I agree that what the Texas Board of Education has done to
the state history curriculum with regard to Jefferson is not exactly in line with
traditional "conservative" thought. It is, however, pretty much in line with
social conservative thought. But since you are asking specifically
about the reasoning given for the change by the Texas Board itself, a little research
reveals some quotes given to news organizations by Cynthia Dunbar, a Board
member.
She claims the reason Jefferson's name was removed
from a list of world revolutionaries in state guiding questions was
because:
"The
Enlightenment was not the only philosophy on which these revolutions were
based"
Since his name was
replaced with religious figures like Thomas Aquinas and John Calvin, we can also
probably assume the Board members (at least, 10 out of 15, anyway) did not like
Jefferson's embrace of the Separation of Church and State, which, it should be noted, is
also a conservative value of limited government.
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