TN GOP, Having Not Ratfucked Education Enough, Proposes Further Ratfucking

[Edge-]

https://tn.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/17/2...aw-legislature

Few complaints have been filed — and no penalties levied — since 2021 when Tennessee enacted a controversial law that seeks to regulate discussions on race and gender in K-12 classrooms.

For what that law is, briefly - https://tn.chalkbeat.org/2021/5/24/2...ght-in-schools

The Republican governor signed the bill without comment, following its passage along partisan lines earlier this month.

The new law, which essentially takes effect with the 2021-22 school year, will allow Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn to withhold funds from schools and districts where teachers promote certain concepts about racism, sexism, bias, and other social issues that GOP lawmakers believe are cynical and divisive.

Among the 14 concepts that teachers will not be able to discuss: that one race bears responsibility for past actions against another; the United States is fundamentally racist; and a person is inherently privileged or oppressive due to their race.

Back to the current news -

But that could change under new GOP legislation that state lawmakers are scheduled to take up next week.

The bill, filed by Rep. John Ragan of Oak Ridge and Sen. Joey Hensley of Hohenwald, would allow any resident within a public school zone to file a complaint under Tennessee’s so-called prohibited concepts law, which restricts teachers from discussing 14 concepts that the legislature has deemed divisive.

Currently, only students, parents, or employees within a district or charter school can file complaints involving their school, which can lead to disciplinary action. If the state determines that educators have violated the law, teachers can even be stripped of their licenses and school districts can lose state funding.

The proposed change, which observers have dubbed “Prohibited Concepts 2.0,” could open the door to conservative groups like Moms for Liberty to flood their local school boards with complaints about instruction, books, or materials they believe violate the law, even if they do not have direct contact with the teacher or school in question. The organization, with chapters in seven Tennessee counties, has channeled the frustrations of conservative mothers to target issues like mask mandates and curricula that touch on LGBTQ rights, race, and discrimination.

Weird how Republicans want to give outside groups so much influence over schools, having failed to find the problems the first incarnation of this bill was designed to manufacture.

Ragan says investigations should weed out unfounded claims and that he’s more concerned about “taxation without representation.”

“These people are taxpayers who are footing the bill for schools,” he said, “so they should have the right to file a complaint.”

And here we have a fundamental misunderstanding of a fairly important historical line in US history. These individuals are represented. They get to vote for their elected officials. They just don't get a personal say in things like school curriculum.

However, the law’s detractors say the change would make a dangerous policy even more dangerous.

“This will place an even greater burden on district personnel to have to chase down complaints,” said Gini Pupo-Walker, state director for the Education Trust in Tennessee. “And it’s going to have another chilling effect on what teachers can teach and how they teach it.”

The legislation is the latest effort by Tennessee conservatives to tamp down on classroom discussions that veer into ideas like systemic racism, sexism, and gender identity, even as the law has generated few formal complaints thus far.

Critics say it’s another attempt to weaponize public education in the current political climate by using charged words such as “indoctrination” to stoke parents’ fears and inflame disagreements about which classroom discussions are appropriate and which ones cross the line.

All extremely fair criticisms!

Tennessee was among the first states to enact a prohibited concepts law amid national fury from conservatives about critical race theory, an academic framework that’s sometimes studied in higher education to examine how policies and laws may perpetuate systemic racism.

After reviewing more than 900 public comments about the new law, the state education department developed enforcement rules for everything from how to file and investigate a complaint to how to appeal a decision and what penalties that teachers and districts could face if found in violation of the law. Those rules also set who is eligible to file a complaint.

Since the rules went into effect in late 2021, the department has received two appeals of local decisions, according to spokesman Brian Blackley.

One was filed by a Blount County parent over the book “Dragonwings,” a novel told from the perspective of a Chinese immigrant boy in the early 20th century. The state denied the appeal based on the results of its investigation, Blackley said.

The second was from the parent of a student enrolled in a private school in Davidson County. Because the law does not apply to private schools, the department found that the parent did not have standing to file an appeal under the law.

The department also declined to investigate a complaint from Williamson County, south of Nashville, filed soon after the law was enacted. Robin Steenman, chair of the local Moms for Liberty chapter, alleged the literacy curriculum “Wit and Wisdom,” used by Williamson County Schools in 2020-21, has a “heavily biased agenda” that makes children “hate their country, each other and/or themselves.”

Blackley said the department was only authorized to investigate claims beginning with the 2021-22 school year and encouraged Steenman to work with Williamson County Schools to resolve her concerns.

Republicans are always proposing "solutions" to problems that don't exist, and then trying to find the problems that they used to justify their "solutions". This is an absolutely perfect example of pointless government legislation.

Now there's more in the link, but it's just another examples of Republicans persistent attacks on education and their commitment to finding problems that they're convinced actually exist but they still can't actually find. Again, despite this law being in effect for well over a year only a few cases have been reviewed and no action was taken.

[s_bushido]

Republicans are always proposing "solutions" to problems that don't exist, and then trying to find the problems that they used to justify their "solutions". This is an absolutely perfect example of pointless government legislation.

That's the thing, though. This legislation isn't pointless...it's doing exactly what it intended: To perpetuate the idea that education is just Leftist Indoctrination™. The fact that it's fucking not (unless you consider the acceptance of simple facts of reality to be a leftist principle) is irrelevant to these people. Because look! Here's a law that was passed to root it out...so it must be real!

It's a vicious circle of stupidity and hate.

[Elder Millennial]

I find it surreal that when hearing the words "Prohibited concepts" people don't recoil in horror.

Like I never heard anyone on the left ever calling even the most insane right wing ideas "prohibited concepts", they might call them "insane" or "cruel" or "factitious/made up" whatever, but I never even heard the most radical lefty or progressive ever saying we should prohibit the very concept of racism for example, because it's self evidently insane to make this argument.

Once you have legally codified "prohibited concepts" what's the distinction between you and China or Iran?

[Gestopft]

Once you have legally codified "prohibited concepts" what's the distinction between you and China or Iran?

It reminds me of the "patriotic education" that some in the GOP have been pushing, somehow not realizing that they would call it propaganda if it was the norm in any other country

[Kaleredar]

I find it surreal that when hearing the words "Prohibited concepts" people don't recoil in horror.

Like I never heard anyone on the left ever calling even the most insane right wing ideas "prohibited concepts", they might call them "insane" or "cruel" or "factitious/made up" whatever, but I never even heard the most radical lefty or progressive ever saying we should prohibit the very concept of racism for example, because it's self evidently insane to make this argument.

Once you have legally codified "prohibited concepts" what's the distinction between you and China or Iran?

Remember, accoding to conservatives:

-Private companies deciding not to host extremist conservative viewpoints: Draconian overreach, a violation of the first amendment, affront to the American way of life, they should be considered public services, etc

-The actual government legislating what is and is not forbidden knowledge to discuss in actual real public institutions: perfectly acceptable, needed to avoid liberal indoctrination, it's the right of the parents to decide, etc.


Long story short, young people aren't growing up scared of gay people, immigrants, and minorities, and if the GOP doesn't have those groups to scapegoat they don't really have anything.

[s_bushido]

Like I never heard anyone on the left ever calling even the most insane right wing ideas "prohibited concepts", they might call them "insane" or "cruel" or "factitious/made up" whatever, but I never even heard the most radical lefty or progressive ever saying we should prohibit the very concept of racism for example, because it's self evidently insane to make this argument.

Back in the heady anti-SJW days of the mid 2010s, reactionary grifters would make bank on the idea that lefties refuse to let shitheels in the vein of Ben Shapiro speak on their campus without at least organizing a protest (if not outright getting them deplatformed). So to say that there aren't ideas that people on the left basically refuse to engage with (because they're absolute bullshit) isn't entirely true. But at the same time, none of them are pushing through laws banning the stuff...

Once you have legally codified "prohibited concepts" what's the distinction between you and China or Iran?

The only problem the American right has with places like China and Iran is that those countries actually get to do the oppressive garbage that they dream about implementing themselves. It's especially ridiculous because Islamic theocracies have essentially the same ideas about culture and society that the GOP would love to establish with their Christian theocracy. The only difference is alcohol...and Hooters, apparently. And yet before they shifted to their trans genocide rhetoric, demonizing and dehumanizing Muslims was their bread and butter.

[PACOX]

Do we even have a DOE anymore?

I remember when a lot of us were growing up our curriculums were nationally changed by "No Child Left Behind". It was dumb in a lot of ways, but it did set the foundation for national standards. Now it seems like states are teaching (or not teaching) whatever the hell they want.

States shouldn't be allowed to just say we're going to ignore key parts of American history, ESPECIALLY states that openly rebelled against the union and birthed hate movements.

[Mekh]

Back in the heady anti-SJW days of the mid 2010s, reactionary grifters would make bank on the idea that lefties refuse to let shitheels in the vein of Ben Shapiro speak on their campus without at least organizing a protest (if not outright getting them deplatformed).

And with the benefit of hindsight, we should have done worse to every single one of them.

[D3thray]

https://tn.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/17/2...aw-legislature

Republicans are always proposing "solutions" to problems that don't exist, and then trying to find the problems that they used to justify their "solutions". This is an absolutely perfect example of pointless government legislation.

Now there's more in the link, but it's just another examples of Republicans persistent attacks on education and their commitment to finding problems that they're convinced actually exist but they still can't actually find. Again, despite this law being in effect for well over a year only a few cases have been reviewed and no action was taken.

*Sigh* could that perhaps be the case because teachers and school districts are following the law? Clear textbook example of survivor bias right here.

Making no opinion on the actual law here, objecting to your characterization of this as an example Republicans ‘making solutions for problems that don’t exist’. I’m sure they do but your conclusion here doesn’t follow at all from the sources given.

[Karreck]

It's laws like these that make me not want to be a teacher anymore.
Which is the goal.

[s_bushido]

Making no opinion on the actual law here

Indeed. Because stripped of the context of what they're actually doing, this can all look so innocuous. Convenient.

But I do enjoy how one of their "prohibited concepts" is:

"Promoting or advocating the violent overthrow of the United States government."

Fucking whoops.

[Nymrohd]

Not TN but I saw this story about a principal in Florida
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...elangelo-david

apparently David is pornographic because he is naked (and flaccid).

[Draco-Onis]

*Sigh* could that perhaps be the case because teachers and school districts are following the law? Clear textbook example of survivor bias right here.

Making no opinion on the actual law here, objecting to your characterization of this as an example Republicans ‘making solutions for problems that don’t exist’. I’m sure they do but your conclusion here doesn’t follow at all from the sources given.

I think you read a different article it seems they passed a law for censorship so teachers self censored and many books have been banned as a result. Since they didn't get the spectacle they wanted republicans are passing a more draconian law to be sure to make a mess. I am not sure was there a major problem in schools such as this that required legislation feel free to link it.

A teacher in TN makes on average 41K, they rank near the bottom in education in the country how are these legislation helping that?

[Captain N]

A teacher in TN makes on average 41K, they rank near the bottom in education in the country how are these legislation helping that?

It helps a ton for the aiding a new generation of Republican voter. Keep them ignorant and blaming minorities, women, and the LGBTQ Community for all of their woes and we get Boomers 2.0

[Mekh]

Not TN but I saw this story about a principal in Florida
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...elangelo-david

apparently David is pornographic because he is naked (and flaccid).

[Flarelaine]

As a reminder, the Scopes trial also happened in Tennessee. Nearly a century ago, but TN does not seem to haved moved forward.

[The Stormbringer]

Do we even have a DOE anymore?

I remember when a lot of us were growing up our curriculums were nationally changed by "No Child Left Behind". It was dumb in a lot of ways, but it did set the foundation for national standards. Now it seems like states are teaching (or not teaching) whatever the hell they want.

States shouldn't be allowed to just say we're going to ignore key parts of American history, ESPECIALLY states that openly rebelled against the union and birthed hate movements.

How dare you say such a thing?! You're impinging on their Free Speech rights! Why shouldn't they be able to teach whatever they want to? Is that not just speech in a classroom? How dare you, sir or madam! And that thing about hate movements is OBVIOUSLY slander/libel/whatever allows me to sue you. This comment is an abomination against the Constitution, and I for one will not stand for it! Sincerely, A Humble Conservative Patriot /s

[Shadowferal]

TN wants to give "home education" a good name.