I am still jetlagged from the INVALSI Accountability conference in Rome. My body is telling me it is noon right now. However, it is only 6 a.m. That explains the early morning post about standards. From the very start Texas declined to participate in the Common Core Standards— clearly national standards are a threat to our sovereignty. Luckily we have a highly-qualified and consciences State Board of Education. Or do we? See our analysis of the Texas social studies standards published in the Harvard Educational Review this month.

The Texas TEKS standards remain an issue, as Yun, one of the students in my school law and policy course, described in her powerpoint presentation yesterday:

Texas is the second-largest purchaser of textbooks in the country followed by California, public school districts in many other states follow Texas lead because [the] list [is] mass-produced by the publisher.

When we were on Kathleen Dunn Show discussing the Texas social studies standards, one caller asked if they could put a cigarette-style warning label on Texas originating textbooks. So how about more educational policy levity at the Texas SBOE’s expense to start the day? Thanks to Yun for finding these cartoons for her class presentation.