Summary

HEARINGS ON PROPOSED MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS ARE HELD IN AUSTIN

Source CONUS Archive
Record ID 212426
Story Slug Textbook hearings(2001)
Location Austin, Texas
Format VOSOT
Date 09/06/2001
Archive Time 2:31
TRT 2:29
Supers Austin, TX Chris Patterson, TX Public Policy Foundation Margie Rayborn, textbook critic
Video Description TEXAS SCHOOL TEXTBOOK HEARING; NATS SOT MAN REFERS TO FINDING ERRORS IN TEXTBOOKS; NATS SOT MAN ASKS ABOUT TIME FOR CORRECTING ERRORS; STACK OF SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS; SOTS; NATS SOT MAN TESTIFIES ABOUT CHILDREN BEING BRAINWASHED; WIDESHOT TEXTBOOK HEARING; STATE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS; AUDIENCE LISTENS TO TESTIMONY; COVER OF BROCHURE; MORE SHOTS OF TEXTBOOK HEARING
Description HEARINGS ON PROPOSED MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS ARE HELD IN AUSTIN
Script A NUMBER OF PROPOSED MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS CAME IN FOR HEAVY CRITICISM DURING A PUBLIC HEARING IN AUSTIN THURSDAY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TOLD MEMBERS OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT THE BOOKS CONTAIN FACTUAL ERRORS, INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION ANJD POLITICAL BIAS THE CONSERVATIVE TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION SAYS THEIR ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED TEXTBOOKS REVEAL THAT THEY FOCUS ON POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES AND RELY ON TOO MUCH SO-CALLED JUNK SCIENCE THE GROUP SAYS NONE OF THE SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS PROPOSED FOR GRADES 6 THROUGH 8 MEET STANDARDS SET BY THE NORTH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION MEMBERS OF THE GROUP SAY THE BOOKS OMIT IMPORTANT FACTS AND DISTORT OTHERS, THEREBY LEAVING STUDENTS UNPREPARED FOR CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT MANY OF THOSE TESTIFYING CALLED ON THE BOARD TO DEMAND THE BOOKS DO A BETTER JOB OF PROVIDING BOTH SIDES ON SUCH ISSUES AS GLOBAL WARMING THE PUBLISHERS SAY THEY HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE TO CORRECT ERRORS BUT ADD THAT MAKING SURE A BOOK IS ERROR FREE IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE (SOT SUMMARY: Chris Patterson says they found in their review inaccurate facts, incorrect facts and omissions that don't allow students to make wise decisions about the environment; Maggie Rayburn, quoting from textbook, says authors say human population must eventually be reduced through humane and socially acceptable means, she says they began talking about population control, now talk about reducing human population, who decides what is humane and socially acceptable)
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