A Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) member has suggested banning people connected to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from participating in workgroups that review and rework Texas curriculum standards.
During the regular meeting of the SBOE in Austin, the board took substantial time on April 12 to examine potential procedural changes that could be made to how Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) review workgroups are selected.
Member Julie Pickren (R-Pearland) raised the prospect of instituting regulations that would prohibit members of certain groups or organizations from participating in said workgroups.
“Has an SBOE board ever had a blackout list on who couldn’t participate, such as, maybe, the Confucius Institute or members of the Confucius Institute?” Pickren asked.
The Confucius Institutes are a series of educational programs in America and other countries funded by China’s Ministry of Education. They have generated substantial controversy, and the National Association of Scholars recommended that all institutes at American schools be closed, claiming that they are propaganda arms of the Chinese government.
The Chinese government has admitted that the Confucius Institutes are a part of the foreign policy strategy, and the national propaganda chief, Li Changchun, suggested the programs were “an important part of China’s overseas propaganda set-up,” per Politico.
Member Keven Ellis (R-Lufkin), the chairman of the SBOE, answered Pickren by noting that the board had never done such a thing.
“Is that something we could consider?” Pickren continued.
“We can consider it, but I would really have to understand the purpose. I think if you excluded a certain group, there might be some discrimination that could be alleged,” Ellis said, turning to look at Chris Maska, a lawyer with the Texas Education Agency.
“We could certainly take a look at that if that’s the way you are thinking of going,” Maska said.
Pickren’s proposal prompted Member Aicha Davis (D-Dallas) to express significant concern.
“I do want to kind of dig into that because now I have a fear that we’re going to start discriminating against people for whatever reasons,” said Davis. “So I do kind of want to hear more on your thoughts on that because, I mean, I have a true concern about discriminating against potential people to serve on those workgroups.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be discriminating against a particular person or people, it would be discriminating against the Chinese Communist Party. … It would be preventing communism in our Texas public education,” Pickren responded. “Because the Confucius Institute is very active nationwide, including in Texas, on education recommendations.”
“So are you suggesting that we have a box on [the applications] that says, ‘If you’re a Communist, check here,’ so we don’t choose them?” Davis asked.
“That is for this board to decide,” Pickren said. “That’s up for us to discuss and decide.”
At this point, Davis turned to Maska, asking, “Are there federal guardrails that would prevent us from just discriminating against a group because we want to? Are there some federal guidance, guidelines, or something that should be involved in that kind of conversation if we’re now talking about discrimination?”
Ellis interjected, “The question to legal staff is if there would be any discriminatory challenges that we would run up against. Obviously, this was just something that was just thrown out in conceptual and just one group that was mentioned.”
“I think if we wanted to seriously take a look at that, we would have to probably do a much deeper legal dive into what discriminatory concerns we might have if we did that before we took any further action on that,” he explained.
Member L.J. Francis (R-Corpus Christi) raised a point of information and suggested that Pickren’s proposal was more akin to banning TikTok from government phones due to the concern that the program is connected to the Chinese government.
“Would it still fall under discrimination, or would it fall under a different definition?” Francis asked legal counsel.
Maska replied, “We could not say, ‘If you’re a Communist, you cannot make a comment here.’ If you’re an American citizen and you’re a Communist, you can make a comment here.”
“The issue here is corporations that are controlled by a foreign entity, in this case, the Communist Party of China,” Maska said. “I think it may well be possible to exclude them.
“I know the governor has done that, but I’d certainly have to do the research before I told you that’s something y’all could do,” he concluded.
Ellis intervened, saying, “I think we’re getting down a pretty deep rabbit hole. I think if we want to take a serious consideration of that, then we can request legal to guide us further.”
“I’m not sure that it’s the will of the board that we start discriminating against certain groups,” he added. “If that’s not the case and it is the will of the board, maybe let me know, but I don’t want to get down a rabbit trail that’s probably not a trail we need to go down.”
“So if there is a will to start listing groups, let’s talk about that and get some more legal guidance, but if it’s just a little bit of a hypothetical question or just a statement, I don’t want to spend a whole lot of time on something that’s not the will of the body,” Ellis said.
Member Aaron Kinsey (R-Midland) asked if it would be appropriate to ask people to list affiliated groups on workgroup applications. Ellis suggested that doing so was a possibility.
Maska confirmed this, saying, “That’s certainly reasonable information that could help you.”
The conversation then moved on to a motion made by Member Will Hickman (R-Houston) to take a vote on suggestions he had made to improve the process of selecting workgroup members.
A Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) member has suggested banning people connected to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from participating in workgroups that review and rework Texas curriculum standards.
Why is anyone connected with any foreign government allowed to participate in workgroups that review and rework Texas curriculum standards?
Because we are idiots. We are so scared of someone calling us racist that we will allow nonsense like this. It’s not just local or state, it’s a national disease. The Chinese know it and they are exploiting us in every area imaginable. This country is on a slide. Morally, economically, and politically. These are sad days. Conservatives have got to say enough is enough and talk plainly and act accordingly or this country will slide to the bottom. Come on Silent Majority! Wake up and speak up. Vote these idiots out of office!
Hey, we did vote the idiots out of their office. Thank you for reminding us!
Good! China is smart. Thru don’t want to get in a straight war with the US. Instead, they send they people buy our land, get into our people minds including kids through social media and education to make us weaker. And i think they are successful, unfortunately. Slowly but surely they poison ours people minds.
Since everything is racist now, of course someone on the left will complain. The ccp is doing everything it can to undermine the US. This is an easy decision that only Biden and his cronies (his family, all democrats, the main stream media) will attempt to criticize and stop.
Bret we were calm, cool and minding our own business. Countries love us during the Obama/Biden administration, equal pay for women. No one trying to destroy us.
Then the Flim, Flam man showed up. Calling soldiers, Sucker and Losers. Putting Senator John McCain down because he didn’t like soldiers who were captured. If you hate Biden so much, give him back the unemployment checks, PPP money, COVID-19 shots, no one is making anyone take a shot, dang you are grown. If you hate the Biden administration, hell give it all back. No sense complaining, put the checks in the mail. 1600 Pennsylvania. Put three stamps on the envelope to make sure it gets there.
Member Julie Pickren Republican from Pearland need to clean her closet out, stove, refrigerator and cabinet in her kitchen. You have already barred books and language, didn’t want Spanish taught, eliminate books with Rosa Park.
I remember as a child a sign in Grand Saline with MLK’S picture, stating he was a communist.
But it’s okay to promote the Proud Boys, Skin Heads and KKK. Most can’t even speak English.
Do you know we have gotten trillions of dollars In Loans from Communist China. I guess you will close Trinity High School in Euless because of the amount languages spoken. Member Davis Democrat of Dallas you need to call it what it is discrimination and racism. You democrats of Texas are some of the weakest in this state. You are nothing but ‘Resume’ builder’s, pitiful.
Ms. Pickren there are a lot of Americans from the United States. We sent our Tech companies to Whom, communist China.
Way to go Anna give them hell. I only read this web page to offer an opposing view. Republicans think Democrats and independents are weak and dumb. So we have to speak up to keep the U.S. free for everyone.
Foreign entities should not be making comments or influencing decisions on Texas Education. They should barred.
Leeann, Jimmy Dee had it right. We sent our cars to not only the Chinese but Germany makes a lot of cars we drive. Are we going too make them leave. I bet Alabama would have an insurrection if they closed their plants. Micro Soft, AT&T and a lot of technology has gone to the communists.
Eric Prince is training the Military in China. He and his sister the former Secretary of Education are building a communication center. Who is his sister Betsy DeVoss, make you say Hmmm!
I am a 66 year old white man. Conservative and I don’t like the Chinese government at all. But I have to say that when the big wigs at the major companies gave away our advantages in technology because they wanted to make even more money regardless of the cost to the country. This is when we should have been upset. We are getting what we sow. Don’t drive the country to the ground and then start crying
Hey Republicans here is a novel idea: Why not round up all the Asians and place them in concentration camps? Hell the U.S. has done that before. Does not matter if they are U,S, citizens or U.S. veterans, hell they look different and read different books than white Texans, so they must be dangerous. I am sure the Supreme Court you bought and paid for will support that idea.