Texas Schools: New Reading List, Bible Passages in Social Studies

0:00It's April 9th. I'm Cory with the story, and this is El Paso News today, local news powered by AI. Texas schools might see big changes to social studies and required readings by the 2030 school year. The State Board of Education kicked off a week-long meeting in Austin on Tuesday, diving deep into updates for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skill Standards or TEX. Earlier this month in September, they already greenlit a fresh framework for social studies. Now they're hashing out a new reading list that pulls in Bible passages, like linking African American slavery experiences to Moses guiding Israelites out of Egypt. Students and advocates showed up with strong opinions. One high schooler argued for more diverse stories to help kids see themselves in the lessons and build understanding. On the flip side, a faith supporter said skipping religion from history, twist the truth and ignore the convictions that shaped the nation. These votes coming up by June, with changes rolling out statewide by 2030.

1:00It's routine for Texas to tweak TEKs every few years. The last social studies were fresh-hit in 2018 and went live for 2020-20-20-21. Meanwhile, religions popping up elsewhere in classrooms, like pushes for the 10 commandments displays, though lawsuits have pulled them from some. Districts. Keep an eye on how this plays out for Texas kids learning.