Conroe ISD students will learn under new social studies standards that critics say portray Islam negatively and elevate Christianity. The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) gave final approval to the overhaul on Friday, Sept. 4.
The new standards cover U.S. History, U.S. Government, World History and World Geography at the high school level. They will be phased into all Texas public school classrooms beginning in the 2030-31 school year. The change affects the roughly 72,900 students Conroe ISD serves across Montgomery County, including those at The Woodlands High School and College Park High School.
The 15-member board's Republican majority carried the vote. Republicans held an 11-4 advantage after Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Pasadena Republican Tammie Nielsen to replace Houston Democrat Staci Childs, who vacated her seat to campaign for the Texas House.
Under the approved standards, students must learn that "radical Islam" motivated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, rather than focusing on specific groups such as al-Qaeda. A separate lesson frames early Islam through the Prophet Muhammad's "military campaigns against Jewish and Christian tribes, the normalization and regulation of slavery, and the taking of female captives as harem slaves," Houston Public Media reported.
Islam and Muslims are referenced 12 times across the four high school courses, with no direct reference to the Quran, according to Community Impact. Christianity appears at least 18 times, including requirements that students learn about "the roots of Western civilization in Christianity" and "the life and teachings of Jesus."
The board's Republican majority also voted down Democratic amendments that would have restored lessons on Muslim contributions to algebra and astronomy.
At least three board-appointed content experts warned against the Islam characterizations. Andrea Hutchinson, a social studies curriculum coordinator for Prosper ISD, said the portrayal does not "hold up to close historical scrutiny." Robert Koons, a philosophy professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said most nonreligious scholars do not consider the source of those claims reliable.
Habiiba Quresh, a 15-year-old student, told board members during testimony on Sept. 1: "I feel attacked, as if my religion doesn't belong. I shouldn't have to defend my religion in the middle of history class because of one sentence someone on this board wrote."
SBOE Chair Aaron Kinsey, R-Midland, defended the changes during deliberations on Sept. 2. He said the board's intention was not to shortchange any subject but to determine what is essential.
Board member Marisa B. Pérez-Díaz, D-San Antonio, pushed back on the standards' treatment of American slavery, which describe the institution as one that "existed in many societies throughout history." Pérez-Díaz said during the Sept. 4 session that the board is doing a disservice to students by not exploring slavery's role in American history.
The new framework also eliminates the current sixth-grade world cultures course. It requires students to describe arguments against "the modern welfare state that emerged from continued expansion of Great Society programs."
The curriculum rewrite process stretched several years. The board delayed changes in 2022 after pressure from conservative lawmakers who objected to how students would learn about race and gender. In June, the Republican majority approved K-8 social studies changes alongside a mandatory reading list that includes Bible stories.
Roughly 100 Texans testified at the Aug. 31 board meeting alone. Hearings often extended overnight.
Conroe ISD has not issued a public statement on the vote. No district board meeting or curriculum planning date tied to the new standards has been announced.
