I wish I were writing you a blog right now about what we endearingly term, "el Cinco de Mayo, the fifth of May." That said, I do recommend reading this piece by Dr. Emilio Zamora titled, "Cinco de Mayo and The Battle of Puebla Have Relevance Today by Emilio Zamora." Here's another one, too, that I highly recommend. "Celebrate true tradition of Cinco de Mayo by Dr. Roberto Cintli Rodriguez." There is so much amazing history to learn.
Here's where a blog really helps retrieve things, by the way. I recommend being a blogger. If for no one else but yourself. :-)
But no, we find ourselves expressing alarm at HB 3979—that you can actually read in full in this blog if you scroll down.
Someone in a community meeting yesterday evening used the phrase, that this bill represents an "avoidance curriculum" that deforms what should be a Social Studies curriculum that engages all manner of topics, including difficult ones by competent professionals, so that our youth can be not just civically engaged, but better people in the world.
How better than to have empathy and caring for others? Why all this divisiveness? And why do so in the context of a pandemic if not to seek to inflict harm? Why so mean-spirited, lacking in virtue?!
You are my other me. I am you. You are me. We are one.
Ultimately, this is what Critical Race Theory and Ethnic Studies, at their best, teach. We teach this at our Saturday school, Academia Cuauhtli ("Cuauhtli" is Nahuatl for Eagle; hence "Eagle Academy").
This represents a way of knowing and being in the world that is native to this continent. Our ancestors were so wise: Were it not for these grounding ideologies that are about love, caring, community and social justice, as opposed to hate, war, and fear of the so-called "other," we would not have even survived conquest or colonization to be here right now fighting this bill. Social studies teacher and Austin parent Candace Hunter nails it when she expresses:
"We're not supposed to be telling kids what to think. We're supposed to be helping them learn how to think, and we are already doing that," she said. "We don't need a bill for that."
Since difficult topics in life are unavoidable, the burden should actually be on Texas State Representative Steve Toth and his bill sponsors to demonstrate how Texas students are well served by avoiding any kind of knowledge that might actually guide them to the Golden Rule.
And how ironic, as this very knowledge holds the promise of greater awareness and real understanding, hence greater peace, harmony, and social justice in the world.
We can do this, my friends.
But first, HB 3979 has gotta' go. Keep up with the phone calls to whoever represents you.
-Angela Valenzuela
Texas educators alarmed by bills targeting class discussions on racism and sexism
Education advocates worry bills targeting discussions of racism and sexism in Texas public schools will hinder teachers' ability to discuss current events, history and ethnic studies with students.
The Republican authors of the bills moving forward in the Legislature say their goal is to prevent the federal government and educators from pushing a political agenda in schools.
The Texas Senate last week passed Senate Bill 2202, which, among other things, would ban mandates for teachers to receive training or conduct class discussions on racism and sexism. Such discussions can be grounded on the ideas of critical race theory, a framework of thought focused on examining and challenging racism.
Companion legislation, House Bill 3979, could be taken up by the House as soon as Friday, according to its author, Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands.
“We send our kids to school to learn and to learn how to think critically, but we don't send them there to be indoctrinated,” Toth told the American-Statesman.
The bills don’t mention critical race theory, but they broadly target its tenets of acknowledging white supremacy and systemic racism and sexism. They also seek to ban private funding for the development or purchase of curriculum rooted in those principles.
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, said the legislation “stops critical race theory and 1619 myths in Texas schools.”
The 1619 Project is an initiative from The New York Times examining the role of slavery in the founding of the United States and slavery's legacy. It was cited as inspiration in a proposal from the Biden administration for a grant program “to support the development of culturally responsive teaching and learning.”
The effort soon became politicized, however. Former President Donald Trump created the 1776 Commission to counter discussions of the project in schools. President Joe Biden dismantled that commission on his first day in office.
State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, said on Twitter that the bill “prevents the Biden Administration from advancing mandates on requiring critical race theory curriculum.” But the proposed federal grant program is application-based, and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said he does not intend to mandate teachings of the 1619 Project.
"I don't think it's our role as a federal government to be dictating what's going to be taught in the curriculum, but it is our goal to make sure that all students have access to high-quality curriculum," Cardona told reporters at a virtual conference Monday.
Stephanie Boyce, a professor and entrepreneur who teaches African American studies at the University of Houston, said she sees bills against critical race theory and the 1619 Project in Texas and other states as a reaction to efforts to make education more inclusive of the experiences of people of color and women.
“What critical race theory says is that we have to think critically about race and the role that it plays, has played historically, still plays now in our institutions and our systems, and how these systems continue to reproduce injustice,” she said.
Targeting current events
Critics also point to other provisions in the legislation, such as that teachers “may not be compelled to discuss current events” or controversial issues.
“It really does take away from what we try to do with public education, and that is tie knowledge to current events so that it's relevant, so that students can relate to a lot of that material,” said State Board of Education Member Aicha Davis, a Democrat representing the Dallas area.
If approved, the legislation would affect the board’s review of social studies curriculum standards expected to begin this fall, Davis said.
Kim Denning-Knapp, a former social studies teacher and member of the Austin group Educators in Solidarity, said she worried about the potential impact on the state’s elective ethnic studies courses.
“How can you teach those courses without talking about how Mexican Americans and African Americans have been subjected to racism in our past?” she said. “There is no way to have those courses without delving into some hard topics.”
She also was troubled by another section of the legislation that said schools cannot require or reward students with credit, including extra credit, for work in “political activism.”
“Teachers are just not going to want to engage at all whatsoever in activities like that because they don't want to have to deal with the hassle,” she said. “If somebody calls them out for being controversial and for violating the law, then activities like that are done.”
Defense of bill
Toth said the bills will not prevent civic engagement such as school field trips to the Capitol, and an updated version of the bill specifies the political activism provision pertains to work with lobbying or advocacy groups.
The legislation would not ban discussions of critical race theory, ethnic studies or current events, such as the killing of George Floyd, Toth said.
“There are two different ways that you can discuss that. You can say, ‘George Floyd was murdered, and what that police officer did was cruel and inhumane.' ... The other way you can discuss is to say, ‘All cops are racist. All cops want to kill Black people,’” he said, explaining that the bill was aimed at preventing the second.In a statement, Creighton said the legislation will "will hold the line in Texas to ensure civics courses teach traditional history, focusing on the ideas that make our country great and the story of how our country has risen to meet those ideals."
But Candace Hunter, a social studies teacher and parent in Austin, said the focus on fair and balanced discussions might seem innocuous, but she worries it will open the door to challenges to lessons and district efforts to acknowledge problems in history and society.
"We're not supposed to be telling kids what to think. We're supposed to be helping them learn how to think, and we are already doing that," she said. "We don't need a bill for that."
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By: Toth H.B. No. 3979
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to civics instruction public school students and instruction policies in public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsections (h-1), (h-2), and (h-3) to read as follows:
(h-1) In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the social studies curriculum, the State Board of Education shall adopt essential knowledge and skills that develop each student's civic knowledge, including an understanding of:
(1) the fundamental moral, political, and intellectual foundations of the American experiment in self-government, as well as the history, qualities, traditions, and features of civic engagement in the United States;
(2) the structure, function, and processes of government institutions at the federal, state, and local levels; and
(3) the founding documents of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Federalist Papers (including but not limited to Essays 10 and 51), excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, the first Lincoln-Douglas debate, and the writings of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
(h-2) In the instruction of the essential knowledge and skills for the social studies curriculum, in applicable courses of Texas, United States, and world history, government, civics, social studies, or similar subject areas:
(1) no teacher shall be compelled by a policy of any state agency, school district, campus, open-enrollment charter school, or school administration to discuss current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs;
(2) teachers who choose to discuss current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs shall, to the best of their ability, strive to explore such issues from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective;
(3) no school district or teacher shall require, make part of a course, or award course grading or credit including extra credit for, student work for, affiliation with, or service learning in association with any organization engaged in lobbying for legislation at the local, state or federal level, or in social or public policy advocacy; and
(4) no school district or teacher shall require, make part of a course, or award course grading or credit including extra credit for, political activism, lobbying, or efforts to persuade members of the legislative or executive branch to take specific actions by direct communication at the local, state or federal level, or any practicum or like activity involving social or public policy advocacy.
(5) No teacher, administrator, or other employee in any state agency, school district, campus, open-enrollment charter school, or school administration shall be required to engage in training, orientation, or therapy that presents any form of race or sex stereotyping or blame on the basis of race or sex.
(6) No teacher, administrator, or other employee in any state agency, school district, campus, open-enrollment charter school, or school administration shall shall require, or make part of a course the following concepts: (1) one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex; (2) an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously; (3) an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex; (4) members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex; (5) an individual's moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex; (6) an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex; (7) any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex; or (8) meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist, or were created by a members of a particular race to oppress members of another race.
(h-3) No private funding shall be accepted by state agencies, school district, campuses, open-enrollment charter schools, or school administrations for the purposes of curriculum development, purchase or choice of curricular materials, teacher training, or professional development pertaining to courses on Texas, United States, and world history, government, civics, social studies, or similar subject areas.
SECTION 2 This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
