The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE), an elected 15-member body, met to take a final vote on the health instructional materials and textbooks that will be recommended to public school districts in the State of Texas. The SBOE voted to adopt Goodheart-Willcox instructional materials, by a vote of 10-3, which covers middle school and high school students. The SBOE did not adopt the remaining materials up for consideration: Lessonbee, Human Kinetics, and QuaverEd for elementary schools.
In particular, the Lesson bee and Human Kinetics materials and textbooks had faced major criticism by parents and board members for its graphic and highly controversial content discussing LGBT issues, abortion and at least one scenario that specifically described a sexual encounter between children.
Mary Elizabeth Castle, Senior Policy Advisor for Texas Values released the following statement:

“We are glad the elected board rejected radical LGBT and abortion materials to be on the board-recommended textbook list for health education for public schools. Instead, the board approved an abstinence-focused textbook that is based on state education standards. Ultimately, parents have the responsibility and right to know what curriculum their local school boards choose for students in their district and starting this year Texas is an “opt-in” state for sex education.”

The SBOE meeting started on Tuesday, November 16th where many parents and advocates participated in public testimony to urge SBOE members to reject radical, invasive, and graphic materials for their children in public schools.
Texas Values had been involved in this health education process at the SBOE since 2019.