Category: Education

Georgia’s Spelman College to Award ‘1619 Project’ Author Nikole Hannah-Jones Honorary Doctorate

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by Alexa Schwerha   Nikole Hannah-Jones, 1619 Project creator, will receive an honorary degree from Spelman College during its commencement ceremony later this month, the college announced. Hannah-Jones will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, during the 136th commencement ceremony on May 21 and deliver the keynote speech, the announcement reads. The 1619 Project is a “reframing of American history that placed slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative,” according to its website. The book, which was a project of the New York Times Magazine, was recently adapted into a TV series on Hulu and criticized by historians for containing historical inaccuracies. Critics slammed the project for alleging the American Revolution was fought to protect slavery, which the magazine amended in 2020. “We recognize that our original language could be read to suggest that protecting slavery was a primary motivation for all of the colonists,” the update read. “The passage has been changed to make clear that this was a primary motivation for some of the colonists. A note has been appended to the story as well.” The 1619 Project was launched in 2019 and “offered a revealing new origin story for the United States” that “helped explain not only persistence of anti-Black…

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Villanova Students Required to Read Graphic Trans Sex Scene Between Minors, Student Says

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An English seminar class at Villanova University reportedly required students to read a play depicting a graphic sex scene between minors, one of whom identifies as transgender.

Jennifer Joyce teaches the Core Literature and Writing Seminar Class at Villanova, ENG 1975-020, titled Narratives of Belonging in Contemporary Irish Literature. The specific class is one of several options for students who are required to take the core seminar, though students may be forced to take the class if the other class options have been filled.

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Vivek Ramaswamy Schools Chuck Todd Over His Claim Gender Is ‘a Spectrum’

Susan Berry, PhD

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy instructed NBC’s Meet the Press host Chuck Todd in basic biological principles and the moderator’s claim that gender is “a spectrum.”

“Under the age of 18, I think it’s perfectly legitimate to say that we won’t allow genital mutilation or chemical castration through puberty blockers,” Ramaswamy asserted to Todd on Sunday.

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Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn Resigns, Governor Lee Names Lizzette Gonzales Reynolds as New Top Educator

TC Weber

Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn is leaving the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) effective June 1, online education policy magazine The74, reported Monday. The outlet reports that Schwinn has grown tired of distracting culture war battles over the way race and gender are taught in the state’s classrooms. In response, Governor Lee is returning to familiar ground for her replacement.

Lee named Lizzette Gonzales Reynolds as the news Education Commissioner, who, like Schwinn, is a former Texas Deputy Commissioner of Education.

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Massachusetts Boy Confronts School Board After Allegedly Being Punished for ‘There Are Only Two Genders’ Shirt: ‘Why Do the Rules Apply to One Yet Not Another?’

Susan Berry, PhD

A 12-year-old Middleborough, Massachusetts school boy recently defended his First Amendment rights to his school committee after allegedly being sent home from school for making others feel unsafe by wearing a shirt that says, “There are only two genders.”

A video of Liam Morrison’s confrontation of his school committee was reported Sunday at the Libs of TikTok Twitter account.

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Study: Critical Race Theory Being Taught at Top Veterinary Schools

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A new study reveals that 8 of the top 11 veterinary schools in the United States have begun implementing far-left race-based concepts such as Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

As Fox News reports, the website CriticalRace.org monitors the teaching of CRT in schools, and has recently expanded its criteria to include veterinary schools in addition to other forms of higher education. The survey reveals that four of the 11 schools have made it mandatory for students to undergo such training and curriculum, while eight have mandatory training for staff and faculty, and six have implemented DEI in their hiring processes. Furthermore, seven of the schools have tools in place for students to report “incidents of bias” or “violations of inclusivity” to school authorities.

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Missouri School Allows Reading of LGBT Book to Second Graders Despite State Law Requiring Parental Consent

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A Missouri elementary school allowed a parent to read the transgender-promoting children’s book “I Am Jazz” to a second-grade class without first informing other parents, although state law requires school districts to notify parents beforehand about lessons on sexuality.  

Webster Groves School District, located in the suburbs of St. Louis, allowed the parent to read “I Am Jazz” to the second graders in September as part of Clark Elementary School’s “Mystery Reader” program, where a family member surprises a child by reading to the class.  

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Pennsylvania Child Gender Clinic Trained Teachers to Help Transition Elementary School Kids

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A representative of a child gender clinic trained teachers from two Pennsylvania school districts in 2019 and 2021 to help facilitate elementary school children’s gender transitions, according to documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

An employee of the Gender and Sexuality Development Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) met with faculty from Pennsbury School District and Council Rock School District, advising them on how to support students, including one in kindergarten, attempting to change their gender, according to documents obtained through a public records request. CHOP’s gender clinic has previously come under fire for referring kids as young as 14 years old for cross-sex surgeries, such as mastectomies or breast construction.

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Former Student Urges Catholic School District to Promote Church Teachings Rather Than Cave to LGBTQ Agenda During ‘Pride Month’

Susan Berry, PhD

A former student at Cardinal Carter Catholic High School in Aurora, Ontario, was cheered this week when he gave a passionate speech at a board meeting during which he urged the district to adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church to help all students rather than cave to the LGBTQ agenda during the upcoming “pride month.”

Myles Vosylius, 20, drew applause from parents and other citizens at a York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) meeting Tuesday as he shared his own conversion story related to his parents’ divorce while he was in high school.

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Teachers Sue California School over Policy Forcing Them to Hide Kids’ Gender Transitions from Parents

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Two California middle school teachers sued their school district on Thursday over a policy that requires them to hide students’ gender identities from their parents, the lawsuit reads.

Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West, who teach at Rincon Middle School in Escondido, California, filed the lawsuit against Escondido Union School District (EUSD) and the California State Board of Education over a policy that requires teachers to use students preferred pronouns and names when not in front of parents, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs argue that the policy, done to “hide information” about a child’s gender identity from parents, is unconstitutional and violates their First Amendment right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

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Commentary: Equity and the Race to the Bottom

RealClearWire

Over the last few years, the rallying cry of “woke” activists has become “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (often abbreviated to DEI). There is little reason to object to such principles on the surface. After all, America was founded on the principle that all people are created equal. Unfortunately, the meaning of words can change over time.  

Rather than the Founders’ vision of equal opportunity for all, the use of the word “equity” today denotes equal outcomes for all. The implementation of this “equity agenda,” however well-intentioned, will lead to terrible consequences. 

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Recall Effort Started to Oust WESD School Board President Who Oversaw Termination of Christian University’s Contract

Rachel Alexander

A recall has been started to remove the president of the Washington Elementary School District (WESD) Governing Board, Nikkie Gomez-Whaley. Gomez-Whaley presided over the board’s unanimous decision to terminate the district’s contract with Arizona Christian University (ACU) for student teachers due to the university’s religious viewpoints. A second recall effort is being planned to oust board member Tamilia Valenzuela, who led the move to terminate the contract, but state law provides that it cannot begin until she has been in office for six months. 

Susan Bidell, who has a son and grandchildren in the district and who volunteers in the schools, told The Arizona Sun Times, “We don’t need social justice warriors on the board. We need people who want to serve the teachers, the parents, the students, and the staff of the district. Instead they point their finger and lecture us about things at the board meetings.” 

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Union Boss Randi Weingarten Ripped for Denying She Pushed Biden Administration to Keep Schools Closed

Susan Berry, PhD

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten is drawing fire from many sides for her denial before a congressional subcommittee that she pressed the Biden administration to keep government schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as U.S. private and religious schools, and public schools in Europe, reopened.

CNN contributor and Kentucky parent Scott Jennings confronted Weingarten Thursday night for pushing the Biden administration to keep schools closed during the COVID crisis but claiming to the House COVID subcommittee she had always wanted to reopen schools.

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Maury County Rejection of Charter School Application Tainted by Controversy over Alleged Plagiarism

Mac Roberts

In an email exchange late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, American Classical Education (ACE) CEO Joel Schellhammer called into question the originality of Maury County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Ventura’s report assessing American Classical Academy Maury’s (ACAM) application. As a result, says Mr. Schellhammer, ACE is “highly concerned about the integrity of the Maury County School Review Committee’s evaluation of [its] application.”

Maury County School Board Member Steve McGee told The Tennessee Star that “there’s a good possibility it could have affected the outcome [of the vote] had we known everything that was available.” 

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Curriculum Transparency Bill Proposed in Pennsylvania House

Bradley Vasoli

Two Pennsylvania State House members are preparing to introduce a bill to facilitate parents’ and taxpayers’ access to K-12 school curricula.

In a memorandum asking colleagues to cosponsor their measure, Representatives Kristin Marcell (R-Richboro) and Jill Cooper (R-New Kensington) argue current school transparency requirements are inadequate. While state law mandates that school boards post policies governing curriculum review, district officials need not publish the actual syllabus or name the instructional texts. Districts must provide residents access to course outlines and texts, but that usually entails an interested party visiting the school. 

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Education Superintendent Tom Horne Blasts Opposition to Teacher Pay Increase Bill

Neil Jones
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R) released a statement Tuesday blasting opposition from Democrats and the state’s teacher union to House Bill (HB) 2800, sponsored by Representative Matt Gress (R-Phoenix).

“Shockingly, the Arizona teacher’s union and a number of Democrats in the legislature, oppose the bill. All we can think of is that they are opposed to it because it is a Republican bill. These kinds of questions should be bipartisan, and people should not oppose a good bill, just because [a] Republican introduced it,” Horne said.

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Nearly 700 Professors Sign Letter in Opposition to Teaching About America’s Founding, Constitution

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On Tuesday, an open letter was circulated that featured hundreds of North Carolina professors declaring their opposition to any requirement that students learn about the United States government and its founding documents.

As reported by Fox News, exactly 673 professors from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill signed the letter as legislation works its way through the North Carolina legislature that would mandate the teaching of such courses. The professors claim that such a law would violate the school’s “academic freedom.”

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Woke Washington State School District Board Member Draws Fire for Cutting Music Program With Claim It Fosters ‘White Supremacy’ and ‘Institutional Violence’

Susan Berry, PhD

An Olympia School District board member in Washington state is the recipient of intense criticism for attempting to justify budget cuts by eliminating the district’s music classes with the claims the classes promote “white supremacy culture” and “significant institutional violence.”

According to Jason Rantz, host of The Jason Rantz Show on 770KTTH, with an expected district budget shortfall of $11.5 million, School Board Director Scott Clifthorne told parents the music program for fourth and fifth-grade students would be eliminated to make the budget cuts.

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Schools Axe Homework, Deadlines in the Name of Equity: Report

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Several schools throughout the country are moving to axe homework and deadlines in an effort to increase equity, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Under the philosophy of “equitable grading,” students are given more chances to show they have mastered a subject, a practice that downplays the importance of homework and eschews deadlines in an attempt to give kids who struggle with hardships at home more opportunities to learn the material, according to the WSJ. Schools in California, Nevada and Connecticut are moving to implement “equitable grading,” though opponents of the system, many teachers and students say it disincentives students and leads to a lack of accountability.

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Tennessee Teacher Goes Viral After Saying Kids Aren’t Ready for Social Media

Peter D'Abrosca

A Tennessee teacher has gone viral on Facebook after a post saying that children are not ready for social media.

Jackie Tate, whose Facebook profile identifies her as a teacher at St. Patrick’s School, a Catholic school in McEwen, Tennessee, says the following:

Imagine something embarrassing happened to you at school when you were in the 7th grade. Everyone laughed and it was awful and you were mortified. Then a few weeks passed and everyone found new things to laugh about and they moved on. You didn’t forget how embarrassed you were, but you could move on too.

Now imagine you did something embarrassing in 7th grade. And everyone laughed and it was awful. But someone also caught it on Snap Chat. And turned it into a meme. And a Tik Tok. And everyone in school saw it. And took a screen shot of it. And spread it further. And you couldn’t get away from it. And no one forgot. And you couldn’t either. And people were still re sharing it months later.

Just sit there and imagine it for a minute.

Kids aren’t ready for social media. It starts with us parents. Please share.

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Documents: Teachers’ Union Played Significant Role in CDC’s Halting of Full School Reopening

Susan Berry, PhD

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and its president Randi Weingarten had significant input into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) pandemic school reopening guidelines than was known in 2021, according to documents obtained by Americans for Public Trust (APT).

The independent watchdog organization that, according to its website, “works to restore trust in government by exposing corruption and holding the powerful accountable,” reportedly discovered in emails and records shared with The New York Post that Weingarten “spoke twice by phone with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in the week leading up to the Feb. 12, 2021, announcement that halted full re-opening of in-person classes — including the day before the guidance was released,” The Post said.

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Appeals Court Guts Religious Accommodations for Teachers That SCOTUS May Soon Strengthen: Lawyers

Just the News

A week before the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could force employers to more freely grant religious accommodations, a federal appeals court determined that calling all students by their last names for the sake of religious conscience was a fireable offense.

A three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this month that Indiana’s Brownsburg Community Schools Corp. had a “legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason” for firing music teacher John Kluge: He caused “emotional harm” and disrupted the learning environment by not addressing transgender students by preferred names and pronouns.

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Maury County School Board Denies Charter School Application in Close Vote

Mac Roberts

COLUMBIA, Tennessee – The Maury County Board of Education narrowly rejected the application by American Classical Education to operate a charter school in the county in a vote of 6-5. 

An application review committee made a presentation about the different strengths and deficiencies of the school’s application in three different areas of qualification. The committee found that the school’s academic, operational, and financial plans only partially met the criteria of the rubric and thus recommended that the board deny the American Classical Academy Maury’s initial application. 

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Connecticut Colleges Could Face Layoffs, Cuts Under Lamont’s Budget

The Center Square

Connecticut’s public university system is facing the prospect of layoffs and deep cuts under the state budget proposal for the next fiscal year, which could also prompt tuition and fee hikes for students.

According to Connecticut State Colleges and Universities President Terrence Cheng, who announced on Monday the public college system would be forced to eliminate more than 3,600 full and part-time jobs — including 654 layoffs — under the two-year, $51 billion spending plan being considered by state lawmakers. 

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College Board Will Change AP African American Studies Curriculum Again

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An Advanced Placement (AP) pilot course dedicated to African American studies will be revised again after state governors across the country argued whether or not the content was appropriate, the College Board, which oversees AP courses, announced on Monday.

AP African American Studies was rejected by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration for originally including topics such as queer theory, and was revised on Feb. 1 to eliminate those sections and readings from prominent critical race theorists. The new changes, which were not detailed but are expected to become public in the coming months, will be driven by the development committee and “experts,” according to the College Board.

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Commentary: Academia’s Woke Groomers

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Exposing woke academia is both infuriating and amusing. Stanley K. Ridgley, a professor of management at Drexel University, has a knack for unearthing the horror of leftist, racialist, feminist, transgenderist grooming of immature minds on university campuses, and for caricaturing the groomers. His sarcasm will leave you rocking with laughter just after you’ve gasped with horror. 

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‘Gender Queer’ Tops List of Most Challenged Books for a Second Year

The Center Square

The graphic novel Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe was the most challenged book of 2022, according to an annual list of the most controversial books as assessed by the American Library Association.

The list was published Monday during the start of National Library Week. The American Library Association said 2022 was a record year for books “targeted for censorship.” There were 2,571 unique titles challenged, of which 58 percent were in school libraries, classroom libraries or school curricula.

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Georgia Democrat is Critical of New School Safety Law

The Center Square

A Georgia state lawmaker has expressed reservations about a measure Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed that proponents say will help keep teachers and students safe in the classroom.

In a news release, the governor’s office described House Bill 147, the Safe Schools Act, as a “key part of the governor’s legislative agenda this year” that “builds on his commitment to keeping Georgia’s students, teachers, and school personnel safe.”

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Hillsdale College Professor: Man’s Divine Nature Not Just a Christian Principle, But a ‘Rational’ One as Well

Susan Berry, PhD

Hillsdale College’s associate dean for its graduate school of government in Washington, DC, told attendees at an event Friday evening in Connecticut that while the enemies of religious liberty reject that which is divine in man, that concept is not “a Christian principle, per se,” but, in fact, “a rational principle.”

“In a certain sense, that can be summed up very simply, that we are actually children of God,” Dr. Matthew Mehan said at the College’s Blake Center for Faith and Freedom in Somers. “That is not a Christian principle, per se, although clearly it is one of the Christian principles. It’s actually a rational principle. And it’s actually a teaching of the philosophers and the poets both in ancient Greece and Rome.”

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After Heated Debate, House Lawmakers Pass Legislation Shielding Teachers from Civil Liability over ‘Preferred Pronoun’ Use

TC Weber

A law protecting Tennessee teachers from civil liability if they fail to use a student’s preferred pronouns, is heading to the governor’s desk for his signature. The law extends protection to all employees of a public school, as well.

The proposed law comes at a time when discussions around transgender issues have moved to the forefront. Supporters say the bill does nothing but protect the First Amendment rights of teachers. While critics argue that the bill is part of a trio of anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed by the Tennessee legislature this session. The first, regulated public drag shows across the state, while the other banned some gender-related medical procedures for minors. Those same critics often neglect to acknowledge that those procedures and drugs, physiologically alter the young person’s body, often irreversibly.

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Medical Schools Are Ditching Standardized Tests in the Name Of ‘Diversity’

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A developing medical school trend to ditch the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) requirement may not bode well for the future of the profession, medical watchdog group Do No Harm told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Approximately 40 medical schools across the country have dropped the MCAT, a multiple choice exam that determines an individual’s ability to problem solve, think critically, and understand concepts about medical study, as a requirement for some applying students, according to a list compiled by Inspira Advantage. Do No Harm alleged that dropping the requirement is another way schools aim to bolster diversity on campus but asserted that it is a “dangerous trend,” according to its analysis.

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State Abortion Laws May Sway Where Students Attend College: Poll

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State abortion laws may be swaying students’ decisions about their college futures, according to study results first published by Gallup on Thursday.

Approximately 72% of currently enrolled college students admitted that state abortion laws play an important role in determining whether to stay enrolled, according to the poll, which was conducted in partnership with the Lumina Foundation. While smaller, a majority of respondents aged 18-59 who are not currently enrolled in higher education admitted that they would consider the abortion law of the state a college or university is located before enrolling.

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Tennessee General Assembly Extends Eligibility for Participation in State Education Savings Account Program

TC Weber

Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill on Friday that would extend eligibility for participation in the state’s Educational Savings Account (ESA) program to Hamilton County students.

The Senate passed its version of the bill, which limited expansion to Chattanooga, back in February. This week, the House passed a version (SB0012) that included Knoxville in the ongoing pilot program.

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Woke Wisconsin School District Accused of Failing to Protect Girls in Transgender Shower Incident

M.D. Kittle
Girls Sports

The Sun Prairie Area School District failed to protect four freshman girls from being exposed to the genitals of an 18-year-old biological male — identifying as a transgender woman — who was showering in the girls’ locker room, according to a Milwaukee-based public service law firm. 

 In a letter to the woke Madison-area school district, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) alleges the “alarming incident” in early March not only violated the girls’ privacy rights, but district administrators’ “completely inadequate” response continues to put Sun Prairie students in further danger. 

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Commentary: Let Parents Opt-Out of Low-Performing Schools

RealClearWire

Single mom Shinara Morrison discovered homeschooling by accident. When public schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself taking the lead on her child’s education to fill the gap.

Morrison never withdrew her son, who was 7, from the public school system. But she supplemented his online instruction with custom coursework that blended academics and life skills. Morrison had no formal training as an educator, but she had special insight as a mother.

“I had a little cheat sheet in my head,” she says. “I knew his learning style.”

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Commentary: Sowing the Seeds of Discord

Admin

Professional Educators of Tennessee, like other organizations, values being non-partisan. We have seen the damage done by other organizations that are hyper-partisan. Political contributions have consequences and ultimately hurt the profession. We have seen this firsthand in public education. Our members are adamant they do not want their dues going to political candidates or endorsement of candidates. We must work together with all policymakers for shared success.   

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Florida Board of Education Approves Expansion of ‘Parental Rights in Education’ Bill to Ban Classroom LGBTQ Instruction in All K-12 Grades

Susan Berry, PhD

The Florida Board of Education has approved an expansion of the state’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill that would prohibit classroom instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity in all K-12 grades, rather than only K-3.

In March 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law H.B.1557, known as the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, a measure that bans classroom instruction by teachers or third parties on the topics of sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-3, “or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

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Arizona Legislative Republicans Lead Effort to Ensure Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind Is Looked After

Rachel Alexander

Arizona Republican legislators proposed a bill this session to bring oversight of the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB) closer in line with the Arizona Constitution’s provisions for regular schools. For about 100 years, the ASDB has only faced oversight once every 10 years, instead of the two-year requirement in the Arizona Constitution that applies to schools. The ASDB serves 2,100 students at campuses in Phoenix and Tucson.

State Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), who chairs the Senate Government Committee which heard HB 2456, explained during a speech to the Senate Committee of the Whole on April 13 why he believes a shorter extension is necessary. He said the Democrats who oppose the shorter extension want to treat oversight of the children the same way the government treats its oversight of “changing thermostats” infrequently at the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA).

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