A rewrite of what Texas high schoolers learn in history, government and geography is expected to receive final approval this week.
The Texas State Board of Education will decide, for example, whether public school students must learn how “biblical imagery and founding principles of equality and justice from the Declaration of Independence” connect to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
The board members will debate a recommendation that students learn about early Islam through the lens of “the Prophet Mohammed’s brutal military campaigns against Jewish and Christian tribes, the normalization of slavery, and the taking of female captives as harem slaves.”
Another proposal would ensure students graduate with the ability to describe arguments against “the modern welfare state that emerged from continued expansion of Great Society programs.” The Great Society refers to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1960s policy agenda that sought to abolish poverty and inequality.
Final revisions to the high school courses come after the board’s Republican majority approved changes to Texas’ K–8 social studies materials in June alongside a mandatory reading list that includes Bible stories.
The group postponed four upper level courses after members expressed concerns about rushing the process and potentially causing unintended errors. Monday is the first opportunity for the board to make progress on the remaining classes, with final votes expected Friday.
The contentious process to rewrite social studies has stretched several years. The board delayed changes to the courses in 2022 after pressure from conservative lawmakers who complained about how students would learn about topics such as race and gender.
Those leaders and activists now champion the current proposals, which they view as the final battle in a push to rid Texas schools of instruction they say paints America in a negative light and trains students to hate the country.
Throughout the board’s deliberations, some Republicans have also attacked Islam, which they see as incompatible with their vision of Christianity.
Democrats, educators and students, meanwhile, criticize the minimization of racial, ethnic and cultural diversity reflected in U.S. and world history courses, as well as the materials’ hefty emphasis on Christianity. Hundreds of people have testified at meetings that often extended overnight, well into the early morning.
Many teachers have said they felt excluded from the revision process as the board majority placed more value on the input of conservative activists than on their own. Others point to a lack of transparency as the reason for their frustration, noting the difficulty in figuring out who influenced the lessons’ conservative approach.
The new social studies framework represents a dramatic shift from how teachers have long structured and sequenced their lessons.
The framework notably eliminates the current sixth-grade world cultures course, which some educators see as evidence that Texas officials do not prioritize traditions outside of Western civilization. They believe the lack of emphasis will diminish students’ knowledge of the world beyond America.
Texas schools will begin phasing in the adopted social studies changes during the 2030-31 school year.
This week, Republicans on the State Board of Education will add another member to their majority, temporarily increasing the conservative presence to 11-4.
Houston Democrat Staci Childs vacated her seat as she campaigns for the Texas House. Gov. Greg Abbott has since replaced her with Pasadena Republican Tammie Nielsen, who will serve on the board through the end of the year.
Democrat Coretta Mallet-Fontenot will appear on the November ballot to permanently serve as Childs’ replacement.
