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ThomasJefferson.National.ArchivesAlmighty God, Who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people, the multitude brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endow with Thy spirit of wisdom those whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth. In time of prosperity fill our hearts with thanksfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
--Prayer by Thomas Jefferson, March 4, 1801

[painting from U.S. National Archives, text from Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation]

 

The Left is WRONG AGAIN.  Thomas Jefferson is still in Texas school standards!

The media and extreme left groups (like the NY Times and the pro-abortion, pro-homos_xual agenda, anti-Christian "Texas Freedom Network") have had a field day blasting your courageous State Board of Education (SBOE) for "removing Thomas Jefferson" from the Texas standards.  One small problem.  It isn't true.  Surprised?

Such misinformation and untruths are common from the media.  Please help correct this in the public's view by setting the record straight with your friends, family, and others in your influence.  We are blessed by an editorial written by Mrs. Gail Lowe, current SBOE chair, that puts to rest the idea that the SBOE removed Jefferson.

Thank you!

TBSE Volunteers

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[Ed. Note:  Gail Lowe (R-Lampasas) is chairman of the 15-member Texas State Board of Education.  Please take time to thank the Board for their courageous stand to remove decades of liberal revisionist history and indoctrination, and to restore factual education at all levels.  You may do so by emailing
sboesupport@tea.texas.state.us. Thank you.] 

Thomas Jefferson and the Texas Social Studies TEKS

by Gail Lowe

 

It did not take long for reverberations from the Texas State Board of Education's preliminary vote on Social Studies requirements to spread across the country. And predictably, the media coverage was woefully inaccurate and blatantly distorted.

 

The New York Times probably was not the first to report on the board's deliberations, but it joined a host of prominent Texas news outlets that incorrectly claimed Thomas Jefferson had been dropped from the curriculum framework used in Texas public schools.

 

Apart from Thomas Jefferson, the only historical figure with more emphasis in the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills standards is George Washington. The State Board of Education expects students at the elementary-grade level, in middle school and again in high school to study these Founding Fathers and to be well-versed in their contributions to American history and government.

 

Thomas Jefferson is included along with John Adams, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Nathan Hale, the Sons of Liberty and George Washington as Founding Fathers and patriot heroes that Texas fifth-graders should study for their notable contributions during the Revolutionary period.

 

During Grade 8, in which the history of the United States from the early colonial period through Reconstruction is presented, the Social Studies TEKS framework requires students to explain the roles played by the following significant individuals: Abigail Adams, John Adams, Wentworth Cheswell, Samuel Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, James Armistead, Benjamin Franklin, Bernardo de Galvez, Crispus Attucks, King George III, Haym Salomon, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Paine and George Washington.

 

The U.S. Government course required for high school graduation mandates that students "identify the contributions of the political philosophies of the Founding Fathers, including John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, James Madison, George Mason, Roger Sherman and James Wilson on the development of the U.S. government."

 

In addition, high school students must "identify significant individuals in the field of government and politics, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan."

 

To say the State Board of Education has excluded Thomas Jefferson from the curriculum framework is irresponsible and untruthful. Jefferson not only penned the words of the Declaration of Independence, served as the third President of the United States and was father of the University of Virginia, but his promotion of the ideals of states' rights and a limited federal government have permeated our nation for centuries. No study of American history would be complete without his inclusion. That is why Thomas Jefferson warrants such strong emphasis in the TEKS standards the State Board of Education has approved.

 

A critical skill Texas students should develop as part of their education is the ability to analyze information from primary source documents. This should be a requirement for journalists, too. Many seem to have jumped to erroneous conclusions without even examining the actual curriculum standards. One can disagree ideologically with the State Board of Education, but the TEKS standards themselves should be the point of reference for objective, thorough reporting.

 

 

Gail Lowe (R-Lampasas) is chairman of the 15-member Texas State Board of Education.

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