Texas education officials approve optional school curriculum that incorporates Bible lessons. Some say its unconstitutional
CNN
Public schools in Texas now have the option to use a new, state-written curriculum infused with Bible stories after the state’s school board voted in favor of the material on Friday.
Public schools in Texas now have the option to use a new, state-written curriculum infused with Bible stories after the state’s school board voted in favor of the material on Friday. A slim majority of the board’s 15 members – eight to seven – voted to keep the Bluebonnet Learning material on a list of K-5 reading and English language arts materials for potential use in the 2025-26 school year. The material was developed by the Texas Education Agency, a state body overseeing public school education, headed by Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. Critics of the curriculum argue it heavily favors Christianity over other faiths. Some have suggested the teachings violate the “establishment clause” of the First Amendment, which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The material is unconstitutional under the Texas and the United States constitutions, according to Rachel Laser, CEO of the advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “Parents and families, not politicians or government officials, should get to decide if, when and how their children engage with religion,” Laser told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Saturday.
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