Oklahoma and Texas are among more than 20 states that have passed laws since 2021 seeking to control how race, gender and American history are discussed in schools.

But in a climate of extraordinary political scrutiny on the curriculum, many teachers say those efforts have little influence on how they run their classrooms.

“I do business as usual,” said Derek Collins, a middle and high school social studies teacher in Roff, Okla.

And in El Paso, Daniel Gallegos said that he was “not at all” scared to hold wide-ranging discussions of racism with his 11th graders, despite his state’s attempt to restrict lessons about the topic.

On subjects like evolution and the causes of the Civil War, there has long been debate over what should be taught. Over the last four years, however, there has been an extraordinary, nationwide burst of political activity seeking to transform the curriculum in public schools.

Most recently, Oklahoma and Texas have encouraged schools to imbue biblical themes into lessons, and Louisiana legislators tried to require schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Those states and 15 others, all Republican-leaning, have passed laws seeking to restrict how racism and gender can be discussed.