The liberal-centered Texas Tribune says that the Texas State Board of Education recently approved a social studies teaching plan that will dedicate more time to Texas and U.S. history.
Before it was approved, Republican members Brandon Hall and Julie Pickren appointed conservative Christian David Barton as a content advisor to the new social studies standards.
David Barton, founder of WallBuilders, says most states have gone to a plan that teaches the Constitution too early in one's education.
"The problem is that everything about the Constitution, constitutional rights, etc., is taught in the 5th grade or before — all the founding fathers, all the premise of government. That is probably the age at which you have the least comprehension of the Constitution and government,” says Barton.
Barton points out that it’s not wrong to teach it that young, but if it is not taught again at some point in school, students will not understand it.
“And so, what happens is that the concept of citizenship, engaged citizenship, and prepared citizens is not facilitated. Those things that prepare students for engaged involvement in their government — really, they don't exist," explains Barton.
He says Texas is returning to the spiraling concept, where history is taught every year through the 8th grade with more history taught in high school.
"That's the way all history used to be. Texas has gone back to that spiraling. We will go through and look at the content to make sure certain aspects of history are appropriately covered in each of those divisions," says Barton.
Unfortunately, he also mentions that standardized testing on history has largely been gone away with in most states and that AP history classes are now progressive and very critical of America.
