In a recent decision that highlights the ongoing tensions over climate change education in Texas, the state’s education board approved new science textbooks, albeit with demands for modifications from some publishers. This move by the Texas State Board of Education reflects a broader struggle about how climate change is taught in the heart of America’s oil and gas industry.

Balancing scientific accuracy and market demands: Texas’ textbook dilemma

According to Glenn Branch, Deputy Director of the National Center on Science Education, there’s a delicate balance to be struck: “The publishers won’t water it down too much because the publishers do want to have scientifically accurate textbooks but they also want to sell them in Texas.” This underscores the conflict between scientific accuracy and market demands.

Despite the freedom of Texas’ 1,000 plus school districts to choose their textbooks independently, the board’s decisions have significant influence due to the state’s purchasing power. Concerns have been raised that Texas’ textbook choices could affect educational content nationwide, though publishers assert this influence is waning.

Controversy over climate change and evolution in educational materials

The board’s recent vote was based on standards established in 2021, emphasising human contributions to climate change and excluding creationism as an alternative to evolution. Most textbooks met these criteria, aligning with scientific consensus. However, some, like those from Green Ninja, faced rejection for their portrayal of climate change, notably a lesson that asked students to write fictional stories about its dangers.

Staci Childs, a Democratic member of the state board and a former teacher, highlighted the importance of balanced educational materials: “Having good materials at your fingertips is very important.” Despite some publishers’ willingness to adjust their content, the board rejected several textbooks.

“In a weird Texas two-step, we saw both progress and disturbing politics today,” said Texas Freedom Network Organizing Director Seneca Savoie in a statement. “The board approved some science textbooks while singling out others for a perceived bias when they presented the same basic content. These votes sadly reflect a continuation of the board’s long history of putting politics ahead of the education of Texas kids.”

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San Antonio Democratic board member Marisa Perez-Diaz also stressed her disappointment regarding the decision to reject so many textbooks, some that included Spanish texts. According to the Texas Tribune, Perez-Diaz said: “My fear is that we will render ourselves irrelevant moving forward when it comes to what publishers want to work with us and will help us get proper materials in front of our young people, and for me that’s heartbreaking.”

The board’s decision also involved conditions for approving certain textbooks, mandating alterations related to energy, fossil fuels, and evolution. One notable condition was the removal of images suggesting a shared ancestry between humans and monkeys from a biology textbook.

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Republican voices on the board, including Aaron Kinsey, an executive in an oil field services company, and Wayne Christian, a Texas regulator of the oil and gas industry, expressed concerns about climate change textbooks being overly critical of fossil fuels and neglecting alternatives to evolution. Christian reiterated the need to avoid “leftist agenda brainwashing” in classrooms.

This decision comes amidst a broader consensus in the scientific community about the role of fossil fuels in global warming. The National Science Teaching Association, representing 35,000 science educators, urged the board not to let objections to evolution and climate change hinder the adoption of science textbooks, showcasing the importance of accurate science education in shaping the understanding of future generations.