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Final adoption of high school social studies, as amended is proposed. Mary Helen Berlanga objects to the whole process of 300+ amendments and such piece-mealing. "In my 27 years on this board, I've never seen anything like this." A lengthy speech follows on the failure to come to terms with the past of discrimination by everyone from the Klan to the Texas Rangers, none of which are mentioned in the history books. She had several feet of books about the Hispanic civil rights movement, and several photos of Hispanic families, which she symbolically "threw off her desk." "We do not want to admit any of this. We have let down the more than 2 million Hispanic kids in this state. They'll learn for the first time the real history when they get to college."

Mavis Knight decries the other board members rendering her invisible, even though she treats them with respect. "I could have stayed home, and this would have been the same result."

Rick Agosto says he is so ashamed, he will throw away his copy of the standards. "This is just garbage, anyway, after the piecemeal way this has been handled. We have ignored the experts, and this is totally unacceptable. We tried to amend the document to put the experts' work back in, and we were accused of seeking quotas. This is where these standards belong..." and he throws them in his desk trashcan.

Lawrence Allen--will not support because we are not qualified to write this kind of detailed curriculum. "There's a difference between writing standards and approving standards. This is too many expectations to be effective--I know this from 25 years in education. I truly believe my colleagues have good intentions, but they don't know what they're doing. We've not listened to the other elected officials." (He points out that many of The Faction members have left the room and are not listening to his dissent or the others'. "Maybe we should call for a vote and watch them rush back to their seats...") Moves to postpone until July meeting.

Bob Craig believes it is worthwhile to postpone until the July meetings. "Students aren't labeled as Republicans or Democrat. They're E for Education. We've made some improvements, but we need to take time, as (former Education Secretary) Ron Paige urged us during the public hearing. Two months won't hurt anyone, and it will give the experts and work-group members a chance to examine it."

Rene Nuñez agrees that postponement is necessary. (But Rick Agosto is not sure--what will be gained? Mary Helen Berlanga will support it if there is a condition to send it back to the standards committee and the experts.

Barbara Cargill is proud to have her name on her document, and doesn't want postponement. Terri Leo says "buck stops here with the Board," so I object to postponement. Ken Mercer points out that the legislators really want a postponement to January after elections, and because those new members would not have been through the process and hearings and commentary.

Bradley says this would be a partisan vote, like last time, when it was 10 to 5 the other way. "When we lost, we didn't go through bringing all of our legislative buddies here to issue threats. We just took our licks. But Texas has changed since then, and now the vote will go the other way."

Pat Hardy asks the Commissioner to weigh in. He says two months won't hurt, but he's not sure that the delay will change anything. "You'll just be in the same boat then," he says.

Motion fails 6-8.

So Mavis Knight moves back to amending U.S. History C) 29) h) insert "presentations, speeches, and lectures..." to address college and career readiness standards within the TEKS instead of just in the overarching statement. Passes.

Knight, again: 30) add new "d) attribute ideas and information to source materials and authors using a standard citation method." Ms. Hardy says this is micromanaging and curriculum development. Bradley snidely comments that "it would be nice if those making amendments would support the final document." Knight says "she does not complain about how others vote, and I reserve my right to vote as I feel best. I can discuss this with the member outside this room." Motion fails on a tie vote.

Bradley moves to end amendments and vote up or down.

Mercer gives a speech about how he couldn't give an interview on national TV about his point of view and telling his side of the story because a heckler started screaming in his ear. The Mexican American Legislative Caucus denied Jonathan Saenz the right to talk to them, even though they claimed it was an open meeting. "But you're telling me because I'm conservative, I don't matter. But the outrageous thing has been the editorial boards of this state who have lied about us. We never voted to erase Thomas Jefferson completely."

High School is voted on: 9 to 5 party line vote.

Now, they go back to elementary and middle school, Agosto strikes entire 5c from Social Studies grade 7 standards, which was all about the Confederacy and the Civil War, and a list of specific Confederate generals from Texas. Bradley remarks that he couldn't find Union generals from Texas to help balance coverage. Amendment fails 6 to 8.

Grade 8, Agosto moves strike "the ideas contained in Jefferson Davis' inaugural address" from standards, because a lot of the writing team disagreed with this change that happened after they finished. The Faction says that it was language other members of writing team asked for.

Bob Craig moves to approve all the rest of elementary and middle school standards now, as amended. Party line vote 9-5.

Economics (separate from the other high school social studies)

5e) Karl Marx is stricken by Pat Hardy.
10i) insert "national" before wealth (Pat Hardy again)
12b) and 12c) combine
18d) strike "balancing a checkbook." (all done electronically now anyway)

Economics goes to a vote. 14-0 unanimous. (Mavis accidentally pushed the "no" button, but asks to change her vote.