The Texas Public Policy Foundation praised the passage of HB3979 and release the following statement from distinguished senior fellow Tom Lindsay:
“We applaud the passage of HB 3979, which is an historic measure that protects Texas students from partisan indoctrination and state-funded racism, such as Critical Race Theory. The bill as passed by both chambers reaffirms Texas’ dedication to the 1964 Civil Rights Act by prohibiting educators from teaching that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex” or that “an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the individual’s race.” The bill also protects students from being used as political props for the purpose of advancing agendas of partisan special interests.
“While the legislation is a very strong prohibition against teaching state-sanctioned racism and the illegitimate indoctrination of our students, it is not perfect. A late procedural move and a tight timeline produced a civics curriculum requirement that is far too broad and lengthy for a social studies teacher to implement. Therefore, to do justice to our Texas teachers and students, we urge that the legislature move to ensure that the curriculum focus on teaching our foundational documents and curate a reading list in a manner consistent with the aims of our current Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Reports have circulated that there is likely to be a special session, which is where the legislature could make these changes.
“In addition, we must also provide our teachers with the knowledge necessary to properly teach civics. Professional development training is urgently needed. Teachers should take advantage of the numerous programs that are available at the local level to ensure they are prepared to give students the best experience possible.
“We again applaud the members of the Texas House and Senate who moved quickly to ensure that our students will receive an accurate and proper education and not be subject to indoctrination and state sanctioned racism.”