The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution in response to a Texas House Bill that places limits on social studies education.
According to the resolution, House Bill 3979 “threatens the essential work that the District is doing to celebrate diversity and would greatly hinder efforts to create inclusive and equitable learning environments and develop more informed, engaged citizens.”
The Texas House voted May 11 to pass the legislation, 81-52. Before HB 3979 can be sent to the Senate, which already approved a similar proposal, the lower chamber has to vote again.
HB 3979, written by Rep. Steve Toth, states that in social studies courses, no teacher will be required to “discuss current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs,” and those who do decide to discuss those topics “shall, to the best of their ability, strive to explore such issues from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective.”
“This would gut many of the items that we care about and the racial equity policy that the board passed unanimously,” says DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa.
