In a clear and blatant violation of the First Amendment; the State Board of Education has decided that Texas’ public schools need some Jesus. In an 8-7 vote, the approval of Bluebonnet Learning would infuse biblical stories and lessons into kindergarten through fifth-grade classroom curriculum as early as next year.
Under Bluebonnet Learning, kindergarten classrooms would be directed to present lessons on the Golden Rule using lessons from the Bible. The third-grade curriculum would instruct teachers to emphasize the importance of the Bible and prayer in lessons regarding the first Thanksgiving.
Texas schools are not required to adopt this material following its approval. However, schools that chose to incorporate this curriculum would receive $60 in extra funding per student from the state.
This is inherently exploitative in nature. According to the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, 73% of Texas school districts are underfunded and about 17% of Texas school districts considered “severely” underfunded with funding gaps exceeding 40% of their needs. These districts would have the funding they desperately need held over their heads, forcing them to choose between incorporating religious lessons into the classroom or missing out on extra resources for their students.
The approval of Bluebonnet Learning represents an unprecedented incorporation of religion into state-funded classrooms. The vote was applauded by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who has pledged to pass legislation that would require the 10 Commandments to be displayed in all Texas public schools. This move is just the latest in a concerning nationwide push by Republican lawmakers to include Christianity in education.
Religion does not belong in public schools. Bluebonnet Learning is a flagrant violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and does not have any place in Texas classrooms. Schools should not be exploited to incorporate religious teachings in order to receive the desperately needed funding they rightfully deserve. Texas’ students deserve better.
