AUSTIN, Texas — Education leaders are sharing more about new curriculum that could come to public schools in Texas next year. Critics of the revised plan say it leans too heavily on Christianity.
Bluebonnet Learning is state-developed material that provides resources like daily lesson plans. Todd Davis, the associate commissioner of instructional strategy at the Texas Education Agency, said it covers math and reading curriculum for elementary and middle schoolers.
It was developed in response to House Bill 1605, which required the Texas Education Agency to develop materials for the state that would be approved by the State Board of Education.
"Ultimately, students have the support, the guidance, the instructional delivery that can bring them to really be able to understand and be able to do what the state of Texas has outlined for them," Davis said.
It is curriculum that has sparked controversy in the past, with critics saying it is infused with biblical teachings, promoting Christianity over other religions. In September, the State Board of Education listened to hours of public testimony on the curriculum. State Rep. James Talarico was present at the meeting and spoke out.
"There is a difference between preaching and teaching, and this curriculum is preaching," Talarico said in September.
This past month, the Texas Education Agency announced updates to the textbooks after hearing all the feedback. The materials still mention religious content.
"The religious source content is presented in materials for the purpose of providing a myriad of religious context throughout the world, and then but primarily to provide background knowledge, historical background knowledge, literary background knowledge," Davis said. "Religious source material is not intended to push a religion or prophesize, which is often questioned. It is merely presented for the purpose of developing background knowledge in our students."
After looking through the updated materials, Liberty Hill parent Kimmie Fink is disappointed.
"I feel like there weren't really any meaningful changes based on the feedback that so many of us provided to the State Board of Education," Fink said. "The state has people from all kinds of different religious faith traditions – Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist – and people who aren't religious at all, and I don't see how a Bible studies curriculum serves them."
Mary Castle with Texas Values believes it is beneficial for students to learn about these stories.
"They set the foundation for so many things in literature and history that students would have a better understanding if they were to study these biblical stories or biblical topics," Castle said.
It remains a point of contention when it comes to the future of educating Texas students.
"It just opens up, I feel like, a Pandora's box of problems for people," Fink said.
The State Board of Education will vote on Bluebonnet Learning and other products at the next general meeting in November. If selected, it will be an optional resource for Texas school systems.