State board to discuss creation of Mexican-American studies course
The State Board of Education on Tuesday will discuss creating a Mexican-American studies course for high school students. The discussion comes after the board rejected two proposed Mexican-American studies textbooks over the past two years. Here’s how the board got to this point:
1. Course proposed earlier:
Instead of creating a statewide Mexican-American studies course as a high school elective in 2014, a divided board opted to offer school
districts recommended textbooks for such a course and other ethnic studies areas.
2. Districts allowed to offer
course: In 2015, the board approved allowing districts to implement a high school Mexican-American studies course, which only a few
did. The board at the time did not create curriculum standards, and activists said that left many school districts unclear about how to cre- ate such a course.
3. Textbook criticized as rac
ist: Scholars criticized the proposed textbook, “Mexican American Heritage,” calling it racist. The book described the Chicano movement as an effort to reconquer the United States and immigrant neighborhoods as riddled with crime. The board rejected the book in 2016.
4. Second textbook rejected: In November, the board rejected a second textbook. A panel of teachers and scholars appointed by the board found more than 50 errors in the book, written by Tony Diaz, a Houston-area activist.