Overview
- The Texas State Board of Education heard hours of testimony Tuesday in Austin over a proposed K–12 reading list that assigns Bible passages.
- The TEA draft, built under a 2023 law requiring a state-recommended reading per grade, lists selections such as the Golden Rule in kindergarten, Jonah and the Whale in grade 7, and Job in high school, with an opt-out for families.
- Supporters including several Republican board members say the texts build cultural literacy, while opponents including clergy and parents warn the picks cross the First Amendment line.
- In parallel, draft social studies standards would center U.S. and Texas history taught in sequence from early grades, with critics flagging softened language on slavery and fewer references to Japanese American internment.
- Preliminary votes are expected this week, a final vote is slated for June, and any changes would take effect in 2030–31, a timeline that could influence textbooks nationwide because Texas is a major market.