' legislation."

On Page 443 contains a statement that a jury must be unanimous in a criminal trial in its verdict. It leaves out the word "for a guilty verdict." A jury must only be unanimous for a verdict of guilty, not for a verdict of not guilty. The implication is that if they can't reach agreement, the jury must be hung. Well, all that is is a formula for hanging the accused. A similar error is made in American Government by Stephen Kelman on Page 443 — I'm sorry, Page 159.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

To clarify this issue, the publisher will make the following content changes:

Page 443, paragraph 1, lines 11-14 Content Change

Change:

"In nearly all criminal cases the verdict, or decision, must be unanimous. If a jury is unable to reach a decision, it is called a hung jury and dismissed, and the trial ends in a mistrial. A new trial with another jury may be scheduled at a later date."

To:

"Nearly all criminal cases require a unanimous vote for a verdict, or decision, of guilty. If the jury cannot agree on a verdict, a situation known as a hung jury, the court usually declares a mistrial. A new trial with another jury may be scheduled later."

So I — my written testimony contains some additional comments on this. My preliminary conclusion at this time is that American Republic is worthy of acceptance, with one minor correction. McGruder's American Government actually is —

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contains the richest content, but also the most serious errors and would require a major rewriting.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

As noted above, the publisher is changing The American Republic Since 1877 in accordance with the reviewer's suggestion.

American Government and United States Government could be corrected by making changes to a few pages and by additional material. In particular, on — there is a section missing from United States Government on the 2nd, 9th and 10th Amendments. And the discussion of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Amendments does not relate the context content to the actual wording of the amendments, which will be confusing to students. Any discussion of the Constitution does need to relate to discussion to specific words in the Constitution, which would not just be pure commentary.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

The textbook covers the articles of the Bill of Rights thoroughly on pages 83-87 and again on pages 789-790. Detailed explanations of the Second, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments are provided on pages 84-87. Additional discussion of the Tenth Amendment is included in Chapter 4 "The Federal System," in sections on the supremacy clause, concurrent powers, denied powers, guarantees to the states, (pages 96-99) and in sections on the states' rights position and the nationalist position (pages 106-198).

The language and the wording of the first ten amendments are discussed in the annotations to the Constitution as well as in several other places in the text. For example, the use of the word "quartered" is related to the British practice of housing troops in private homes (page 789). A section (beginning on page 63) compares the U.S. Constitution with other constitutions in terms of structure. Discussed on pages 78-79 are informal changes to the Constitution, which includes information on the language and meaning of many terms including "lay and collect taxes" and "high crimes and misdemeanors."

Are there any questions?

MR. MONTGOMERY: Yeah, Dr. Roland. Mr. Roland, Dr. Roland, you testified here before last month, you say?

MR. ROLAND: Yes.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Can did you make some suggestions then for change similar or point out factual errors then —

MR. ROLAND: Yes.

MR. MONTGOMERY: — as you are

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today?

MR. ROLAND: You have my written testimony on that. It's also online on my web-site.

MR. MONTGOMERY: I've got it here. I can go through it. But did the publishers respond to your criticisms?

MR. ROLAND: No, they have not.

MR. MONTGOMERY: They've not.

They've made no response to make any changes or explain why they would not make changes at all?

MR. ROLAND: I haven't heard from them.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

All publisher responses are a matter of public record and are available from the Texas Education Agency, Office of Textbook Administration.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Okay. I appreciate it.

MS. THORNTON: John, I'd like to share with you. I did speak with McGraw-Hill concerning United States Government and did share with them most of your concerns. They were mine, also. To my knowledge, I believe that Page 85 has been corrected. And the concern on the 2nd, 9th and 10th Amendment has been corrected. And I believe that Page 443, they made a correction there. You might want to check with them or ask them for that information, because I have received it and I'd like for you to have what I have.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

All publisher responses are a matter of public record and are available from the Texas Education Agency, Office of Textbook Administration.

251

MR. ROLAND: All right. I'll be happy to receive it, of course.

MS. THORNTON: I do believe they're working very hard on that. So perhaps you might want to get with them on that.

MR. ROLAND: Well, I don't have contact information with people in charge in the publishers. All I can do is put them up on my web-site and give them copies here at the — these sessions.

MS. THORNTON: All right, sir.

MR. ROLAND: I'm kind of relying on them to contact me. But I'm certainly happy to work with them on these issues.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

All publisher responses are a matter of public record and are available from the Texas Education Agency, Office of Textbook Administration.

MS. THORNTON: Ms. Jannie over here, Linda. She has a copy of that. And I believe that she will help you with that. And — because I do want you to have the work that these publishers have been doing.

As I said, I had some of these same concerns when I reviewed the book or looked at it. I didn't re-review it completely. But I certainly agree with you. And I thank you for your work. But I do want you to know the publishers are responding.

MR. ROLAND: Well, I might make one

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suggestion here further. It's all very well to offer these analyses to the State Board of Education. But ultimately, the local school boards are going to be making these decisions. And it is not, at this point, convenient for them to get all of this information, this testimony, this analysis. Obviously, since I put it online, all they have to do is go to a good search engine, search on the title and author and they will — it will pop up. But this is probably not the case with most other analyses that may be done by different people.

So the State Board of Education could assist the entire process if they could have a simple links page to all of this various information, which would make it more readily accessible to local Boards of Education. Then each Board could be guided to find the problems with the books that have been pointed out by many others and help them in making their assessment. I've talked to a number of school boards and they simply don't have the time to read all of these books with the degree of detail over the critical judgment that they presently require. And if this could be thus facilitated I think it would assist the entire process.

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MR. MONTGOMERY: I think what you said is a little incorrect as far as the local school boards will make the ultimate decision. They do on content, but they don't on factual errors. And you did mention one here that obviously is a factual error, such as the unanimous jury requirement. So it is — it is important that these errors be pointed out at this level as opposed to the local school board level.

MR. ROLAND: I'm arguing, of course, for both. I'm just saying that whether you accept or reject the textbook at this level, the local school board can still buy it. They may not — they may not be aware of the errors.

MR. MONTGOMERY: They've got to pay for it, though.

MR. ROLAND: By the time it gets to that point.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you very much.

DR. ALLEN: Madam Chair, may I address Dr. Jaeger one second? I just want to point something out to her.

CHAIR SHORE: Dr. Jaeger, please come back.

DR. ALLEN: In your presentation, you

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referred to the Harcourt Horizon World Region Grade 6 book and said that there was only one mention of slavery on Page 110. And I looked on Page 110 and one — where you have one quote and that's true. But I also, in using the index went in to find one, two — let's see, five, 10, 11, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 more references in the index, okay.

DR. JAEGER: What —

DR. ALLEN: So you might want to cross —

DR. JAEGER: — I didn't explain in

the short thing was in — in the entire unit of the United States —

DR. ALLEN: Uh-huh.

DR. JAEGER: — as I looked

through — I started wondering if it had been mentioned all at all, because I didn't remember it. And so I started looking back. And I did look in the index.

DR. ALLEN: There are 10 references.

MS. JAEGER: And so slavery and the slave trade are mentioned in other places. But in the section on Pages 97 to 131 —

DR. ALLEN: Uh-huh.

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DR. JAEGER: — the only mention of slavery in the United States was on that page.

DR. ALLEN: Okay. Well, it's covered in depth a little deeper. Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

DR. ALLEN: I just wanted to say that for that company, Harcourt, so they won't be running around with their heads cut off looking for some more to put in there, okay.

MS. SALAZAR: David Rogers, followed by Kenny Johnson.

MR. ROGERS: Hi. This is my first

and only — maybe not only, so far, appearance at a hearing. I'm here as a mostly a parent, also, a homeowning taxpayer and citizen of Texas.

I'm here because I read about the — how this process of textbook approval has become politicalized. And thought I would see for myself. From what I have read — and I don't believe everything I read in the paper — I didn't know whether to be embarrassed or — by the process or proud of it as I native son of Texas and a product of the public school system.

My daughter is also in Seventh Grade and I wanted to demonstrate to her, by reading this

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and coming to this hearing, that there's more to democracy than just voting. So I did look through the book that — that you've had held up to you earlier today. I like this book. I would have been glad if she had used it last year. Sixth Grade geography, social studies book.

I did find some misstatements, I called them. Some errors, factual errors. I probably scrutinized about a third of it. I stuck with the countries I've visited or lived or worked in besides this one that I knew something about. And there was one instance of bias that I came across, which I don't think you could understand what I was referring to from my notes without looking at the book, because it has to do with photos.

But all in all, despite some, what I would consider, I guess, understandable editorial errors or things that should be easily corrected with this feedback system that we have here, this is a book that I would recommend.

And I do want to say that now that I sit here today and listened to this testimony, I appreciate this process. And I'm glad that we — that everybody that I've heard today has — has

257

spoken. The witness who brought in this book earlier talked about "National Geographic" logos being on — so prolifically through it. And I looked and it is — she's right, it is in here and I didn't even notice it. So she raised my consciousness. And I agree we should challenge that. There's no reason to have that kind of thing in our textbook.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

Glencoe has no advertising, nor have we sought any advertising for our

textbooks.

Glencoe, like all other major publishers in the social studies adoption, has brand identification in its textbooks when material was developed by other content providers.

The brand and the yellow rectangle are used to distinguish the National Geographic content from that of the other authors in the books.

Both the content and the maps are distinctive assets to the textbook, and we believe they provide the highest quality of information to our Texas teachers and students.

So I'm proud to be part of this process, very Texas process. Thank you.

DR. ALLEN: Does that mean now you're

coming back again?

MR. ROGERS: If I have something new to say.

DR. ALLEN: That mean you're going to finish your book and come back so that you can show your daughter that you follow through on projects.

MR. ROGERS: You're a former teacher, I can tell.

DR. ALLEN: Then I can get to look at the you again.

MR. ROGERS: Well, I'm a former student. Maybe a different book.

DR. ALLEN: That would be nice, just so I get to see you again.

258

MR. ROGERS: Oh, well, thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: We appreciate you coming.

DR. ALLEN: Let me — one thing he mentioned is CNN and the Time Magazine. You know there is a rationale for that. And at the end — I hope somewhere there's a rationale for it. In my mind, I'm trying rationale what it is. And I do have something in my mind, but at the end when we address the — when the book companies come forward, I would really like for that book company to have an opportunity to say why that's there, okay.

Thank you. I want them to be thinking about it.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

Glencoe has no advertising, nor have we sought any advertising for our

textbooks.

Glencoe, like all other major publishers in the social studies adoption, has brand identification in its textbooks when material was developed by other content providers.

The brand and the yellow rectangle are used to distinguish the National Geographic content from that of the other authors in the books.

Both the content and the maps are distinctive assets to the textbook, and we believe they provide the highest quality of information to our Texas teachers and students.

CHAIR SHORE: Okay.

MS. SALAZAR: Kenny Johnson, followed by Jennifer Abraria.

MR. JOHNSON: Madam Chair, members of the Board, thank you for this opportunity to address concerns regarding the proclamation of 2000.

Monday, the Washington Times reported the NEA was offering teacher lesson plans on their web-site, suggesting teachers blame America for the events of 9-11 by discussing historical instances of American intolerance. Written proof national

259 efforts are being made to omit the facts.

Further evidence is found in a

chapter of one of these submitted textbooks being considered for adoption. The authors attempt to marginalize America's achievements and create a mindset that America is weak. Bright, bold orange letters in the headline read "Nightmare at Omaha." The textbook quotes, "General Omar Bradley feared Omaha was irreversible catastrophic." The authors offered no discussion about the bravery and courage of American serviceman, nor the sacrifices by their families on behalf of freedom.

Standing on Omaha Beach, President

Ronald Reagan spoke these words: "We stand today at a place of battle. One that 40 years ago saw and felt the worse of war. Men bled and died here for a few feet or inches of sand as bullets and shell fire cut through their ranks. About them, General Omar Bradley later said, 'Every man who set foot on Omaha Beach that day was a hero.' Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy 40 years ago. They came not as conquers, but as liberators. When these troops swept across the French countryside and into the forests of Belgium and Luxemburg, they came not to take, but to return what

260

had been wrongfully seized. When our forces marched into Germany, they came out to prey a brave and defeated people, but to nurture the seeds of democracy among those who yearned to be free again. This land is secure. We are free. This is worth dying and fighting for."

Which factual account clearly

explains what happened at Omaha? There are those who want to destroy democracy in the heart and soul in our children by rewriting history. President Bush remarked in 2002 State of the Union address, "For too long our culture has said, if it feels good do it. Now America is raising a new ethic and a new creed: Let's roll."

It would be devastating to it have

these words, "let's roll" omitted from our history. Deep inside each true American lives a spirit that serves a purpose larger than himself. Ordinary people with extraordinary courage.

True Americans understand when the call comes to defend freedom, we are willing to answer with our lives. Even if the call comes on a seemingly routine flight from New York to San Francisco.

The fire wall for freedom is the

261

American people. The fire wall for protecting Texas public education is this Board. My prayer is that each member will only cast votes in favor of textbooks that report the complete facts of our history. A generation of young Americans are dependent upon you.

May good bless you, the children are of Texas and the families you serve.

Publisher's Response:

The publisher fully agrees with the reviewer that the events at Omaha

exemplify the American spirit at its best, and represent a triumph of

American arms in the face of tremendous difficulties. The courage and

determination of American soldiers landing at Omaha made victory

possible.

Many military historians regard the battle at Omaha Beach as a key battle of the war, and a turning point in the effort to liberate western Europe from Nazi tyranny. It is for precisely this reason that The American Republic Since 1877 includes a 2-page National Geographic special presentation on the battle at Omaha Beach. In order for students to remember the sacrifices made for freedom, the textbook describes the carnage and problems facing Americans at Omaha precisely because it was the most difficult battle, and it was where Americans suffered the most casualties,

Describing the problems Americans faced during the landing in France does not diminish their achievement. Rather, it enhances it. There is no better way for students to understand the heroism of the American soldiers than to read about the obstacles they had to overcome to achieve victory. After reading the story of what American soldiers faced on Omaha, students should come away with an extraordinary pride in the heroism of the American soldiers.

Neither the authors nor the publisher intended to imply that the invasion was a military disaster or a mistake. Nothing could be further from the truth. The National Geographic features are intended to link historical events to geography. In this case, the text of the feature stresses the geographic conditions shaping the battle. It does so in order to give students a "snapshot" of the geographic and battle conditions the Americans faced. It is not relating the entire story of D-Day.

The title of the feature, "Nightmare at Omaha" comes from the comment by one American commander who was there, that, "Utah was a cakewalk, but Omaha was a nightmare." Neither the authors nor the publisher intend this title to indicate criticism of the American attack. It is intended to give students a sense of the horrendous conditions into which American

soldiers bravely flung themselves, and to increase the sense of pride in the eventual American triumph.

The text also does not imply that this was an ill-planned military strategy. To the contrary, on page 638, beneath the map, the feature's text does state the following:

"The Americans reached their first day objective (dotted blue line on map) only after more than two days of bloody fighting. Despite terrible losses, American forces successfully carried out one of the most crucial missions of the war."

Although the National Geographic feature focuses on the first day at Omaha Beach, the main text of the World War II chapter examines the history of the entire D-Day battle in more detail on pages 633-635. It is important to remember that the goal of a history textbook is to explain why historical events happened as they did. For this reason, the text describes the problems Americans encountered in order to explain why the battle cost so many lives. Contrary to the reviewer's assertions, the text clearly explains how the American soldiers turned the tide of the battle and achieved success. On page 635, the text reads as follows:

"Slowly, however, the American troops began to knock out the German defenses. More landing craft arrived, ramming their way through obstacles to get to the beach. Nearly 2,500 Americans were either killed or wounded on Omaha, but by early afternoon Bradley received this message: 'Troops formerly pinned down on the beaches . .. [are] advancing up heights behind the beaches." By the end of the day, nearly 35,000 American troops had landed at Omaha, and another 23,000 had landed at Utah. Over 75,000 British and Canadian troops were onshore as well. The invasion had succeeded."

Every major study of the Omaha landing stresses the problems the American troops encountered and the losses they suffered. They point out that General Bradley briefly feared he would have to evacuate Omaha beach. They also note that despite fearful casualties, American troops pushed their way inland. See for example The Mighty Endeavor by Charles MacDonald, former Deputy Chief Historian of the Army and author of the army's official histories of the European campaign in World War II. See also Stephen Ambrose, D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The text provides further examples of the bravery American troops exhibited at Omaha Beach in the American Story that appears on page 631. The story relates the experience of Lieutenant John Bentz Carroll of the 16^th Infantry Regiment:

"On the morning of June 6,1944, Lieutenant John Bentz Carroll of the 16 Infantry Regiment scrambled down a net ladder from his troop ship to a small landing craft tossing in the waves 30 feet (9 m) below. The invasion of France had begun. Carroll's platoon would be among the first Americans to land in Normandy. Their objective was a beach, code-named "Omaha":

"Two hundred yards out, we took a direct hit.... [A machine gun] was shooting a rat-tat-tat on the front of the boat. Somehow or other, the ramp door opened up ... and the men in front were being struck by machine gun fire. Everyone started to jump off into the water. They were being hit as they jumped, the machine gun fire was so

heavy-----The tide was moving us so rapidly-----We

would grab out on some of those underwater obstructions and mines built on telephone poles and girders, and hang on. We'd take cover, then make a dash through the surf to the next one, fifty feet beyond. The men would line up behind those poles. They'd say, 'You go—you go—you go,' and then it got so bad everyone just had to go anyway, because the waves were hitting with such intensity on these things."

It is worth noting that no other high school textbook submitted for adoption in Texas devotes as much coverage to the D-Day landing as does The American Republic Since 1877. One textbook does not even mention the battle of Omaha beach. Other texts devote only a paragraph to this critical battle, and do little more than quote individual soldiers as to how horrible it was.

Although the text is not unpatriotic in its presentation of D-Day, the publisher and authors want to ensure that students understand that the Omaha invasion was a success, and that the American effort was an example of extraordinary heroism and courage. For this reason, the publisher will make the following content changes:

Page 639, Title Content Change

Delete:

"Nightmare at Omaha"

Insert:

"A Day for Heroes"

Page 639, column 1, paragraph 3: Content Change

Delete: "But at Omaha Beach (map), between Utah and Gold, the landing of the U.S. 1^st Infantry Division threatened to turn into what general Omar Bradley feared was an "irreversible catastrophe."

Insert: "But at Omaha Beach (map), between Utah and Gold, the bravery and determination of the U.S. 1^st Infantry Division was tested in one of the fiercest battles of the war." Page 639, column 2, last line: Content Change

Insert the following after the last sentence:

"Although many died, the Americans took control of the beach and fought

their way inland. As General Omar Bradley later wrote:

"Every man who set foot on Omaha Beach that day was a hero."

[set quote in bold type]

Page 639:

Make the following deletions to fit the new material above: Content Change

Column 1, lines 5-7

Delete:

"considered coastlines from Denmark to Portugal in search of

Insert:

"needed"

Column 2, lines 12-14:

Content Change

Delete:

"which had been divided into sectors with code names such as Dog Red

and Easy Green"

Although the publisher and authors have agreed to make these changes to avoid any misunderstanding on the part of students and teachers concerning the events at Omaha beach, they reject the notion that the textbook's discussion of World War II is in any way unpatriotic or negative.

All of Chapter 20 describes in detail the heroic efforts of Americans to mobilize their economy, organize their troops and defeat the Germans, Japanese, and Italians in battle. The text quotes Churchill's famous observation about the American economy: "Once the fire is lighted under it, there is no limit to the power it can generate." The text then states the following:

"Churchill was right. The industrial output of the United States during the war astounded the rest of the world. American workers were twice as productive as German workers and five times more productive than Japanese workers. American war production turned the tide in favor of the Allies. In less that four years the United States achieved what no other nation had ever done—it fought and won a two-front war against two powerful military empires, forcing each to surrender unconditionally."

The above description is a powerful statement that should generate pride in any American reading it. Similarly, the text's description of the American army as it headed off to war should also generate pride in the citizen soldiers of the young republic that defeated the Axis. On page 617, the text reads:

"The Americans who went to war in 1941 were not well trained. Most of the troops had no previous military experience. Most of the officers had never led men in combat. The armed forces mirrored many of the tensions and prejudices of American society. Despite these challenges, the United States armed forces performed well in battle. Of all the major powers involved in the war, the United States suffered the fewest casualties in combat.

American troops never adopted the spit-and-polish style of the Europeans. When they arrived at the front, Americans' uniforms were usually a mess, and they rarely marched in step. When one Czechoslovakian was asked what he thought of the sloppy, unprofessional American soldiers, he commented, "They walk like free men."

On page 618, the text presents a tale of individual heroism at Midway in the American Story, which recounts the experience of fighter pilot James Thach.

On page 619, the text details the heroic efforts of the pilots who flew the Doolittle raid, not sure they even had enough fuel to reach land.

On pages 620-21, the text describes the triumph of the Americans over the Japanese at Midway, noting: "Just six months after Pearl Harbor, the United States had stopped the Japanese advance in the Pacific."

On page 632, the text outlines the dramatic success of American troops in Sicily led by General Patton.

On page 635, the text quotes combat reporter Robert Sherrod's description of the heroic action of several Marines during the savage battle of Tarawa. The following page outlines American technological ingenuity in developing the amphtrac to make amphibious invasions easier.

On page 641, the text describes the heroic American defense of Bastogne that turned the tide in the Battle of the Bulge.

On page 644, the text describes the heroism of American Marines as they landed on Iwo Jima. The text quotes Admiral Nimitz's comment that on Iwo Jima "uncommon valor was a common virtue." The text also includes the famous photo of the flag raising on Iwo Jima.

These details and others in the text will not only leave students with a clear idea of the history of World War II, and the role played by the United States in the Allied victory, they will also make very clear the sacrifices Americans made to achieve victory, and will help to instill a powerful sense of pride in their nation and a sense of humble gratitude for what "The Greatest Generation" was able to accomplish.

CHAIR SHORE: I understand, sir, that you have — have you talked to the textbook publisher?

MR. JOHNSON: No, I have not.

CHAIR SHORE: Okay. Well, one of them talked to me. And they said that they were going to talk with you and that they agreed that —

that there might be some changes that need to be made. So you might try to talk with them.

MR. JOHNSON: Madam Chair, if I can expand on that just a little bit. One of my concerns has risen that it seems to me we get the clearer picture of a textbook on the first run. It's a little bit like running the stoplight. We kind of run it up the flagpole and we see what happens. And so — I really appreciate the process and all of the issues in the race are outstanding.

262

But it does raise a red flag that I think it — for me, that now that we've got to go back and reassess. And particularly some of these issues that are as clearly, in my mind, need to be reexamined. And on this particular issue, should have been caught the first round.

I'm so grateful to this publisher

that he's willing do that. My only concern is: Why do we have to revisit such an important factor?

CHAIR SHORE: That's why we have this process.

MR. JOHNSON: Absolutely.

MS. THORNTON: Mr. Johnson.

DR. ALLEN: I think you're going to

find that in some other textbooks because I've read it already.

MR. JOHNSON: Uh-huh.

DR. ALLEN: I think you're going to find that mentioned in some other textbooks because I've read it already.

MR. JOHNSON: You have read?

DR. ALLEN: About these

September llth account and activities surrounding that. Uh-huh.

MR. JOHNSON: Good.

263

MS. THORNTON: Could you give me the name of the textbook?

MR. JOHNSON: I sure can. It's The American Revolution.

DR. ALLEN: By?

MR. JOHNSON: I think it's Glencoe McGraw. I think that's correct.

CHAIR SHORE: I think they are looking at this.

MR. JOHNSON: Good. Good. Well, I'm glad. And I applaud their efforts.

DR. ALLEN: Yeah. There's a mention in McDougal Little. I know that one. I've read it on another occasion.

MR. JOHNSON: Okay. Good. Thank you.

MR. McLEROY: Thanks.

MS. SALAZAR: Jennifer Abraria, followed by Naomi Grundy.

MS. ABRARIA: Good afternoon. I don't have any handouts. This is my first time before the Board. I currently — well, my — I'm the youth program specialist for the National Conference for Community and Justice. NCCJ is a nonprofit organization. We fight bias, bigotry and

264

racism through education. I currently go into the private schools and public schools in the Corpus Christi area and facilitate three or four programs. So I get to talk to about 11,000 students a year that are sometimes confused about their culture and their race and where they come from and where they stand and who they are.

We put together a panel of about six people, six individuals from different agencies within the Corpus Christi area. And I just want to let you know that the reason we did this was because, it's important for individuals to understand themselves in order to accept and understand others. And the only way to do that is to educate them.

So if — to educate them on the individual — on differences in the various cultures, races, religions and individuals with disabilities with disregard to gender. Those are a lot of topics, but they are very important.

Currently our young people learn a great deal from the educational materials they are subject to in school. If we do not encourage positive inclusive material in these textbooks, there are few other areas our young people will

265

learn accurate information about the diversity America is so famous for.

If we, as individuals, do not

encourage an unbiased, positive view of diverse cultures, races, religion, genders and individual's disabilities that we are not familiar with, how can we expect our young people to understand the importance of treating others with respect?

To take that a step further, if a

young person understands that another human being is being reflected in a negative manner, number one, a young person will automatically equate that the person — that the individual in question, race, religion, gender, culture or disability is part of the negative implication.

No. 2, if a race, religion, gender,

culture or individual with a disability is left out or omitted because that — because that is unimportant, then young people will equate the lack of information with a lack of participation or value of a particular race, religion, culture, gender or individual with a disability.

You might ask me again: Why is this information so important? In America, we pride ourselves on being a melting pot. We must then also

266

have pride in the individuals who make up our great nation. Pride in the diverse cultures, races, religions, genders and individuals with disabilities that contribute to our daily way of life as we know it today.

We looked over about eight — I'm

sorry about six textbooks. And there was maybe two that covered some cultures and some races in a fairly positive manner. Some of the races, especially minorities like Mexican-Americans were depicted in very low — very low manners. They were not talked about in a positive manner. There were hardly any disabilities — any individuals with disabilities in any of the textbooks.

At that point, I can get you the

names of the textbooks and the instances in which we were looking for people — individuals with disabilities and the negative comments towards the Mexican-American heritage.

Thank you.

MS. SALAZAR: Naomi Grundy, followed by Eleanor Hutchison.

MS. GRUNDY: Good afternoon. It gives me great pleasure to address this distinguished body. I am Naomi Carrier Grundy

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cofounder and director of Talking Back Living History. I have 20 years of classroom experience, especially teaching middle school Texas and American history. And I've made a career of Texas and American history as a researcher, a playwright and a composer. I've written about 16 plays about Texas history from the African-American perspective and I've been a consultant on African-American history for the George Ranch to the Institute of Texan Cultures and Texas Parks and Wildlife. I am not a paid representative, but I represent all African-American students in public, private, charter and parochial schools.

Books, whether about the past or the future, reflect the thinking of the generation in which they are created. Growing up in Texas in the 1950s, I went to segregated schools where there were no pictures of Negros or Indians or Mexican in the public school textbooks. And in the 1960s, I was thrown out the Wichita Falls Public Library. Thank God, things have changed.

I have reviewed four textbook

editions for the Seventh Grade Texas history and two editions of Fourth Grade history books, noting the following changes in contributions, responsibilities

268 and nomenclature for African-Americans.

First, more references to

African-Americans as enslaved rather than slaves, thereby placing the responsibility of slavery where it belongs and helping to erase the loss of self-esteem for Black youth who do not want to see themselves as people who are bought or sold, worked for nothing, without rights or privilege.

Our participation in the Texas

Revolution, World War I and II has been given more than cursory mentioned, including the contributions of Greenbury Logan, Hendrick Arnold, William Goans and others. However, the list needs to be researched to include some folks never mentioned like Peter Allen, the musician Goliad, Dick the drummer at San Jacinto, Joe Travis and Betty the cook at the Alamo. These recent additions mention our supportive role during the Civil War, the Freedman's Bureau, Jim Crowe and the Black Codes. They narrate how, Klu-Klux-Klan violence put an end to Black political strength in counties where we were the majority population. One text refers to the redeemers who ended altogether Black participation in the political process.

What these texts will probably take

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another 10 to 20 years to mention is the Underground Railroad Resistance Movement from Texas to Mexico, which liberated over 5,000 enslaved African-Americans, with the help of Mexicans and Germans. The importance of Kia Mata to the survival of Jane Long during the winter of 1821. Of course, Bowie brothers, William Travis, Thomas McKinney all participated in the Texas slave trade and have streets, cities, counties and state parks named in their honor. However, there is yet no monument to Juneteenth. And as I said before, this again reflects the social-political thinking of our generation.

None of the texts covered, to my

satisfaction the importance of slave labor to the economy of Texas, while they address the fact that cotton was king. So rather than lament what the texts do not cover, I would like to say that they are a vast improvement to what existed 10 years ago. And I am endorsing this particular text for Seventh Grade history, Texas Our Texans, which is published by Glencoe McGraw-Hill.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

The publisher appreciates the positive comment.

Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MS. GRUNDY: Are there any

270 questions?

DR. ALLEN: Thank you.

MS. GRUNDY: Thank you.

MS. SALAZAR: Eleanor Hutchison, followed by Margaret Borchert.

MS. HUTCHISON: I'm

Eleanor Hutchison, the Texas DA or textbook chairman.

You will receive material I sent

earlier on documentation in Glencoe Grade 8 about a rumor about hair buyers. You will notice from my documentation, this is not a rumor when you review the scalp package.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

The publisher acknowledges the error and will make the following error

correction.

Page 178, column 1, paragraph 2, line 3: Error Correction

Delete:

of rumors that

In McGraw-Hill Fifth Grade, you will note that Juan Seguin did live past the Alamo and had a busy life in Texas thereafter. Also, in that text, there's a mention of Joseph McCarthy negatively. He has since been cleared, due to the release of the Venona decoding Soviet espionage papers documented a vast amounts of material that proved that McCarthy was right. Please correct that

error.

Now, there is a picture on the front of this book. You'll see there are 10 people here. And one of the 10 people is a picture of a black

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man. The picture is also repeated inside MacDougal's. It's inside McCarthy, the Fifth Grade and it's inside twice in the Scott Fifth Grade. The man is reported to be Chrispus Actus, the man that started the Boston Massacre by hitting a soldier on a neck with a large cordial. According to extant material in John Adams' legal papers concerning the trial, he was an Indian from the Narragansett tribe and possibly could be a mulatto, which meant at that time a mixture of race, white and Indian in that — in the Boston area. If he had been black, it would have been noted in 1770 in the records and even in the engraving by Paul Revere.

Isn't it strange that this imposter or myth suddenly appears after 232 years? If the publisher must have a Black picture, why not choose someone like Benjamin Beneker — that should be two Ns in that name — who amazed everyone by reproducing the plans for the city of Washington D.C. after Pierre LaFont took the originals away. To place a falsehood on the cover of Creating an America with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Sam Houston and Abigail Adams and others, it's cruel to those who know the truth. Our textbooks must always reflect the truth, not a manufactured myth.

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McDougal, Page 7, there's a picture of nine children that are not Texas children. The publisher admitted they were from Pennsylvania, yet he plans to leave the picture in. We do not need dirty, cold-faced Pennsylvania children in a Texas book for Texans. Please take it out.

McDougal has trouble understanding that the blacks were able to vote in the South. Both stated in their text and also from the person that sent the formal response, they do not seem to understand the politics of the South. And their textbooks are wrong.

The poor whites accepted slavery because it kept them off the bottom of society. About half the republicans were poor white farmers and white racists even killed teaches and burned Freeman schools in some parts of the South. These are just a few statements from McDougal Eighth Grade. They're only documentation. These are blatant opinions with no evidence. There are many distortions of fact in the chapter — in Chapter 18 on reconstruction. The whole chapter needs to be rewritten. Both sides of the coin should be shown when there's been conflict.

It's a poor book to present to our

273 students.

And in conclusion, may I suggest that Prentice Hall 7, in their response, I suggest that they use other documentation besides the handbook of Texas, which is outdated. When you're discussing politics in Texas you need to go beyond 1994. Perhaps they didn't realize that the Republicans control all elected offices in Texas statewide. They controlled the Senate and perhaps after this election, they'll control the House.

Please take note, it would be appreciated. Thank you.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MR. BERNAL: Could you tell me what documentation you might have on the Nona decoding Soviet espionage? Have you looked at it, madam?

MS. HUTCHISON: Yes, sir. I have it right here.

DR. ALLEN: Would you bring me that book. I want to see that picture on the back. I want to see MacDougal Little.

MS. HUTCHISON: May I circle it? Would you take it to them?

DR. ALLEN: Chrispus Addick's picture.

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MR. BERNAL: Have you gone through the book on the Venona Soviet espionage?

MS. HUTCHISON: Have I been through it?

MR. BERNAL: Have you read it?

MS. HUTCHISON: Not entirely. It keeps you awake.

MR. BERNAL: And your conclusion is that all the accusations that were made against Joe McCarthy should be erased? You know, he — at one time, as I recall, he even claimed that President Eisenhower was a fellow traveler.

MS. HUTCHISON: I don't recall that of Senator McCarthy. I know that —

MR. BERNAL: He accused just about everybody and anybody at that time.

MS. HUTCHISON: I know there was some question about General McArthur, as there was a great deal of question about Joe Marshal.

MR. BERNAL: It got to the point

where it affected Texas, too, because the Attorney General here had a —

MS. HUTCHISON: No, I don't recall McCarthy.

MR. BERNAL: McCarthy Era affected

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Texas politics to the point that the Attorney General in Texas had lists of people that were — that were leaning towards communism and had a whole bunch of people from Lulack and GI Forum and black groups from the NAACP as fellow travelers. And that was all the affect of a Joe McCarthy error where he just took it upon — took it upon himself. And you're saying that this book here completely —

MS. HUTCHISON: I don't have a list of every statement that Joe McCarthy made. I remember hearing him speak. But you mentioned Texas. I remember Texas had the Martin Dyes as being such an outstanding example of trying to clear that.

MR. BERNAL: But your comment here is that Joseph McCarthy was correct in his accusations all along. And that's a pretty broad statement for you to make.

MS. HUTCHISON: It is a broad

statement. Perhaps, sir, let me check and get his actual repeated accusations that have been documented. He spoke to Congress.

MR. BERNAL: And I was just whether this book absolved Joe McCarthy of all the accusations that he made, because he made

276 accusations over a period of several years.

MS. HUTCHISON: The book mentions

Joseph McCarthy as revealing a number of things. I know someone mentioned this morning about the Rosenberg. That has come up in textbook after textbook as to how terrible it was for us to pursue that and how innocent they were. This book shows the material and proves absolutely, without a doubt, that they were communists.

MR. BERNAL: Oh, I don't doubt — MS. HUTCHISON: I can't give you — MR. BERNAL: I don't doubt there were communists. Were there were a lot of communist in the United States. And some of them were declared communists. And they openly declared themselves os Communists. But the McCarthy Era wasn't necessarily about communists. It was about the accusations that he made about people who weren't communists being communists.

MS. HUTCHISON: I will — but

McCarthy spoke to Congress is a matter of record. And I will check that for you. I'll be happy to do that.

CHAIR SHORE: I think we can pursue that later.

277

MS. HUTCHISON: And perhaps the

statement should be said nearly everything instead of everything.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Ms. Hutchison, I

know I asked you this before, but I'm going to ask it again.

MS. HUTCHISON: Anything else?

MR. MONTGOMERY: You are the —

MS. HUTCHISON: Textbook chairman.

MR. MONTGOMERY: Textbook chairman for DAR. Do they pay you for this review?

MS. HUTCHISON: They appointed me. They appointment me every two years.

MR. MONTGOMERY: So you feel like that these opinions you're expressing are the official opinions of the DAR?

MS. HUTCHISON: Yes, particularly

about communists. That's one of their — they're so concerned about our Constitution and America. And particularly concerned about education of children that it be accurate.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you very much. We need to go on. We need to finish.

MS. SALAZAR: Margaret Borchert, followed by Rebekah Carlson.

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MS. BORCHERT: My computer went into safe mode, so I don't have anything to hand out because I don't know what to do when it does that.

I'm Peggy Borchert. I'm from Fort Worth, Texas. And I reviewed the book Liberty, Equality and Power by Harcourt.

This is America. People come here because we have the best form of government, a republic. It is not as important — it is not so important that we understand about each other as much as we understand the form of government we have. It is because of our republican form of government that we have the freest country in the world and why we have the freedoms we have. If we don't soon come to, once again, understand our republic, we will soon not only lose our republic, but also our freedom.

Most people believe we are a

democracy. This is not true. Do we not understand what a democracy is? And I'll read from this text right here. It's just a brief definition or something. "The chief characteristic and distinguishing feature of a democracy is ruled by only — omnipotent majority. In a democracy, any individual and any group of individual composing any

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minority have no protection against the unlimited power of majority. It is a case of majority over man. "

Whereas a — in turn a republic.

"Its purpose is to control the majority strictly, as well as all others among the people. Primarily to protect the individual's God-given, inalienable rights and therefore the protection of the rights of the minority, of all minorities and the liberties of the people in general. This definition of a republic is a constitutionally limited government of the representative type created by a written Constitution, adopted by the people and changeable from its original meaning by them only by its amendments, with its powers divided between three separate branches, executive, legislative and judicial. Herein the term 'the people' means, of course, the electorate." Okay. So that's the difference between a democracy and a republic.

Let's see. So — so how can we

regain our understanding of what we are so we do not lose our freedom, our liberty? Our textbooks must, once again, teach us about our form of government.

The book I reviewed, Liberty, Equality and Power, does not define for us what our

280

republic is. It is a whole book about our republican history, but it does not define what a republic is in the text. And it does not have a glossary.

The index lists that the concept of a republic, on Page 22 — this is — it says, "Concept." It does not say definition. I'd like to read that to you.

CHAIR SHORE: I'm sorry, but you'll have to provide that in writing. We have about — several of us are going to have to leave in about 15 or 20 minutes and I want to give a chance for —

MS. BORCHERT: Well, I would like to explain exactly what I would like to happen in this next textbook. I say if you read it, there's nothing —

CHAIR SHORE: We simply don't have time, I'm sorry.

MS. BORCHERT: I'm sorry, but it

seems that — this is a different point of view and I think it needs to be stated.

DR. ALLEN: Time is up.

CHAIR SHORE: We have other people

and your time is up. If you'll put it in writing, we'll be glad to look at it.

281

MS. BORCHERT: You won't let me have another few minutes? You did that for everyone else.

CHAIR SHORE: Well, but the time — I'm sorry.

MS. BORCHERT: No, I'm sorry, but you did that for everyone else.

CHAIR SHORE: All right. I'll give you one more minute.

MS. BORCHERT: Okay. So you won't let me read the errors in the book. Just take it for granted — you'll just have to take what I have to say, that there are errors.

So I recommend — and it doesn't

explain what a republic is so our children do not know so they can't think critically if they don't know what the terms are. So will they know what the terms are, we need to have a glossary. There's no glossary in this book. So we don't know what the terms are. So included in this glossary we should have the definition — a thorough definition as I would have mentioned — like in this book of a republic, a democracy and democrat. This would be exciting to the students if they could begin to really wrestle with what we are as a government.

282 That's what's exciting.

All right. And as I say, I would

also — one other thing I would to like to do is I also suggest that the book, The American Ideal of 1776, The 12 Basic American Principles by Hamilton Albert Long, published by your Heritage Books Incorporated of 1976 be on a recommended reading list in Chapter 6 of the book Liberty, Equality and Power.

And I have more to say, but — may I have — does anyone have any questions?

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

MS. BORCHERT: Thank you. I enjoyed doing this. Thank you. And I do want to thank you for the opportunity. I think this is marvelous. And I'm going to invite my — a lot of friends, not so necessary to testify, but this is an incredible experience for us to be able to hear what people have to say, to get our points of view out. I think this is marvelous and I want to thank you for the opportunity.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you.

DR. ALLEN: Ms. Shore, while the next person is coming up, I did want to address the Chrispus issue here. And I've read in the book

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about Chrispus and I always thought and I always was taught that he was a black man. And she's right about the Indian portion. His mother was black and his father was Indian. So and I really want — that makes him a black man. I claim him. (Laughter.)

DR. ALLEN: So I don't want that

taken out of the book, just in case the textbook company get a little rattled about that.

Right. Yeah. Oh, yeah. He is

talking about genes being the most powerful. So that's why he's black. And I won't give the other any dignity, because I like dirty first children, I don't care where they come from. Okay.

CHAIR SHORE: All right. Let's go on.

MS. SALAZAR: Charlotte Coffelt, followed by Rebekah Carlson.

MS. COFFELT: Good afternoon,

Ms. Shore, members of the State Board of Education. I appreciate the opportunity to be here with you to discuss this process. My written comments are entitled "Fact or opinion?" which you know the last generation of children who have been tested statewide starting in the Fourth Grade learn what —

284 how to differentiate between fact and opinion.

This past month, during your July 17th hearing, a number of reports were presented from Dr. James Leininger, Texas Public Policy Foundation of social studies textbooks that there were so many numerous errors that they presented from a very lengthy document that purports to criticize or critique publishers' offerings of materials. This is just a portion of that document.

Now, just among a few of these

so-called factual errors that were mentioned, I can certainly agree that on Page 45 in the Texas Public Policies Report, there is a factual error when they report the date of the Louisiana Purchase incorrectly as 1804, rather than in 1803 in the Prentice Hall high school American Government text, McGruder's American Government. But an opinion about the intent of our nation's founders was claimed in the Texas Public Policies critique of the same textbook when the reviewer calls the statement that, "This country was not founded as a Christian nation." And he calls this a misconception. The reviewer goes on to try to convince the reader, since, "Christianity was the dominant religion of the day, the intent of the First Amendment was to

285

protect the diversity of Christian denominations at the State level from the national government."

As you know, some of our fellow

citizens promote their belief that our nation's founders intended for the United States of America to be a so-called Christian nation. Many of our nation's founders came to our shores to he is escape religious persecution within their native countries. But America has become the most religiously diverse nation in the world, with citizens professing at least 2,000 varieties of different belief systems.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is created to protect religious diversity and tolerance among people. I challenge you to bring forth a few of Texas constitutional authorities who can provide true scholar's interpretation of First Amendment and how important it is that they be accurately reflected in school children's textbooks. And I list a few local Texas scholars for your attention.

On the back, you will notice, just

for your information, the Houston Chronicle printed an editorial yesterday that I do happen to agree with, but it is an opinion. And I'm just suggesting

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the vast majority of recommendations of so-called errors by the Texas Public Policy Foundation are editorial opinions. And I think most children from the Fourth Grade up know the difference.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you very much.

MR. McLEROY: As a former person that ran for the Board, thanks for coming.

MS. SALAZAR: Rebekah Carlson, followed by Marta Bourgeois.

MS. CARLSON: I will try to be

quick. My name is Rebekah Carlson. I have a degree in history from Southwest Texas State University. And I have reviewed the American Republic Since 1877, published by Glencoe McGraw-Hill.

Overall, I was very pleased with the book. I found it to be, in the main, both balanced and accurate. I really only have one problem with the book. And I think that that's more incompleteness, rather than inaccuracy or bias.

First, let me tell you what I liked about this book. It is very balanced. It's very unbiased. I like there was an effort to state the historical facts in a cause-and-effeet framework, instead of stating an effect and then deciding who was to blame for that effect.

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When events and circumstances — when events and the circumstances leading up to those events are presented, the reader must use his or her own mind to relate the two in meaningful ways and draw conclusions that may indeed include blame. But the important thing is that they have come to a conclusion based on facts and not on the word of someone who may or may not have an agenda for placing blame in certain circumstances. Presenting facts in a cause-and-effeet manner forces the reader to use his or her own mind, instead of borrowing the use of another's.

Another thing that I like about this book, which also ties in with my first point is that, although it doesn't gloss over America's failures — failures and inadequacies, neither does it gloss over America's triumphs and victories, especially when they come in response to a failure. I don't have any patience with antiAmerican rhetoric prettied up and packaged as history. It's dishonest and it shows the intellectual laziness of someone who cannot be bothered to research the facts and present the truth in its entirety. When America is presented honestly and factually, one cannot help but be impressed. And while I don't think this

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textbook as has a pro American agenda, it is honest and factual. And that makes me happy.

I also like the document section. I like the flag etiquette section, list of U.S. presidents, primary source library.

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

The textbook provides balanced coverage of the civil rights movement, noting the background, goals, and events of the movement. The major participants in the 1950s and 1960s were African American, but the text does point out that many whites worked within the movement. The Chapter Opener illustration on page 745, for example, shows the March from Selma to Montgomery in support of civil rights. The marchers include several white Americans. On page 754, students read:

"African American college students from all across the South made up the majority of SNCC's members, although many whites also joined."

PUBLISHER'S RESPONSE

The publisher appreciates the positive comments

The only problem with — the only problem that I had with this book concerns Chapter 24, the Civil Rights Movement. I'll try to do this real quick. Basically, this chapter tries to — only presents the Civil Rights Movement in terms of African-Americans. There is no — there is no diversity, there is nothing said about what white America, what their involvement may have been, Hispanics, Native Americans. It's — it's not biased and it's not — I don't think that it's bad, but I think it's a little incomplete.

On page 754 students learn that whites took part in the Freedom Rides. The photo on page 755 shows whites and African Americans alongside one of the burning buses during the rides.

On page 766, the authors discuss the "Poor People's Campaign," pointing out that

"People of all races and nationalities were to converge on the nation's capital, as they had in 1963 during the March on Washington, where they would camp out until both Congress and President Johnson agreed to pass the requested legislation to fund the proposal."

The discussion of the civil rights movement is continued in Chapter 26. On page 801, students read that

"Concern about the future led many young people to become more active in social causes, from the civil rights movement to President Kennedy's Peace Corps."

This sentence does not identify these young people by race. It merely identifies them as young, showing that they were from all ethnic backgrounds.

Pages 812-817 then detail African American, Hispanic American, and Native American civil rights movements.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you very much.

MS. SALAZAR: Marta Bourgeois, followed by Pat Jackson.

MS. BOURGEOIS: My name is

Marta Bourgeois and I'm president of the Friendswood Independent School District Board of Trustees. And I'11 remind you that we're one of a few 4A exemplary districts and we're very proud about that. I want to tell you that we really appreciate what the —

289

the courage of the State Board of Education for holding these hearings. We know that anytime you open yourself up like this, it makes it very, very difficult and so much information to respond to, but we really do appreciate it. And it seems to represent a real search for truth and accuracy. And certainly on the local level as we go to approve textbooks, it's a very daunting responsibility. And it does make me feel much better that you're taking this time for these hearings and making this information available to us. It's a very difficult and challenging thing. So I want to compliment you for your courage. And I know — I'm aware that you're taking some hits regarding this and I really do appreciate it.

I also am here as a member of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which for your information, is the fifth largest religion in the United States and the only religion originating here. As a Latter Day Saint, I also appreciate the School Board for these hearings and the Texas Education Agency for this opportunity for the public review and input.

In the past, many Texas history books have misrepresented the history and the doctrines of

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our religion. And as the mother of seven children and aware of many other children, I can tell you it is a very difficult theme for a child to sit in a classroom and hear inaccurate history and doctrine about their belief system being presented as fact and then try to repudiate this with the teacher and be ridiculed by their peers for misinformation about their church. And it's very hard when it's printed in black-and-white and presented. And this has gone on for many years. And I'm sure that we are not the only group to be subject to this kind of — this kind of error. But I think it's very, very important that we're careful about this.

I'm concerned about young people

today because they have reason to call into question the integrity, certainly, with the latest goings on of their business leaders in the United States, of their elected public officials. And it seems like education is really the last bastion where we hope that they can find integrity. And I'm concerned about the cynicism. And so when a student sits in a classroom and is learning, and hopefully, understanding facts and accurate history and they read inaccuracies about their own history and belief system, it does cause additional cynicism. So we'd

291 really appreciate it if these could be addressed.

First, I want to acknowledge that with the passage of time, many of the publishers have taken care of these inaccuracies. They really have become more aware and move beyond portraying the role of Mormons in U.S. history, based on tall tails and urban legends. And so we really appreciate that. And I really want to recognize those publishers who, without any protest on our part, have based their representation of Mormon history and its part that it played in the development of the West on solid research and historic fact.

And some of those are located — some of these publishers are, perhaps, located in the West where maybe there's a little bit more knowledge available to them or they're a little bit more — the Mormons are a little bit more well-known. But the Teacher's Curriculum Institute History of Life at Wesley — I wanted to mention on History of Life the only error that we found is that it talks about that there's seven million —

THE COURT: I'm sorry. We've got to —

MS. BOURGEOIS: Okay. Don't have

292 time for those. So I'll just leave these.

CHAIR SHORE: Just leave these.

MS. BOURGEOIS: And I wanted to tell you that the most egregious errors that we found we chose, rather than to make public record that we will work directly with the publishers on corrective language and see if they'll be willing to let us submit those. And so that we can take care of that.

Are there any questions?

MR. MONTGOMERY: When you say "we," are you — who are you talking about? The Friendswood Independents School District or the Church of Latter Day Saints?

MS. BOURGEOIS: No, I'm talking about the historians of the church.

MR. MONTGOMERY: You're representing the church?

MS. BOURGEOIS: Our school board is very well aware that I'm here, because they recognize that these kind of errors are an embarrassment to a portion of our population. So want to make it very clear, yes, I'm representing myself as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in reviewing these. When we find

293

errors in there, then it causes a question. If I'm finding errors in the areas where I do know, how many errors are in the areas that I don't know? How many errors. And so I just think we need to compliment the things that are very good about these books. Some of these books are excellent. And if we can just, with a few language changes correct the inaccuracies —

MR. MONTGOMERY: We can bring to a close.

CHAIR SHORE: Okay.

MR. MONTGOMERY: I was just trying to determine whether or not you were representing your school board or who.

DR. ALLEN: Was there a particular book you are concerned about?

MS. BOURGEOIS: Yes, some of the more egregious things we decided we will contact the publishers directly.

MS. BERLANGA: Madam Chairman, I'd

like to clarify that they can talk to the publishers directly, but I would like to warn publishers that just because people approach them doesn't mean that we necessarily would — we may agree there's an error, we might not agree that there's an error.

294

CHAIR SHORE: I had David Anderson here earlier and I didn't have him address it. I thought that had been laid to rest. Let me make it very clear that David Anderson told me that the publishers are free to speak with anyone or make any editorial changes they wish.

MS. BOURGEOIS: And also, I want to make clear that these are just historic facts.

CHAIR SHORE: Right.

MS. BOURGEOIS: Nothing of

doctrinal — not anything proselytizing wise. Strictly historic fact that we want to make corrections about.

CHAIR SHORE: Thank you very much.

DR. ALLEN: And I just wanted you to know, I worshipped at your church in Salt Lake City on last Sunday. Was terribly impressed. I was at the Church of Latter Day Saints last Sunday in Salt Lake City.

MS. BOURGEOIS: On temple square.

DR. ALLEN: And I heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Terribly impressed.

CHAIR SHORE: We have the very last

speaker, who has been quite long-suffering to be the very last one. Pat Jackson. Is she here?

295

Okay. I guess she wasn't long-suffering.

Okay. Then that concludes all of our speakers. And I want to say that we have one more public hearing. That is, September llth. I understand that that may not be a good choice of day, but that was the day we set before we realized the significance. And we are going to have a special ceremony commemorating that day before the public hearing begins.

And the textbook publishers, at the end of that day, will have a chance to respond, if they so wish. So we will re — we will wait until September llth before we have any kind of response from publishers, if they wish to.

Thank you all for coming. And we are adjourned.

(Adjourned 4:00.)

296 THE STATE OF TEXAS )

COUNTY OF TRAVIS )

I, CAROLINE CHAPMAN, Certified

Shorthand Reporter in and for the County of Travis, State of Texas, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing contains a true and correct transcription of all portions of evidence and other proceedings requested to be included in this volume of the Reporter's Record, in the above-styled and numbered cause, all of which occurred in open hearing or in chambers and were reported by me.

I further certify that the total

cost for the preparation of this Reporter's Record is $ and was/will be paid by Texas

Education Agency.

WITNESS MY OFFICIAL HAND this the 30th day of August, 2002.

CAROLINE CHAPMAN, Texas CSR #467

Expiration Date: 12/02

Travis County, Texas

111 W. Anderson Ln., Ste. 222

512-452-4072