AUSTIN — The State Board of Education met Tuesday to hear testimony in the “review and revise” process regarding the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills curriculum.
Under review were career and technical education courses intended to enable students to receive on-the-job or hands-on training in preparation for the workforce.
School teacher Andrew Pierce was among those who testified, expressing his concerns over the possible inclusion of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” ideology in the language of the courses under review.
Pierce holds valid teaching certifications in business and finance (Grades 6-12), social studies (Grades 7-12), and special education (EC-12), according to the Texas Education Agency.
Pointing to the section of the proposed standards for “Career Preparation I” that would require students to “differentiate between the characteristic of diverse populations including special populations, generational cohorts, ethnicity and gender in the workplace,” Pierce said, “This looks like DEI and should be taken out.”
“It is dividing us and putting us into different groups,” he continued.
Texas recently banned DEI departments for public universities on similar grounds, as reported by The Dallas Express.
The decision to do so was criticized by DEI supporters, however, with Rep. Ron Reynolds (D-Missouri City) claiming that banning DEI “sends a distressing message that Texas, a state which has the largest population of African Americans, is unwilling to confront systemic inequities and provide an inclusive learning environment for all student.”
Pierce also pointed to the portion in the same section that would have students learn to “demonstrate responsible and ethical behavior by following applicable workplace and school codes of conduct with integrity.”
However, such a requirement might open the door for “environmental, social, governance” standards, he suggested, noting, “There are schools and large corporations which engage in immoral behavior.”
Texas passed anti-ESG laws this session, and Gov. Greg Abbott has strongly denounced such standards.
On the other hand, supporters of ESG programs and ideology suggest “ESG programs help businesses attract investors, build customer loyalty, improve financial performance, make operations sustainable and gain a competitive edge,” per TechTarget.
Still, Pierce suggested the TEKS section instead direct students to “demonstrate ethical behavior by treating others as you want them to treat you, being honest, and working hard to produce quality products and services.”
SBOE members echoed Pierce’s concerns and raised additional issues with the courses under consideration.
“I think there is not enough emphasis on employer expectations,” Julie Pickren (R-Pearland) said. “As a business owner, I don’t think there is enough in there about meeting and exceeding employer expectations.”
“I think what is missing from this course is the whole foundation of a career and career prep,” she continued. “I’d like to see the reason ‘why.’”
“It is of great importance for the students that we stress to them to be a great member of society,” Pickren said.
Referring to the public testimony, she added later, “There are TEKS in here that are based in DEI and ESG, so we need to drop that for obvious reasons.”
After suggesting some additions, Member Aaron Kinsey (R-Midland) said, “The rest of my concern is encapsulated by some of the public testimony we heard regarding gender and Title IX, which should be easily correctable.”
Member Tom Maynard (R-Florence) said that he would like to see more included from the perspective of an employer so that students receive training about labor practices.
Recently, Maynard’s leadership of the critical Permanent School Fund Corporation has come into question due to the fund’s investment with Blackrock, a firm boycotting oil and gas companies in violation of Texas law, as reported by The Dallas Express.
With the various concerns expressed, staff explained that the feedback would be provided to the workgroups in preparation for their upcoming meetings.
