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The conservative pressure on faculty at Texas colleges and universities to change how and what they teach in the classroom isn't slowing down.
In November, the Texas A&M System Board of Regents passed a new ban on teaching race and gender ideology. In December, Texas Tech's new chancellor, Brandon Creighton, warned professors in a memo that they may not promote the belief that one race or sex is superior to another.
And now, hundreds of University of Houston instructors have been asked to sign a memo affirming that they teach — not "indoctrinate" — adding to a conservative push in Texas higher education aimed at tamping down on allegedly "woke" professors.
"We see what's happening at the other universities in Texas and across the nation, so we know that in many ways, admin is working for us," Lauren Zentz, chair of UH's Department of English, told reporter Samantha Ketterer. "But it's still such a dangerous climate that any moment of overcompliance kind of puts us at risk for sliding down the slippery slope of the denigration of education in a democratic society."
In the English Department, Zentz said some faculty worry if they sign the memo, it could be viewed as an admission of indoctrination — and used against them in the future. Faculty have largely disputed the characterization of rampant "indoctrination" on campus, arguing the vast majority of instructors understand they wouldn't be doing their jobs properly if they told students what to think. Instead, they say, they present all relevant information and teach them how form their own arguments.
What's happening in Texas is inline with a larger push nationwide where conservative leaders are convinced American politics has gone astray, partly because of what is being taught on college campuses.
Before he became President Donald Trump's vice president, JD Vance told a group back in 2021 that the right had a clear mission over the coming years.
"I think if any of us want to do the things that we want to do for our country, and for the people who live in it, we have to honestly and aggressively attack the universities in this country," Vance said in that speech.
Check out more on what's happening at the University of Houston and beyond in Ketterer's latest story.
 | Jeremy Wallace, Texas politics reporter |
Who's Up, Who's Down
A daily stock market-style report on key players in Texas politics.
Up: Wesley Hunt.
Once considered a long shot in the race for the U.S. Senate, the Houston Republican is now being attacked by both of his top rivals, Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Earlier this week, I told you about the attacks from Cornyn and his allies. Now, reporter James Osborne writes that a super PAC supporting Paxton and a newly formed outside spending group are pouring a combined $3 million into new advertising attacks against Hunt. Normally, attacks might be a sign of someone's political stock declining. In this case, it feels like it's an acknowledgement that Hunt is in a position to do better in the March 3 GOP primary than many first expected.
Down: Donald Trump.
Twelve hours after first posting a blatantly racist video of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle, Trump deleted the post after both Republicans and Democrats denounced it. At first, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused reporters of "fake outrage" when they asked about the Truth Social post. But later, the post was removed, and the White House blamed an unnamed staffer for "erroneously" posting the video on Trump's account with no further explanation. Among those to speak up early was U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who wrote on social media just before the video was taken down, "Praying it was fake because it's the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House."
What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.
What else is going on in Texas
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Photo by: Houston Chronicle Staff
What is the future for THC? Can the virus threatening Texas cattle be stopped? I'll be talking about those questions and more when I sit down with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and his GOP primary opponent Nathan Sheets for a Houston Chronicle/Texas Take Live virtual event on Feb. 12 starting at noon. Sign up here for the event.
What else I'm reading
Gambling is illegal in Texas, but it's not stopping football fans from wagering millions of dollars on this year's Super Bowl as an emerging industry of prediction markets and daily fantasy companies takes advantage of betting loopholes. Eric Prisbell of the Dallas Morning News reports on how it's happening and what state and federal regulators are doing to fight back. "This backdoor should be closed," Brian Pempus, who founded GamblingHarm.org, told Prisbell. "This stock-market-style sports betting, marketed as 'trading,' is really just gambling and poses similar problem gambling risks as traditional, house-banked betting apps."
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