Yesterday, I disagreed with Phil Plait — I didn't think the suggestion by Texas educators to remove a requirement to mention Neil Armstrong was that bad. However, that was because I presumed that they were making a reasonable pedagogical argument, that the state board shouldn't micromanage how the details of social studies were taught.
I was wrong. I was very wrong. They're suggesting this change and others because they're batshagging mad.
On day one of hearings in Austin, disagreements flare over the importance that should be given to civil rights leaders including Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall.
On the other side some members are looking at adding mentions of people like Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh to the curriculum.
Neil Armstrong is being defenestrated, but they want to stuff in Rush Limbaugh? Never mind my unjustified assumption that the Texas BOE discussions were academic conversations about what was the best and most useful material for their children to learn — it's insanity, instead.