Full Breakdown
Texas Board Approves Controversial High-School Social Studies Standards
9/8/2026, 2:59:52 AM
New Standards and Core Changes
On September 4, the Texas State Board of Education voted 8-4 to adopt a revised set of high-school social-studies standards covering U.S. History, U.S. Government, World History and World Geography. The package, set to be implemented in the 2033-2034 school year, adds language describing the early Islamic conquests as “brutal” military campaigns against Jewish and Christian tribes and requires teaching that the September 11 attacks were motivated by “Radical Islam.” The standards also call for coverage of Christianity’s influence on Western civilization and early America, including references to the Crusades, the Reconquista and the role of Christian faith in abolition movements.
Curriculum Content on Islam and Christianity
The World History unit (A.D. 476-1000) links jihad to Islamic expansion and cites the conquest of Jerusalem, Syria and Egypt. It also notes the taking of female captives as “harem slaves.” Parallel sections address Muslim and Viking slave raiding, Ottoman expansion, the Mughal Empire and the Barbary and Atlantic slave trades. In the modern U.S. History unit, “radical Islam” is identified as the motivation for the September 11 attacks, separate from earlier coverage of early-Islamic military actions.
Official Reactions
Board member Will Hickman (R-Houston) sought removal of the word “brutal,” arguing it singled out Islam, but the amendment failed. Brandon Hall (R-Fort Worth) defended retaining the term, saying eliminating it would “whitewash” a consequential part of history. Sameeha Rizvi, Government Affairs and Legislative Manager for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), argued that classroom material must reflect Texas’s diverse population. CAIR and its Texas affiliate have called the portrayal “bigoted caricatures” and pledged legal challenges. Governor Greg Abbott has designated CAIR as a terrorist organization under state law, a designation the group disputes. Mary Elizabeth Castle, director of government relations for Texas Values, warned that omitting chapters of American history would hinder student understanding.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We're whitewashing and watering down a part of history that I think is very consequential to understanding world events throughout history and understanding the context of one of the what's considered one of the major religions of today. And, so I think that would be just a grave mistake to remove this word,” — Brandon Hall
- “It's very important that what we teach in our classrooms is representative of the people of Texas, which is a very diverse body,” — Sameeha Rizvi
- “We’re whitewashing and watering down a part of history,” — Brandon Hall
- “If we want students to understand our American story, we have to stop cutting chapters out of the book,” — Mary Elizabeth Castle, Texas Values’ director of government relations
