The Texas State Board of Education has rejected the option of creating an expert panel to identify errors in textbooks. Several weeks ago a Houston mother sparked a nationwide uproar over a caption in her son’s textbook that described African slaves as “workers.” The new proposal would have created oversight to prevent inaccurate information from being printed in textbooks. But that the 15-member panel narrowly voted down the measure, reports The Texas Tribune.
The panel’s conservative opposition said the proposal would unnecessarily add an additional layer of bureaucracy to the process.
One board member also noted the “philosophical differences” that have emerged between the board and professors who review textbooks. Academics from across the political spectrum have detailed what they perceive as crucial flaws in the state’s social studies textbooks.