A vote that moves the New Texas forward, but more work ahead

AUSTIN – The State Board of Education (SBOE) voted 11-3 to add Special Topics in Social Studies to include Mexican American, African American, Native American and Asian American Studies.

“This is a step forward,” said Senator José Rodríguez, Chairman of the Senate Hispanic Caucus (SHC), which sent a letter of support for a Mexican American Studies curriculum to the SBOE earlier this week. ”This provides an opportunity for further education of the importance of these classes and will give the public an opportunity to weigh in to be sure the materials are accurate and substantive.”

The next step for the SBOE is for publishers to create instructional materials for Mexican American Studies, African American Studies, Native American Studies, and Asian American Studies, which will be followed by public review, and ultimately, board adoption of those materials.

In the SHC letter, Senators wrote: “Currently, Mexican American Studies can be taught in Texas public high schools. However, each school district must create its own curriculum, which is often too burdensome for teachers and administrators whose resources are already stretched thin.

“The SBOE has the ability to create and standardize new curriculum standards for Mexican American Studies. This would create a model that school districts would be able to use to help inspire the next generation of Texans—a step that some districts, such as the El Paso and Ysleta ISDs, are taking on their own.”

Senator José Rodríguez, Chairman of the Senate Hispanic Caucus, recently co-authored an op-ed piece on the issue with Senator Sylvia R. Garcia, who is Vice Chair of the SHC.

“Young men and women are more likely to pursue opportunity when they see themselves not only in their leaders, but also in society as a whole,” they wrote. “For students in Texas, lessons on Tejano leaders and the Chicano movement have been lacking for many years.”

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Senate Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee, and a member of the Senate Committees on Criminal Justice, Veteran Affairs and Military Installations, and Government Organization.

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