{"id":241346,"date":"2026-04-09T02:45:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T02:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/241346\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T02:45:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T02:45:17","slug":"democrats-seek-to-pause-texas-social-studies-overhaul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/241346\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats seek to pause Texas\u2019 social studies overhaul"},"content":{"rendered":"

Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy<\/a>, and give us feedback<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Democrats on the State Board of Education want to pause Texas\u2019 overhaul of its social studies curriculum after finding out that the university department of a historian advising the group received a financial contribution from an influential conservative think tank. <\/p>\n

In a letter<\/a> provided to The Texas Tribune, Democrats raised concerns about a 2024 tax filing<\/a> showing that the Texas Public Policy Foundation awarded $70,000 to the Texas Center at Schreiner University in Kerrville for the purposes of developing state learning standards, which outline what students should know before they graduate. <\/p>\n

Donald Frazier, a Texas historian, is director of the Texas Center. Last year, State Board of Education members appointed him as one of nine expert advisers<\/a> responsible for helping guide the state as it rewrites how public schools will teach social studies for years to come. <\/p>\n

In the letter signed by all five Democrats on the board, members called for \u201ca comprehensive and independent investigation\u201d into the conditions of the $70,000 grant, agreements between Frazier and the conservative think tank and actions taken by Frazier during Texas\u2019 social studies rewrite that may have influenced decisions. <\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the scope and significance of this work, which impacts more than 5.5 million public school students across Texas, it is essential that the process remain transparent, objective, and free from undue influence,\u201d the letter states. <\/p>\n

\u201cBoard members have devoted significant time to hearing public testimony and reviewing extensive input from Texans across the state, many of whom have already expressed concern about the pace and transparency of this process,\u201d the letter continues. \u201cProceeding without resolving these issues risks undermining public trust and calls into question the validity of any final decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

In emails to the Tribune, Frazier defended the grant, saying his private university works with organizations from across the state. Frazier noted that as an adviser to the State Board of Education, he provides recommendations but that the board maintains final say on what students will be required to learn. <\/p>\n

\u201cTexas Public Policy hired us to discuss Texas ideas, which is what we do,\u201d Frazier said. \u201cApparently, we are good enough at it that our time is valuable. The idea that I am some Great Oz figure with huge influence on this state board process, while flattering, is wishful thinking.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cClearly someone doesn\u2019t like what I have to say, which is lamentable, but not surprising in today\u2019s environment,\u201d he added. \u201cI\u2019d love to visit with the aggravated folks one-on-one, or even face-to-face, but these accusers and insinuators have not reached out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked what he produced for the conservative organization, Frazier directed the Tribune to his department\u2019s website<\/a>, saying his passion is \u201cdemonstrating the connections between the world, US, and national story.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Texas Public Policy Foundation said in a statement, \u201cThis is obviously a delaying tactic by certain members of the SBOE.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThey should focus on the quality and merits of the curriculum and ensure that Texas students are getting the best possible education,\u201d said Brian Phillips, a spokesperson for the Austin-based conservative think tank. <\/p>\n

Phillips did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about what Frazier\u2019s team produced under the agreement. <\/p>\n

The State Board of Education began last year to redesign Texas\u2019 social studies standards. The board plans to vote on the standards this summer, with classroom implementation expected in 2030.<\/p>\n

Up to this point, a Republican majority of the group has approved plans<\/a> to center Texas and U.S. history in social studies while deemphasizing world cultures, world history and geography. The panel of nine advisers has helped guide the process, almost all of whom have no K-12 classroom experience in Texas and several of whom have ties to conservative activism. <\/p>\n

Critics say the panel has assumed full control<\/a> of Texas\u2019 social studies rewrite and undermined teacher expertise, when in previous years, teachers have normally guided the process. Draft proposals of the social studies changes, critics argue, prioritize memorization over critical thinking and simplification over accuracy. They also say the current plan focuses heavily on Western civilization at the expense of other cultures, lacks historical perspective of people of color and prioritizes Christianity over other major world religions. <\/p>\n

Frazier previously served as chair of Texas\u2019 1836 Project<\/a> advisory committee \u2014 the state\u2019s counter to The 1619 Project, a collection of essays from the New York Times that examined the foundational role slavery played in the forming of the U.S. <\/p>\n

He was appointed a social studies adviser to the State Board of Education last year. Since then, he has become a vocal leader of the group, often one of the first to provide his thoughts and perspective in public meetings. <\/p>\n

\u201cI am pleased by the move toward a narrative approach to history, and an emphasis on Western Civilization as shaping the bedrock principles of our nation. I am glad to see an open discussion of Christianity as an influential force in shaping the American character,\u201d Frazier recently wrote<\/a>. \u201cOther world religions are treated with respect in most cases, yet the single most important shaper of American culture is sometimes treated with trepidation. Mentioning Christianity is not proselytizing, but rather an admission of the reality of the history of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Texas Public Policy Foundation, meanwhile, holds significant influence in state politics, often hosting events with top Republican leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott<\/a>, and leading conservative policy debates at the Legislature. In the past year, the organization has been a strong advocate for a Texas-centric approach to social studies instruction.<\/p>\n

During a September board meeting, Matthew McCormick, the organization\u2019s education director, was asked directly by a board member if the group had any involvement in the development of the current social studies framework. <\/p>\n

\u201cTPPF was not involved,\u201d McCormick responded. <\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Democratic board member Marisa B. P\u00e9rez-D\u00edaz asked Republican board chair Aaron Kinsey when the board could discuss the working relationship between Frazier and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Several Republican board members objected to P\u00e9rez-D\u00edaz asking questions about the connection, saying the board needed to instead focus on social studies content. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the challenges with the question is she made an assertion that it was for a certain purpose \u2014 whatever she was talking about \u2014 some payment. I haven\u2019t seen that,\u201d Kinsey said of P\u00e9rez-D\u00edaz\u2019s inquiry. \u201cI don\u2019t know anything about any private contracts. I know about SBOE contracts; I know about my business contracts. I don\u2019t know anything else, so I can\u2019t tell you when I can advise on that, because I don\u2019t have information on that. Nor do I anticipate giving information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom Maynard, one of two Republicans who appointed Frazier as an adviser on social studies standards \u2014 referred to as Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS \u2014 called insinuations that Frazier engaged in wrongdoing \u201ctroubling.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI think the implication is that there\u2019s some sort of quid pro quo,\u201d Maynard said. \u201cThere\u2019s no evidence, and it\u2019s just a smear tactic, and I think it\u2019s not productive. And I think we need to stay focused on what we\u2019re doing here and move forward and get TEKS done and not play political games with this thing.\u201d <\/p>\n

Democrats, however, said they consider the process \u201ctoo important to continue under a cloud of uncertainty.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe must ensure that any standards adopted by this board reflect the highest level of integrity,\u201d their statement said, \u201cand serve the best interests of all Texas students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Disclosure: New York Times, Schreiner University and Texas Public Policy Foundation have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune\u2019s journalism. Find a complete\u00a0list of them here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy, and give…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241347,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,29,28],"class_list":["post-241346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}