I understand the desire to offer students more flexibility -- but I'm concerned about what this means is going to be dropped from the curriculum.
A bill that would make high school graduation requirements for Texas students more flexible passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday morning.Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, amended the bill before passage to address criticism from the state’s higher education commissioner that the plan would leave students ill prepared for college. The revised bill calls for all students to take three years of science instead of two.
The changes come seven years after state lawmakers toughened high school graduation standards, requiring students to take four years each of English, math, science and social studies under the default diploma plan. School officials since have complained that students should not have to follow such a rigid plan, while business leaders have pushed for more challenging vocational electives to help prepare the rising workforce.
As a social studies teacher, I have a question for the Senator -- what do you want to see dropped from the social studies graduation requirement?
World Geography?
World History?
US History Since Reconstruction?
US Government and Economics?
Come on, Dan -- which of those subjects do you believe Texas students can do without? Given that your bill strikes the economics and US Government requirements from state law, I think I can figure out the answer -- and am utterly appalled. As written, your bill will create future generations of economically and constitutionally illiterate voters who don't understand what our limits our Constitution puts on government or how the economy works -- in other words, Democrat voters.
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Comments on Sen. Dan Patrick Moves To Dumb-Down Texas Graduation Requirements, Eliminate Government And Economics Requirements
You know it's US History - what do we need with that now that we have Obama?
I took 4 years of every main subject and I had no choice. I'm the better for it. We have dumbed down our curriculum, all with the best of intentions. The students should love all that they learn and we should make it as easy as possible.
|| Posted by Sara Noble, February 23, 2013 09:51 PM ||The thing is, Sara, that Dan Patrick is the tea party darling of the Texas Legislature and the owner of the conservative stations in both the Houston and Dallas radio markets. heck, I even used to be a blogger for his short-lived blogging venture, Lone Star Times. In other words, this isn't coming from the Left -- it is coming from the Right.
|| Posted by Rhymes With Right, February 24, 2013 05:51 PM ||RwR - I get what you're saying (coming from the Right).
I don't care. What I mean is, blaming (D)'s or (R)'s is THEIR (politicians) game.
The important part is what you originally pointed out : That students won't have an inkling of basic, let alone complicated, economics - and will be Constitutionally ignorant.
I am a Soldier - and each time we get a new young buck I ask them: "Have you read the Constitution?"
Almost universally the answer is no. I give them a copy. Also - the secondary problem to that is that reading comprehension has been watered down, so even when they read it, it makes only SOME sense.
For instance, a current topic - the 2nd Amendment and the whole "well regulated" part.
Unless I explain that AT THE TIME it meant something wholly different than what they would take it to mean today ......
|| Posted by Steven, February 25, 2013 03:19 PM ||Post a comment