Texas Governor Greg Abbott signs bill critical of racial theory

[ad_1]

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to date with Texas’ most essential news.

Governor Greg Abbott signed the controversial bill that prescribes how teachers in Texas can discuss current events and the history of racism in America in the classroom, according to Texas Legislature Online. His signing makes Texas one of the few states in the country to have passed such legislation, which seeks to ban the teaching of critical race theory in public school classes from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Critical Race Theory is an academic term that studies the impact of race and racism on social and local structures in the United States. Over the past year, GOP leaders have decried its teaching in public schools, citing limited examples in various school districts across the state. In 2020, former President Donald Trump banned federal employees from taking training in critical race theory or white privilege, calling it propaganda.

Several versions of the bill were swapped between the two chambers as Democrats in Texas feared the bill would have a chilling effect on classroom conversations. An amended version returned to the House had appeared dead at one point after State Representative James Talarico, D-Round Rock, convicted her of a procedural violation. But it was revived by the Texas Senate later that evening after senators reverted to a previously approved version of the bill and sent it to the governor’s office. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick had signaled his support for the legislation since the start of the legislative session.

This law, which comes into effect on September 1, includes a list of foundational documents that students in Texas must learn. It also includes a list of additional historical documents written by people of color and women that House Democrats added. It also requires students to learn the history of white supremacy, including, but not limited to, the institution of slavery, the eugenics movement, and the Ku Klux Klan, and the ways in which this is morally wrong. .

Yet many educators and education advocacy groups had opposed the bill, which states that teachers cannot be coerced into discussing current events and if they do, they must show deference. to both parties. Opponents say it limits honest conversations about race and racism in American society and will force teachers to equivocate controversial or sensitive topics that will result in less educated students.

It also prohibits students from obtaining credits or additional credits to participate in civic activities that include political activism or lobbying elected officials on a particular issue.

The governor’s signed version also bans the teaching of the New York Times 1619 Project, a reporting project that examines the history of the United States from the date slaves first arrived on American soil. , marking this as the founding date of the country.

Supporters of Bill 3979, which mirrors current legislation in state legislatures across the country, argue they are trying to tackle the personal biases that bleed into public education, highlighting a few individual cases in the districts schools in the state where parents raised concerns.

Throughout legislative debates on the bill, they have expressed concern that teachers unfairly accuse whites of historical wrongs and distort the accomplishments of the Founding Fathers. In recent years, there have been calls for more transparency about the racist beliefs of historical figures or their links to slavery.

But education groups have said the law is ultimately politically motivated.

The Republicans’ specific references to the ban on Critical Race Theory and Project 1619 make it clear that they want this to be a wedge issue for state and local political races, the Texas branch of the American Federation has said. teachers in a press release at the end of May. The bill is part of a national conservative movement trying to sow a narrative of students brainwashed by teachers. Our members have rightly expressed their outrage at this insult of their professionalism to provide balanced conversations with students on controversial issues.

The governors of Idaho and Tennessee have signed similar bills with more than a dozen other states considering legislation.

Share your story This form requires JavaScript to be completed. Powered by Screendoor.

Disclosure: The New York Times financially supported The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial support plays no role in the journalism of the Tribune. Find a full list of them here.

[ad_2]