U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this week introduced a bill that he said will increase diversity in Advanced Placement (AP) and Gifted and Talented Elementary (GT) classes.
In a press release, Cohen also said his bill would use Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) funding to create equity offices in state departments of education to increase diversity in AP and GT programs.
Cohen called his bill the Diversity Advancements in Accelerated Academic Programs Act.
“The Diversity Advancements in Accelerated Learning Programs Act would encourage school districts to allocate funding for the creation of district-wide equity offices in order to help develop programs, and promote the use of a universal screening process, to improve diversity in the applicant pool for GT and AP courses. Once established, these equity offices would help address other inequalities by raising student academic achievement, improving the fairness of screening processes, and fairly determining eligibility for accelerated learning programs,” Cohen said.
“In pilot programs nationwide, a shift to a universal screening process to identify eligible students for accelerated learning programs has been shown to increase access to more rigorous instruction through GT programs for students who may have otherwise been overlooked by the teacher recommendation process. A recent study by Vanderbilt University found that black and ethnically marginalized students are far less likely to be placed in gifted programs, even if they have the same test scores as their white peers, and especially if their teacher is white, under the Teacher Recommendation Screening process.”
Cohen, who chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, earlier this month introduced a measure that he said would change how states handle redistricting.
The subcommittee that Cohen chairs has jurisdiction over voting rights. Cohen said he named the measure the John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act.
“The measure, named for longtime Tennessee Congressman John Tanner, would require states to take their congressional apportionment out of the political process and place it in the hands of independent redistricting commissions,” Cohen said in the press release.
“The commissions would be charged with creating redistricting plans that emphasize geographical contiguity and compactness of districts rather than political affiliations or the impact a district’s lines might have on incumbent representatives. The legislation was championed for years by Congressman Tanner.”
Cohen said in the press release that “gerrymandering” causes gridlock and hyper-partisanship.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Steve Cohen, you have no right to demand diversity programs in Education AKA Critical RaceTheory be taught. Maybe you need some Diversity Training after all your actions are not intended to heal America but design by the socialist Democrats to help in Creating Racial Tensions.
I agree with ALL of the above comments.
Gimme a break, Steve. You are an embarrassment to Tennessee.
Oink, oink, oink squeaks this “equity bill” that Comrade Cohen is trying to push.
I keep looking for this Congressman’s redeeming features . . . ? Seems to me, he’s just a teeny, weeny socialist who doesn’t care a whit about our children being educated and actually knowing how to read, write, calculate (especially their taxes) and what the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution say and why they’re important to their lives.
Why is this Racist and Anti American given the time of day? Who supports racism n Memphis area?
Sure. Soon as all old white men step aside. That means you Cohen!
you can’t tell me there isn’t anyone in his district that can run against this weasel and win. This guy is a disgrace to the people of Tennessee.
idiot. your demand is denied and while were at it go fish and ride back to texas with that band of disease ridden co horts
The only way to achieve “equity” via diversity is to lower the standards, thus making the term “Advanced Placement” obsolete and non-existent.
Typical failed ideas from the left. The only way to achieve “equity” via diversity is to lower the standards, thus making the term “Advanced Placement” obsolete and non-existent. But these brainiacs haven’t figured that out yet, ironically making them the perfect candidates for their dumb idea.
And Steve Cohen still remains Tennessee’s biggest embarrassment, easily outshining the meth problem.
[…] Tennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Demands Equity Programs in All State Departments of […]
Demand? The short answer is no. Education will and should focus on merit, not “diversity”. We don’t need the proven failure of blue check carpetbaggers.
Shut up Steve and eat your fried chicken.
what a grifter. worst person in TN.
Anything Cohen the Commie is for patriotic Americans are against. What a s – – t show this moron is, a true Democrat.