Texas Education Officials Reject Another Mexican-American Studies Textbook

Style Magazine Newswire | 11/10/2017, 10:33 a.m.
For the second time in the last year, the State Board of Education rejected a proposed Mexican-American studies textbook, leaving …
Tony Diaz

Source: TexasTribune.org

For the second time in the last year, the State Board of Education rejected a proposed Mexican-American studies textbook, leaving teachers without any state-approved materials for teaching the course. The board voted nearly unanimously Wednesday to reject author Tony Diaz's textbook "The Mexican-American Studies Toolkit," a year after rejecting a different book that Mexican-American studies experts called racist. Though most did not vote for the book, Democrats on the board argued the process was not fair to Diaz, saying he was given a short period of time and little guidance to create a high-quality book. Just one member voted for Diaz's book. The board also voted 7-5 Wednesday to give preliminary approval to a Jewish Holocaust memoir; currently the only state-approved ethnic studies book in Texas. Final votes on both books will take place Friday. An official state review panel found a long list of errors in Diaz's original draft, including that it did not allow for critical thinking or cultivate social studies skills.

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