The last two years the Texas State Board of Education has been working to improve our standards by restoring fact, adding greater emphasis on our founding documents, principles and heritage and building upon the foundation of America as a unique and exceptional nation.  The media and progressives launched numerous campaigns to delay the vote which should have ended in March because they felt the public had not had enough input.  What these liberals really meant was the public was not buying their manipulation of the facts.  After 5 public hearings, 40+ hours of public testimony, thousands of emails and 47 pages of signers to our petition, the majority of Texans supported the standards the board had approved.  Watching the dedicated work of so many over the last 8 months I’ve witnessed exceptional behavior from citizens, parents, grandparents, teachers, tax-payers, state legislators and various groups, but few so extraordinary as the 15 board members themselves.  Nine board members had the strength, integrity and moral character to stand up for their constituents and vote to approve the social studies standards and 7 of these members; Chair Gail Lowe, David Bradley, Barbara Cargill, Cynthia Dunbar, Patricia Hardy, Terri Leo, Don McLeroy and Ken Mercer deserve the respect, praise and gratitude of all Americans who value truth, tradition and heritage of our Great Nation.  I ask each of you to send an email in support of their dedication to preserving, restoring and providing Texas children with the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to become good stewards of Texas and America.   

The email address is sboesupport@tea.state.tx.us 

Distortions started by progressives and fueled by lame-stream media members have run rampant during these hearings; a sure sign of their need to push some agenda rather than true education.  The Texas Freedom Network posted this on Friday; “Check out the video post of Cynthia Dunbar’s divisive prayer that started today’s board meeting.”   The opening invocation given by Ms. Dunbar is the same one given by US Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren in 1954.  The ACLU claimed the Texas standards ignore minorities, yet board member Ken Mercer showed over 100 minorities were added to the required list of historical figures.  Barbara Cargill said on May 21^st that 55 Hispanics and 54 African-Americans were added to the TEKS and the board rejected less than 5 names of minorities submitted for inclusion.   

Disputing the distortions of fact made by the ACLU, TFN, American Atheists and many members of the media would take far too long.  The better story is found within the words of just a few of the hundreds of concerned Texas coming forward to have their voice heard before the State Board of Education.

Pastor Stephen Broden said: “One cannot look at our nation and understand its development and history without including those founding principles which are undergirded by the Judeo-Christian frame that makes the nation great.”  He went on to say: “One of the universal truths about the founding principles is a direct appeal to the divine.  We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator.  These rights are sourced in him and not in man so when you represent those principles you represent a principle that applies to every man, every religion, and every person who is represented on this planet.”

Daniel Bonevac a university professor said: “The board’s changes are good pedagogy; speaking as a teacher it seems these are educationally excellent.  Most of the changes are moving people from the suggested list to the required list in the elementary and middle schools and in the reverse at the high school level.  This gives everyone a common foundation at elementary and middle school levels while giving teachers flexibility at the high school level.  An outstanding idea.  The standards replace ideological mendacious language with more neutral language.”  

State Representative Dan Flynn said: “I like the final product that we see in the social studies curriculum. I know this will give students a fuller understanding of the roots of American History.”  He went on to say: “Every process has to have a beginning and end.  The process has been ongoing some time; you are not likely to hear anything new; it is time to move forward.  I appreciate your diligence to listen to the public but now it is time you vote and honor the process.”

State Representative Wayne Christian said: “You represent the core of what is most important in our state.  I believe in our nation, and education of children is our future and their opportunity. I commend you all for your passion.”  He went on to say: “I thank God we don’t all agree.  It is going to take disagreement that is what America is about.  We rarely, if ever agree, on all issue and that’s what’s good about America; that’s what’s good about Texas.  We have diversity of opinion.  If you did not vote today, it would be an insult to those constituents who sent you here today to finish the job.”  He then read a letter from many members of the Texas Conservative Coalition in support of the social studies standards and the Texas SBOE.

Kelly Shackleford President of the Liberty Institute said: “Separation of the institutions of church and state is good, but to use that to wipe out religion is improper.”  He went on to say: “We are trying to produce future citizens and if they are not taught that they have a right to respectfully express opinion we are losing the future generations.”

Peggy Venable Texas Dir. For Americans for Prosperity said: “We are proud to be here with these citizens to support American Exceptionalism being taught in our schools.  We thank the SBOE for the good work they have done.”  She described an ad in the Austin American Statesman for a rally held at the Texas Capitol on Sunday, and said: “Folks this is what we are up against.  It is the American Atheists and the Texas Freedom Network attempting to change our textbooks.  We believe in American Exceptionalism and want our children to be taught that.  We encourage the SBOE to continue their good work and to vote for these standards.”

Fred Moses said: “Our educational system should provide our students with a positive view of their American heritage.  I remember starting school in 1955 and the impact those earlier years had on me.  We always opened our day with a prayer, pledged our allegiance to our country and sang a patriotic song.  This has made me who I am today in terms of my character.”

Bill Murray a grandfather of children in Texas public schools said: “Our nation was founded on the belief that the rights of man are inherent and God-given, and that the powers of the government derive from the consent of the people. America was the first nation to recognize that government is limited only to powers granted by the people, and that the primary purpose of government is to secure those God-given rights for the people. It was the first nation to be based on a separation of powers and on the clear subordination of the military to civilian rule. It was the first nation to state all of this in a constitution that was publicly debated and democratically accepted.”

Henry Dibrell said: “I commend you on your work and ask you to move ahead with this vote because this process has been fair.  You have put it before the people for 18 months; you have heard testimony; and you have heard from experts.  Today some have said the process is flawed and complain of the politicalness in the process, but the political process is one of the things that make America great.” 

William Proctor said: “St. Augustine, the third century theologian and educator, stated that the purpose of education is to ‘transmit the culture.’  How history is recorded and reported influences the future policies, perception and nature of our society and our culture.”

MerryLynn Gerstenschlager Vice President of the Texas Eagle Forum said: “I support the McLeroy amendments especially the one, ‘Evaluate efforts by global organizations to undermine US sovereignty’.  I’ve been an official observer at 16 UN conferences, 8 of which have been about the unproven theory of global warming.  In Copenhagen last December the UN supported demands from poor countries that wealthy nations pay reparations to poor countries for destroying the climate through human activities.”

Deanna Newburg a current teacher said: “In January I spoke of teaching our students we are a Constitutional Republic and not a Democracy.  We must teach all three principles our country was founded on which are life, liberty and property.  I want to applaud you on all the positive changes you have implemented.”  She went on to speak of the beliefs of John Locke which influenced the founding of America and his essential place in the TEKS.

Linda Odom a teacher for 25 years of American and Texas history said: “I testified before the SBOE ten years ago on social studies standards and these TEKS are MUCH BETTER than what they were then.  Teachers can use these in the classroom.”

Jason Moore a father of 5 in Texas public schools said: “People testifying before the board for American Exceptionalism were ridiculed by some of the board members.  When this happens, we are not promoting those values and principles that make America great.  Instead, some tear us down because we are not subscribing to a quota system for American History.”

Sherri Wyatt a mother of 2 and a certified teacher said: “I would like to thank the SBOE for your dedication and service to the children and citizens of Texas.  Your effort is greatly appreciated even though you don’t hear that very often.  We support the revisions that have been made to the social studies curriculum.  In reading through the document I have found many examples of knowledge and skills that I want my children taught.”

Jonathan Saenz of Liberty Institute said:  “So many parents, teachers, professors and experts have come forward to testify supporting these standards.  The Thomas Jefferson myth shows how the other side used him as a pawn.  The left wants to delay the vote because we have a final product that restores balance.  These TEKS have been scrutinized, criticized and refined over the last year and we have now have a solid product to pass.”

Kathy Miller of The Texas Freedom Network upon testifying late Wednesday night referred to herself as Jack Torrance from the movie “The Shining”.  Sadly this holds more truth than the flyer the TFN was distributing earlier on Wednesday claiming, “Phyllis Schafly was more prominent in the TEKS than Thomas Jefferson”.  We must be extremely cautious with progressives and politicians with the TFN in their pursuit to over haul education as their own president, Ms. Miller, is unaware that 1 < 26.  

Bill Ames a current reviewer for the social studies curriculum said:  “You have created a history curriculum that, for the next ten years or so, will make Texas students, as well as students across the nation, proud to be Americans.”

Chess Long a marine, father and future social studies teacher said: “I want to make sure our kids, current educators and future educators understand it is still legal to love America as an exceptional country.”

Rita Owens a teacher said: “There has been an outrageous attempt to derail this process and post pone it until after the November SBOE elections.  This is as immature as a child losing at checkers and screaming for all the rules to be changed.”

Terry Ann Kelly a University Professor and mother of 5 in Texas Public Schools said: “You 15 have literally produced history standards that reflect the rich, intellectual and spiritual values that have been with America since its inception.”

Sara Legvold who’s escaped Cuba with her family just before the “Bay of Pigs” said: “I learned English via total immersion in kindergarten and in two weeks I was communicating with my classmates.”  She went on to say: “Some speakers here today have praised socialist and communist leaders and these are the very types of people that lost my parents homeland.  To see people praising them and wanting them to be included in a history book my grandchildren will have access to IS insulting to me and to those of us who have lost countries.”

One of the most moving testimonies came from Elena Chitta about escaping the “Red Scare”.

Elena Chitta survivor of the communist tyranny in Romania said: “In 1945 the Iron Curtain fell on Romania making everything and everybody subject to investigations.  Hundreds of thousands ended up in labor camps and prisons. That is basically my whole family’s history in our country Romania.  Schools simply became breeding grounds for communist indoctrination.  Students were used as informers on their own parents a fact that turned tragic most of the time.  The Red Scare was, it is and it should be real to anybody who cares about future generations and the preservation of their precious freedoms.”

Between November of 2009 and May 2010 roughly 400 people registered to testify before the board.  On May 19, 2010 over 200 registered to testify.  What has been most striking to me is the difference of those against the curriculum and those for the curriculum.  People supporting the curriculum were parents, grandparents and business owners coming forward to voice support over standards that reflect what they were taught in school.  They volunteered their time to sit and wait for hours to testify before the board.  Those against worked for a group or were college students.  Most against were paid to be there, and one must wonder how many of the college students received class credit for their testimony.  The above words in support of the curriculum from May 19^th resonate with the sound of integrity as numerous professors, teachers, parents and taxpayers who have a vested interested in the education of Texas students came forward to have their voice heard.  Even Professor Dr. Jesus “Frank” de la Teja said the standards were accurate and balanced.  He refused to sign the TFN petition to delay the vote.

Our state slogan may be “Don’t Mess with Texas” but from now on I think the TFN, ACLU, American Atheists and other progressives better remember “Don’t Mess with Texas Textbooks”.  Angry Moms are far more tenacious than the Angry Mob.