This issue is close to my heart. I taught a wonderful class of 2nd and 3rd graders in a small, rural school. We had an MLK, Jr. poster on the wall whom I introduced to my students as my personal hero. We read of and talked about other heroes of the Civil Rights movement in our country. Two of my students were mixed race. The rest were white. A new teacher took over the following year, and had the younger sibling of one of my students in her class. She recounted to me this outrageous tale. The father of the younger sibling had the teacher hauled into the Principal’s office for “teaching CRT.” The teacher was gob-smacked. CRT? How so? She had been teaching about the USGovernment, and its separation of powers. The irate father said she had showed his child pictures of the Supreme Court, President and Vice President, and Congress which showed Black People in them. “But these are the people holding those elected and appointed offices. That is not CRT, it is basic Civics.” When the racist father left, the teacher confided to her principal that actually, she felt bad that she had not done more to teach Black History during Black History Awareness month. The principal’s reply? “Good for you.” Thrown to the rabid dog, then given a pat on the head for neglecting her duty to teach actual American History, which IS Black History. I have never gotten over it. Don’t tell me teachers aren’t afraid to do their jobs. Nor that young racists aren’t being groomed by their ignorant parents. Nor that school administrators aren’t partially to blame for not having their teachers’ backs when they are trying to do their jobs, teaching who we are as a country, and how we got here.
Well said. And the situation you recount is actually a best case scenario. One bad principal or even one bad school board member can completely destroy a good teacher.
This is frightening, and I can see how this is happening. But I feel one point may or may not happen: "'history books 100 years from now will contain that information."
If Trump wins, history books even 2 years from now will NOT contain that information. I guarantee he will order all history books to be rewritten to show that he won in 2020, as well as writing in there that Democrats cheated and that he rightly won. Not to mention erasing other historical tragedies and facts. He will not only ruin our future, he will Trumpwash the past.
History books in the rest of the world will be different. If there is still a human civilisation after this century, which is looking less likely every day.
History is about the interpretation of the past from the present, and the goalposts for who was right and wrong always change. My feeling is that MAGA, once it finally flames out, will join its 19th century counterpart The Know-Nothing Party in the dustbin of history, and no one will dispute the results of 2020 again. MAGA knows this, which is why it is so strongly pushing back.
Excellent post on the disdain for facts, reason, science and education that is part of today's GOP ethos. Teachers are the first line of defense against attacks on democracy and civil society and so are targets of those who find democracy and civil society inconvenient.
This issue is close to me. I had a daughter who I was helping homeschool through Arkansas Virtual Academy and seen first hand how teachers are afraid to teach certain topics. As an Adjunct Professor at Arkansas Tech University, politics and religion were not discussed in courses because we were not allowed to upset our students. Therefore when elections came around they were no discussions about what was happening outside of the classroom and how changes would affect the students. I think that this is a sad state when we cannot as teachers bring up and discuss with our students real -world problems that affect everyone.
Obviously, not all conservatives are as far gone as portrayed here, MAGA idiots yes but not all conservatives are sucked into that far gone. And gone is the correct word here. Like Jim Jones’s followers, they drank the cool-aide and tRump has them eating his words like a biblical truth. These radicals now cannot recognize all these lies. Which means that tRump must be beaten soundly in the election. The non MAGA conservatives must bury tRump under a flood of HARRIS-Walz votes.
This issue is close to my heart. I taught a wonderful class of 2nd and 3rd graders in a small, rural school. We had an MLK, Jr. poster on the wall whom I introduced to my students as my personal hero. We read of and talked about other heroes of the Civil Rights movement in our country. Two of my students were mixed race. The rest were white. A new teacher took over the following year, and had the younger sibling of one of my students in her class. She recounted to me this outrageous tale. The father of the younger sibling had the teacher hauled into the Principal’s office for “teaching CRT.” The teacher was gob-smacked. CRT? How so? She had been teaching about the USGovernment, and its separation of powers. The irate father said she had showed his child pictures of the Supreme Court, President and Vice President, and Congress which showed Black People in them. “But these are the people holding those elected and appointed offices. That is not CRT, it is basic Civics.” When the racist father left, the teacher confided to her principal that actually, she felt bad that she had not done more to teach Black History during Black History Awareness month. The principal’s reply? “Good for you.” Thrown to the rabid dog, then given a pat on the head for neglecting her duty to teach actual American History, which IS Black History. I have never gotten over it. Don’t tell me teachers aren’t afraid to do their jobs. Nor that young racists aren’t being groomed by their ignorant parents. Nor that school administrators aren’t partially to blame for not having their teachers’ backs when they are trying to do their jobs, teaching who we are as a country, and how we got here.
Well said. And the situation you recount is actually a best case scenario. One bad principal or even one bad school board member can completely destroy a good teacher.
This is frightening, and I can see how this is happening. But I feel one point may or may not happen: "'history books 100 years from now will contain that information."
If Trump wins, history books even 2 years from now will NOT contain that information. I guarantee he will order all history books to be rewritten to show that he won in 2020, as well as writing in there that Democrats cheated and that he rightly won. Not to mention erasing other historical tragedies and facts. He will not only ruin our future, he will Trumpwash the past.
History books in the rest of the world will be different. If there is still a human civilisation after this century, which is looking less likely every day.
I agree with that.
History is about the interpretation of the past from the present, and the goalposts for who was right and wrong always change. My feeling is that MAGA, once it finally flames out, will join its 19th century counterpart The Know-Nothing Party in the dustbin of history, and no one will dispute the results of 2020 again. MAGA knows this, which is why it is so strongly pushing back.
Hope you’re right!
Excellent commentary.
Thank you!
Excellent post on the disdain for facts, reason, science and education that is part of today's GOP ethos. Teachers are the first line of defense against attacks on democracy and civil society and so are targets of those who find democracy and civil society inconvenient.
So true, and a very sad situation.
Thank you!
Walter, Thank you for writing an excellent article!
Thank you Rick!
This issue is close to me. I had a daughter who I was helping homeschool through Arkansas Virtual Academy and seen first hand how teachers are afraid to teach certain topics. As an Adjunct Professor at Arkansas Tech University, politics and religion were not discussed in courses because we were not allowed to upset our students. Therefore when elections came around they were no discussions about what was happening outside of the classroom and how changes would affect the students. I think that this is a sad state when we cannot as teachers bring up and discuss with our students real -world problems that affect everyone.
I have a daughter who graduated. Sorry it seems that was not mentioned or clearly stated.
Obviously, not all conservatives are as far gone as portrayed here, MAGA idiots yes but not all conservatives are sucked into that far gone. And gone is the correct word here. Like Jim Jones’s followers, they drank the cool-aide and tRump has them eating his words like a biblical truth. These radicals now cannot recognize all these lies. Which means that tRump must be beaten soundly in the election. The non MAGA conservatives must bury tRump under a flood of HARRIS-Walz votes.
Yes they are. 100% of conservatives are pieces of shit.
Interesting observation re the priests not needing to be mandatory reporters. I guess we all know why they have an exemption...
Thank you! And thanks for being a progressive in Texas.