John,

Next week, the Texas State Board of Education will gather for its final meeting of the year and to take two critical final votes on:

• Whether new K-8 science standards will acccurately address climate change
• Whether to adopt new health instructional materials (textbooks) that teach the truth on sex education

The votes are the culmination of a lot of work to ensure we #TeachTheTruth. The board must get this right.

Can you add your voice and testify virtually on one or both of these issues? Let us know by clicking here. We'll give you our comprehensive guide with all you need to know, including how and when to register.

Here is why this matters so much.

Science Standards 
In September, the SBOE made several changes to K-8 science standards that required students to learn about the reality and cause of climate change as well as ways to mitigate and adapt to the problem. But two days later, the board moved to weaken those changes, following pressure from representatives of the fossil fuel industry in Texas.

Weakening the standards was wrong. Climate change threatens the entire planet, and millions of Texas school kids deserve to learn the facts about a problem they will inherit. Board members must hear from Texans who want the new science standards to do a better job covering this issue than than the abysmal standards approved by climate deniers who controlled the board more than a decade ago.

Health Materials
Last year, the SBOE made some improvements to school health standards that cover sex education -- particularly on teaching about contraception -- after decades of sticking to a failed abstinence-only approach. Now the board is faced with approving instructional materials (textbooks) based on those standards.

But opponents of sex education have attacked some of the proposed textbooks for including information on contraception as well as sexual orientation, gender identity and the importance of consent. Before board members vote, it's important for them to hear from Texans who want textbooks that give students the infromation they need to make important life decisions about sex and health and live happy, healthy lives.

Can We Count on You?
We need fair-minded Texans to tell their SBOE members that we need progress on these two subjects. Click here now for our guide to testifying.

There have been too many attacks on our public schools in recent months that are based on misinformation and some outright lies. Here is one chance to ensure we get some facts right in our science standards and in our health textbooks.

Let's #TeachTheTruth, y'all!

In the fight,

Jules Mandel (they/them)
TFN Outreach & Advocacy Strategist

P.S. To ensure we can continue fighting to #TeachTheTruth in our classrooms, make a tax-deductible gift to TFN today. Your support will help the future generation of Texans learn the truth.