Grass Roots Groups Join forces to Review Bias in Public School Textbooks
Truth in Textbooks (TNT), formerly known as Truth in Texas Textbooks (TTT) along with Textbook Alert are combining and joining ACT for America Education to form the most extensive teams of social studies textbook reviewers in the country. TNT is seeking volunteers to review social studies textbooks with training classes beginning in April, July and Oct 2016. You can write to tnt@actforamerica.org to learn more about the details of the program.
The goal is to have a total of 300-500 volunteers fully trained by the end of this year. Upon completion of the specialized TNT training (all TTT trainers), graduates will be asked to donate 6 weeks a year to assist teachers, parents and concerned citizens with not just social studies textbook review but requested reviews of any supplemental material, videos and other instructional material submitted to TNT. A full report including clear documentation of any errors will be provided free of charge to the submitters of the material. TNT will also provide experts to assist in helping navigate working with schools, school boards and other educational entities to affect change.
The first class, 2016 A, made up of volunteers from 18 states is undergoing training and completes their training in late March for a review of textbooks in North Carolina. Recruitment, screening and selection for Class 2016 B is underway now and you can write to tnt@actforamerica.org and express your interest in participating. You will receive more information and a survey to complete.
The samples below are just small sample of the 1500 errors found by TTT. Of the 1500 findings, over 60% of the material was either removed or changed.
- McGraw Hill said in their 2014 edition of their World History textbook submitted for Texas approval the following about the spread of Islam: “In the conquered territories of Asia and North Africa there were peaceful interactions among Muslim, Christian, and Jewish societies.”
- Houghton Mifflin said the following in their 2014 World History textbook “Sharia law requires Muslim leaders to extend religious tolerance to Christians and Jews.”
- In in the 2014 McGraw Hill World Geography textbook purposefully left out key elements to describe the 911 attacks as related to Islam, Islamic ideology or the countries of the attackers with this rather simple statement; “Terrorism became a major concern of many Americans after September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked four passenger planes, crashing them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field. After such devastation, the United States launched a war on terrorism focused.”
- Multiple publishers described our form of government as a “democracy”, not a constitutional republic.
Two executive summary with many more examples can be found here.
Fifty concerned citizens ensured 5 million children in Texas will have more factually correct and less politically correct textbooks for the next 10 years. The summary of TTT findings can be found in this brochure.
Come join this national effort. Participating will help your state and your school district down the road as the publishers will peddle the same books to the educators in your state eventually. Trying to do this on a state by state basis is duplicating effort that doesn’t need to be done. Centralizing the training with a “rapid response” team of reviewers standing by ready to respond is a more efficient way to help our children. Please consider participating by writing to tnt@actforamerica.org to learn more.
