Arizona Legislature approves Tom Horne’s bill to end ethnic studies programs

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Legislature approved Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne's bill to eliminate ethnic studies programs (targeted at Tucson Unified School District). Arizona legislature bans ethnic-studies programs:

The bill forbids Arizona schools from using any curriculum that promotes "the overthrow of the United States government" or "resentment toward a race or class of people." It also disallows any curriculum that's "designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group" or that seeks to "advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals."

Arizona's superintendent for public instruction, Tom Horne, has said he's backing the measure because ethnic-studies programs encourage "ethnic chauvinism"; he's also suggested that such programs could breed secessionist sentiment among Hispanic students.

Republican state Sen. Jack Harper also voted for the bill, saying that certain Hispanic-themed ethnic-studies programs are "trying to say that somebody who came to this country illegally is somehow oppressed. That's crazy stuff."

But the legislation's opponents say that, if the bill is signed into law, the state, not the targeted programs, would be promoting a politicized curriculum. Democratic state Sen. Linda Lopez says the bill would target a Mexican-American studies program used in her home district of Tucson. She offered an amendment — which the legislature approved — mandating that Arizona schools adopt curricula that include discussions of incidents of genocide such as the Holocaust, so that such material would not be considered as promoting "ethnic resentment."

In another controversial shift in state education policy, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the Arizona Department of Education has begun telling principals to remove teachers who speak English with an accent from classes with students who are still learning English. Some school officials are complaining that the move will remove experienced teachers from classrooms that need them. Margaret Dugan, the state's deputy superintendent of schools, told the Journal the request is "politicizing the educational environment."

"Teachers should speak good grammar because kids pick up what they hear," Johanna Haver, an adviser to Arizona educators, told the Journal. "Where you draw the line is debatable."

The Education Department permits teachers who don't meet fluency standards to take classes to improve.

KGUN 9 reporter Tammy Vo filed this report before final passage of the bill TUSD to eliminate Ethnic Studies – KGUN 9 On Your Side:

Tucson (KGUN9 -TV) – A history learning program in TUSD will become history. Ethnic solidarity and racial chauvinism are just two labels that TUSD's Ethnic Studies program have been given over the years. The program teaches the history of African Americans, Native Americans, and Mexican Americans. State superintendent Tom Horne has been trying to get rid of it for years, and now, under HB2281, schools cannot create classes that advocate ethnic solidarity, or group students into a particular ethnic group.

"I think it helped to recognize what racism is, and help fight against it," said Maya Bernal who is a student.

Augustine Romero, the program's director said, "We teach multiple perspectives and multiple cultures."

The classes are not mandatory, and Romero said that students are taught American History, but through another cultural perspective. KGUN9 asked Romero if the program pushes students to believe those perspectives.

He said, "What's beautiful is that we encourage our students to make up their own mind." State Senator Frank Antenori believes the classes push kids to despise the government. He said, "It has no business being in the high school system. If you want to go to college, fine, but taxpayers should not be funding this."

Are you f#@king kidding me? Frank Antenori, the man who has sponsored and voted for bills based upon the secessionist nullification theory of the "Tenther" movement to challenge the authority of the federal government, the man who recites the GOP talking points about government being evil, the man who participates in Tea Party rallies where anti-government protest signs are prevalent, is worried about what teaches our kids to despise the government? Seriously?

While some question the fact that Horne has not visited the classroom, he said he doesn't need to because teachers who teach the course tell him it creates separation of students by race.

David Safier's posts about Tom Horne address his fixation with TUSD's ethnic studies program. But I would like to know more about this removing teachers who speak English with an accent policy. That can't be right.