Several members on the Texas State Board of Education recently pushed to institute a required Mexican-American studies class in all Texas public high schools. Supporters of the proposal argued that such a course would give students a more well-rounded perspective of Texas culture and people. During a meeting on April 9, however, the board’s 10 Republicans and five Democrats ultimately rejected the idea by bypassing the vote.
A spokeswoman from the Texas Education Agency told Breitbart Texas that many high schools in the state already offer Mexican-American studies courses.
“Districts already have the ability to offer such a course,” the spokeswoman said. “Some have already done so.”
Board member Ruben Cortez, D-Brownsville, had initially been a strong proponent of the proposed mandate. He said that although a standardized course was rejected, he is still satisfied because the board also voted to ask publishers to submit textbooks on the subject for the 2016-2017 school year.
“The biggest difficulty for school districts is not developing a course, it’s obtaining the appropriate instructional materials,” he told the Associated Press.
Many critics of a required Mexican-American Studies course claim it is an attempt by progressives to indoctrinate students.
“Texas schools should not be used as a political tool,” Mark C. Brown, Chairman Emeritus of the Texas Young Republicans Federation, told Breitbart Texas. He said the new course would serve as a means “to divide people up into racial categories and indoctrinate a new generation in class warfare and grievance mongering.”
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