What is the mission of education in the United States? To create a more just and peaceful world? To create informed, democratic, global citizens? To create good little robots that recite the Pledge of Allegiance and don't question authority and believe everything they hear?
I teach French. I teach about global competence, intercultural competence, and issues of global importance. Yes, that involves talking about race, talking about climate change, talking about imperialism, and talking about social justice. I've worked over the years (and am still working) to make my curriculum less "settler centered" (i.e. less white and European, I'm avoiding the word "decolonized" on purpose) and to tell the story of French from many different perspectives from many different places in the world. Teaching about the Haitian Revolution involves talking about race. It is hard to discuss immigration in France without addressing colonialism, slavery, and racial identities today. Beyond this, it is essential that all education include explicit anti-racist components. To create informed citizens, these are topics that should be, and must be, discussed. These topics are a few that the far right would find "political".
Since when did being anti-racist become "political"?
I was on a pretty disturbing facebook thread in my teacher group this week, when I began to understand the magnitude of what teachers are up against, especially, but my no means exclusively, in conservative states. It isn't just about CRT. Teachers are receiving back lash (and losing their jobs) over discussing race at all, or teaching basic civics, or other "divisive topics". The fear of "left wing indoctrination" has led to new legislative efforts to control what teachers can do and say in a classroom.
I thought it must be a joke when I heard about the new parent "hotline" in Virginia. Parents can call to tattle on teachers who talk about anything they find too "divisive" or to complain about Covid-19 rules. It's true, the hotline was created by the VA governor himself.
In addition, Virginia is weighing a bill that would charge teachers with a misdemeanor for teaching "divisive topics", and/or revoke their teaching licenses, and/or fire them.
And this comes in the context of new legislation that basically amount to teacher gag laws.
Last summer Texas passed a vague bill controlling how, and even if, Texas schools could teach about race. Not only does this pit parents against teachers in the new culture war over education, the bill even led to this terribleness:
"In Oct. 2021, a school district leader in Carroll ISD asked teachers to offer students an “opposing perspective” of the Holocaust, citing Texas law. Amid criticism, the Carroll ISD superintendent apologized and acknowledged there “are not two sides of the Holocaust.” Source
Indiana House just passed a bill limiting teaching about racism. It still needs to go through the Senate.
A similar "transparency" bill is being weighed in Utah, requiring teachers to post all of their lesson plans for parent inspection.
My understanding is that many more states are considering similar bills. Oh, and I almost missed more banning of books. While nothing new, I feel like this is also intensifying in this climate.
Editing on 2/1 to add Wisconsin to the mix. The Wisconsin GOP is working on banning certain words in schools, including "equity", "white supremacy", "social justice", "cultural awareness" and more.
But maybe the part of this that makes my stomach turn the most is how hopeless the teachers I interact with on social media feel.
In many of these conservative states, unions are illegal. Teachers who might want to speak out against these changes are afraid of losing their jobs and having their licenses revoked. From my privileged place in my liberal bubble it is easy to say, "But you have to fight this! We cannot stand for it!". But when I hear from a single mom supporting her children say that her conservative governor is all too willing and ready to fire anyone who goes against this legislation, I get it. This is what we are up against. This is why teachers are afraid to teach about race. Right now, even to be anti-racist is to be radical. Teachers are scared. Teachers have and will continue to lose their jobs in these culture wars, and their fear is palpable.
But teachers, do you know what gives me HOPE? These gag laws are all coming from a place of fear. Those conservative governors are scared of US. They are scared of the power that every teacher holds in their classroom. The power to open minds, to broaden horizons, to create a more just and equitable world. They may want us to create unquestioning little citizens who can't think critically about "current events", but I believe that we as educators will recognize our own power and do what is right. I stand in solidarity with all my fellow educators facing these kinds of "gag laws", and for those of us who can, we must fight. I wish all educators the courage to teach the way they feel is best, including anti-racist education. Heck, more than courage, I hope we can equip educators with administrators and school boards who support them and their professional judgement, AND the language and the tools to defend their curricula against this kind of backlash. Our students need us and our courage now more than ever.
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