We Texans have a reputation for going BIG. From the ‘dos of beloved leaders, to the world’s largest cowboy boots in San Antonio, to the 72-ounce-steak challenge in Amarillo, we’ve always leaned into our larger-than-life persona. But did you know there is a tiny group of Texans who have a giant impact on what over 5 million Texas public school children learn? You can count them on two hands and one foot, but they have a Texas-sized impact here AND beyond our state lines. They are the Texas State Board of Education. Misconceptions about them abound, so read on for some SBOE myth-busting.
Myth #1: Texas public school teachers set the curriculum they teach.
Actually, they don’t! They can write lesson plans of what to teach on any particular day, but the information they have to cover with students each year is spelled out by the State Board of Education.
A lot of Texans simply don’t know what the SBOE does.* It’s not as visible as the state legislature, and it’s not close to home like local school boards. Unless you’re a teacher or have kids in public school, it may not be on your radar. Here’s a quick primer…
The SBOE is an elected body of 15 members that sets policies and standards for Texas public schools. Their responsibilities include:
Setting Curriculum Standards
The SBOE decides what is–and is not–taught in Texas public schools by adopting curriculum standards called the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. The TEKS are the literal blueprints for every subject from Kindergarten to Senior Year. The legislature can make laws affecting curriculum, too, but the SBOE controls how those laws get translated into the TEKS.
As an example, here’s one of 23 items in the 7th grade social studies TEKS:
Setting TEKS is probably the SBOE’s most powerful way of shaping what young Texans learn. If they decided to pull a Florida and vote that “the benefits of slavery” should be in the TEKS, that would go in the TEKS.
Establishing Graduation Requirements
Again, there’s crossover with the legislature, but the important thing to remember is that the SBOE does have power over graduation requirements. Could they mandate every student study creationism along with evolution to get their diploma? Yup. Not that they’ve ever suggested doing that (at least, not yet).
Textbook Approval
The SBOE vets and approves the books used in your local classrooms. Back in 2024, they approved a Bible-infused reading curriculum chock-full of errors. Not a good look. A year earlier they rejected science textbooks “because they included policy solutions for climate change.”
Charter School Approval
Members have the power to review and veto applications for new charter schools.
Financial Fund Oversight
The SBOE helps oversee $60+ billion in an endowment called the Texas Permanent School Fund. The money helps fund our public schools, but the SBOE doesn’t directly fund public schools. That’s the state legislature’s wheelhouse.
Myth #2: The education professionals of the SBOE base curriculum decisions on evidence-backed approaches and expert advice, keeping the best interests of Texas students in mind.
Kinda-sorta. Some board members are education professionals with years of experience in the classroom or school administration, but that’s not required. Other professionals currently sit on the board, too: from an engineer to a pastor. Some have had children in public school, some haven’t. Basically, if you can convince folks to vote for you, you can serve.
And as far as listening to experts and research…weeeell…that depends on the member. There are absolutely members who do. Then there are the board members who seem to get their talking points and priorities straight from far-right lobbyists and from influencers on some angry corner of the internet.
During testimony about the lack of diversity in a new proposed mandatory reading list, members rejected evidence that students’ achievement rises when they see themselves reflected in the curriculum. Extreme members of the board verbally attacked a Texan testifying in a hijab. They left the room rather than listen to her politely ask that they consider adding Muslim figures like Muhammad Ali to the TEKS. And sadly, members appointed deeply problematic people to head up a massive revamp of the current social studies standards. Of all the bright Texans out there, how do you pick one whose book was voted “the least credible history book in print” of 2012?
Myth #3: The SBOE isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme, especially for those who don’t have children in public school.
Make no mistake, the small SBOE has an outsized influence! Each member represents about 1.8 million Texans, more than any Texas state senator or representative. The decisions they make directly affect 5.5 million public school children – that’s more people than the entire populations of many U.S. states! They decide what gets taught, and that shapes the way millions of Texans understand the world around them. It can determine if kids grow up with a white-washed history of slavery or a misunderstanding of climate change.
And their influence doesn’t stop at the Red River. With so many students in our state, it’s smart business for national textbook publishers to design their products to meet the TEKS. So what gets taught in Texas textbooks can end up in classrooms around the country. Not only does the SBOE matter to Texans in and outside of public schools, it matters to people all over the United States.
Myth #4: There’s nothing I can do to change what happens at the SBOE.
Our favorite myth to bust! You can impact the decisions made at the SBOE in many ways!
Keep an Eye on ‘em!
Even if you can’t get to Austin, you can tune in to a livestream to watch the quarterly(ish) SBOE meetings. You never know exactly what to expect: some of them call for caffeine, some for popcorn.
Raise Your Voice!
You can call or email the SBOE member representing you to share your thoughts and priorities. You can testify in person at a meeting. They don’t make it easy–last-minute agendas, short timelines for registering–but if you can get to downtown Austin, TFN has trainings and info to help you feel confident about speaking your mind.
Stay Informed!
This is a huge year at the SBOE. A new social studies curriculum will be approved, influencing the worldview of millions of Texas children. Check out our SBOE Advocacy Hub to stay in the know about ways to get involved.
We hope we’ve busted some myths about the SBOE. It may fly under the radar, but it’s a big deal. At its best, the State Board of Education can be a group of 15 Texans representing the voices of their districts in a way that fosters excellence and inclusion in public schools. All Texas children, no matter their zip code, race, income, ability, or other factor, deserve access to a world-class education. There are already members working hard to achieve that reality; it’s up to us to make sure ALL of them are. A state as big and great as Texas deserves nothing less.
