After recommending the removal of the word “heroic” from the seventh-grade history curriculum about the Alamo, a Texas education board committee has backed off its initial proposal as a result of public outcry. The recommendation included the removal of a letter by William B. Travis as well as references to Alamo defenders as heroes.
Over the past few months, the board had been working to streamline the standards for the social studies curriculum, aiming at reducing the teachers’ instructional time. The stated goal was to allow instructors to go further into depth in the courses. However, over 60 people registered to testify in front of the board on Tuesday, September 11, wishing to express their concerns on the proposed changes. Their issues centered around revisions to the curriculum specific to the Alamo, the civil rights movement, references to Judeo-Christianity in U.S. history, and slavery as a part of our past. The recommendations for change were submitted in April, and the board took up public review during its September meeting.