Scientists are “atheists.” Parents who want to teach their children about evolution are “monsters.” Pastors who support sound science are “morons.” Is that the sort of message Chairman Don McLeroy and his cohorts on the State Board of Education have in mind for Texas science classrooms if they succeed in their campaign to shoehorn “weaknesses” of […]
Education
Texas has an increasingly diverse public education system with a public school enrollment of more than 5 million. Unfortunately, that public education system is also the target of right-wing extremists seeking to privatize our neighborhood public schools and push a culture-war agenda in the classroom.
To that end, Texas Freedom Network tirelessly fights for Texas public school students at the Capitol — opposing private school voucher legislation, sticking up for students’ freedoms, advocating for truthful, censorship-free lessons and textbooks, and more. We’ve also conducted groundbreaking research into what is taught in classrooms on subjects like sex education and religion.
Resources
- Teach the Truth: Texans United Against Censorship in Education
- Can This Class Be Saved? The ‘Hobby Lobby’ Public School Bible Curriculum (2014 report)
- Reading, Writing & Religion II (2013 report)
- Sex Education in Public Schools: Progress in the Lone Star State (2011 report)
- Just Say Don’t Know: Sex Education in Texas Public Schools (2009 report)
- The State Board of Education: Dragging Texas Schools into the Culture Wars (2008 report)
- Reading Writing & Religion: Teaching the Bible in Texas Public Schools (2006 report)
- Broken Promises II (2001 report)
- Broken Promises: Charter Schools in Texas (2000 report)
Clergy to Policy-makers: Tell Students the Truth
The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing called on President Obama yesterday to end federal funding for abstinence-only programs and instead fund comprehensive sexuality education in the nation’s public schools. (This echos Texas Freedom Network’s message to Texas policy-makers last month when we released our report on the massive failure of abstinence-only programs in […]
TFN Lobby Day Boosts Science at the Capitol
Supporters of sound science education and stem cell research had a big presence at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday. More than 200 activists registered for Texas Freedom Network ‘s Lobby Day, which included training sessions on supporting stem cell research, responsible sexuality education and sound science education in public schools. Nearly two dozen teams of […]
TFN Goes to the Capitol
Had enough yet? Had enough of politicians and far-right pressure groups trying to undermine science education in our public schools, hold back important medical research into stem cells, and keep young people ignorant about how to protect themselves from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases? Well, things won’t change unless you and other mainstream Texans take a […]
A First Step Toward Reining in the SBOE
We have just seen the first legislative vote aimed at reining in the Texas State Board of Education. Yesteday the Texas House Public Education Committee unanimously passed House Bill 772, which would require that state board meetings be streamed live over the Internet in video and audio. We released the following statement from Texas Freedom Network […]
