A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Elementary schools in Texas are one step closer to allowing the Bible to be part of their curriculum. The Texas Board of Education took a preliminary vote yesterday to allow what it calls Bluebonnet Learning, Christian teachings in lessons across subjects to be considered for optional use next school year. The final vote is Friday. Carisa Lopez is with us now to discuss. She's the deputy director at the Texas Freedom Network, a nonpartisan organization that acts as a watchdog for far-right issues in the state. So, Carisa, let's start off by just telling us what the Bluebonnet Learning system would look like if taught in a classroom.
CARISA LOPEZ: Hi, good morning. Yes, so while this curriculum is optional technically, school districts are incentivized because they would get extra funding if they decide to use it. And our schools are drastically underfunded, so really, the state is dangling this extra funding in front of them to use this, and, you know, this curriculum overwhelmingly focuses on Christianity and the Bible, presents biblical stories as facts, whitewashes and distorts the history of religion in America and includes errors and other misinformation.
MARTÍNEZ: So it's fair to assume that that's why your organization opposes it.
LOPEZ: Correct, correct. Yes. That is correct.
MARTÍNEZ: And when we say optional, whose option? Is it the school or the parents in that district? Who gets the option to use it if it's used?
LOPEZ: It's the school district. It's decided by school district. And, you know, we have over 1,000 school districts in the state of Texas. It's a very large state. And they are all severely underfunded. And so the school district can make a choice whether or not they want to use this curriculum.
MARTÍNEZ: So what are you hearing from community members about this proposed way of teaching?
LOPEZ: Yeah, you know, we have parents, teachers, scholars, religious leaders who are opposed to this curriculum because, you know, while we definitely believe that the influence of religion in our history and society should be taught in our schools, this curriculum goes way beyond that and promotes religious literacy and undermines the freedoms of families to direct the religious education of their own children without state interference. You know, our neighborhood public schools are called upon to serve students and families from a various - from a variety of faith traditions or none at all. But this curriculum, instead, suggests that this is the only religious tradition of any importance.
MARTÍNEZ: How much of this, do you think, Carisa, is a Texas thing? My wife grew up in West Texas, and she used to tell me all the time that they didn't learn American history. They learned Texas history. So how much of this is just a Texas thing?
LOPEZ: Well, yes, that is true. If you go to school in Texas, you have a whole year of just Texas history. We also, though, spend a lot of time learning about world history and American history. But, you know, as the saying goes, as so goes Texas, so goes the country, right? We export a lot of our policy to the rest of the country. And across the country, including in Texas, we are seeing the far right attempt to inject one particular view of Christianity in our public schools. I mean, Ben Carson, for example, Project 2025 co-author, played a large role in the development of this. So I anticipate that this is something we will begin to see across the country and other states.
MARTÍNEZ: Carisa Lopez is with the Texas Freedom Network. Thank you very much.
LOPEZ: Thank you.
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