The top local stories this morning from KERA News:
The Texas State Board of Education today will hold a public hearing to discuss a controversial Mexican-American studies textbook up for consideration. Scholars, elected officials and Hispanic activists have called the textbook racist and inaccurate, but the publisher’s defending herself.
Cynthia Dunbar heads Momentum Instruction, which produced the book called Mexican-American Heritage. Dunbar’s also a former conservative member of the education board who believes the textbook was attacked prematurely. She told the Texas Tribune changes have been made since.
However, a committee of scholars who reviewed the book last week said Mexican-American Heritage doesn't meet basic standards and guiding principles in the history profession. The committee also identified more than 68 factual errors, 42 “interpretive” errors and 31 errors of omission.
Mexican-American Heritage was the only submission the education board received after it issued a call last year for textbooks to be used in high school Mexican-American studies classes.
After today’s hearing, the State Board of Education will vote on the textbook in November.
Other stories this morning:
- There’s been a trend of tax ratification elections in North Texas lately. Education reporter Stella Chavez explains why.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
