Cy-Fair ISD trustees recently voted to omit 13 chapters from 25 textbooks that will be used in the next school year. The decision came after hours of discussion about staff reductions due to impending budget cuts. Trustee Natalie Blasingame made the motion to remove chapters from textbooks in areas such as environmental science, earth systems, principles of education and training, and health science theory clinicals. The board members expressed concerns about “controversial subjects” covered in the textbooks, including climate change, vaccines, COVID-19, depopulation, and a negative perspective on humans.
Despite the omission of certain chapters, Cy-Fair ISD educators are still required to cover topics outlined in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are the state’s standards for public school education. Chief Academic Officer Linda Macias stated that district officials will need to use other resources to create their own curriculum for these topics. However, the district is facing challenges due to staff reductions at the district office. Macias acknowledged that it may take longer to provide the necessary curriculum materials to educators, potentially resulting in a two-week-by-two-week approach.
The decision to omit chapters from textbooks was initially scheduled for a vote in April but was postponed to allow for more review time. A committee of expert educators reviewed the recommended textbooks and made their recommendations to the board. Trustee Julie Hinaman was the only trustee who voted against the omissions, expressing concerns about the district’s ability to execute the plan amid staff reductions and the end of the school year approaching. She believed that approving the instructional materials as recommended would be the best course of action.
Moving forward, Cy-Fair ISD will need to develop a classroom curriculum without relying on the omitted textbook resources. Chief Academic Officer Macias acknowledged that this process is time-consuming and will be even more challenging with fewer staff members available. Educators may need to rely on existing resources or purchase supplementary materials to ensure they meet state standards. State Representative Jon Rosenthal has expressed his intention to reverse the decision, using any available avenues to do so.
While some parents support the omission of controversial chapters, others like Ashley Buckner feel it is an overreach and imposition of personal beliefs on what children should learn. Buckner, who has one child in the district and another on the way, believes that the decision limits students’ exposure to important topics.
The district has not provided details on how they will go about omitting the chapters from the textbooks, but board members have mentioned the possibility of having new materials written in-house. The situation has attracted attention from ABC13, who reached out to Trustee Blasingame for comment but has not received a response.
In conclusion, the decision to omit chapters from textbooks in Cy-Fair ISD has raised questions about the district’s ability to cover essential topics and meet state standards. While concerns about controversial subjects are valid, the challenge lies in finding alternative resources and developing a comprehensive curriculum with limited staff. The opinions from parents are divided, with some supporting the decision and others seeing it as an infringement on educational content. The district and state representative will continue to address the issue, seeking ways to reverse the decision if possible.
