Censoring+Cirriculum


 * Censorship of Curricula Material **

In September 2015, the Tennessee legislature received reports from several counties that parents feared existing middle school curriculum was indoctrinating children to the religion of Islam through the length of time the topic was covered, certain assignments that required children to learn and write about The Five Pillars of Islam, and the feeling that other religions, particularly Christianity was not given "equal" time in its module.
 * Case Summary **

 The article stated in part: “Students have learned the same content included in the seventh-grade curriculum for years”, Fiveash said. “The information was mainly included in the sixth-grade curriculum until the state Board of Education adopted new content standards in July 2013”, she said.

 "While it appears that some seventh-grade teachers are covering Islam longer than Christianity, it's important to note, that the last chapter of the sixth-grade textbook covers the rise of Christianity extensively. That chapter is repeated at the beginning of the seventh-grade textbook," Fiveash wrote to lawmakers.

 Several conservative Republican state lawmakers weren't satisfied. In more emails and public statements obtained by The Tennessean, they call for the revision of the curriculum.

 "The section on 'Ancient Israel' isn't called the 'Jewish World,' " Rep. Tilman Goins, R-Morristown, wrote in an emailed response to Fiveash.

 "If a study of a geographic region such as 'The Middle East' were to discuss the major religions found there, so be it! But until there is a section on India referred to as 'The Hindu World,' I do not believe this favoritism toward Islam should be allowed to continue to exist."

 Rep. Bill Sanderson, R-Kenton, agreed with Goins. In an emailed response, he said the "time is here for those accountable to either 'out' the ones responsible for the bias or stand and defend their position."

 In her original email, Fiveash is clear that the standards were developed in conjunction with Tennessee teachers and were publicly available for review or comment before they were adopted.

 The recent outcry caused state Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, to take a look at the standards. Holt, one of the chief opponents of a bill providing undocumented immigrants with in-state college tuition this year, agreed with his colleagues that it's time to remove the "strong bias in favor of Islam" from the curriculum.

 "While I can certainly understand the desire for cultural knowledge, it must never be at the cost of our own cultural identity," Holt wrote in a post on his blog, a site he uses to issue statements and raise money. "Many of our children are not being taught the Ten Commandments in school, but instead the Five Pillars of Islam and the 'Prophet' Muhammad as a sovereign to Jesus Christ."

 Holt noted the recent shooting death of five U.S. service members in Chattanooga by a man called a "perverted jihadist" by Vice President Joe Biden.

 "Tennesseans have seen the radical side of Islam, and many have grown skeptical of this 'peaceful religion,' " Holt wrote.

 Tennessee officials have a history of scrutinizing Islam. Two East Tennessee sheriffs made controversial comments about Muslims recently, and several officials at various levels attempted to block the building of a mosque in Murfreesboro in 2012.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> The state reviews standards every six years, but general outcry over the controversial Common Core caused the state to start that process earlier for math and science. McQueen said in her statement the process will start in January.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> "While standards describe the minimum learning expectations for students in each grade, curriculum and instruction are local decisions made by districts, schools, and teachers," she said in her statement.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Lawmakers return to session in January. [end of article]


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Outcome **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">As a result of this controversy, in January of 2016, "Representatives Matthew Hill, Timothy Hill and Micah Van Huss announced Wednesday that they have filed legislation to stop Islamic religious indoctrination in Tennessee schools." House Bill 1905 was signed by Governor Haslem on April 8, 2016. The summary of the bill is as follows:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> BILL SUMMARY

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> This bill requires that any inclusion of religion in textbooks, instructional materials, curriculum, or academic standards be for educational purposes only and not be used to promote or establish any religion or religious belief. Prior to the 2016-2017 school year, this bill requires each LEA to adopt a policy regarding the appropriate inclusion of religion in local curriculum and instructional materials. Each LEA must provide an opportunity for public comment before adoption of the policy.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> This bill requires each LEA to make publicly available a syllabus for all grade six through 12 social studies, science, math, and English language arts courses, which includes:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (1) A course calendar that includes standards, objectives, and topics covered;

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (2) Major assignments required; and

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (3) Procedures for parental access to instructional materials in accordance with the board of education's policy on inspection of school instructional materials by parents or legal guardians of students.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> This bill requires the state board of education to initiate a revision process for the social studies standards adopted in 2013. The revision process shall be in accordance with present law that requires the board to receive recommendations from a standards recommendation committee. The state board must ensure that the revised standards do not promote religion and do not amount to indoctrination or proselytism.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> This bill requires that teacher training institutions provide candidates with instruction on what is constitutionally permissible when teaching religious content and strategies for dealing with religious content in curriculum that are educationally sound, fair, neutral, and objective.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> ON FEBRUARY 29, 2016, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1905, AS AMENDED.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> AMENDMENT #1 prohibits the inclusion of religion in textbooks, instructional materials, curriculum, or academic standards to "proselytize" instead of "promote" any religion or religious belief.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> AMENDMENT #2 adds field trips to the required syllabus.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Issues **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The policies for curriculum design and implementation were all followed in 2013, including those on public comment and input. In the wake of political pressure to confront the issue of radical jihadists who subscribe to a viral form of Islam around the world, parents, elected school board members and political representatives are more likely to bow to that pressure and institute practices that may be discriminatory under the guise of stating counter-discrimination against Christianity.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Local boards of education may not be equipped with policies and procedures to handle politically sensitive issues, thus giving the community and local educators any guidance.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Once the state legislature has passed legislation requiring local school boards to follow a prescribed protocol when dealing with curriculum issues regarding religion, does the local school board have any recourse?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. Find out whether the Local School Board has developed the required policy; <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. If not, widely advertise the public comment period with local educators, students, parent-teacher associations and other sympathetic groups. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. Show up in large numbers to the public comment period and give reasons by which the curriculum should include not necessarily and “equal” representation of religion in world history and other classes, but instead a thorough treatment of such. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">4. Follow up with calls, letters and emails to elected school board officials and to administrators. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">5. If the school board has already developed the policy, read the policy and petition the board to be included on the Agenda for a board meeting to challenge the policy as it stands. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">6. If all overtures to the local board fails, enlist the help and support of organizations like the ACLU that have the means and reach to file a lawsuit to challenge the new policy and the state law on the grounds that it is discriminatory and an overreach of political power.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">Reversing Decision **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sources **