Because this is making the rounds, it’s important to understand the broader context, and also how Texas Republicans did something foolish then tried to clean it up by doing something that also looks foolish.
https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/1416552927263694853
When Texas Republicans passed their H.B. 3979, they tried to balance it’s misguided awfulness—and assuage critics—with a list of *positive* civil rights topics for teachers to continue to teach. It’s a good list! legiscan.com/TX/text/HB3979… 
It’s also a ridiculously detailed and lengthy list in an already-confusing bill. Is every social studies class in Texas supposed to include every name, document, & event—in this bill? Does it supplement existing state standards? What gets cut to make room? Why these & not others?
Obviously, this was a poorly thought out way to make social studies curricula. It’s bad for schools & teachers and a bad precedent for the future. Set aside that Texas’s school curricula are already highly centralized & politicized. At least they are made through a known process.
So now Texas Republican are trying to pull the excessive details from state law. And it looks like they are trying to remove teaching about civil rights itself. They’re not, but they have only themselves to blame for this situation This is what moral panic creates.
*its—sorry I’m sitting outside and it’s a nice day and I’m not proofreading my tweets.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
