Texas leaders approve Bible stories as required reading in schools
Bible passages added to required reading lists
The Republican-led Texas State Board of Education voted in favor of a required reading list featuring Bible stories. A vote on a major social curriculum rewrite has not happened yet.
DALLAS - The Texas Board of Education has approved controversial changes to required reading lists for Texas public school students. They now include Bible passages.
The Republican-led board heard fiery debates from supporters and critics all week before making a decision on Friday afternoon.
Texas Curriculum Debate
What we know:
The education board is adopting new standards that supporters say more closely reflect the nation's origins. But critics say it promotes Christianity over diversity and civil rights.
On Friday afternoon, the board voted 9-5-1 on a proposal with reading lists that include stories from the Bible. The required reading list also includes classics, children's books, fables and historical texts, but the inclusion of religious readings drew the most intense debate.
Among the Bible stories included for younger students are David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lion's Den, and Jonah and the Whale. Middle and high school students would also read passages from both the Old and New Testaments alongside literary works.
Members are expected to vote later on Friday on a second proposal that completely rewrites the state's social studies curriculum.
The votes follow months of discussion on the board, culminating in hearings every day this week that featured testimony from nearly 400 experts, teachers and concerned citizens.
What's next:
Friday's changes will take effect for the 2030-31 school year for elementary students. The board will address changes to high school courses at a later time.
Board member Tom Maynard, R-Florence, emphasized that implementation will be gradual, saying the new reading requirements will not take effect immediately but will be phased in over several years.
Texas reviews curriculum standards across all academic fields every 15 to 20 years.
Controversy frequently accompanies Texas curriculum decisions
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Texas Board of Education debates curriculum changes
Big chances could be coming to social studies lessons and reading lists for Texas public school students. FOX 4's Dan Godwin takes a closer look at the proposed changes and the heated debate over them.
Controversy frequently accompanies decisions regarding how history and social studies are taught to Texas public school students.
The current debate impacts the educational guidelines for the state's 5.5 million public school students.
What they're saying:
Conservative supporters argue that Texas public school lessons should accurately reflect the specific historical context of the nation's origin, emphasizing Christianity's role in America's founding.
"History must be taught correctly, objectively, and factually, free from revisionist pressures. This proposal puts 'America First' values back into Texas education. It ensures students graduate with an uncompromised, accurate understanding of American exceptionalism, free from the revisionist pressures of foreign groups and radical ideologies that seek to undermine Western civilization and subvert our traditional values," one supporter argued.
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Maynard said the approved reading list gives parents greater visibility into classroom instruction.
"If mom and dad know what books they're reading in class, then they can certainly have those discussions or read along," he said.
The other side:
Democrats and other critics of the revisions claim the new material pushes Christianity on people of other faiths or those who do not identify with any religion.
They argue it also downplays world cultures, civil rights and the contributions that people of color have made to U.S. and Texas history. The changes also heavily emphasize memorization over critical thinking.
Board member Rebecca Bell-Metereau, D-San Marcos, criticized including some Bible stories for young children, arguing that stories such as Jonah and the Whale could unnecessarily frighten first-grade students.
Another Republican board member, Evelyn Brooks of Frisco, also questioned requiring a state-mandated reading list, saying teachers have selected classroom books for decades and arguing the mandate is unconstitutional.
One critic questioned the narrow focus of the curriculum.
"What about those who came here enslaved? What about the indigenous people? We can't forget about them, especially in social studies," the critic argued. "These proposed standards actually defy the Constitution in some ways, highlighting only one group of Americans as the founders who built this country, to the exclusion of others in the past and the present."
The Texas Freedom Network, an advocacy group that supports church-state separation, condemned the vote in a statement, calling it "a very intentional and heartbreaking attack on religious freedom."
Critics have also suggested the new reading requirements could face legal challenges in court.
What's next:
Parents can continue to request that their children be excused from classroom activities or instruction that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, with local school districts responsible for determining how those requests are handled.
The Source: The information in this article comes from broadcast reports by FOX 4's Dan Godwin, Casey Stegall and Steven Dial, as well as testimony and updates from the Texas State Board of Education and the Associated Press.