was originally reported by Kate Sosin of .听

The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 Tuesday that a Colorado ban on conversion therapy for youth violates the free speech rights of a Christian counselor, clearing the way for a practice that goes against the recommendations of every major medical association in the country.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson .

鈥淭oday鈥檚 reckless decision means more American kids will suffer,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he Court has weaponized free-speech in order to prioritize anti-LGBTQ+ bias over the safety, health and wellbeing of children.鈥�

Conversion therapy is a in which providers attempt to change a youth鈥檚 sexual orientation or gender identity, often through extremely harsh methods including acts of physical, psychological and sexual abuse against minors 鈥� , chemically induced nausea and hypnosis, among others.

The and recommended it be banned.听 Twenty-three states and Washington, D.C., have laws banning conversion therapy for minors.

The decision comes on , a global day celebrating transgender lives and culture every March 31.

Some LGBTQ+ advocates note that while the ruling favors a discredited practice, it leaves most avenues of regulating conversion therapy untouched.

鈥淚 think the most important thing to understand about the decision today is that it only takes one way of regulating conversion therapy off the table,鈥� said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights.

Tuesday鈥檚 ruling throws out Colorado鈥檚 ban, but does not strike down bans in other states, which advocates feared could be a worst-case scenario. The case, Chiles v. Salazar, was brought by Christian counselor Kaley Chiles, who argued that the ban violated her free speech rights. Chiles says she only offers talk therapy and does not use physical interventions or prescribe medications.

The ruling does not declare conversion therapy safe or effective. It also leaves intact the ability of medical licensing boards鈥� to investigate conversion therapy practice as fraudulent.

Minter said in a statement that the ruling still leaves room to discipline providers in states where it is banned.

“This decision is narrowly about how conversion therapy can be regulated. It does not mean that conversion therapy is safe or legal. Conversion therapy is still medical malpractice and consumer fraud,” Minter said. “Every major medical organization in this country condemns it. Survivors can still bring malpractice and consumer fraud claims.鈥�

Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch argued that Colorado鈥檚 law applies beyond 鈥減hysical interventions,鈥� and restricts free speech.

鈥淐olorado may regard its policy as essential to public health and safety. Certainly, censorious governments throughout history have believed the same,鈥� the opinion read. 鈥淏ut the First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country. It reflects instead a judgment that every American possesses an inalienable right to think and speak freely, and a faith in the free marketplace of ideas as the best means for discovering truth.鈥�

The majority held that the right to free speech applies equally to licensed medical professionals as to all Americans.

As the lone dissent, argued that the majority 鈥渇ailed to appreciate the crucial context鈥� of Chiles鈥� case. 鈥淐hiles is not speaking in the ether; she is providing therapy to minors as a licensed healthcare professional,鈥� she wrote.

Neither side disputed Colorado鈥檚 authority to regulate medical treatments and providers or claimed that a state doing so is unconstitutional, she said.

鈥淪o, in my view, it cannot also be the case that Colorado鈥檚 decision to restrict a dangerous therapy modality that, incidentally, involves provider speech is presumptively unconstitutional,鈥� Jackson added. 鈥淚n concluding otherwise, the Court鈥檚 opinion misreads our precedents, is unprincipled and unworkable and will eventually prove untenable for those who rely upon the long-recognized responsibility of states to regulate the medical profession for the protection of public health.鈥�

This is the first of three LGBTQ+ blockbuster cases before the court this term. Two others, , were heard at the same time earlier this year.

Grace Panetta contributed reporting.

The Texas State Board of Education on Wednesday delayed an initial vote on a proposed required reading list that includes several Bible passages, including some featured in the controversial, state-approved Bluebonnet reading program that some districts have adopted.

Members of the public who spoke on the issue were overwhelmingly opposed to the state’s proposed list, citing a lack of diverse authors and the religious texts among the reasons.

“What I see is an overemphasis on the Christian tradition without providing the kind of contextualization and analysis that religious texts require,” said Steven Mintz, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

In April, the board will discuss both Commissioner Mike Morath’s聽proposed聽list and an alternative, shorter list offered by Board Member Will Hickman. His list also includes some biblical texts, including the Good Samaritan, the parable of the Prodigal Son and the story of the tower of Babel.

“These are common stories that are, what I would say, part of cultural literacy,” he said.

When Texas approved a new reading curriculum that features Bible stories in 2024, education Commissioner Mike Morath told districts they could adopt it, reject it or even adapt it to their own local needs.

But a proposed statewide reading list, which relies on some of the same biblical lessons, would not be optional.

The selections, part of a longer list that also features scripture passages for and students, include Jesus鈥� parable of the Prodigal Son for first graders and a third grade text on the Apostle Paul鈥檚 conversion to Christianity. Those are among the stories that the agency published from the Bluebonnet reading curriculum, a spokesman said.

The proposed reading list, which includes classics from Shakespeare and Poe and the writings of historical figures, is scheduled for a preliminary vote by the Texas State Board of Education Wednesday.

One of the criticisms of the religious lessons in Bluebonnet is that they largely present an evangelical Christian perspective 鈥� an attribute the reading list shares, said David Brockman, a religion and public policy scholar at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

鈥淎s with the Bluebonnet curriculum, this one-sided focus on the Bible conveys, intentionally or unintentionally, the message that the biblical tradition is more important and more worthy of attention than other religions,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his message in turn threatens to turn students, parents, and teachers who are not Christians or Jews into outsiders in their own public schools.鈥� 

The state board narrowly approved the reading program in late 2024 after months of debate between Christian conservatives and those who argue that it emphasizes Christianity over other religions and could be used to proselytize elementary school children. The curriculum is one of several ways the state has tried to heighten students鈥� exposure to the Bible, knowledge that Morath says will improve overall reading performance. Bluebonnet, and now the reading list, have received praise from those advocating for a classical curriculum focused on Western culture. 

鈥淭his is the revolution America needs,鈥� Jeremy Wayne Tate, founder of the Classical Learning Test, an SAT and ACT alternative, . 

Because of student mobility, there is a need for a 鈥渃ommon literary canon,鈥� according to . 鈥淲hen students switch schools, they will often read the same text twice or skip a text entirely due to local grade level selection differences.鈥�

A requirement that the state include 鈥渞eligious literature,鈥� in the curriculum has been for years. Some districts met that standard by offering standalone elective courses on the Old and New Testaments in high school. In last fall, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state board could also comply by integrating religious topics into other subjects, like language arts. 

The reading list would include a kindergarten passage on the Golden Rule, which emphasizes Jesus鈥� Sermon on the Mount, where he instructed followers to 鈥渄o unto others as you would have done unto you.鈥� After a backlash, the state added references to similar lessons from other faiths. In first grade, there鈥檚 a book on America鈥檚 symbols, which also highlights connections to scripture.

鈥楶arents have every right鈥� 

Most districts in the state didn鈥檛 rush to adopt the curriculum, despite incentives from the state of up to $60 per student. A state database last summer showed that fewer than 200 of the state鈥檚 more than 1,200 districts and charters had ordered the reading materials, many of them smaller districts. Others adopted the program but discarded the religion-related lessons. 

In a , the Texas Freedom Network, which has been critical of including Bible lessons in the curriculum, showed that just 17 of the state鈥檚 100 largest districts adopted it and were often slow to order the materials. The Fort Worth schools, now under state takeover, will begin implementing it this fall. 

Since last fall, the 72,000-student Conroe district, near Houston, has been fielding requests from parents to opt their children out of some of the biblical material. Parents are required to submit a request in writing to a teacher or school administrator, but officials told 社区黑料 that they鈥檙e not keeping track of how many requests they’ve received. Last fall, one parent told board members that creating alternate lessons is adding to teachers鈥� workload. 

鈥淧arents have every right to opt their children out of this,鈥� Destinee Milton, who has a second grader and a fifth grader in the district, . Because the religious material is part of the same book as the rest of the lessons, 鈥渢eachers are now required to spend their planning time鈥� pasting in alternate content.

Mark Brooks, whose third grader attends Colin Powell Elementary in Conroe, asked that she be excused from lessons on Christianity and its influence on the Roman Empire. 

鈥淚 don’t think religion belongs in public schools,鈥� he said. But the school seemed unprepared for how to handle the request. The district didn鈥檛 reply to a request for comment.

鈥淲e asked the teacher; the teacher didn’t really know. We talked to the principal; the principal didn’t really know,鈥� he said. They eventually relocated his daughter to a separate room where she worked on a lesson about the roads that led to Rome, also part of Bluebonnet. 

Brooks said his daughter liked the alternate lesson because she finished it quickly and had more time for independent reading. He鈥檚 not opposed, he said, to brief mentions of religion in school, but described a passage on the Christian emperor Constantine crediting God with his success as a ruler as 鈥渨ay over the top.鈥�

Mark Chancey, a religious studies professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said that if the board approves the reading list, it鈥檚 鈥渙nly a matter of time before parents begin to opt their children out of these lessons鈥� in districts statewide. He cited a Supreme Court ruling last year that upheld parents鈥� rights to keep their children from participating in lessons focused on LGBTQ-related story books for religious reasons. He expects parents to exercise those same rights when it comes to religious material. 

鈥淚t’s going to be classroom chaos,鈥� he said. 

Supporters of the program argue that the Bible is a foundational document that should be taught in public schools and is necessary to understand historical references and works of literature. The Supreme Court, they say, erred in 1963 when it that mandated prayer and Bible readings violated the First Amendment.

鈥淚t will be impossible for Texas students to understand settlement in America, the Revolution, the Constitution, or the rest of American and World history, let alone literature, without knowledge of the Bible,鈥� said Matthew McCormick, education director for the , a conservative think tank. 鈥淢any schools are countering what they see as favor to Christianity with what looks a lot like anti-Christian bias, but this is a disservice to the education of their students.鈥�

Survey responses from teachers, collected through a link in a Bluebonnet Facebook group, show that educators remain divided on the religious components after several months of teaching the program. 

鈥淚 am a non-Christian being forced to give sermons in class,鈥� one teacher wrote. 鈥淣o consideration was given to the rights of teachers and students of various backgrounds with this curriculum.鈥�

But another said there鈥檚 a way to teach the material without trying to influence what students think.

鈥淚f I present something as, 鈥楾his is what this group of people believe and your family can discuss what you believe at home,鈥� it鈥檚 OK,鈥� the teacher explained. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 thrilled with the additions, but I had to put myself in the mindset of 鈥業t鈥檚 a story from a religion. I鈥檓 not teaching it as fact.鈥� 鈥�

鈥淚t’s not my kids that I worry about,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is their opportunity to be a light. Their mission field is the public school.鈥�

For many other Ohio parents, that鈥檚 a problem. 

Since he was 8, Cherie Khumprakob鈥檚 son, now 11, has been receiving written invitations from classmates to join them at LifeWise. She found one in his backpack.

鈥淗e hates getting these notes from his friends and having to tell them 鈥楴o鈥� repeatedly,鈥� said Khumprakob, who lives in the Columbus area. 鈥淭raining kids to pressure their friends into religious activities while at public school, during school hours, crosses a line.鈥�

The opposing views illustrate the tension in Ohio and other states where LifeWise is rapidly expanding. The organization expects to serve close to 100,000 kids in 34 states this school year. It has 1,600 employees and runs its own fleet of eye-catching red buses. 

Founded in 2018, LifeWise is the most visible group behind a movement to spread off-campus religious instruction during the school day. Since 2024, the nonprofit has successfully lobbied for legislation in Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas mandating that districts allow students to attend LifeWise or similar programs. Some say the requirements violate the separation of church and state. 

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big shift,鈥� said Mark Chancey, a religious studies professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. 鈥淭his whole mandatory aspect is historically something different.鈥� 

In a moment when Republicans are fighting to hang the 10 Commandments on classroom walls and squeeze biblical passages into reading lessons, LifeWise has taken these programs in a more evangelical direction. The organization faces pushback from parents and district staff who think Bible study should be relegated to afterschool hours. LifeWise programs that reward students with items like candy and encourage kids to recruit their friends have proven particularly divisive. 

But those are the strategies LifeWise recommends as a way to increase participation. 鈥淪end students back to school with 鈥業nvite a Friend鈥� flyers,鈥� urges a on 鈥渂oosting enrollment.鈥� A says treats are 鈥渇un incentives鈥� that are meant to foster a 鈥減ositive and engaging learning environment.鈥�

鈥淢ost students who enjoy a sport, activity or program will talk about it with their friends and encourage them to give it a try as well,鈥� said LifeWise spokeswoman Christine Czernejewski. 鈥淟ifewise is no different.鈥�

社区黑料 found examples of financial transactions between districts and LifeWise that could create the appearance of promoting the program. Especially in Ohio, LifeWise often enjoys strong support from school officials; one superintendent warned staff to avoid such activity while the district was 鈥渦nder the radar.鈥� 

Supporters argue that LifeWise and similar classes respect the First Amendment鈥檚 Establishment Clause because they require parent permission, don鈥檛 meet on school grounds and aren鈥檛 supposed to rely on school resources for support.

Some districts are putting 鈥渢acks on the road so the big red bus loses air in the tires鈥� just because the program teaches the Bible, said Jeremy Dys, senior counsel with First Liberty Institute, a law firm specializing in religious freedom cases.

The 46,000-student Columbus, Ohio, district from sending kids back to school with any 鈥渕aterials, snacks, clothing, candies, trinkets or other items.鈥� Then the legislature amended the law to say districts can鈥檛 prevent organizations from distributing educational materials, but have some discretion over limiting non-educational items like treats. For now, Dys, who represents LifeWise, is waiting to see whether the new restrictions interfere with the program. 

鈥淭here’s just a lot of animosity and hostility towards religion,鈥� he said. But recent Supreme Court decisions, like one siding with a football coach who held mid-field prayers and another allowing parents to opt their children out of hearing LGBTQ-themed story books, have expanded religious influence at school. 鈥淭he courts 鈥� have basically been telling school districts, 鈥楥ool it.鈥� 鈥�

In total, 16 states require districts to allow students to participate in religious studies during school hours, but a few, like Pennsylvania and New York, have had such laws on the books for years. Some states aren鈥檛 ready to take that leap. Legislation requiring districts to release students stalled this year in , and . 

At an education subcommittee hearing in February, Georgia state Rep. David Clark, a Republican running for lieutenant governor, said the programs could solve one of the most pressing issues facing public schools 鈥� enrollment loss.

鈥淲e have thousands of students leaving public schools. It could be private school; it could be home school,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think this 鈥� protects our public schools, because it allows parents, [if] they want the religious studies, they can sign their kid up.鈥� 

Clark alluded to data suggesting that attendance increases and behavior improves in schools with LifeWise programs. The findings, from a sponsored by , are frequently cited by LifeWise founder Joel Penton and officials who to school boards across the country. 

But some researchers say the report鈥檚 conclusions overstate the program鈥檚 benefits. Charles Riedesel, a computer scientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, called the work 鈥渟hoddy.鈥� For one, it included the COVID year, a time when states changed how they tracked attendance because so many students were learning remotely.

鈥楤lows my mind鈥�

Even though the legislation failed in Georgia, LifeWise still has programs in about six districts statewide, and church leaders are .

On a sunny Friday morning in October roughly an hour outside Atlanta, about 20 Cartersville Elementary fifth graders piled onto a LifeWise bus for a short drive to a local church. Ebby McCoy said she was missing a computer class, but likes how the LifeWise lessons 鈥済o a bit deeper鈥� into the Bible than what she learns in church.

Former elementary school teacher Danielle Ruff energetically led the kids through a fast-paced lesson on the 10 plagues that the Bible says God inflicted on Egypt for keeping the Jews enslaved. As she spoke, students connected puzzle pieces linking the disasters in order 鈥� water turning to blood, frogs infesting homes and gnats 鈥渂iting them like crazy,鈥� Ruff said. 

鈥淭he next set of plagues only happen to the Egyptians. They don鈥檛 happen to the Israelites,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t blows my mind every time.鈥�

Jason Morrow, a LifeWise board member, was among several volunteers on hand to help kids locate Bible verses. He called the program a 鈥渢ouchpoint during the week鈥� that teaches his daughter, one of the fifth graders, that faith is 鈥渘ot just a Sunday weekend thing.鈥� 

But Clay Willis, who works at the church hosting the program, said LifeWise leaders try to respect the school鈥檚 boundaries. For one, they don’t hand out candy. 

鈥淚f we sugar them up, that鈥檚 not the best way to serve the teachers,鈥� he said. 

鈥業t鈥檚 insulting鈥�

Supporters of LifeWise and similar programs point to a 1952 Supreme Court decision, , that legalized the practice. But the fact that these programs pull kids out of school during the day offers critics their leading argument. During a meeting last fall, Amber Skinner, a board member in the Worthington, Ohio, district, near Columbus, said checking students in and out of school for their LifeWise session is disruptive and eats up staff time. 

鈥淭eachers who are funded with taxpayer dollars鈥� spend time providing a lot of 鈥渉ands-on assistance鈥� to elementary students who need help signing themselves out, she said. 

The classes, usually held once or twice a week, often coincide with non-core offerings like art and music. Some educators think students are losing out on important material. 

Alan Limke, a retired STEM teacher from the Milton Union district, outside Dayton, kept a list of the lessons that students missed every Tuesday when they left for LifeWise. They included simple circuits, building and launching foam rockets and 3-D modeling. Leading up to the 2024 solar eclipse, when Milton was in the path of totality, he planned a month of activities, including a visit from a mobile planetarium. 

鈥淚t’s insulting,鈥� said Limke, who grew up Catholic, but now considers himself an atheist. 鈥淚 work very hard to come up with lessons that are rigorous and fun and important.鈥�

While LifeWise requires parent permission, specific procedures vary by district, according to Czernejewski, the organization鈥檚 spokeswoman. In Ayersville, Ohio, the district Geren鈥檚 children attend, the initial permission form remains in effect year to year unless a parent requests a withdrawal. That seems wrong to Nick Sullivan, whose oldest daughter wanted to stop attending after fifth grade. 

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to send in a paper stating that you do not want your kid to attend LifeWise or they’re going to automatically enroll them,鈥� Sullivan said. He thinks schools should require the permission slips annually, just like other paperwork. 

Sullivan withheld his daughter鈥檚 name to protect her privacy. Now an eighth grader, she told 社区黑料 she found the LifeWise lessons repetitive and said the instructors 鈥渨ould give us a full bag of candy鈥� for reciting Bible verses. 

鈥淚 was supposed to be in study hall and they kept on sending me whether I liked it or not,鈥� she said.

鈥楥rossing the line鈥�

Experiences like those contribute to the growing opposition to LifeWise. The , formed in 2023, keeps a lookout for incidents where they think school officials inappropriately promote the program or allow LifeWise too much access. They鈥檝e found school officials who tout LifeWise in newsletters or post photos on social media with the group鈥檚 leaders. Other examples they鈥檝e gathered since 2023 include:

• Continental Elementary in northwest Ohio shared a video of a LifeWise representative on its Facebook page in 2022. The woman displayed baked goods students could choose from if they attended a LifeWise fundraiser. 鈥淲e have yummy brownies, cookies with M&M’s,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just so beautiful.鈥� The district did not respond to questions about the video. 

• The Culver district in Indiana, west of Fort Wayne, held a LifeWise-related assembly during school hours last year that caught the attention of attorneys at the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The organization, which advocates for church-state separation, reminded Superintendent Karen Shuman of the district鈥檚 policy stating that 鈥渘o solicitation for attendance at religious instruction shall be permitted on [district] premises.鈥�
  
  In an email to 社区黑料, Shuman said the district is 鈥渘ot conducting Lifewise programs鈥� and that she had 鈥渘o idea鈥� what the assembly was about. 

• The Supreme Court said religious instruction during the school day should be held off school grounds. The Elmwood Local Schools, south of Toledo, rents space to LifeWise near a school. Superintendent Tony Borton said the lease 鈥渉as not been an issue in our community.鈥� But last year, he warned against mentioning LifeWise during high school announcements after someone complained, according to an email the Secular Education Association obtained through a public records request. 鈥淲e are crossing the line with these type things,鈥� Borton wrote. 鈥淚 am trying to reign in [sic], with the hope we can do more later when we are not under the radar.鈥�

A 74 analysis of data from GovSpend, a company that tracks government purchases, turned up a few additional examples of expenditures that could raise questions. In 2022, Ohio鈥檚 Franklin Monroe school district paid , a basketball spinning performer, $800 for a 鈥淟ifeWise assembly.鈥� A LifeWise representative, initiated the event, according to district emails. The district did not respond to questions about it. 

Another Ohio district, River View, cut a check for $2,000 to LifeWise earlier this year. The funds came from community members donating to the organization, but were improperly routed through the district, said district Treasurer Kara Kimes.

鈥淚’d like to get these funds cleaned up ASAP as donations that are directly for Lifewise shouldn’t be flowing through the district,鈥� she wrote to another staff member in an email 社区黑料 obtained through a public records request.

Czernejewski, the LifeWise spokeswoman, said the organization does not advise local school districts, but that its 鈥渞ole is to operate in compliance with applicable laws.鈥� She added that she was unaware of school officials promoting the program, noting that LifeWise can submit announcements to district newsletters, just like other community organizations.

鈥楧evelop good relationships鈥�

Off-site religious studies during the school day date back to the early 1900s when the offered 鈥渟eminary鈥� classes to students in Granite, Utah. 

Around the same time, a Gary, Indiana, an off-site religious studies program, and the concept began to grow across the country.

One of the longest-running examples is , based in South Carolina, the first state to allow districts to award elective credit for such programs. Like the lawmaker in Georgia, Executive Director Ken Breivik said the classes allow parents who can鈥檛 afford private school 鈥渢o get some sort of religious experience.鈥� But he thinks forcing districts to release students can spark a 鈥渧isceral reaction鈥� from school leaders and prefers not to talk much about LifeWise.

鈥淲e are just a different organization. We have never done a school board presentation,鈥� he said. He will ask districts to allow a small pilot program before spreading to multiple schools. 鈥淲e work really hard to develop good relationships with the schools we serve.鈥�

In January, Penton, LifeWise鈥檚 founder, joined a to discuss an unlikely competitor in , outside Columbus: Hellion Academy for Independent Learning, or HAIL. The Satanic Temple sponsors the program as an alternative to Christian groups meeting during the school day. The organizers鈥� intent, Penton said, is 鈥渢o rattle people鈥� and get districts to stop releasing students for any religious instruction.

HAIL, which focuses on secular humanism rather than Satan worship, began as parent Susannah Plumb鈥檚 response to her kids鈥� classmates leaving school for , a Pennsylvania program.

鈥淚t’s not in-your-face proselytization, but little kids don’t understand. They see Johnny get on the bus once a week 鈥� and go on a field trip,鈥� Plumb said. 鈥淢y kids felt left behind.鈥�

HAIL meets at a nearby library, where the kids conduct science experiments, launch community service projects and paint 鈥渒indness stones鈥� to place in a local park at the end of the year. But she said the program wouldn鈥檛 exist if Joy El, LifeWise and others didn鈥檛.

鈥淚 believe in the separation of church and state, but I also believe in plurality,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen there’s one, there needs to be another.鈥�

NEW ORLEANS 鈥� Three judges on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals considered arguments Thursday over a state law that requires displays of the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana public school classroom.

A group of nine parents, each on behalf of their children, sued to block the law shortly after the Louisiana Legislature and Gov. Jeff Landry approved it last spring. A lower court ruled in November the requirement violates the First Amendment鈥檚 prohibition against establishing a state-approved religion.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill appealed that ruling, which the 5th Circuit decided only applied to the five school districts that are among the defendants in the case. For every other district, at the start of this month.

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The American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State are also representing the plaintiffs in the case. The law firm Simpson, Thacher and Bartlett is providing its services to the parents at no cost.

In addition to the five school districts, Louisiana Education Superintendent Cade Brumley and members of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are defendants.

Judge Catharina Haynes led the hearing conducted via Zoom because of the winter weather. She  questioned why the law was approved when Solicitor General Benjamin Agiu帽aga presented his arguments.

鈥淚鈥檓 respectful of the Ten Commandments, and I think everybody is,鈥� said Haynes, federal court appointee of former President George W. Bush. 鈥淏ut that doesn鈥檛 mean it has to be put in every classroom in a state under the First Amendment.鈥�

Agui帽aga said the law鈥檚 language notes the historical significance of the commandments in the foundation of the U.S. legal system merits their display in classrooms.

In addition to defending the law, Agui帽aga argued the plaintiffs filed their lawsuit too hastily because the displays had not yet been posted and no children had been harmed. The judges must rule first on whether the parents had the right to sue before considering the merits of their case.

Agui帽aga cited a 2007 ruling from the 5th Circuit in the case Staley v. Harris County, which involved a memorial display outside a Texas courthouse that included a Bible. Appellate judges first upheld a lower court ruling that deemed the monument unconstitutional, but the 5th Circuit later reversed its decision. The ruling declared that because the monument was being refurbished, it wasn鈥檛 clear yet what it would look like or whether it violated the First Amendment.

Jonathan Youngwood, an attorney for the plaintiffs, countered that legal theory in First Amendment cases does not require plaintiffs to be harmed before they seek relief.

He also stressed the religious intent of the law鈥檚 author, Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, who he quoted as saying: 鈥淚t is so important that our children learn what God says is right and what he says is wrong.鈥�

Youngwood also noted 鈥渞eligious references鈥� to God and the Sabbath day in the first four commandments, which he said violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

鈥淥f course the Ten Commandments are worthy of great respect and are profoundly meaningful to many, many people, and they have a place in our society,鈥� Youngwood said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have a place in this form in public schools.鈥�

Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez, an appointee of President Joe Biden, asked Agui帽aga if he could cite any prior court decisions that allowed displays of the Ten Commandments in a school setting. He could not but instead referenced a ruling that allowed students who are Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses to abstain from the Pledge of Allegiance.

鈥淭he fact that they are allowed under the First Amendment to opt out of participating in the pledge doesn鈥檛 mean that they can also request that the flag be taken down or that the pledge not be said,鈥� Agui帽aga said.

Judge Haynes voiced some skepticism of Agui帽aga鈥檚 reference to the Staley case, noting that few people are compelled to go to a courthouse while children are required to go to school.

Judge James Dennis, who former President Bill Clinton appointed to the federal bench, also heard arguments Thursday.

Haynes said the appellate judges would do their best to render a decision in the near future.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.

Espired, a partnership with Florida investor Brad Saft, sells right-leaning , from Fighting Indoctrination and The Truth about Climate Change to an updated guide on this year鈥檚 election, including the against President-elect Donald Trump.  Last week, Trump tapped Huckabee, a Southern Baptist minister who hosts a on a Christian network, to serve as .

But the company also sells , with animated Old and New Testament stories, like Noah鈥檚 ark and the Resurrection. The series features colorful illustrations drawn in the identical style as those in the Texas curriculum. A kindergarten lesson鈥檚 image of , for example, and two more on the are lifted wholesale from covers of the company鈥檚 books.

Saft, a Princeton graduate and , did not answer emails or messages on social media. Chad Gallagher, an eSpired spokesman and former Huckabee adviser, declined to provide more details on how the company contributed to the program, but called eSpired the 鈥渓eading provider of curriculum to states searching for unbiased history鈥� and 鈥渓essons that explain the literary and historical value of the Bible.鈥�

Saft and Inspired by Education LLC, an alternate name for the company, were on a list of subcontractors for the curriculum that the Texas Education Agency shared with 社区黑料 in May. Contacted earlier this month, officials did not respond to questions about how much the state paid eSpired or the degree of influence the company had over the lessons.

The connection to Huckabee鈥檚 business venture, also known as EverBright Media, comes as the State Board of Education is set to vote Monday on whether to add the program, called Bluebonnet Learning, to a list of approved reading programs. The state is heavily the program at a time when some districts are . The board鈥檚 blessing means districts would be eligible for extra funding 鈥� up to $60 per student 鈥�  if they adopt the program.

鈥淒istricts鈥� hands are tied because they are in desperate need of additional funding, yet the state of Texas is trying to force them to use this curriculum as the only way to get additional funding,鈥� said Clinton Gill, a specialist with the Texas State Teachers Association and a former teacher in Lubbock, one of the districts that piloted an early version of the program. The state, he said, should involve teachers in developing the curriculum, 鈥渘ot some company with a political agenda.鈥�

The curriculum has won praise from GOP leaders, classical education proponents and who want the Bible to be more prominent in public schools. But the first draft, unveiled in late May, drew sharp criticism from those who said the authors disregarded other religions and introduced topics of faith more appropriate for church and home.

The state has since corrected many factual errors, but the bias toward Christianity remains, according to several experts. Education Commissioner Mike Morath will need eight board members in favor of Bluebonnet for it to be added to the list, but the vote is expected to be tight. 

鈥淭his is one of the hardest votes I’ve ever had to make in 22 years on the State Board of Education. I have lost sleep over it,鈥� said Republican Pat Hardy, who was defeated in this year鈥檚 election. This week鈥檚 series of meetings are her last on the board. 鈥淚鈥檝e literally heard from hundreds of people on both sides.鈥�

Last week, Texas Values, a nonprofit that promotes 鈥渂iblical, Judeo-Christian values鈥� in public policy, held a 鈥� event to promote the curriculum in Allen, Texas, part of Board Member Evelyn Brooks鈥� Fort Worth-area district. She鈥檚 among the conservative Republicans opposed to the program, and has called for more transparency over who wrote the lessons. 

Officials won鈥檛 identify who wrote the biblical material. Because a contract for the work fell under a pandemic disaster declaration, the state waived typical requirements that would have shed light on what those companies did and how much they were paid. 

Mary Elizabeth Castle, government relations director at Texas Values, said the curriculum has been unfairly accused of teaching about faith 鈥渋n a devotional way鈥� and only educates students to 鈥渦nderstand the hundreds of idioms that we use in everyday language that actually come from the Bible.鈥� 

Texas Values also of the curriculum to speak at Monday鈥檚 public hearing before the vote.

But opponents see Bluebonnet as part of a GOP-led movement to steer public schools to the right 鈥� one that is expected to accelerate under the incoming Trump administration. More than 15,000 opponents of the Bible-themed lessons have signed , organized by Faithful America, an online network of Christians, with about 200,000 members nationwide. 

鈥淲e’re pushing back on the folks who are ignoring the teachings of Jesus because they are seeking political power for themselves,鈥� said Karli Wallace Thompson, the group鈥檚 digital campaigns director. 鈥淭here’s nothing in the Gospel that tells us we need to go out and force our neighbors to worship the way that we do.鈥�

鈥楽acred story鈥�

The state made noticeable efforts to respond to many of the public鈥檚 concerns, according to biblical scholars who have reviewed the changes. Revisions in include a brief introduction to the prophet Muhammad, who was completely neglected originally, a chart displaying variations on the Golden Rule from six religions and a slightly shorter description of Jesus鈥檚 ministry.

But officials seemed to prioritize accuracy over making the curriculum more religiously balanced, said Mark Chancey, a religious studies professor at Southern Methodist University who has reviewed the newest version.

鈥淪ome of the many embarrassing gaffes and factual errors are now gone,鈥� he said. 

The original first grade American Independence unit, for example, incorrectly described the Liberty Bell as a 鈥渟ymbol designed to celebrate our freedom from being controlled by the British and our freedom to pray,鈥� even though it was cast before the revolution. Now the lesson reads: 鈥淢any people believe the Liberty Bell was designed to celebrate the traditions of religious freedom and self-government in the colony of Pennsylvania.鈥�

The on Jesus鈥檚 life and early Christianity no longer says that Christians hid in the catacombs to worship, that scholars have debunked. The unit also excludes the miracle of the disciples鈥� overflowing fishing nets, reducing the lesson on Jesus from eight pages to seven. 

But it still cites Josephus, a first century historian, who reported that Jesus鈥� disciples said that he 鈥渁ppeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive.鈥� Biblical scholars largely , which they say was probably added by priests during the Middle Ages in an effort to prove that Jesus was the son of God. 

The state eliminated what Texas Jews said was an offensive activity in which students would play dice to mimic how Haman, a Persian functionary in the biblical story of Queen Esther, cast lots to decide when to kill the Jews.  

But while there is somewhat more attention to Judaism in the edited version, the bias toward Christianity is still 鈥渃lear and indisputable,鈥� Chancey said. 

If the board signs off on this version and districts adopt it, elementary school children 鈥渨ill learn the main contours of the Christian sacred story鈥� 鈥� from Creation to the work of the Apostle Paul, he said. 鈥淣o other tradition gets similar treatment.鈥�

Other modifications acknowledge that Christians have used their faith to justify discrimination and violence throughout history.  A fourth grade lesson originally titled 鈥淚f You Were a Crusader鈥� has been renamed 鈥淭he Journey of a Crusader鈥� and the fact that in addition to capturing Jerusalem from the Muslims, crusaders 鈥渨ere given permission to persecute and kill non-Christians.鈥�

A fifth grade lesson now explains that Martin Luther King Jr. directed his 鈥淟etter from Birmingham Jail鈥� to clergymen who supported segregation. 鈥淚t was unfortunately also true that many people of the time supported those laws, including Christians like these clergymen,鈥� the text reads. Critics of the original version said glossing over that point gave students an inaccurate portrayal of the Civil Rights movement.

Critical examinations of some of Christianity鈥檚 darker chapters are a welcome addition to the curriculum, said David Brockman, a religious studies scholar at Rice University who has both versions. But a third grade lesson still says Spanish conquistadors鈥� merely 鈥渟hared鈥� their Christian faith with indigenous tribes and doesn鈥檛 delve into slavery, forced labor and other harsh methods used to convert them.

The updates don鈥檛 鈥渃orrect the overall problem of soft pedaling Christian involvement with violence and oppression in the past,鈥� he said.

Presenting students with America鈥檚 virtues as well as its faults was important to Steve Meeker, a retired middle school world geography teacher from the Montgomery Independent School District, north of Houston, who was hired to review earlier drafts of the curriculum. 

He provided feedback on a second grade unit that discusses how an evangelical religious movement called the Great Awakening  influenced the Founding Fathers鈥� views on slavery. The text quotes a letter in which Thomas Jefferson expressed that he 鈥渁rdently鈥� wanted to see slavery abolished. But while children would learn that George Washington made plans in his will to free his slaves, Meeker feels there鈥檚 still too little attention to the founders鈥� role as slave owners.

Jefferson might have wished for the end of slavery, but 鈥渉e certainly didn’t act on it,鈥� Meeker said. 鈥淗e owned more than 600 slaves and is only recorded as having freed ten of them.鈥�

Meeker, who also teaches a class at his church on the , appreciates the overall attention to familiarizing students with the Bible. Over his 42 years of teaching, he noticed that students were increasingly puzzled by everyday sayings like 鈥渕y brother鈥檚 keeper鈥� and the 鈥渉andwriting is on the wall.鈥� But he also noted that lessons about Jesus might make non-Christians uncomfortable. 

鈥楨xciting and engaging鈥�

Some supporters of the state鈥檚 program are concerned that the intense debate over the biblical material has overshadowed other aspects of the curriculum, which, Morath says, is meant to improve students’ vocabulary and background knowledge. 

The state鈥檚 lessons will give students 鈥済reat exposure鈥� to Texas history with material that reinforces content from science and social studies, said Courtnie Bagley, education director at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation. The state also hired her to work on lessons about geology and the state鈥檚 oil and gas industry.

鈥淚 could see how engaging and enjoyable it would be for a kid to read in second grade about the and Dolly Madison rescuing all the artifacts in the White House,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hose are exciting and engaging stories.鈥�

The state, meanwhile, continues to expend vast resources to get the materials in teachers鈥� hands. According to grant documents, the agency is spending $50 million on printing and another $10 million to train districts how to implement the curriculum. That鈥檚 on top of the $103 million the state has already spent on the program. 

Work on the project began in 2020, when it paid Amplify, a leading curriculum provider, $19 million in federal relief funds for its program. Based on the work of educator E.D. Hirsch, the lessons teach basic reading skills as well as content from art, history and science.

But Morath viewed that purchase as just a starting point and began commissioning lessons, like the one on Queen Esther, based on the Bible.  

In 2022, the agency signed an $84 million contract with Boston-based Public Consulting Group, which includes a . That company then subcontracted with a mix of curriculum developers and experts to modify the program with more Texas-related content and Bible-based lessons.

Espired and Saft, Huckabee鈥檚 business partner, were among them. The company markets primarily to a homeschooling audience, with ads on and . But in the first months of the pandemic, the , under former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, paid $245,000 for its and distributed it to schools.

Gallagher declined to comment on whether the company has completed work for other state education agencies, but said, 鈥淓Spired has many clients for their curriculum development services because parents are generally not satisfied with much of the existing materials and curriculum that has traditionally been available.鈥�

Learn Our History, another series of eSpired guides, 鈥渉elps kids learn all about American history from a positive, patriotic and faith-based standpoint,鈥� Huckabee said in a . Like the Texas program, it emphasizes the role of in the nation’s founding.

The company, however, also has some , with several complaints to the about recurring charges for products that parents said they never purchased or guides they never received.

鈥淚鈥檓 a pretty savvy consumer who doesn鈥檛 usually get bamboozled by the fine print,鈥� parent Shannon Ashley after ordering the company鈥檚 COVID guide. 鈥淚 knew I never actually gave them permission to regularly charge my card, and they never actually threw that fine print in there.鈥�

An advisory board member for the , which seeks to pass legislation based on 鈥渂iblical principles,鈥� Huckabee has who argue the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation. His 2020 book, , warns of the 鈥渄angers of corruption advocated by liberal politicians.鈥�

Before serving as governor from 1996 to 2007, Huckabee was a pastor in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He ran for president in 2008, but has also led tour groups to Israel, where 鈥淚 have been visiting since 1973 when I was a teenager,鈥� he . Huckabee, who there is 鈥渘o such thing as a West Bank鈥� and has expressed for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would lead efforts to bring an end to the war in Gaza, Trump said in a .

鈥楻ules of the game鈥� 

Texas鈥� move to write its own curriculum has also left traditional publishers, like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Savvas, wondering how competing against a state agency will affect their business 鈥� and whether districts will drop their materials in favor of a program that comes with strong financial incentives.

鈥淧ublishers have always sought after the Texas market because obviously it’s very large, with over 5 million students,鈥� said Eve Myers, a consultant for HillCo Partners, a lobbying and government relations firm whose clients include publishers. 鈥淭he biggest question is, 鈥榃hat are the rules of the game now?鈥� 鈥�

Curriculum companies also frequently make their authors available to districts to train teachers and explain the research behind their product, Meyers said. 

But so far, the state has refused to identify the authors who transformed Amplify鈥檚 program into Bluebonnet. And even with the recent edits, some board members, like Brooks, say it鈥檚 too soon to know if it will improve students鈥� reading performance. In a , she blamed 鈥済rassroots leaders who say 鈥榊ou have a Bible story in the curriculum, so it must be good.鈥� 鈥� 

鈥淭here鈥檚 no time to say how effective it is,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s being rewritten and revised in real time.鈥�

OKLAHOMA CITY 鈥� Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters issued guidelines Wednesday for how teachers should include the Bible in public school curriculum that include requiring analysis of biblical stories and art.

And amid a growing swell of pushback from districts, he warned there would be consequences for school districts that don鈥檛 comply.

Grade-level specific guidelines apply to students in fifth through 12th grades. They require students to analyze literary elements of biblical stories and to identify how those have impacted Western culture. For high school students, it entails assigned essays on the Bible鈥檚 role in literature, history and culture. Pieces of art and music inspired by the Bible are also required to be taught.

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Every classroom must also have a physical copy of the Bible, the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Ten Commandments.

鈥淭he Bible is indispensable in understanding the development of Western civilization and American history,鈥� Walters said in a statement. 鈥淭o ensure our students are equipped to understand and contextualize our nation, its culture, and its founding, every student in Oklahoma will be taught the Bible in its historical, cultural, and literary context. As we implement these standards, our schools will maintain open communication with parents to make sure they are fully informed and full partners in their kids鈥� education.鈥�

Walters the inclusion of the Bible in state curriculum during a June State Board of Education meeting, but Wednesday was the first time his agency announced specific guidelines regarding their inclusion.

In the weeks since Walters鈥� announcement, some of the state鈥檚 have said they will not comply.

Following the announcement, Rick Cobb, superintendent of Midwest City-Del City Public Schools, said in a statement that it is not appropriate to mandate the Bible to be in classrooms or instruction.

鈥淭he Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled this summer that selection of instructional materials is a matter of local control,鈥� Cobb said. 鈥淚 hope that remains the law and continues to be our practice.鈥�

Walters said he will ensure all districts comply.

鈥淪ome Oklahoma educators have indicated they won鈥檛 follow the law and Oklahoma standards, so let me be clear: they will comply, and I will use every means to make sure of it,鈥� he said.

Mixed reaction and questions about legality

The new guidelines drew mixed reactions.

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of state-church watchdog group Freedom From Religion Foundation, said the guidelines are unconstitutional.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just absurd,鈥� Gaylor said. 鈥淎nd he鈥檚 just signaling as fast as he can, as loud as he can, that he expects schools to brainwash children in the Christian religion.鈥�

While the group is working with a coalition of other organizations to determine a plan of action, Gaylor said they are taking time to digest the material.

Gaylor said it would be appropriate for a properly trained teacher to offer an optional class to high school students on the Bible.

鈥淏ut what he鈥檚 saying is every single teacher is to be given a Bible, and that鈥檚 just simply unconstitutional,鈥� Gaylor said. 鈥淲hat about giving every teacher the Quran? What about giving every teacher Richard Dawkins鈥� blockbuster book, 鈥楾he God Delusion鈥�?鈥�

Chuck Stetson, CEO of the NewYork-based Bible Literacy Project, said he commends the guidelines and wishes they would be implemented in every public school nationwide.

鈥淭his is educational instructions [to] the public schools, and it鈥檚 perfectly legal, and it鈥檚 what kids need to know,鈥� Stetson said.

The organization provides textbooks on the Bible鈥檚 literature and influence. Stetson said the guidelines have similarities to the organization鈥檚 textbooks.

Not including the Bible in public schools disadvantages students, he said.

鈥淔or example, in Shakespeare, there are over 1,200 biblical references in the 38 plays of Shakespeare,鈥� Stetson said. 鈥淢y contention is that if you don鈥檛 know the Bible, you can鈥檛 possibly know Shakespeare and what he鈥檚 talking about.鈥�

Stetson said the Bible is the 鈥渕ost-read literary book in the world,鈥� and students miss out on literary and historical context when the Bible is not taught.

However, Stetson said he was unsure how the additions to curriculum could be implemented in lower grade levels.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on and .

Maryland鈥檚 nearly 900,000 public school students will soon be heading back to school. Over the summer, teachers in every jurisdiction have taken courses to help them face the many challenges in the classroom. Thirty-five signed up for Religion Literacy for Educators, a five-day bus tour through the religion landscape of Montgomery County.

The course grew out of a 2-day summer workshop that Mitchell Joy, a history teacher at Walter Johnson High School, has offered since 2018. Last week the educators spent a morning or an afternoon exploring Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Sikhism and meeting people of those faiths based on Joy鈥檚 many years teaching comparative religion.

鈥淲e wanted to have the ability to go and visit houses of worship, and to have a really immersive experience, to get people to listen to what people believe, but also asking speakers to discuss how their practice is impacting the classroom,鈥� Joy said. 鈥淭he classroom is [also] a place where you can expand emotional and intellectual growth, and that best happens when people are exposed to different ideas and not threatened by that.鈥�

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鈥楢ll the hates are coming into the classroom鈥�

According to a by the Antidefamation League in 2022, Maryland ranked 10th in terms of the greatest number of antisemitic incidents, with Montgomery County accounting for nearly 60% of those across the state. Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky, the director of intergroup relations for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, described what many had already seen or heard in their own schools and communities 鈥� police cars in front of synagogues, antisemitic slurs, swastikas on buildings, and the hateful 鈥楯ews not welcome鈥� message written on the front door of Walt Whitman High School.

鈥淪o, they are already coming into the school year feeling this in the pit of their stomach,鈥� Sharofsky said. 鈥淎nd the classroom teacher has to deal with not just one community of faith, but also racism and everything, Islamophobia, and anti-Asian hate. Yes, all the hates are coming into the classroom at the same time, and it鈥檚 an impossible juggling act.鈥�

With Sharofsky were three Jewish students, among a corps of Jewish youth who volunteer to speak about their faith as part of JCRC鈥檚 Student to Student outreach program. Their audience that day was teachers.

鈥淚 know they are trying to listen and make changes based on what they hear,鈥� said Mattie P., a rising junior.

Nathan G., currently filling out college applications, said the effort is worth it. 鈥淭his kind of education makes teachers better prepared to talk about these subjects, and helps them create a classroom environment that鈥檚 more welcoming and more open to all students.鈥�

Dahlia F., who is headed for Kenyon College this fall, said speaking out gives her a greater sense of confidence. 鈥淚 am able to express myself, to say what needs to be said and that people will listen to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t makes me feel safer, it鈥檚 a tool in my back pocket that students like myself can share without fear.鈥�

To think a good thought, to speak a good word, to do a good deed, is the best

Back on the bus in mid-week, the group headed to the Zoroastrian Center, located in a quiet neighborhood in Boyds, near the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve. More than a dozen association members greet them, to share the traditions of this ancient monotheistic religion, that predates Islam. On this day they are told by its leaders that the religion accounts for 200,000 members worldwide, including the 400 who worship in Boyds and trace their heritage back to Iran or India.

The teachers are invited into a prayer room filled with natural light to listen to chanting from a sacred prayer in Avestan, an extinct language passed down by oral tradition, which Zoroastrians learn by rote.

Afterward the educators move to a great hall for lunch, with members joining them to continue the conversation, including Rubina Patel, who shares the teaching that to think a good thought, to speak a good word, to do a good deed, is best. 鈥淚 think one of the strengths of Zoroastrianism, is that it鈥檚 a reflective religion,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is each individual鈥檚 responsibility to make this world a better place or leave a place in a better condition than they found it.鈥�

Fourteen-year-old Pourochista Izadyar is there too. She points out the many symbols of the two-winged figure, the Farvahar, she wears around her neck, which, she said makes her religion special. She said in school she鈥檚 often the only Zoroastrian, and hasn鈥檛 wanted to be singled out. 鈥淲hen I was younger, I would tell them, I was American, born and raised, but now as I grow up, I鈥檝e become prouder of my heritage and feel everyone else should proud of their heritage as well,鈥� she said.

Her message for teachers: 鈥淏e accepting. Don鈥檛 make [students] feel left out. Learning about [religion] in school makes you feel like, that鈥檚 my heritage. That鈥檚 my culture right there.鈥�

Cabin John Middle School social studies teacher Vicki Mihailidis gets it. 鈥淚鈥檝e been talking with my colleagues, and yes, just to promote that cultural sensitivity,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think the main thing we need to do as a teacher is to establish a really safe, comfortable environment in your school, and build relationships with your students, so they do feel seen.鈥�

Beyond prejudice, bigotry, misinformation

At the houses of worship, at lunch and on the bus, teachers said that by learning more about various religions, there is less an opportunity for prejudice, bigotry, misinformation or misunderstandings.

This is also what is the heart of the new social studies curriculum being rolled out for grades pre-K-12 beginning in the fall, through the 2025-6 school year. Lessons will connect historic immigration with current events, tailored to the population of Montgomery County. Social Studies supervisor Tracy Oliver-Gary said the curriculum鈥檚 alignment with the state mandated social justice standard is intentional.

鈥淲e are using this curriculum to fight hate,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is telling their story, but we also have to go beyond the oppression, to humanizing people that continuously face hate crimes or hate acts as well. Those are the goals with the curricula.鈥�

鈥淛ust being exposed to all of these ideas really enhances a teacher鈥檚 ability to communicate more effectively with students and parents of faith,鈥� Joy said. 鈥淢any teachers told me they learned so much and are looking forward to the next level of the course next summer.鈥�

Religion Literacy for Educators was sponsored in part by the non-profit Kaur Foundation.