Conservatives release critique of textbooks

BODY: The liberal group Texas Freedom Network sent out a call Tuesday for Texans to speak out against what they called textbook censorship by right-wing conservatives.

On the same day, the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation released an extensive report that it said is an objective review of the social studies textbooks up for review this year by the State Board of Education.

“We’ve seen a little bit of what they have to say – outlandish claims that children won’t learn history,” said Samantha Smoot, executive director of the Freedom Network.

Smoot hadn’t seen the Policy Foundation’s report.

“This is probably the most comprehensive textbook review ever done,” said Michael Sullivan, spokesman for the conservative foundation based in San Antonio. “We want to make sure you are actually discussing facts.”

The board will hold a public hearing on the textbooks next Wednesday.

Texas adopts new social studies books every eight years.

The state will spend $344.7 million on the textbooks, which will go into classrooms in 2003.

Under state law, the board can only reject books for factual errors, not philosophical views.

Liberal and conservative groups have passed advance copies of the books out to parents and others in the community for review, but the foundation says its report is different because the reviewers were high school and college teachers.

“Some (books) are good, some have problems, some have more problems than others,” Sullivan said.

The report covers obvious errors such as incorrect dates, but focuses mainly on what reviewers considered to be insufficient information, Sullivan said.

For example, one book says “tourists and fur traders shot buffalo for sport. ” The review said it also should have pointed out that Plains Indians hunted for sport once they were equipped with repeating weapons.

Sullivan acknowledged the report goes into issues that the state board can’t consider in rejecting a book, but said such an evaluation is necessary.

When the foundation reviewed science textbooks last year, the report drew scores of conservatives to complain before the state board.

The board rejected one book. Six publishers made changes.

A group of conservative organizations – Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy, Texas Eagle Forum, Reason Foundation, Gabler Group, Daughters of the American Revolution, Concerned Women of America and Austin Eagle Forum – has joined forces to influence the books for social studies, always a lightning rod for differing political groups.

Peggy Venable, director of Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy, said the groups are interested in errors, but also in making sure there’s balance.

Publishers have been calling conservative groups asking for their views, she said.

Although the Freedom Network is wary of this practice, Venable defended it, saying that publishers are just being sensitive to parents and the public.

“We are the customer,” she said.

shughes@express-news.net

Staff Writer Lucy Hood and the Associated Press contributed to this report.