The results of a new poll say that nearly three out of four Texans want to see curriculum standards for public schools written by teachers and scholars, not the State Board of Education.
The Dallas Morning News reports that the poll comes two months after the board approved new curriculum standards for social studies that reflect a more conservative view of U.S. history and other subjects. The new standards will be used over the next decade.
The poll of 601 likely Texas voters showed some dissatisfaction with the standards. Of those polled 70% want teachers and educators to call the shots on what students should be taught. On religion, 68 percent said separation of church and state is a key legal principle, but 49 percent also said religion should have more influence in the schools.
Other findings showed that 80 percent want high school students to be taught about contraceptives in health classes and 55 percent oppose publicly funded vouchers to let students attend private and religious schools.
The poll was paid for by the Texas Freedom Network, which works to counter religious conservatives. It was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research between May 4-12 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent, meaning results can vary by that much in either direction.
