A coalition of authorized organizations on Thursday referred to as on Texas college district leaders to reject the adoption of a not too long ago accredited state curriculum closely infused with references to Christianity and biblical teachings.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, People United for Separation of Church and State, Heart for Inquiry and the Freedom From Faith Basis despatched superintendents and their college boards a letter Thursday telling them that adopting the curriculum, referred to as Bluebonnet Studying, would “unlawfully impose a set of religious beliefs upon your students and violate their constitutionally guaranteed right to be free from religious coercion.”
The letter suggests a willingness by the teams to take authorized motion to cease Texas faculties from adopting the supplies.
“Our organizations, which have long fought for religious freedom for all, will closely monitor any school district across the state that considers implementing the Bluebonnet curriculum and will take any action that is necessary and appropriate to protect the rights of Texas children and their parents,” the letter reads.
In an announcement to The Texas Tribune responding to the letter, a spokesperson for the Texas Training Company stated “public schools may not provide religious instruction, and there is no religious instruction in Bluebonnet Learning.”
“Bluebonnet Learning is comprised of instructional materials that have a broad base of topics including history, literature, the arts and culture which, when contextually relevant, can include religious topics sampling from a wide range of faiths,” the assertion stated.
“The materials include content from or about varied religious source materials for the literary and historical value of the content and its connection to creating a strong background of knowledge for students.”
The State Board of Training narrowly accredited the free-to-use elementary college curriculum in November, with a momentary Gov. Greg Abbott appointee casting the deciding vote.
Faculties that select to undertake the supplies this yr may start utilizing them without spending a dime firstly of the 2025-26 college yr.
The state will provide an incentive of $60 per scholar to districts that select to take action.
The training company stated the funding would permit faculties to offset the prices of printing the curriculum’s supplies.
The curriculum makes use of studying and language arts classes to advance or set up ideas in different topics, reminiscent of historical past and social research.
Lots of the lesson’s critics, which embody spiritual research students, observe that the curriculum’s classes reference Christianity greater than another faith.
They consider the disparity may result in the bullying and isolation of non-Christian college students, undermine church-state separation and grant the state far-reaching management over how kids find out about faith.
Critics have additionally questioned the accuracy of some classes, saying the supplies whitewash America’s historical past of slavery and racism.
Many see the curriculum as a part of a rising Christian nationalist motion, which holds the idea that america’ founding was ordained by God and that its legal guidelines and establishments ought to favor Christians.
Training officers and advocates for the curriculum say references to Christianity will present college students with a greater understanding of the nation’s historical past and the influence of essential texts just like the Bible on the world.
They are saying the supplies cowl a broad vary of faiths and solely make references to faith when applicable.
Officers additionally consider the curriculum gives college students with an in-depth understanding of the abolition of slavery, highlights the significance of occasions like Juneteenth and the Civil Rights Motion, and celebrates the contributions of Black Texans.
Abbott, following the curriculum’s passage, referred to as Bluebonnet “a critical step forward to bring students back to the basics of education and provide the best education in the nation.”
Because the curriculum acquired approval in November, a minimum of one college board — the South San Antonio college district — has voted to undertake the supplies.
The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw district in Fort Value plans to use the maths portion of the supplies and keep away from the studying supplies infused with the Bible classes.
The Conroe college district, situated north of Houston, began contemplating whether or not to undertake the teachings.
And the Denton college district in North Texas publicly said that it doesn’t plan to think about the curriculum.
“There’s a lot of interest from districts around the state in Bluebonnet, and we are sort of non-stop helping answer those inquiries, supporting them, answering their questions, trying to help facilitate transition,” Texas Training Commissioner Mike Morath informed the State Board of Training earlier this week.
Faculty districts have huge latitude relating to adopting lesson plans.
A district may, for instance, determine to make use of elements of Bluebonnet and ignore different sections, such because the chapters that reference Christianity.
Or a district may select to closely reference the biblical classes in Bluebonnet whereas utilizing one other curriculum for different teachings.
Authorized consultants informed The Texas Tribune that latest rulings by the U.S. Supreme Courtroom’s conservative majority have eroded a long time of precedent and made it unclear what state actions represent a violation of the Institution Clause, which prohibits state endorsement of a specific faith.
The Supreme Courtroom determined, for example, {that a} Washington state highschool soccer coach didn’t violate the First Modification by conducting private prayers on the sector after crew video games.
In doing so, the justices ended what many known as the Lemon check, an ordinary the courtroom relied upon to evaluate whether or not a authorities motion, partially, represented an “excessive entanglement” between church and state.
Throughout a State Board of Training assembly final yr, Austin Kinghorn, the state’s deputy lawyer normal for authorized technique, informed board members that he sees educating about faith and the Bible as “absolutely permissible” beneath the Structure.
“So long as it’s done in an objective, academic manner and it does not amount to proselytization,” Kinghorn stated.
The letter despatched by the authorized organizations on Thursday expressed the teams’ stance that the Bluebonnet curriculum “treats Christianity and the Bible as true.”
The organizations cited many classes within the curriculum, together with one for fifth-graders on the portray of The Final Supper.
The organizations say it presents the Ebook of Matthew as “a literal and historical record of what happened.”
The teams reference a unit they are saying describes Jesus as a historic determine “without any qualification” and that directs lecturers to say that the “Christian Bible explains that Jesus rose from the dead.”
The teams additionally criticize a lesson that asks college students to repeat the phrase that begins the creation story within the Ebook of Genesis and an exercise requesting that kids keep in mind the order by which the Bible says God created the universe.
Richard Conn, normal counsel for the Heart for Inquiry, a corporation advocating towards faith in authorities, stated in an announcement that the Bluebonnet curriculum represents “a clear and obvious Establishment Clause violation, even if Texas legislators have decided to pretend otherwise.”
Conn added: “We urge school superintendents not to make that same mistake and instead to stand up for the rights and constitutionally protected freedoms of the students, families, and communities they serve.”
