The Fort Worth Independent School District could change course on its reading curriculum for elementary grades and adopt a new, controversial curriculum that contains religious references as the district battles an ongoing literacy crisis and a potential state takeover.<\/p>\n
The Fort Worth ISD school board on Tuesday will vote<\/a> on adoption of Texas\u2019 Bluebonnet Learning curriculum for kindergarten through fifth-grade reading instruction. If the board approves the curriculum, it would be implemented next school year, Superintendent Karen Molinar announced at a news conference earlier this week. The district has already adopted math and phonics portions of the larger Bluebonnet curriculum, but the K-5 reading program has faced scrutiny since before its adoption by the State Board of Education<\/a> in November of last year for its inclusion of biblical references. Supporters view the references as an integral part of helping students understand religion\u2019s role in U.S. and Texas history.<\/p>\n Districts aren\u2019t required to adopt it but receive up to $60 per student for instructional materials and related costs. Districts usually receive $40 per student when adopting state-approved materials.<\/p>\n A research paper<\/a> on the curriculum authored by David Brockman, an adjunct professor of religious studies at Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University, underscores the curriculum\u2019s emphasis on Christian teachings. This includes reading and discussing the Genesis creation and flood stories, the Last Supper in the Gospel of Matthew and the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. There are \u201conly brief mentions of Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism\u201d in the curriculum, Brockman notes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is novel about the Bluebonnet (reading language arts) curriculum is that, in those districts that adopt it, one religious community\u2019s sacred text \u2014 the Bible \u2014 becomes a major component in what Texas students as young as 5 years old and as old as 12 are required to study in the public schools. In addition, they would study the Bible largely in the absence of texts and teachings from other religions that make up contemporary society in Texas and nationally,\u201d according to Brockman.<\/p>\n Texas Education Agency officials have said the religious references \u201care used when contextually relevant for historical and literary value.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly a small portion of the materials include these references. These references create a strong background of knowledge for students with rich texts to further their understanding of our society, including our history, economy, and culture,\u201d state officials said.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 More top stories from our newsroom:<\/b><\/p>\n \u2192 These 7 struggling Fort Worth schools will see big changes<\/a><\/p>\n \u2192 Firefighter on leave after viral video of assault on dog<\/a><\/p>\n \u2192 Man beaten with rocks in Fort Worth dies<\/a><\/p>\n [Get our breaking news alerts.<\/a><\/b>]<\/p>\n Gov. Greg Abbott voiced his support of Bluebonnet after its passage at the state level, calling it \u201ca critical step forward to bring students back to the basics of education and provide the best education in the nation,\u201d while also acknowledging other core-subject materials.<\/p>\n \u201cThese transformative educational materials are voluntary and free for schools and teachers to use. And with parents also able to access these materials online, we will ensure young Texans have access to high-quality, grade-level appropriate curricula that will provide the necessary fundamentals in math, reading, science, and other core subjects and boost student outcomes across Texas,\u201d Abbott said.<\/p>\n North Texas school districts that have adopted the Bluebonnet K-5 reading curriculum include Irving, Burleson, Crowley, Duncanville and Lake Worth ISDs, according to news reports. The Star-Telegram reached out to each of these districts to ask why the curriculum was chosen and how it has served students in comparison to the prior reading curricula utilized by these districts. No district replied before publication.<\/p>\n Mark Chancey, a professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University, told the Star-Telegram on Friday that some of the lessons are inappropriate for young children who would take the information at face value, compared to an older, high-school student who is able to recognize multiple interpretations of a Bible story. Chancey also takes issue with factual errors that show lesson writers \u201coften did not understand the material they were writing about.\u201d<\/p>\n Chancey authored a recent academic journal article<\/a> analyzing the Bluebonnet reading curriculum, which draws similar conclusions to Brockman\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n \u201cOne can imagine a lesson about the creation story in Genesis in high school English language arts class. But when a school presents that to kindergartners, what are five-year-olds supposed to do other than to conclude that their public school teacher just taught them that God made the Earth in seven days?\u201d Chancey said.<\/p>\n \u201cI do think that it sends the message to students that Christianity is worthy of study and other religious traditions are not. I think students of other religious traditions over the six years in which they take these lessons will come away asking, \u2018With all of the topics that we covered in these lessons, why was my religious tradition never taken seriously?\u2019\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The curriculum is available to the public on the TEA website here: https:\/\/tea.texas.gov\/academics\/instructional-materials\/bluebonnet-learning<\/a><\/p>\n District officials initially choose Amplify curriculum<\/p>\n In June, the Fort Worth ISD school board approved the secular phonics portion<\/a> of the Bluebonnet curriculum for students in kindergarten through third grade. The association of the Bluebonnet name raised red flags for school board members Wallace Bridges and Camille Rodriguez. They were the dissenting votes in the board\u2019s approval of the program at the time.<\/p>\n