TEA moves forward with plan to allow textbooks with Bible stories in Texas classrooms

AUSTIN, Texas - The TEA Board of Education is moving forward with a plan to allow the use of textbooks that include stories from the Bible. The new curriculum being considered is written for elementary classes. 

On Tuesday, members of the TEA board discussed whether to move forward with the plan.

"I just think that if we try to let too much be taken over by any one religion, we risk damaging the experience of children who have differing beliefs," said board member Rebecca Bell-Metereau (D) San Marcos.

The discussion Tuesday came after intense public testimony on Monday. It was somewhat of a throwback to the old Texas Textbook Wars, with some new concerns being voiced.

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"Will we now see excerpts from this curriculum on the STAAR test? And I would hope that the commissioner might give us some back up on that in writing, saying that, you know, this content will not be a part of the STAAR test because that's a big issue for a lot of my districts," said Pam Little (R) Fairview. 

The Blue Bonnett curriculum covers Kindergarten through Fifth grade and has some lessons that incorporate well-known Bible stories. One, on the Golden Rule, mentions the Sermon on the Mount. That lesson also notes how other religions have variations of the Golden Rule. The lessons come with examples from the stories of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. A lesson on classical art shows how stories from the Book of Genesis were used by painters. And there's a study section on poetry that mentions the Book of Psalms. 

Those who support the curriculum argue that the material is not a collection of Sunday School lessons or stand-alone Religious Studies. But some on the board questioned how well the curriculum was vetted before being offered.

"The students, the schools who will use this resource, they are the experiment. They will be the ones who will determine if this is effective or not. It's a radically different teaching methodology," said Evelyn Brooks (R) Frisco."

Board member Patricia Hardey also questioned if this plan would actually help improve reading scores.

"My vote is mainly because my concern, like I think everyone on the board, is that we take care of the reading problem. And I simply do not think that this is the program that will take care of making all children learn to read," said Hardey.

Tom Maynard, a Republican board member from Florence, believes the materials will help. He told the board some schools are already using this kind of approach, and the religious stories, which are not limited to Judeo-Christian texts, can have current world applications.

"Does it work? Well, I have a district, a school district in my particular district that did it. And I went and watched it. I've watched it. I sat in the classroom. And I think it works," said Maynard.

A motion was made in an effort to reject the curriculum. It failed by a vote of 7 to 8. It was a close vote because three Republican board members, Evelyn Brooks, Patricia Hardy and Pam Little, voted not to support the materials. 

The Board will take a final vote on the Blue Bonnett curriculum on Friday, Nov. 22. If it wins final approval, school districts that choose to use the material would be offered a financial incentive to help pay for the purchase and any printing costs. 

Critics of the plan say the money offered is not enough to compensate for the expected cost. The curriculum is to be available by August 2025.