Austin, TX

Texas may pay schools to use curriculum critics say is overtly Christian

Published

6 months ago

July 14, 2024

Texas may pay schools to use curriculum critics say is overtly Christian

AUSTIN, Texas — State education leaders recently proposed elementary school materials infused with Bible teachings. Critics say it’s another attempt by Texas Republicans to put more Christianity in public schools.

What You Need To Know

State Board of Education members are deciding on what type of curriculum to approve for elementary school students

There are around 10 sets of materials for the board to review, but the Open Education Resource textbooks created by the Texas Education Agency have raised red flags from some board members

One concerned grandparent says the materials violate separation of church and state and worries students will be heavily influenced by the Christian church

All districts will receive $40 per student for choosing the curriculum from the approved list

State Board of Education members are deciding on what type of curriculum to approve for elementary school students. There are around 10 sets of materials for the board to review, but the Open Education Resource textbooks created by the Texas Education Agency have raised red flags from some board members.

“That’s when all of the stuff started getting introduced with the biblical references,” Aicha Davis, a State Board of Education member, said.

One of the Christian biblical references found in the state’s work has fifth-graders reading “sections from the Book of Daniel to better understand Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s reference to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in his ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’”

“It doesn’t really talk about the things that King was experiencing and his different aspects of why the letter was necessary,” said Davis.

The state-developed materials also include instructions for first-graders to recognize the connection of the Christian biblical story of Moses to the Liberty Bell. A religious scholar who reviewed the material for the state says the infusion of religion provides context about American history.

“These stories are as fairly presented in terms of the biblical content as stories that we present on Greek mythology, on the Mayan and Central American religious heritage,” said Dr. Marvin McNeese Jr., chair of the Department of General Education at College of Biblical Studies.

There is also no expectation for teachers to be religious experts.

“If they stick to the script, then we’re going to be on safe ground here,” said McNeese.

One concerned grandparent says the materials violate separation of church and state and worries students will be heavily influenced by the Christian church.

“I think this could easily lead students to believe that only a religion labeled as Christian is the best and the most important one in the world. And that kind of messaging does not belong in our public schools,” said Robert Norris with Grandparents for Public Schools.

It’s ultimately up to local school districts to adopt the curriculum. There is concern about the incentive that the state’s curriculum is free.

“America was also founded on other things, right, but at least the Bible is part of the founding of America,” Staci Childs, a State Board of Education member, said.

All districts will receive $40 per student for choosing the curriculum from the approved list. If they select the Texas Education Agency materials, they will get an additional $20 per student to cover the cost of printing. The board will approve its final list of reviewed instructional materials in November.

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Proposed bill would relocate Border Patrol headquarters to Texas

Published

1 hour ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Proposed bill would relocate Border Patrol headquarters to Texas

AUSTIN, Texas — U.S. Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, has introduced a bill that would move headquarters for the United States Customs and Border Patrol to Texas.

What You Need To Know

A proposed bill, introduced by Rep. Keith Self, would move U.S. Customs and Border Patrol headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Texas

Relocating Border Patrol headquarters is part of President-elect Donald Trump’s larger plan to relocate thousands of federal employees

An Austin-based immigration attorney calls the proposed move of CBP to Texas an action to garner attention but believes it won’t affect determined asylum seekers

A political scientist says he isn’t confident Self’s bill will become law, but if it does, Gov. Greg Abbott could benefit

Self posed the question on X, formerly Twitter, asking “Why is the agency responsible for securing the border 2,000 miles away from the border?”

The proposed bill would move U.S. Customs and Border Patrol headquarters from Washington, D.C. to the Lone Star State.

“Doing so will be cost-effective and critical to bringing President Trump’s fight to the border,” Self said.

“This proposal fits a broader pattern that President Trump engaged in during his first term of trying to decentralize the federal government,” said Mark Jones, a Rice University professor of political science.

Relocating Border Patrol headquarters is part of President-elect Donald Trump’s larger plan to relocate thousands of federal employees.

“As many as 100,000 government positions can be moved out. And I mean immediately out of Washington to places filled with patriots who love America,” Trump said.

During his first term, Trump moved the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service to Kansas City, Missouri, and the Bureau of Land Management to Colorado. Jones says he isn’t confident Self’s bill will become law, but if it does, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott could benefit.

“It’s one thing to propose moving an agency outside of the D.C. metro area to another state. It’s another thing to actually do so in practice, in part because so many of the employees will not want to move,” Jones said. “This fits very well with his belief that Texas and the state should be playing a more active role in border security. Having Customs and Border Patrol here in Texas would, I think, be a natural fit from the perspective of the governor.”

Recently, Abbott authorized dozens of billboards across South America and Mexico to stop border crossings.

“We will work with the Trump administration to deport them,” said Abbott.

Self says his bill “will allow America’s Border Patrol agents to be on the ground at the critical point of the crisis.”

But an Austin-based immigration attorney calls the proposed move an action to garner attention but believes it won’t affect determined asylum seekers.

“If we were to expand legal immigration options, temporary work programs, ways for people to access asylum protections without having to be at the border, then we would see a lot of this immigration along the border with Mexico go down,” Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said.

If passed, Kristi Noem, Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, will be required to work with Texas to select an area “strategically placed” to address border security.

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Austin, TX

Cotton Bowl 2025: Ohio State defeats Texas 28-14; heads to national championship

Published

13 hours ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Cotton Bowl 2025: Ohio State defeats Texas 28-14; heads to national championship

article

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 10: Jack Sawyer #33 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs with the ball after recovering a fumble in the fourth quarter against the Texas Longhorns during the Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on January 10, 2025 in Ar

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Texas Longhorns 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday night.

Ohio State will go on to play Notre Dame in the national championship later this month.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 10: The Texas Longhorns huddle before the Goodyear Cotton Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium on January 10, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Fourth quarter:

Ohio State answered first in the fourth quarter. They took the lead 21-14 with less than eight minutes left in the game.

Texas marched down the field but came up empty-handed.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was sacked, leading to a fumble. Ohio State recovered the ball and ran it back for an 83-yard touchdown.

Ohio State now leads 28-14 with less than three minutes left.

With Texas’ first drive back, Ewers was intercepted.

Ohio State wins the Cotton Bowl Classic 28-14 over the Texas Longhorns

Third quarter:

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard threw an interception during their first drive of the quarter. Texas was unable to answer.

With less than four minutes left in the third, Texas tied the game 14-14.

Second quarter:

To start the second quarter, Texas fumbled the ball twice, but recovered the ball both times.

Ohio State had several penalties, keeping them from marching up the field.

Texas tied the game 7-7 with less than a minute left in the first half.

Ohio State answered back with a 75-yard run for a touchdown. Ohio State took the lead again, 14-7, to end the first half.

First quarter:

Ohio State won the coin toss and deferred for the second half. The Longhorns will have the ball first.

Texas was unable to score on their first possession of the game. Ohio State now has the ball.

Ohio State is on the board first. Texas trails 7-0.

To end the first quarter, Ohio State had the lead 7-0.

Texas vs Ohio State: How to watch, stream

Texas Longhorns vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Where: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
Date: Friday, Jan. 10
Time: 6:30 p.m. (CT)
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN, DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, YouTube TV (with subscription)

Match-ups to Watch

Quarterbacks

Neither quarterback in this game is a stranger to playing in Arlington.

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard and Ewers both won Big 12 championships the last time they played at AT&T Stadium.

Texas won the Big 12 in its last season in the conference last year. Howard transferred to Ohio State from Kansas State. He led the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship win over then-undefeated TCU two years ago.

Stopping Smith

The best match-up of the game could be Texas All-American senior cornerback Jahdae Barron vs. standout Buckeyes freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith. Barron won the Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back. But Barron gives up four inches and 15 pounds to Smith, the second-team All-American who may be the most electric freshman in the country. Smith has 70 receptions for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns. Smith has four touchdowns in these playoffs.

College Football Playoff National Championship

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Texas Longhorns/Ohio State Buckeyes
Date: Monday, January 20
Time: 7:30 P.M. (CT)
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia

The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press, the College Football Playoff and past FOX 7 coverage.

Texas LonghornsCollege Football PlayoffSports

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Austin, TX

Cotton Bowl 2025: Texas-Ohio State predictions, how to watch, matchups

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Cotton Bowl 2025: Texas-Ohio State predictions, how to watch, matchups

The Sports Office: Jan. 6, 2025

FOX 7 Austin’s Dennis de la Pena and producer Julian Martinez talk about the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes!

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes will face off in Arlington, Texas on Friday in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

The winner of the game between Texas (13-2) and Ohio State (12-2) will go on to play Notre Dame in the national championship.

Texas vs Ohio State: How to watch, stream

Texas Longhorns vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Where: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
Date: Friday, Jan. 10
Time: 6:30 p.m. (CT)
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN, DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, YouTube TV (with subscription)

Key Players

Quarterback matchup

Neither quarterback in this game is a stranger to playing in Arlington.

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard and Ewers both won Big 12 championships the last time they played at AT&T Stadium.

Stopping Smith

The best matchup of the game could be Texas All-American senior cornerback Jahdae Barron vs. standout Buckeyes freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith. Barron won the Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back. But Barron gives up four inches and 15 pounds to Smith, the second-team All-American who may be the most electric freshman in the country. Smith has 70 receptions for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns. Smith has four touchdowns in these playoffs.

Predictions

Pick Against the Spread: Texas (+6)
Pick Over/Under: Under (53.5)
Prediction: Ohio State 27, Texas 22

Predictions are made by the Data Skrive betting model.

FOX Sports Analyst Joel Klatt went with Ohio State in his prediction for the Cotton Bowl. Klatt says the Buckeyes are playing the best football in the country right now and the fact that the game is being played in Texas is keeping the line (Texas +6) lower than it should be.

Klatt: Ohio State 35 – Texas 21

National Championship Game

The winner of the Longhorns and Buckeyes game will take on Notre Dame in the championship game.

The game will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where the Longhorns played in the SEC Championship and against Arizona State in the College football playoff.