The Texas State Board of Education took a preliminary vote on Friday to remove former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from social studies books in an effort to “streamline” the curriculum.
While Clinton may still rate a passing mention in history books as Bill Clinton’s First Lady, Secretary of State under President Barack Obama or as the first female presidential nominee from a major political party, lesson plans focused specifically on Clinton and her role as a “significant political and social leader” are set to be removed, eliminating some 30 minutes of classroom time.
The Dallas Morning News reported that the decision, which will come to a final vote in November, comes as the result of a ranking exercise completed by 15 members of the State Board. A number of historical figures — including Clinton, Helen Keller, Sam Houston, Thurgood Marshall and Sandra Day O’Connor — were ranked on a scale of 1-20 on their historical importance.
Board members went through a series of questions to rank each historical figure. Questions included “Did the person trigger a watershed change”; “Was the person from an underrepresented group”; and “Will their impact stand the test of time?”
Clinton was selected for removal after receiving just five points, and Helen Keller, who received a score of seven, was also marked for removal from the curriculum.
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