A 2025 vote by the State Board of Education approved changes to the Texas education standards for social studies, shifting focus from culture and world history to favor Texas and U.S. History.
The overhaul of the public school social studies standards includes a rewrite of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). These standards determine what students will learn in public schools by the time they graduate.
Concerns about missing historical events
A Wednesday meeting of the board included public comment from workgroup members and educators, many urging caution about a process they feel was rushed and may exclude significant world and U.S. history events.
In the meeting, several speakers shared concerns that the current group of proposed standards, developed by work groups using the board-approved framework, omits major topics included in the current curriculum.
One history workgroup member and teacher, Meghan Dougherty, noted that the draft list they received for review excludes the New Deal, Japanese internment, or the use of the atomic bomb. Each of these topics is included in the current TEKS. She warned that without a strong understanding of recent history, civic context could suffer.
“Students need a strong understanding of the 20th and 21st centuries to be prepared for college, career, and civic life,” said Dougherty.
Kimberly Peña, director of education for the Texas State Historical Association, also voiced concern over cuts to curriculum.
“In 11th-grade U.S. history, the Great Depression was reduced from 11 standards to one,” Peña said, leading to a “shift from depth to surface coverage.”
Calls to slow the process
Concerns were also raised about the pace of the revision process. Dougherty said workgroups were limited in their ability to revise drafts, “We were told we could cut content or add content, but not both.” She added, “Please slow down this process; we have one opportunity to get this right for an entire generation of students.”
Other speakers echoed concerns about being overloaded with topics on the proposed list without adequate time to review. Many asked the board for more time and power in the process.
What’s next
After the work groups complete their draft recommendations, the Texas Education Agency will publish the standards for public comment. The board is expected to vote on the final standards by June 2026, and plans to implement them by the 2030 school year.