SBOE delays update to Texas history, social studies curriculums until 2025
Proposed changes to how Texas school children are taught history and social studies are officially on hold. On Friday the State Board of Education (SBOE) voted to stay with the current curriculum except for changes necessary to comply with a new state law governing how children are taught about race.
Those wanting Texas history taught from diverse points of view might have thought they had seen a good omen. The day started off with traditional mariachi music from an invited high school and one board member used her turn at the invocation to recall the words of pioneer civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune asking us, “to dedicate our lives to the service that extends through willing hearts and hands to the betterment of all mankind.”
But attendees at the SBOE meeting reminded the board there's serious opposition to changing how history and social studies are taught. Jason Sutherland said God wouldn’t approve of some of the points of view the board was considering. He added, “Nor can we expect Him to bless our nation while we as Texans continue to embrace and teach our children things that God calls abomination.”
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And the board is feeling the pressure from the legislature. They need to comply with Senate Bill 3 and voted unanimously to act quickly to adopt just the changes necessary to comply with its terms. SBOE Member Georgina Cecilia Perez from El Paso commented, “There will be nothing except the bare minimum the Senate Bill 3 requires."
And as for the work done so far by workgroups proposing broader changes to how history and social studies are taught, Board members thought that could wait for another day. Will Hickman from Houston explained, “I think we made we made a hasty decision with the framework and for me that was a mistake. I'm in favor of the delay and will be voting in favor of it."
As it turns out, it will wait for another year. The State Board of Education voted to give itself until 2025 to further study the matter.
