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After more than 20 hours of public testimony and the consideration of almost 300 amendments, the State Board of Education voted on first reading to adopt the social studiesTexas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

It was not without controversy, though, as audience members watched one Democratic board member leave abruptly on Thursday evening when the board was adopting amendments to the proposed TEKS. Mary Helen Berlanga walked out of the meeting following the board voting to reject her amendment identifying minority Medal of Honor recipients. 

Shortly after her departure, board members Rick Agosto, Lawrence Allen, and Rene Nunez also quietly left the meeting. Many of these board members expressed concern that the “conservative bloc” was voting to “whitewash” history and de-emphasize minority contributions.

All board members returned on Friday morning for the vote on first reading and adoption. The TEKS were adopted 10-5 along party lines. All Republican board members voted for the adoption while all Democratic members voted no.

There will be more opportunity to provide public comment and testimony on the TEKS. The TEKS adopted on first reading will be published in the Texas Register and open for public comment for 30 days and another public hearing is scheduled for the next SBOE meeting in May. Following public testimony, the board will have the opportunity to again amend the TEKS and ultimately vote on them on second reading and final adoption.

The Texas Education Agency will post all of the social studies TEKS with the new amendments, but because of the volume of changes, this could take weeks. Some of the notable amendments proposed were:

  • Remove hip hop from the list of cultural movements in art, music, and literature in the high school United State History Studies Since 1877 course.  This amendment was adopted.

  • Remove Thomas Jefferson from a World History TEK that required a student to explain the impact of Thomas Jefferson on political revolutions. This amendment was adopted.

  • Add, to the U.S. Government course, a TEK requiring students to study the reasons the founding fathers protected religious freedom in America by barring the government from promoting or disfavoring any particular religion above all others. This amendment failed.

Posted: 3/16/10