In a development that could make both public education and free speech advocates more than a little nervous, a member of the Texas House of Representatives has asked some state school districts for information about the types of books they have.
Last week, Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, said he is investigating Texas school district content. Krause is chairman of the House Committee on General Investigating and notified the Texas Education Agency of this intent. The story originally was reported by the Texas Tribune.
It is also worth pointing out that Krause is among a crowded field of candidates looking to unseat Ken Paxton as the state’s attorney general. Critics suggest the inquiry is merely a means for Krause to raise his statewide profile among voters.
The titles on school library book shelves have from time to time sparked controversy, but it can be dangerous when one group tries to monitor or determine what others might have access to.
Krause has sent the districts, which have not been identified, a list of some 850 book titles. He wants to know if they have these books, how many copies of each they have and how much they’ve spent to obtain them, per the Tribune’s account.
The books overwhelmingly have to do with issues of race and sexuality with most having been produced within the past two decades. So far, the representative has declined to comment on the inquiry or how the books were selected for the list. Likewise, the TEA and most members of Krause’s committee have not commented publicly.
The letter appears to be a direct result of House Bill 3979, a recently passed state law meant to limit how race-related topics are taught in public secondary schools, according to the Tribune story. The schools have only a few weeks to gather material and respond to Krause’s request.
It is not clear what might happen to districts that have books on the list or how any information generated from the inquiry will be used. There are no overtures within the letter that any of the books will be removed from the schools.
It is troubling, though, when a member of the legislature seeks information about specific school districts and the books those schools might possess. The inquiry, which seemed to catch other committee members by surprise, should raise concern on several levels. It is a slippery slope. What books will be on the next list? Who determines what the lists look like?
Books are a fundamental way of increasing one’s knowledge and can also offer reasoning behind viewpoints, popular and unpopular, for consideration. They are part of a lifelong educational process. They not only provide information, but they also challenge readers to engage previously unconsidered points of view thoughtfully. In other words, they contribute mightily to an educated populace.
A secondary consideration is the amount of work this request creates for public school personnel. Chasing down how many copies of hundreds of titles and the costs associated with each translates to a lot of legwork for districts, most of which are already facing staffing and resource challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter specifies 850 books, but also includes broad language about other titles that fall within a variety of related categories.
“This is an obvious attack on diversity and an attempt to score political points at the expense of our children’s education,” Ovidia Molina, president of the Texas State Teachers Association, said in the Tribune story.
Amarillo Globe-News
