The State Board of Education will hold public hearings this month over a proposed curriculum for Texas public schools that includes Christian-based religious references in K-5 education. view article

The Texas State Board of Education is set to approve a new collection of language arts and math textbooks this fall that state leaders hope will help close student achievement gaps and reduce the amount of time teachers spend creating lesson plans.   Among them are materials developed by the Texas Education Agency since 2020. The state-developed textbooks will be available for free online and include kindergarten through fifth grade reading and language arts, kindergarten through eighth grade math, and algebra 1. view article

“It's a question of inclusivity,” said Jackie Nirenberg, regional director of Anti-Defamation League Austin, an organization fighting antisemitism and bias against Jewish communities. “It's also a very slippery slope. Because once we open the door to that kind of content, it's much easier to get more and more religious content into the curriculum.” The State Board of Education will vote on the proposed curriculum in November, which is now available for public viewing and feedback online. The proposal came after the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1605, a law that directed the TEA to create its own free-to-use textbooks with the goal of helping teachers save time preparing for classes. view article

AUSTIN, Texas – July 1, 2024 – The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) took no action against recommendations made by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, opening the door for four new charter school operators at its regularly scheduled meeting June 25 – 28. Subject to clearing contractual contingencies, the following applicants will open new charter schools and begin serving Texas public school students in the 2025-2026 school year:  view article

Texas may change how your child understands biology when taught in a public high school classroom. The Texas' Board of Education tentatively approved changes to portions of the states Biology curriculum. Instead of asking Texas public school students to “evaluate” scientific explanations for the origins of DNA and the complexity of certain cells, the state will now ask that the students "examine" the scientific explanations for the origins of DNA and complexity of certain cells. In the past, some educators have argued that the word "evaluate" encouraged students to challenge the scientific theory of evolution and opened the door to teaching creationism. view article

The Georgetown Board of Trustees has hired Fred Brent as the district's newest superintendent. view article