Illusion of Inclusion: Race, Politics, and Standards

• In Event: The Unintended Impact of Education Policy Implementation

Abstract

Systemic reformers have argued that standards will lead to more equitable education opportunities for communities of color. The paper finds that recent changes to the Texas Social Studies standards overtly subvert race and racism. There is paucity of Asian and Native American TEKS while the lion share of Black and Latina/o TEKS were deemed optional. We noted the insidious and systematic ways in which race is rendered by the SBOE. The ideologically driven revisions to the TEKS expertly camouflage race and racism within the K-12 collective memory in Texas. The Texas Social Studies standards case demonstrates the problematic interaction between politics and standards policy and, ultimately, is a cautionary tale for future state and national standards processes.

Authors

• Julian Vasquez Heilig, The University of Texas - Austin

• Keffrelyn D. Brown, The University of Texas - Austin

• Anthony L. Brown, The University of Texas - Austin