Texas House Bill Restricts Education Of Racial History & Current Events In Public Schools

Texas GOP state senators have brought back House Bill 3979 to life and are hoping to get it to Gov. Greg Abbott‘s (R) desk for signature in a matter of days.

Bill 3979, also referred to as the Critical Race Theory Bill, relates to the “civics instruction [for] public school students and [the] instruction policies in public schools,” aimed at imposing restrictions on curriculum referencing racial history. If passed, Texas public school educators would be limited in what specifically they can teach students about current events as well as the nation’s history of racism.

Paul Trevino, principal of Huntsville High School, spoke out about how teachers would have to censor curriculum material and the bill would “remove the ability to address current events to make connections to past events,” which directly goes against the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills in the state’s education standards.

The bill was blocked by Rep. James Talarico (D) after he pointed out a procedural violation in the way amendments were made to the legislation. The bill was changed back to its original language when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) overruled the objections being made by House Democrats.

Opponents of the bill – including many educators, scholars and education advocacy groups – argue that the passing of this bill will censor crucial aspects of America’s history. Children will not have the opportunity to learn about, understand or honestly discuss the racial conflicts, both past and present, faced by millions of Americans.