Texas Debates Controversial Reading List for Public Schools

Proposed curriculum includes biblical stories and classic literature, sparking debate over religion in classrooms

Apr. 8, 2026 at 2:39pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A new reading list proposed for Texas public schools has drawn an overflow crowd to a state education board meeting, with religious leaders, teachers, parents, and students debating whether the inclusion of biblical stories and other religious content is essential for understanding the nation's history and morals or unconstitutional proselytization.

Why it matters

The debate in Texas is part of a wider effort across the U.S., mostly in Republican-led states, to incorporate more religion into public school curricula. As a red state that is home to about one in 10 of the nation's public school students, Texas often helps set the national agenda on education issues, so the outcome of this debate could have significant implications beyond the state's borders.

The details

The proposed reading list for Texas public school students from kindergarten through 12th grade includes biblical stories like "Jonah and the Whale" as well as classics like Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" and works by famous African Americans like Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. The list has been criticized by some as a tool of "proselytization" that crosses the line between teaching about religion and teaching religion, while supporters argue it is essential for understanding the country's Christian foundations.

  • The final vote on the reading list changes is expected in June 2026.
  • If approved by the Texas State Board of Education, the changes would take effect in 2030.

The players

Nathan Irving

A pastor and father of eight from Myrtle Springs, Texas, who argued that "this country and this state were founded upon a Christian worldview" and that "investing truth into our children is the most loving thing that we can do for them."

Rabbi Josh Fixler

Of Congregation Emanu El, a reform synagogue in Houston, who told the board that the reading list "is a tool of proselytization that has no place in our public schools" and that "there is a difference between teaching about religion and teaching religion."

Megan Boyden

A mother of three from Denton, Texas, who described the reading list as a "direct attack" on her private Christian faith, arguing that "it is my right and responsibility to teach our family's religion" and not the state's.

Allison Cardwell

A mother of a fourth grader and a fifth grade social studies teacher who urged the board to rethink the standards, saying fifth grade would be the only time most Texas students receive instruction in U.S. history until high school.

Texas State Board of Education

The governing body that is considering the controversial reading list and social studies standards for Texas public schools.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Our children need truth. Truth is the only currency that never devalues. Investing truth into our children is the most loving thing that we can do for them. This is the truth. This country and this state were founded upon a Christian worldview. Like it or not, it is true.”

— Nathan Irving, Pastor and father of eight

“This list is a tool of proselytization that has no place in our public schools. There is a difference between teaching about religion and teaching religion, and this list will force teachers to cross that line.”

— Rabbi Josh Fixler, of Congregation Emanu El

“As a Christian mother, it is my right and responsibility to teach our family's religion. It is not the state's job to shed through the lens of a teacher who may not share the same beliefs I do. Will Bible passages be taught in conflict with my beliefs?”

— Megan Boyden, Mother of three

“We have to ask ourselves, How can we expect to create citizens who value liberty, responsibility, and the principles this country was founded on, if we don't ensure that they truly understand those foundations?”

— Allison Cardwell, Mother and fifth grade social studies teacher

What’s next

The Texas State Board of Education is expected to hold a final vote on the reading list changes in June 2026. If approved, the new curriculum would be implemented in public schools starting in 2030.

The takeaway

The debate in Texas over the proposed reading list for public schools highlights the ongoing national tensions around the role of religion in education. As a state that often sets the agenda on such issues, the outcome of this debate could have significant implications beyond Texas, shaping how religion is incorporated, if at all, into public school curricula across the country.