Lawmakers Could Overhaul Textbook Commission Amid Cries Of Bias

Laurie Cardoza-Moore says some 17 textbooks show signs of bias that don’t reflect Tennessee values. Credit Daniel Potter / WPLN

The panel charged with selecting textbooks Tennessee school districts can adopt is officially on notice.  State lawmakers say they could restructure the State Textbook Commission, after several parents complained today of bias against “Judeo-Christian values,” as well as capitalism.

Laurie Cardoza-Moore was one of several speakers from Williamson County who railed against textbook bias.  Among other things, she argued books explaining Muslim terrorism in a political context glosses over what she sees as a broader militant agenda.  Moore says she doesn’t want the board to go away, but wants textbooks reviewed with more input from regular parents.

“What worldview are they being vetted from?  Parents in Williamson County and across the state of Tennessee want to know.  Because it doesn’t represent our values.”

Parents reiterated concerns they’ve been voicing for months in a meeting with state lawmakers.  The subcommittee signaled its intention to tweak the textbook commission soon, giving it a one-year extension before it would start to phase out.