The Texas State Board of Education has indicated preliminary support for a new curriculum that would give districts the choice to incorporate Bible teachings into public school lessons for elementary students.
Eight of the 15 board members gave initial approval to the elementary school curriculum, called “Bluebonnet Learning,” on Tuesday. The final vote is expected Friday.
The proposed curriculum, drafted by the Texas Education Agency, has drawn ire for its inclusion of biblical content. Critics argue it overemphasizes Christianity compared to other religions — and violates a long string of legal decisions regarding the separation of church and state.
Supporters contend the materials will provide students with a better understanding of the country’s history and improve reading comprehension.
Houston Republican Will Hickman said that Bible stories aren’t a matter of religion, but rather “cultural literacy,” the Texas Tribune reported. “And there’s religious concepts like the Good Samaritan and the Golden Rule and Moses that all students should be exposed to,” he said.
Under the plan, schools would have the option to adopt lessons that include biblical concepts like the Golden Rule and stories from Genesis. Districts that implement the curriculum would receive additional annual funding of $60 per student.
Mary Elizabeth Castle, director of government relations for Texas Values, told local broadcaster KVUE this year that students are free to view the curriculum as merely an aspect of history. “Not only is learning about common stories and phrases from the Bible important in a student’s understanding of history, but it is the First Amendment right to have access to this information,” she said.
However, opponents warn the curriculum, which could be available to students aged kindergarten to fifth grade, could lead to bullying of non-Christian students and grant the state excessive control over religious education. Other board members reportedly expressed concerns about age-appropriateness and the curriculum’s alignment with state standards.
“They promote particular religious views over others and, in doing so, they violate parents’ rights to determine the religious upbringing of their children,” Mark Chancey, religious studies professor at Southern Methodist University, told KVUE.
Staci Childs, a Houston Democrat who serves on the education board, said accuracy — and Texas’ Establishment Clause — is at stake with the potential shift, according to the Tribune. “If this is the standard for students in Texas, then it needs to be exactly that. … It needs to be high quality, and it needs to be the standard, free of any Establishment Clause issues, free of any lies. And it needs to be accurate.”
Ms. Childs was joined in her disapproval by seven fellow panel members, including three Republicans.
The vote has political implications as well. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Leslie Recine, a Republican, to temporarily fill a vacant board seat just days before the election, potentially providing a deciding vote in favor of the curriculum on Friday. The board will accept revisions until late Wednesday, and more than 100 Texans testified for and against the proposed curriculum during Monday’s meeting.
As Texas considers this step, similar efforts to incorporate religious teachings in public schools are underway in other states, including Oklahoma and Louisiana — a new and broader trend in education policy.
But some educators aren’t happy about the news. Megan Tessler, a teacher, called the idea an affront to the concept of public schooling on Monday, according to The Associated Press. “This curriculum fails to meet the standard of an honest, secular one. … Public schools are meant to educate, not indoctrinate.”
• Emma Ayers can be reached at eayers@washingtontimes.com.
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