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5.29.24
“Texas Leading the Way Toward Character-Building Textbooks”
By Donna Garner
“Parents, your voices have been heard. Your concerns about the content of children’s public-school curriculum have been taken seriously, and definite action has been taken.”
During the pandemic when schools were shut down and parents finally viewed with their own eyes what their children were learning (or not learning), many parents across America were aghast.
In much of the curriculum, students were indoctrinated rather than educated.
EXCITING ACTION TAKEN
The Texas Legislature in the 88th Regular Session passed HB 1605. I believe that this is one of the most outstanding education bills passed in the last 30 years.
Since 6.13.23 when HB 1605 was passed, the elected members of the Texas State Board of Education, the Texas Education Commissioner Morath, and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) have been working together in concert to implement the requirements of HB 1605, one of which is “free for the taking” Open Education Resources (OER) for K-5 Reading Textbooks.
The release date for the public to see the exciting Open Education Resources/K-5 Reading Textbooks for the first time is on 5.29.24.
The new OER/K-5 Reading Textbooks are designed with a strong approach to phonics and foundational literacy.
These textbooks contain sets of lessons that follow the classical, fact-based, academic model (i.e., Type #1) instead of the content being based upon feelings, subjectivity, and personal opinions (i.e., Type #2 model).
In my snippets list (posted further on down the page), I have chosen examples from each grade level K-5. Some of these can be found in the Teachers’ Guide, copies of student Activity Books, copies of Student Readers, and Family Letters.
The public can use these snippets that I have listed to help them browse specific sections once the full content is made public on 5.29.24.
Starting on 5.29.24, -the public will be able to go to a website managed by the Texas Education Agency that will have a full set of content; and a press release will explain how to access the website. [I have put this information further on down the page under MORE INFORMATION.]
The TEA has stated that there are around 100,000 pages of total content with a Table of Contents to help guide the public.
Starting this week the Texas State Board of Education will begin its public review of the materials.
Undoubtedly the members will find errors and changes they want to make, and the OER/K-5 Reading Textbooks will continue to be edited based upon SBOE and public feedback before the final vote by the SBOE in the Nov. 19-22, 2024 meeting.
The exciting news is that the OER/K-5 Reading Textbooks will be free to any and all. This means homeschools, private schools, and all other educational settings across the entire United States will be able to utilize the OER/K-5 Textbooks free of charge.
WHY I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS OER CONTENT
The content of the new OER/K-5 Reading Textbooks contains literary selections that strongly support patriotism, positive character traits, and admirable heroes and heroines.
I have said for many years that the best way to influence students to make healthy lifestyle choices is for them to be saturated with healthy role models in well-written reading, history, and literature books.
Instead of dwelling on negative, violent, hopeless, and morbid textbooks, the students using the new OER/K-5 Reading Textbooks will focus their imaginations on positive, heroic role models -- many of whom faced very difficult challenges but who made positive life-changing decisions.
Skilled authors are able to make their characters live in students’ minds; and readers by identifying with these characters can learn how to choose positive rather than negative outcomes for their own lives.
A FEW SNIPPETS IN THE NEW OER/K-5 TEXTBOOKS THAT STAND OUT TO ME
KINDERGARTEN
*15 lessons that teach the eight basic sounds and the most common way to spell each sound -- avoiding the use of letter names and emphasizing phonemic sounds
William Penn and why he came to America
The Golden Rule from the Bible, sermon on the mount, who is our neighbor, the Good Samaritan
Kings and queens, King Solomon, King David, pilgrims
Pledge of Allegiance, George Washington, current President in Washington D. C.
Symbols – “In God We Trust” – E Pluribus Unum
The beauty to be seen in art – The Garden of Eden
GRADE 1
Aesop’s Fables, Boston Tea Party, Betsy Ross, American Independence, Benjamin Franklin, Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson
Inscription on Liberty Bell, Moses and Hebrew people, slavery in Egypt
GRADE 2
*Lower-and-upper-case cursive alphabet – cursive writing lessons with instructions to help teachers know how to teach students who are left-handed
Paul Bunyan, John Henry, slavery vs. democracy, Mali Empire
Union vs. Confederacy, Civil War, Clara Barton, Battle Hymn of the Republic, Queen Esther, William Wilberforce, John Newton (“Amazing Grace”), Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Jackie Robinson, Dr. Hector P. Garcia
Slavery in ancient Greece, democracy
The War of 1812, Francis Scott Key -- the National Anthem
Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, tall tales, John Henry, Casey Jones, Dolley Madison, fighting for a cause
GRADE 3
Christianity and the Roman Empire, Augustus Caesar, Judea, Messiah, Jesus, Jews
Columbus and Conquerors, Bartolome de las Casas (Protector of Native Americans), Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, Great Plains of Texas, Spanish culture, Catholicism, Alamo, missions
Thanksgiving, Book of Psalms, Pilgrims, King David
GRADE 4
American Revolution, cattlemen, Clara Driscoll, cattle drive, Daniel O’Driscoll
Spindletop Gusher, an argument in favor of natural gas led by Texas, solar wind and batteries
Courage and ideals, the courageous Danish who fought against Hitler’s German military
GRADE 5
Renaissance, Leonardo de Vinci, The Last Supper painting, Passover, Matthew 26: 20-25, Judas, Jesus
Poetry -- Psalm 23
The World’s Greatest Generation, World War II, tyranny, anarchy, The Emancipation Proclamation, Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” civil disobedience, Christian faith and civil rights movement, Juneteenth, Daniel -- faith over temptation
C. S. Lewis -- “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”
MORE INFORMATION
Texas Education Agency Press Release – 5.29.24 -- https://tea.texas.gov/node/2041111
For more information and to access and review the Texas OER (Open Education Resources) textbooks and instructional materials, please visit -- sboe.texas.gov/imra
Step #1: Scroll down to “Access Materials Under Review.”
Step #2: Click on “English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) K-5 Materials” or click on the other instructional materials (“Spanish Language Arts and Reading – SLAR” -- and “Mathematics K-12 Materials.”)
Step #3: Read “Notice to Reviewers.”
Step #4: Click on “I Agree” – (Clicking on this means that you are agreeing to see all of the OER/K-5 ELAR Materials and/or the other subject areas. It does not mean that you are applying to do a formal review of the materials.
If interested in reviewing the OER, please go to “Providing Feedback About Materials” and also notice the rubric information at the bottom of the page.)
IMRA is the abbreviation for “Instructional Materials Review and Approval Process.”
To learn more about HB 1605, the IMRA process, and OER Materials, please visit TEA’s House Bill 1605 and IMRA webpage.
TO READ THE WORDING IN HB 1605 ABOUT OPEN INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES (OER) PASSED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IN THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND SIGNED BY GOV. ABBOT ON 6.13.23, PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINK:
OPEN INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES – OER
SECTION 27. Subchapter B-1, Chapter 31, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 31.0701 to read as follows:
https://capitol.texas.gov/Search/DocViewer.aspx?ID=88RHB016055B&QueryText=OPEN%2bOR%2bRESOURCES&DocType=B
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5.1.24 – MY WEBSITE -- DonnaGarner.org – has now grown to 2,643 media items – all of which can be easily accessed and read. All are fact-based and well-documented articles.
At a time when we are surrounded with fake news and AI misinformation, my website offers a haven of truth.
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To learn more about navigating the site, please go to this article: https://donnagarner.org/4-18-23-free-more-than-1000-super-articles-at-your-fingertips/
I am receiving no remuneration for my website and, therefore, have no conflicts of interest.
Donna Garner
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