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Parent raises concern about religious language, piloting in proposed Bluebonnet curriculum
Summary
At the New Caney ISD Board meeting a parent urged trustees to consider curriculum piloting, teacher review, and potential religious language in the Bluebonnet RLA program before adopting K–5 materials.
A parent told the New Caney Independent School District Board of Trustees on May 19 that trustees should evaluate curriculum choices carefully and consider piloting options before approving K–5 materials.
Jennifer Grintz, a district parent, told trustees she has been in the district since February 2011 and asked whether teachers had opportunities to review and compare all curriculum options before a selection. "Did the district have teachers look at all the options and have a chance to get their hands on each option and give their unbiased options and their opinions?" Grintz said.
Grintz also raised concerns about language and cultural sensitivity in a reading-language-arts (RLA) component of a curriculum she identified as "Bluebonnet." She told trustees she had seen examples of unfamiliar vocabulary on earlier STAAR tests and said she was worried that passages containing explicitly Christian wording could confuse or alienate students from other faiths or nonreligious backgrounds. "When they talk about unfamiliar vocabulary such as Jesus crucified on the cross," Grintz said, "How will the students who are not a Christian based faith not get lost and made fun of? How will this affect the teachers that are not of a Christian faith?"
Grintz asked whether the district would pilot just the math portion, pilot RLA at a few campuses first, or approve both subjects districtwide without further testing. She said she knew the Texas Education Agency has provided incentives for districts to adopt the program but asked trustees to prioritize students' and teachers' needs over incentives.
The board did not take final action on curriculum selection at the meeting. The district's public comment rules and complaint policies were read at the start of the meeting; Grintz spoke during the open forum section, and board members said issues appearing on the printed agenda would be deferred to the appropriate agenda item.
The board did not provide immediate answers to the detailed questions Grintz raised about pilot scope, teacher review processes, or district plans for adopting the Bluebonnet materials.
