Politics and textbooks don't mix

If you're among the many Americans that believe the squabbling between liberals and conservatives will never end, there's a new reason to support that belief. The latest knock-down battle between the ideological foes is in Texas, where conservatives on the state Board of Education are on the verge of approving a social studies curriculum that reflects their political philosophy at the expense of other beliefs. The decision most directly affects Texas schoolchildren, but it has national implications, as well..

The board voted 10-5 in a strictly party-line vote to approve a new standard for U.S. history textbooks in public schools. The new standard, most unbiased observers of the debate agree, supports teaching that underlines the superiority of the free market system, that stresses the exceptionalism of America, that questions the strict secularism of government, and that appears to present Republican political philosophy in a favorable rather than impartial light.

In doing so, the publicly elected board turned back board members' efforts to approve a more inclusive, diverse approach to the academic discipline. The board's highly politicized decision carries considerable weight across the country.

Texas is one of the nation's largest purchasers of textbooks, and publishers who want its business must match their books' contents to the state's curriculum. Because it is not profitable to provide a variety of texts to meet varying state standards, the Texas standard often becomes the bellwether for a large number of U.S. public school systems.

Knowledge of that fact brought considerable national attention to what otherwise would have been a parochial debate. Such interest in the Texas board's activity is not new. Last year, discussion of a new science curriculum turned into a free-for-all about the teaching of evolution. What emerged from that contentious series of hearings was undue political interference in academics that proved a disservice to students desirous of learning the latest accepted scientific principles.

The Texas Board of Education's decision on the social studies curriculum is not final. It does not become so until a public comment period passes. That ends in May, but there's little likelihood the decision will be reversed or changed. Republican dominance of the board pretty much guarantees that.

The debate about history and economics, like that about the science curriculum, is a reminder that ideology should have no role in creating or promoting educational policy. Curricula decisions should be made by educators and experts in the field. There is a proper place for teaching the specific beliefs espoused by conservatives -- and, yes, liberals, too. That's at home.

The suggested social studies curriculum approved in Texas does not limit the ability of parents to privately teach allegiance to a particular political viewpoint as they see fit. That right endures. It should not be extended, however, by political gamesmanship to public schools in Texas, or elsewhere.