EL PASO, Texas – (KFOX14/CBS4) — As the Texas State Board of Education considers changes to the state’s social studies curriculum, critics warn the proposed framework could narrow what students learn by focusing heavily on Texas history while leaving out key global context.

The board is reviewing the TEKS, or Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, the state standards that outline what Texas public school students should learn at each grade level, from kindergarten through 12th grade.

In September, the board adopted a framework to begin the revision process.

Critics say the framework would shift social studies toward a Texas-focused curriculum that omits important world history events.

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Sofia Avant-Mier, a University of Texas at El Paso student, traveled to Austin to testify.

Avant-Mier said she did not grow up in Texas, but after returning for college, she saw the importance of studying both Texas and Mexico’s history.

“I realized there was so much untapped material that we weren’t getting into,” Avant-Mier said.

“And then as a Mexican-American, I did not learn any of my history in Massachusetts. So once I, once we got back to Texas, I realized it’s not really just Mexican history. It is so influential on the history of Texas as a whole.”

Rocio Fierro-Perez, political director for the Texas Freedom Network, a watchdog organization of the State Board of Education, said the proposed recommendations could leave students without the broader context needed to understand Texas’ role beyond the state.

“If adopted as written, these recommendations would essentially leave our children able to recite disconnected Texas facts, but it would really undermine their ability to understand a global economy and the role that Texas plays outside of the state,” Fierro-Perez said.

Fierro-Perez also said the review process is moving too fast and raised concerns about the people behind the framework.

“We believe that Texas students deserve honest, complete, and grade appropriate history. Not a rushed, politically driven curriculum that fails them in the classroom,” she said.

“We simply are asking for these content advisors, for the work groups to teach the truth.”

Content advisors and work groups are appointed by the board to help develop the changes.

The months-long process includes multiple revisions before final decisions are made.

The board is currently holding hearings on revisions to the adopted framework, a step Avant-Mier said is important for El Paso residents to engage in, even if they cannot travel to Austin.

“I’ll be testifying Tuesday and that’s really not feasible for everybody. It’s like a nine hour drive,” Avant-Mier said.

“So I would just emphasize calling your reps, calling or emailing your reps, and making sure that you make your voice heard.”

Final adoption of the changes is expected to take place in June.

To learn more about this process, what the exact changes are, and about the content advisors, click here.

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