State Board of Education Takes BOLD Stand For Education, Faith, And Freedom

“Did you come from a monkey?” This question became a topic of hot debate at the Texas State Board of Education in November when science textbooks for Texas students were under discussion. While education is a hot-button issue, the importance of quality education isn’t so controversial. Students across the state desire to learn the truth and grow, and parents, educators, and citizens should unite to make that happen. Learning up-to-date and accurate scientific information is vital for the well-being of current students and future generations. 

Texas, a state known for acknowledging people of faith, made a considerable stand in November at the Texas State Board of Education regarding the future of Texas public school education. The Texas State Board of Education is an elected body of 15 individuals representing all parents and kids in Texas public schools. They meet quarterly to vote on education standards and approve a list of textbooks that public schools in the state of Texas can choose to purchase. In November, the Texas State Board of Education was scheduled to review instructional materials for science classes for Texas public school students in grades K-12. 

Texas Values, a Christian non-profit law and policy organization in Texas, took the initiative and previewed all the materials to be discussed at the meeting. Historically, Texas Values has advocated the position that if evolution is to be taught, then it must be taught as a theory, and there should be an opportunity to talk about Creationism as well.

The organization’s findings were notable. Many publications presented evolution and the Big Bang Theory as fact without allowing students to question these theories or explore their consistency with their sincerely held religious beliefs. McGraw Hill, a well-known and renowned publisher that has been around for over 130 years, was caught red-handed teaching, as fact, that humans evolved from monkeys and are a part of the “great ape family."

After finding this during a textbook review, Director of Government Relations for Texas Values Mary Elizabeth Castle testified in front of the State Board of Education regarding the issue. In a press release from Texas Values, the organization said: “Many textbooks eligible for approval presented as fact that the universe began with the 'Big Bang,' that evolution is the explanation for life, and one book, in particular, had an entire chapter on primate evolution representing that humans evolved from monkeys.” 

“This book contained an entire chapter on primate evolution with several assertions that humans evolved from monkeys. The chapter discussed how humans are members of the 'great ape family' and asked students when humans appeared in primate lineage. The chapter talks about how humans 'split off' from African apes and tries to explain why humans walk up straight,” Texas Values explained in a press release. 

Radical LGBTQ+ ideas and narratives were also found in other textbooks during this process. According to public comments made by Texas Values, one textbook up for review explained that one of the scientists being studied was a member of the LGBTQ community, something that has little to do with teaching science and everything to do with indoctrination.

Parents and concerned citizens in the central Texas area sent emails, made calls, and showed up to testify in person regarding the importance of balanced textbooks, demonstrating the impact citizen engagement can have. The State Board of Education took these concerns seriously, as did the publishers who attended the meetings to hear public testimony. All publishers made significant changes when the approved list came out, removing the LGBTQ references and editing their mentions of humans evolving from monkeys. 

On the day of the final vote to approve textbooks, the Texas State Board of Education took a bipartisan vote 13-0 to remove one final image depicting a little girl being related in lineage to a monkey in the McGraw Hill biology textbook. In a final unanimous, bipartisan vote, the state education board approved all of the edits to textbooks made to remove LGBTQ references and make the books more balanced on the theory of how the world and creation began. 

Director of Government Relations for Texas Values Mary Elizabeth Castle addressed the victory: "We are thankful for the Texas SBOE voting down the heavily disputed theory that humans evolve from apes. Science should allow students to analyze and draw conclusions and not force ideologies that are inconsistent with the 'Truth.' No textbook in schools should force students to hide their faith in the classroom.”

This decision by the Texas State Board of Education points to the fact that Texas still values education, faith, and freedom; however, it should also serve as a warning. While these text issues were caught and dealt with thanks to the vigilance of Texas parents, concerned citizens, and the SBOE, these problems could have easily gone unnoticed. It goes to show how vital local engagement and parental involvement are in education.