The Texas State Board of Education took a stand on Friday that could see future public school students facing textbooks stripped of climate change facts and evolution theory. The Republican-dominated board, amidst a significant shuffle in the Texas legislature over a voucher-like initiative, voted to put an end to textbooks they deemed at odds with their views, with hours of debate culminating this past Tuesday as per CBS Austin report.
During the discussions, Pat Hardy, representing Fort Worth on the SBOE and among the Republicans guiding the wheel, took issue with a textbook that would have students enlighten their friends and kin on climate change-induced "future weather and climate extremes." She told CBS Austin, "I mean, there's no depth to this sort of thing. This is taking a position that all that is settled science, and that our extreme weather is caused by climate change, and that you need to talk to your family about it."
Given the board's evident skepticism towards scientific consensus on climate change and evolution, districts find themselves at a crossroads and could opt for other curricular resources if dissatisfied with the state's direction as per CBS Austin News.
Scientific accuracy is at stake with another member, as per CBS Austin report, Evelyn Brooks of Frisco, questioning the presentation of evolution sans alternatives for what she perceives as unproven claims, stating, "There is no evidence that an entirely different species can come from another species, and children should be able to make up their own opinion." Over at the Wall Street Journal reported that McGraw Hill's biology textbook, which initially included graphics detailing human and primate evolution, will grace Texas classrooms only after agreeing to cut the offending illustrations.
Both the National Center for Science Education and the Texas Freedom Network have swung into action, producing a report entitled "Grading the Textbooks," which disputes nearly all textbook rejections. They argue these rejections are based on false claims that they fail to meet state standards or other rules set out by the state board on climate change and evolution topics as per CBS Austin. Meanwhile, a Discovery Education book that noted the U.S.'s shortcomings in energy independence was also red-flagged, with The Wall Street Journal highlighting that especially its account of America lagging in oil reserves stirred discontent among the board members.
Expressing concern, State Board of Education Member Marisa B. Perez of San Antonio warned, according to CBS Austin, “If we continue to behave this way as a board, my fear is that we will render ourselves irrelevant moving forward when it comes to what publishers want to work with us and will help us get proper materials in front of our young people." She added, "I’m very disappointed that so many things were voted down based on assertions or thoughts about how things are written or thematic." The Texas Freedom Network's organizing director dubbed the board's controversial action a mixed bag, leaving Texas educators, parents, and students caught in an ideological tug-of-war over the very nature of science education.
