By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-860929.mp3
Dallas, TX –
The State Board of Education is meeting this week in Austin and is likely to put Christmas and Rosh Hashanah back into the 6th grade state curriculum. Trustees are determining Social Studies standards for the next 10 years. KERA's Bill Zeeble has more.
Social Studies experts want to include one holiday from each of the top 5 global faiths in a world culture chapter. They chose Easter for Christianity, and Yom Kippur for Judaism, eliminating Christmas and Rosh Hashanah. They added Diwali for Hinduism. Dallas State Trustee Geraldine Tincy Miller says the experts made a mistake.
Miller: There was no malicious intent. Why would you take Christmas and Rosh Hashanah out and replace it with a Hindu festival, that's not well known, or with very little if you will substance to it?
Miller, a long time conservative, on a conservative State School Board says Trustees will likely put the Christian and Jewish holidays back into the curriculum without cutting anything else.
Today, the board considers public figures, to see which ones deserve more - or less - attention. The discussion will include Cesar Chavez, Thurgood Marshall, and Rush Limbaugh. Board members will make their final Social Studies Curriculum decisions next May.