Professor says SBOE plagiarized "American exceptionalism" (Houston Chronicle)

Originally posted at http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/2010/04/professor_says.html

Some of the proposed social studies standards were plagiarized, Trinity University Professor Michael Soto told Texas lawmakers.

Soto gave a detailed report on the standards that propose to teach Texas children about "American exceptionalism" - the concept that American values are different and unique from those of other nations.

It's an important concept in American intellectual history but one that's mishandled by the proposed standards, said Soto, who is the Democrat candidate for the State Board of Education seat of retiring member Rick Agosto, D-San Antonio.

The proposed standard on "American exceptionalism" was plagiarized from a UCLA graduate school of education website and other parts were lifted "almost verbatim from Wikipedia," he said.

"If one of my Trinity University students handed in this work, he or she would receive a 'D' for the quality of ideas and an 'F' for academic dishonesty," Soto told lawmakers. "Let me be absolutely clear for the public record: The social studies TEKS are plagiarized work. Can we all agree that Texas kids deserve better than this? Shouldn't the State Board of Education be held to a higher standard?"

Posted by Gary Scharrer at April 28, 2010 11:37 AM