The Texas State Board of Education moved closer to final approval of a state-authored elementary school curriculum that includes biblical teachings for students statewide.
On Tuesday, The board's 15 members voted 8-7 in favor of preliminary approval for Bluebonnet Learning, a curriculum proposed earlier this year by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for use in K-5 public school classrooms.
Interestingly, three Republicans, including board member Pam Little (R-Fairview), a self-described Christian conservative, voted alongside the board's four Democratic members against the curriculum. Little was re-elected to another two-year term on the Republican-led panel earlier this month.
While the board is poised to hold an official vote on the curriculum on Friday, members have until late Wednesday to propose any revisions. Although the vote is anticipated to proceed, board members can alter their votes up until the official decision is made.
The proposed curriculum provides instructional guidelines for K-5 teachers and includes “the early history of Christianity, with selections from the New Testament books of the Christian Bible providing context on beliefs about Jesus of Nazareth.”
It also clarifies its use of the terms BC/AD and BCE (before the Common Era) and CE (of the Common Era). The curriculum also features studies such as “Christianity and the Roman Empire,” with a reading objective that asks students to “explain how Jesus of Nazareth’s life impacted the Roman Empire.”
In a statement to the Christian Post, Little expressed her doubts about the effectiveness of Bluebonnet Learning, stating, “I don’t think the Bluebonnet Learning will teach our students to be good readers,” and added, “I firmly believe we should teach our students the Biblical values of the Golden Rule, Good Samaritan, etc.”
Supporters of the curriculum have praised the inclusion of Bible passages as important literary works, while critics argue that the lessons are biased toward Christian teachings. They contend that this could alienate non-Christian students, lead to bullying, and undermine the separation of church and state outlined by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, referred to the curriculum in September as akin to Christian nationalism, suggesting that it elevates Christianity over other religions, which he believes leads to “dominating our neighbors instead of loving them as ourselves.”
During a House Public Education Committee meeting in August, Talarico raised concerns regarding the perceived bias toward Christianity in school curriculum materials and the importance of maintaining “separation between church and state.”
Once final approval is granted, the new curriculum is set to be implemented in school districts by August 2025, instructing nearly 2.3 million K-5 students in Texas.
