If you're not already, you should write a book about all of this, Frank. Briefly -- do you see potential ground for lawsuits in any of the new standards?
I was in the overflow room on Monday and while the TX Rangers and SBOE members maintained some level of decorum in the main meeting room, that was not the case in the overflow room. Conservative attendees openly applauded and made positive comments supporting speakers defaming Islam, in the presence of several audience members who were wearing hijabs. There were some positive moments though: the Muslim testifiers kept their composure and represented their viewpoints well. I thanked many of them individually for coming. Also, repeated efforts by Julie Pickren to insert “Gulf of America” in the SS TEKS were voted down. She even wanted to add that to a standard about EL PASO, which of course is nowhere near the Gulf! And Staci Childs succeeded in preventing them from removing Ruby Bridges from a first grade standard. Her emotional defense—Ruby Bridges was IN first grade!—was compelling. She’s one who does her homework, keeps her cool, and makes her points with sharp intellect. Unfortunately the SS standards as a whole are still an unteachable, ideological mess. The reading list is not as bad as it was originally thanks to TCTELA. Thank you for being there and for your reporting Frank!
Thank you for reporting on this. I was in the room when Sen. Bob Hall was talking about how Muslims lie, and some members of the audience starred hissing "Taqqiya! Taqqiya!" at the Muslim audience members.
Appreciate your reporting and analysis. Didn’t know that Frank Gaffney was in the room. He is one of the architects of the anti sharia discourse that took hold in 2009.
If you're not already, you should write a book about all of this, Frank. Briefly -- do you see potential ground for lawsuits in any of the new standards?
I was in the overflow room on Monday and while the TX Rangers and SBOE members maintained some level of decorum in the main meeting room, that was not the case in the overflow room. Conservative attendees openly applauded and made positive comments supporting speakers defaming Islam, in the presence of several audience members who were wearing hijabs. There were some positive moments though: the Muslim testifiers kept their composure and represented their viewpoints well. I thanked many of them individually for coming. Also, repeated efforts by Julie Pickren to insert “Gulf of America” in the SS TEKS were voted down. She even wanted to add that to a standard about EL PASO, which of course is nowhere near the Gulf! And Staci Childs succeeded in preventing them from removing Ruby Bridges from a first grade standard. Her emotional defense—Ruby Bridges was IN first grade!—was compelling. She’s one who does her homework, keeps her cool, and makes her points with sharp intellect. Unfortunately the SS standards as a whole are still an unteachable, ideological mess. The reading list is not as bad as it was originally thanks to TCTELA. Thank you for being there and for your reporting Frank!
Thank you for reporting on this. I was in the room when Sen. Bob Hall was talking about how Muslims lie, and some members of the audience starred hissing "Taqqiya! Taqqiya!" at the Muslim audience members.
WHOA, this reporting. It reads like the worst kind of thriller. Thank you for laying it out so starkly and, as always, for fighting the good fight.
Appreciate your reporting and analysis. Didn’t know that Frank Gaffney was in the room. He is one of the architects of the anti sharia discourse that took hold in 2009.