Texas Curriculum Reform

The recent curriculum initiative in Texas highlights the importance of background knowledge and vocabulary in literacy education. The new Open Educational Resource (OER) curriculum emphasizes a language-rich and knowledge-rich approach, aligning with the views of E.D. Hirsch, who argues that mature literacy depends on having a shared base of knowledge. Despite media claims that Texas schools are pushing Bible stories, Pondicio defends the inclusion of biblical references as essential for cultural literacy, suggesting that common knowledge enhances language proficiency and comprehension. He contends that these curriculum changes can address educational inequities, providing disadvantaged students with the same foundational knowledge as their affluent peers.