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Parents urge Conroe ISD to pause Bluebonnet rollout, demand independent review
Summary
Several parents and educators told the Conroe ISD board Oct. 21 that the Bluebonnet English-language arts program lacks phonics and rigor, embeds religious material in student readers, and increases teacher workload; speakers asked the board to pause further rollout and commission independent reviews.
Several parents urged the Conroe Independent School District board Oct. 21 to pause further rollout of the Bluebonnet English-language arts curriculum and order an independent review, saying the program does not meet accepted literacy standards.
"Please pause further roll out to Bluebonnet and please have Bluebonnet independently reviewed," a parent identified as Ellen told trustees, adding that the curriculum "abandons many of those best practices" taught in the Texas Reading Academy. Other speakers described similar concerns about academic rigor and instructional design.
Destiny Milton told trustees that "biblical content is bound straight into the same reader as the regular lessons," creating opt-out complications that force teachers to spend planning time physically removing pages. Milton said the district's decision to adopt the curriculum before fully addressing teacher and committee feedback has caused additional workload and classroom disruption.
Avery Clayton and other parents echoed worries that Bluebonnet does not adequately incorporate phonics or the science of reading, arguing those shortcomings reduce comprehension and independent-reading time for early grades. "This curriculum in its current form is a step backwards for Conroe ISD," Clayton said.
Mark Brooks, speaking about proposed local policy EMB, warned trustees that some policy language tied to curricular decisions could be ambiguous, citing a proposed prohibition on instruction that would "make unpatriotic or anti American sentiments" and a "prohibited terms" list that he said included the term "Latinx." Brooks asked the board to scrutinize any policy changes that exceed state legislative requirements.
Trustees did not vote on the curriculum during the public-comment period. Several speakers requested that the board compile opt-out data and teacher feedback so the district can quantify classroom impacts; Destiny Milton specifically asked the district to compile data on how many students opted out this year compared with previous years to measure additional teacher workload.
