LOS ANGELES — A textbook review process in California has changed or eliminated references to everything from the Founding Fathers (search) to hot dogs, leaving many to charge the state with distorting history in the name of political correctness.
The textbook review process, which is routinely done in many states, is meant to eliminate or replace outdated words or phrases. But what’s happening in California has a lot of people wondering – quite literally – "Where’s the beef?"
That’s because many California textbooks will no longer feature pictures of hot dogs, sodas, cakes, butter and other kinds of food that are not considered nutritious. Nor will the books contain any phrases judged to be sexist or politically insensitive.
The Founding Fathers, for instance, are now referred to as "The Framers," in an apparent effort to make them sound less male-dominant. And there will be no more reading about Mount Rushmore (search), where the faces of four U.S. presidents are carved into stone, because it appears to offend some Native-American groups.
The changes, which reflect a wide range of political correctness (search), have been brought about by pressure groups on both sides of the political aisle, as both Democratic and Republican legislators have been lobbied.
Snowman? No more. Melt that image and replace with Snowperson. Want to sail away on a yacht? No, again. It’s too elitist.
And if you think grandpa is a senior citizen, guess what? You’re wrong. That’s demeaning, according to the new standards. He is now simply an "older person."
The laundry list of words and images banned or considered offensive is not a short one. The word "jungle" has been replaced with "rain forest." The word "devil" has disappeared entirely, with no replacement.
Many of the changes seem to represent a direct assault on historical accuracy. For example, the new guidelines dictate Native-Americans should not be depicted with long braids, in rural settings or on reservations. There are no suggestions on how they should be depicted, however.
The problem there, say historians, is that some Native-Americans did wear their hair in braids, and generally lived in rural settings before being relocated to reservations.
Some say the changes are needed to better reach out to today’s diverse student population. Others have a different name for it.
"It's outright censorship," said author Diane Ravitch, who has written extensively on the subject of how the nation's schools have dealt with the issue. "It dumbs down our textbooks, makes them bland, far less interesting than anything children might see in the movies -- even in G-rated movies or TV.
"The problems that have happened in education is that the textbook publishers and the test developers have become so sensitive to any controversy that whenever they receive a complaint it is very likely that they will remove the source of the complaint," explained Ravitch.
Textbook publishers admit they are in a bind. They say if they don't adopt the changes made by large states like California and Texas, they would suffer severe economic consequences.
Still, there are those who defend the changes made.
"I think our textbooks should to our greatest capacity be free of any type of stereotyping," said Sue Stickel, deputy superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the California Department of Education (search). "We need to make sure that all ethnicities are represented. We need to make sure that both males and females are represented. We need to make sure that our materials cover the full gamut."
Ok, so only the first bit is about the hotdog. Anyway, this is dumb to the extreme. Nothing like a nice sanitized view (if not inaccurate) to keep our kids at the razors edge of education.
They say, "the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." I suppose it never occurred to them that they are the tyrants, not the patriots. Those weapons are not being used to fight some kind of tyranny; they are bringing them to an event where people are getting together to talk. -Mike Wong
But as far as board culture in general, I do think that young male overaggression is a contributing factor to the general atmosphere of hostility. It's not SOS and the Mess throwing hand grenades all over the forum- Red
I'm studying for the CPA exam. Have a nice summer, and if you're down just sit back and realize that Joe is off somewhere, doing much worse than you are.
The people running the grade schools here in California are, IMO, clinically retarded.
I went to a local (Los Angeles Unified) elementary school back in November to vote. As I was leaving, the principal came on the intercom in a really squeaky, annoying voice, and reminded the teachers to turn in their status cards. But it wasn't the reminder that bugged the hell out of me. It was the fact that the principle was talking to the teachers as if they were 3-year-olds.
I saw this on TV yesterday, what a bunch of bull. They gave a face to face interview with the education director heading this up. I don't see how she could say this with a friggen straight face...
Is it me, or are educators becoming the dumbest people on the face of the earth?
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"I hear and behold God in every object, yet I understand God not in the least, / Nor do I understand who there can be more wonderful than myself."
--Whitman
Queeb Salaron wrote:Is it me, or are educators becoming the dumbest people on the face of the earth?
As a future educator, I have to say yes.
Any city gets what it admires, will pay for, and, ultimately, deserves…We want and deserve tin-can architecture in a tinhorn culture. And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.--Ada Louise Huxtable, "Farewell to Penn Station", New York Times editorial, 30 October 1963 X-Ray Blues
Does anyone else wonder why the politicians and inteligentsia of California is considered the most crackheaded, inane, donkeyfucking, and delusional group of morons in the U.S.?
"You know what the problem with Hollywood is. They make shit. Unbelievable. Unremarkable. Shit." - Gabriel Shear, Swordfish
"This statement, in its utterly clueless hubristic stupidity, cannot be improved upon. I merely quote it in admiration of its perfection." - Garibaldi in reply to an incredibly stupid post.
The Fifth Illuminatus Primus | Warsie | Skeptical Empiricist | Florida Gator | Sustainability Advocate | LibertarianSocialist |
It's so extreme that it's kind of funny when you think about it. Mind you, I don't live there so I don't have to experience the pain.
For a time, I considered sparing your wretched little planet Cybertron.
But now, you shall witnesss ... its dismemberment! "This is what happens when you use trivia napkins for research material"- Sea Skimmer on "Pearl Harbour".
"Do you work out? Your hands are so strong! Especially the right one!"- spoken to Bud Bundy
Does anyone else wonder why the politicians and inteligentsia of California is considered the most crackheaded, inane, donkeyfucking, and delusional group of morons in the U.S.?
Here is another story about California schools that got my attention.
Nice to see when the schools are in terrible shape some teachers have the right priorites.
TrailerParkJawa wrote:Here is another story about California schools that got my attention.
Nice to see when the schools are in terrible shape some teachers have the right priorites.
Who cares!?! Its just a jet. BTW, before you start tearing some teachers a new asshole re-read your article to see parents and community members were also involved.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
forgot to mention in the previous post:
THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CALIFORNIA STRIKES AGAIN!!!
Anyone wanna bet on the odds of California being the next state to secede from the union to join China or the DPRK?
I must distinguish between hyper-liberal, and hyper liberal politically correct wusses. I happen to be extremely left leaning, but i feel that political correctness doesnt have to accompany such a view. If you ask me, I'd say that the reason these Californians are being stupid is not becuase of their liberalness, but rather their wussiness.
You know, it's that kind of over-protective PC nonsense that makes me glad I live in Pennsylvania. Is anyone even offended by Mount Rushmore, or terms like "The framers", "jungle", or "yacht"?
Next of Kin wrote:BTW, before you start tearing some teachers a new asshole re-read your article to see parents and community members were also involved.
So WHAT? If anything, most parents and community members around here are just dumbasses. We've got hordes of parents here who have NO FUCKING IDEA how to raise their kids, and they think that censoring everything is the answer.
"Oh, but it'll offend such and such bleeding-heart group..." they say. Excuse me, they're offending my sensibility.
Because the Germans are cool, and make good beer, from what I've heard. And besides, is there anything better than the taste of cow grinded up into an unrecognizable patty?
