Texas board gives initial OK to Bible lessons, revamped social studies standards

The Texas State Board of Education gave preliminary approval Wednesday to major changes in public school reading and social studies standards that would introduce more Bible-based lessons while reshaping how history, government, and culture are taught in classrooms.

The board is expected to complete additional preliminary votes before taking final action Friday. If approved, the new standards would take effect during the 2030-31 school year.

The proposed reading curriculum includes biblical stories and teachings for students from elementary through high school, including lessons on Adam and Eve, the Beatitudes, and the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

The social studies overhaul would eliminate the current sixth-grade world cultures course, place greater emphasis on Texas and U.S. history, reduce attention to world history outside the European tradition, and revise standards related to race, culture, and diversity.

The proposals drew hundreds of teachers, students, parents, and community members to board meetings this week, where supporters and opponents offered sharply different views during hours of public testimony.

Conservative Republican board members and activists argued the revisions restore a more patriotic approach to education and reduce what they see as negative portrayals of American history.

Critics, including educators, historians, and faith leaders, said the proposals minimize the experiences of racial and religious minorities and place Christianity above other faith traditions.

"These proposed standards actually defy the Constitution and highlight only one group of Americans as the founders who built this country to the exclusion of others," Ruth Nasrullah, a Muslim community member, told the board.

Board members approved several revisions to the draft standards before Wednesday's vote. The updated proposal adds the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to a list of Civil Rights leaders after his omission drew criticism and changes language describing the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II from one of the nation's "contributions" to a wartime "change."

Republican board members also restored language identifying slavery's expansion as the central cause of the Civil War and approved teaching about pioneering aviator Bessie Coleman, the first African American and Native American woman to earn an international pilot license.

However, the board removed standards directing students to examine "the perspectives of groups whose voices are less represented in traditional historical accounts." Members also added a lesson connecting the biblical story of Moses to Harriet Tubman, who became known as "Moses" for helping enslaved people escape through the Underground Railroad.

Democratic board members questioned both the drafting process and the makeup of the advisory panel that helped develop the standards, arguing that educators had too little influence.

"Our voices are being left off constantly," Democratic board member Tiffany Clark said.

Republican members responded that advisory groups make recommendations, while elected board members retain final authority over the curriculum.

If adopted Friday, the revised standards will guide curriculum development for Texas public schools beginning with the 2030-31 academic year.