Some textbook publishers steer clear of OK social studies standards

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - We are getting a first look at how textbook publishers are responding to the recently passed Oklahoma social studies standards, and many are taking a step back.

The reporting first came from Oklahoma Watch and Jennifer Palmer, who attended the Textbook Committee meetings where the publishers presented their publications.

"We have fewer publishers trying to get their books approved," said Palmer.

The standards were highly controversial and included requirements like including Old Testament Bible stories, saying the origin of the COVID-19 virus was at a lab in China, and teaching court-debunked 2020 stolen presidential theories.

The standards are set for the next six years, and the textbooks change based on subjects; the one Palmer attended focused on social studies and financial planning.

Palmer said that six years ago, 18 publishers were approved, but now there are 11 who have submitted.

As for the textbooks that could be in the Oklahoma classrooms, most of them did not adhere to every single standard that was updated.

"This was the only example I could find of some of the references to Christianity and Bible stories," said Palmer as she held up a small newsletter from Studies Weekly.

She reported that they publish newsletter-like pages each week. With this one, it pointed out the 10 commandments as something that existed, but didn't list them, and as for Old Testament stories, it just named David and Goliath but didn't detail the story.

In contrast, another publisher that submitted an elementary curriculum for review, InquireED, sidestepped a second-grade standard about stories from Christianity, suggesting educators use the online platform’s edit feature to add that manually. (The company suggested editing the materials to meet other, less controversial standards, too.) 

Oklahoma Watch, Jennifer Palmer

Out of the many publishers who chose not to submit, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt was one of them; they got out in 2023.

There are 12 points of criteria that the publishers must hit, too. The criteria are very objective, and some of the points are based on points of morality.

One of them is, "Emphasize the importance of the family as the core of American society and do not degrade the traditional roles of men and women, boys and girls.

Another states, "Treat the subject of the historical origins of humankind in an objective and unbiased manner."

"They get points for each thing, and they'll add up all of their point,s and then the completed rubric goes to the committee. So, then the committee will go through those and decide they'll vote on each publisher's materials," said Palmer.

"Were those standards approved. Things were snuck in that many weren't approving of," said Rep. John Waldron (Tulsa-OKC).

Rep. Waldron was a social studies teacher for several years. He gave his two cents on the Oklahoma Watch findings.

"There are kids that come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and not just the ones that apply to the state superintendent. We shouldn't be forcing some government notion of one established religion, so that's a problem," said Rep. Waldron.

"The other issue is around the stolen election theories. How can we trust anything we're being taught if we are forcing teachers to teach some government line that is not substantiated by the truth? That's what happens in authoritarian dictator-like companies, not Oklahoma," said Rep. Waldron.

Right now, those textbooks that publishers put forth for adoption can be viewed by the public, and you can find a list of locations here.

The public can also give their comment by emailing carolynn.bristow@sde.ok.gov before Sept. 12.