On June 12, 2026, Defending Education (DE) submitted a comment to the Texas State Board of Education on its proposed new social studies standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). DE recommended replacing the term “world history” with “Western civilization,” which better matches what the standards actually teach. DE also raised concerns that the Ethnic Studies: Mexican American Studies course could open the door to the kind of activist material that has filled ethnic studies courses in other states.
DE urges the Board to adopt the standards with these changes and to support teachers with detailed lesson resources and training that match the approved standards.
Read the full comment below:
