Texas Board of Education at it again Banning textbooks

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Well, as Uncle Ben said, "With great power, comes great responsibility"

Does Texas not feel a sense of responsibility to the rest of the country?

Do you really feel that what children in TX learn should be different from what children in MN or AK learn?

Define "sense of responsibility to the rest of the country". Does that mean pandering to other people's sensibilities, ignoring your own? Or setting standards that you believe are valid, and providing them to the rest of the world? Or something else? Think carefully before responding...

[nguirado]

I'm very happy the way this thread developed. Reasonable people here.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by nguirado

I'm very happy the way this thread developed. Reasonable people here.

Careful Nguirado, I wrote Red, there is some question about my reasonability, Or taste...

[mrscoach]

I said other states can follow behind us. We aren't going to base our decisions on what other states want, any more than I base how I raise(ed) my children on how other people want me to raise my children, or how they raise theirs.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Well, as Uncle Ben said, "With great power, comes great responsibility"

I thought that he said "With great rice comes great responsibility."

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Define "sense of responsibility to the rest of the country". Does that mean pandering to other people's sensibilities, ignoring your own? Or setting standards that you believe are valid, and providing them to the rest of the world? Or something else? Think carefully before responding...

Didn't take much thought. By sense of responsibility I mean being aware of the entire consequences of the decisions and making them in that awareness. Specifically in knowing that "as Texas goes, so goes the country" (regardless of the reason, monetary or publishers or whatever) should they not be making the decision in that light?

Now perhaps they are and perhaps they ARE attempting to influence and control what my kids are taught in Colorado or Alaska. If so then they are overstepping their bounds by forcing what others outside the state of TX are learning.

This is why it becomes my business and the business of others outside of TX.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

I thought that he said "With great rice comes great responsibility."

No, no, with great Rice comes great Soy Sauce!

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

I thought that he said "With great rice comes great responsibility."

Only in San Francisco....

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Careful Nguirado, I wrote Red, there is some question about my reasonability, Or taste...

We haven't gotten to the Global Warming teaching yet.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Now perhaps they are and perhaps they ARE attempting to influence and control what my kids are taught in Colorado or Alaska. If so then they are overstepping their bounds by forcing what others outside the state of TX are learning.

They're not attempting to influence other states; they're attempting to convince publishers to sell them the books they want. If that influences other states' education standards, that's not TX's concern. If other states don't want to be stuck matching TX's educational choices, they're free to not buy from the publishers who cater to TX's textbook preferences.

That this is a problem--and I grant that it is--is a matter of corporate effective monopolies, not TX's ideology-pushing. The problem comes from large corporations having the economic resources to push small ones out of business, without breaking any laws.

A state looking for books for its next school year can either go to Macmillan and check its catalog of "educational textbooks grade 1-12 in 7 subjects"--or shop around at several dozen small publishers, trying to figure out who publishes good books about history and what grade level they'd be suitable for. And while that's a *terrific* approach to schoolbooks, it's time-consuming, and most states don't have enough time for it.

But their lack of time (read: lack of money put towards education, because with enough money they could hire competent reviewers to do this, every year) is not TX's fault.

[nguirado]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Careful Nguirado, I wrote Red, there is some question about my reasonability, Or taste...

Well, you're a Knight (and therefore gentleman- you needn't be redundant, but perhaps you are scandalized by some your fellow Knights and wanted to distinguish) so I expect no less from you.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Didn't take much thought. By sense of responsibility I mean being aware of the entire consequences of the decisions and making them in that awareness. Specifically in knowing that "as Texas goes, so goes the country" (regardless of the reason, monetary or publishers or whatever) should they not be making the decision in that light?

Now perhaps they are and perhaps they ARE attempting to influence and control what my kids are taught in Colorado or Alaska. If so then they are overstepping their bounds by forcing what others outside the state of TX are learning.

This is why it becomes my business and the business of others outside of TX.

Do others do the same? Are the concerned about the needs and dreams and goals of Texans? Only through the filter of their own desires...But that's Ok, they are more educated and wiser and.... Nonsense! You're following your self interest every bit as much as we do, only now we aren't listening to your murmurs of our soi disant inferiority. You don't like our ways? Pay for your own. We aren't stopping you. But we no longer bow to them Non Servum!

[nguirado]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Didn't take much thought. By sense of responsibility I mean being aware of the entire consequences of the decisions and making them in that awareness. Specifically in knowing that "as Texas goes, so goes the country" (regardless of the reason, monetary or publishers or whatever) should they not be making the decision in that light?

Now perhaps they are and perhaps they ARE attempting to influence and control what my kids are taught in Colorado or Alaska. If so then they are overstepping their bounds by forcing what others outside the state of TX are learning.

This is why it becomes my business and the business of others outside of TX.

I doubt that they're attitude is, "this is good for us, but dangerous for the rest of society." They probably think it's best for everybody and would be happy for other states to adopt the standards.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by nguirado

I doubt that they're attitude is, "this is good for us, but dangerous for the rest of society." They probably think it's best for everybody and would be happy for other states to adopt the standards.

Just think how good the country would be if all the state governments AND the Federal Government was only allowed to meet 140 day every other year!

[mrscoach]

IF Texas should listen to what other states want, then aren't you saying the other states should dictate what Texans learn? How is that any different? It isn't Texas' fault that other states do not set their own standards, or they don't have enouth power to gt the publishers to listen.

I respect that you think you need to know what is happening with Texas education, but that is where it ends. You have no say on how we educate our children, because you aren't here and do not pay taxes here and did not vote for the SBOE. Each state, and even local government, must take care of their own people over the people elsewhere.

You are upset because you see us as dictating what to teach your children, but isn't that what you are trying to do to us? I think I just repeated myself from the first paragraph, but I think this is an important point.

We can debate this for weeks on this board, but it will not change anything. If you are really upset about it then maybe you should find out how to change things on your local level instead of trying to change another state.