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BeckyDem

(8,361 posts)
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 10:26 AM Aug 2021

A $5 Million Fine for Classroom Discussions on Race? In Tennessee, This Is the New Reality

( Horrifying )


By Eesha Pendharkar — August 03, 2021 5 min read

Tennessee aims to levy fines starting at $1 million and rising to $5 million on school districts each time one of their teachers is found to have “knowingly violated” state restrictions on classroom discussions about systemic racism, white privilege, and sexism, according to guidance proposed by the state’s department of education late last week.

Teachers could also be disciplined or lose their licenses for teaching that the United States is inherently racist or sexist or making a student feel “guilt or anguish” because of past actions committed by their race or sex.

The guidance received immediate backlash from advocates of students of color in the state who say it would have a disproportionate impact on already underfunded, majority Black and Latino school districts.

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/a-5-million-fine-for-classroom-discussions-on-race-in-tennessee-this-is-the-new-reality/2021/08

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Botany

(70,219 posts)
2. This is no difference of laws that made it illegal to teach slaves to read, write, and do math or ..
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 10:37 AM
Aug 2021

... in the post civil War America having the Klan disrupt schools that taught to "negro children."

I guess in TN "they" don't want their young folks taught about those things either. But in the
end these republican troglodytes will not be able to stop the facts from getting out.

sanatanadharma

(3,621 posts)
3. Thou shalt not teach non-biblical ideas
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 10:45 AM
Aug 2021

Monkeys and non-Cain have naught to do with Tennessee minds and there will be no en-Abel-ing of the hard won fruits of Eve's wisdom.

No knowledge for you!

viva la

(3,189 posts)
4. How do you teach history?
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 10:45 AM
Aug 2021

Like let's say they're talking about the constitutional amendments. And they come to the 19th amendment. And the teacher says this gave women the right to vote.

They're not allowed to explain, I guess, that before that, women didn't have the right to vote.

And if a child asks well why not?
I guess the teacher is just supposed to say vaguely something like, oh, who knows?

And when all the kids' hands shoot up and they try to answer, the teacher has to say, "Sorry, none of us can afford to pay the fine for that answer."

Chainfire

(17,265 posts)
5. Writing laws now that are racist and sexists.
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 10:47 AM
Aug 2021

The Republicans really think that they are going to drag us into a past, that never existed, where slavery and male total domination of women never happened, and to make it a crime to admit that it did. That is part of the big plan to make us great again. The perfect way to teach history is to muzzle the teachers. George Orwell would be telling us that he told us...

We like to badmouth Tennessee, but it is not a state problem, it is a national problem. We are living witness to the emergence of an unapologetic rise of Fascism in America. White Nationalists are taking the country one city, one county and one state at the time. They are the ones gaining ground, not us.

PortTack

(32,491 posts)
8. Never forget, there are way more of us than them. We gained ground when we threw tfg out
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 11:06 AM
Aug 2021

Their trash laws are being met in the courts with successful outcomes.

Yes, we hear way more about their crap because the msm and fux snooz wants to keep us tuning in. Progress may be slow but they can’t stop it as history has proven time and again.

Chainfire

(17,265 posts)
11. One can win a battle and lose a war
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 11:35 AM
Aug 2021

Biden's victory against the worst President to ever serve in office gave us some breathing space, but look around at what is happening at the state levels. The Redneck Revolution is coming from the bottom up. Ask yourself where you are seeing great progressive victories?

Even with majority control in two branches of government we are having to struggle like hell just to tread water. We are tying to fight an experienced, dirty, street fighter under the Queensbury rules. Optimism is great, but it doesn't change the fact that we are sliding closer and closer to Fascism. If the progressives do not learn how to fight the opponent that we face, we are quite likely to piss away our nation.

As odd as it may be, Donald Trump's strength in the Republican Party may hold the key to holding on to our Democracy. If the far right finally purges itself of it's clown king and nominates someone like DeSantis, we are in big trouble. I don't think that he can be elected, but a DeSantis type may well be.

We have until the midterms to show the people that we know how to lead the country to a better place, if we fail, polish your jackboots.

Am I pessimistic? Damn right I am. It is historical perspective that keeps me up nights.

PortTack

(32,491 posts)
6. That would never hold up in the courts. Not sure of the law name or SCOTUS
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 11:00 AM
Aug 2021

Precedent, has to do with severity of punishment not fitting the crime

BeckyDem

(8,361 posts)
7. I believe that is correct the ACLU, and our DOJ will go after the state is my guess.
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 11:05 AM
Aug 2021

But it is their intent that horrifies me. 2021 and here we are.

SWBTATTReg

(21,811 posts)
12. And no wonder school districts are having problems in finding enough staff to teach classes...
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 12:57 PM
Aug 2021

w/ the states interfering in actual facts, actual history, and substituting actual facts w/ lies or not saying anything at all, student intelligence will suffer and hurt them in the market place as they go hunting for jobs later. Businesses (most) won't hire students w/ such an abbreviated snapshot of state-imposed history, etc.

amcgrath

(397 posts)
14. If there's one book
Wed Aug 4, 2021, 07:47 PM
Aug 2021

Bound to cause discussion of gender roles, raciialism and slavery, it is the bible. Schools should remove it from their shelves.

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