John,

Last week, we delivered this open letter to the Texas State Board of Education. On behalf of a broad coalition of pro-public education and civil rights groups, we told the SBOE to simply #TeachTheTruth.

That's because the board is underway with another rewrite of social studies curriculum standards that include history. The overhaul takes place every 10 years or so in a process that can get contentious -- as it did last time -- under any circumstances, but possibly more so this year given the national wave of classroom lesson censorship and book bans.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

The board can put the best interests of millions of public school children at the forefront and keep this process focused on sound scholarship and objective facts.

Look, history can be messy, but we shouldn't be afraid to talk about it. There is much to celebrate about our diversity and our past, but we also have to be honest that our nation has made some terrible mistakes that we should learn from and avoid repeating. None of that will be possible if we censor classroom instruction and ban books.

We know that Texans overwhelmingly support our public schools. We must acknowledge and teach about the values, cultures, histories, and contributions of all Americans, particularly of marginalized communities that are often the most invisible in our classrooms.

This is a debate that won't let up in the coming months. By making a gift to our campaign today, you ensure that we are able to defend truth in education.

In the fight,

Carisa Lopez
TFN Senior Political Director