The Republican-led State Board of Education rejected a proposal favored by conservative activists to overhaul the state’s social studies curriculum by  requiring a heavier concentration of Texas history taught across six grades, instead of the current two.  Instead, after a marathon meeting Wednesday, the board settled on an approach that will more closely integrate state, national and global history, and also focus more lessons on the founding of Western civilization and democracy. Under the plan, Texas history will be the focus of grades three and eight; U.S. history will be the focus of grades four and seven; and grades five and six will center on world history.   Supporters said it would create an “identity” of Texan and American heritage for children at earlier ages.  view article

When high school senior Gage Fagan testified at a Fort Bend ISD board meeting against a controversial school ranking rule that was subsequently eliminated due to student opposition, he realized the importance of student voices in education policy. Now, he's helped form a new student advisory group at the State Board of Education that will give the agency policy recommendations. Since June, the Ridge Point High School senior has been working with the Texas Education Agency to create a 15-student committee with one member from each congressional district to provide the agency with feedback at least once every semester.  Focusing on student issues  "(Students across the state) tend to think that these politicians and lawmakers on the State Board of Education tend to focus on these big ticket, controversial issues ... and not necessarily focus on issues that students really care about," Fagan said. "I decided to start this organization to focus on that and really get students to band together ... because it makes sense for the client to have a seat at the table." view article

The long-awaited vote survived objections from the panel’s most right-leaning Republicans, who criticized the lessons as “un-American woke indoctrination.”  The Texas State Board of Education on Friday renewed an elective course that teaches high school students about the history and cultures of Indigenous peoples, overcoming criticism from some Republican members about potentially violating a state ban on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.  The American Indian/Native Studies course gained reapproval on a bipartisan 9-5 vote, a long-awaited decision that will allow Texas public schools to offer the class for state credits. Republicans LJ Francis, Brandon Hall, Tom Maynard, Julie Pickren and Audrey Young voted against it.  Advocates for the ethnic studies course have repeatedly shown up to quarterly state board meetings throughout the last year, pleading for Republican board chair Aaron Kinsey, who did not cast a vote, to put it on the panel’s agenda. The Grand Prairie Independent School District, near Dallas, is the only district to have piloted the class. Friday’s vote opens it up to the rest of the state. 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