The Texas State Board of Education will vote on Tuesday whether it will approve a Bluebonnet Learning public school curriculum that heavily incorporates Christianity as a wave of faith-based classroom initiatives sweeps the nation.
Bluebonnet Learning is a state-owned, state-developed open education resource that produces Christian-leaning learning materials that simultaneously deemphasizes all other religions. Although it is optional, schools can earn $40 per student, per year if they adopt it, as reported by CNN.
An example of a Bluebonnet Learning lesson, as reported by CNN, would be teaching Jesus' Sermon on the Mount from the New Testament when teaching a kindergarten class about the "Golden Rule."
On Monday, more than 100 people testified for and against the curriculum for several hours.
Texas AFT, a union representing more than 60,000 public school teachers and staff, argued against the revision. The proposed materials "violate the separation of church and state and the academic freedom of our classroom, but also the sanctity of the teaching profession," Texas AFT said in a press release.
Meanwhile, a man named Glenn Melvin spoke in support of the proposals, arguing it does not violate the "establishment clause" of the First Amendment stipulating "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
"Just reading some of the passages from the Bible will not cause someone to convert, as many Biblical scholars are not themselves Christian," Melvin said, as reported by CNN.
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