Extremist Republicans openly attack public schools teaching science, history and social studies to kids
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Watch: Extremist Republicans openly attack public schools teaching science, history and social studies to kids
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By David Badash,The New Civil Rights Movement
The Arizona Republican Party’s nominee for governor, Kari Lake , is telling supporters there’s no reason for schools to spend so much time teaching science, math, and history. If elected she would recreate public schools into factories producing young adults who can immediately enter the workforce without the benefit of understanding basic information necessary in a democratic society. In North Carolina, the dominionist Lt. Governor wants to ban the teaching of science and history in elementary schools. And a Fox News host this week claimed that social studies – classes that teach history, culture, geography, political science, philosophy, and psychology – is a fake subject, “made up by progressives.”
That Fox News host is Pete Hegseth , who Donald Trump, when he was president, wanted to nominate to head the Veterans Administration. Hegseth may be best-known, however, for once bragging on Fox News that he hadn’t washed his hands in over a decade .
That Fox News host is Pete Hegseth , who Donald Trump, when he was president, wanted to nominate to head the Veterans Administration. Hegseth may be best-known, however, for once bragging on Fox News that he hadn’t washed his hands in over a decade .
“Germs are not a real thing,” Hegseth said . “I can’t see them, therefore they’re not real.”
“Everything about the confines of my classroom was created by progressives 100 years ago,” Hegseth told a live audience this week. “You mentioned the rows. You mentioned that approach – the bell ringing. God being removed of course, lunch breaks, lunch breaks, different subjects, Social Studies.”
That’s when Hegseth got agitated.
“The idea we’re not going to study civics, history, philosophy, theology, we’re going to create psychology and social studies and split it all up as if we can dissect human nature and through a scientific method which they’ve invented.”.
“That’s right, create more perfectible human beings by controlling how they think and what they think, all created by progressives.”
Hegseth thinks taxpayer-funded public schools should teach everything through the “lens” of God, or, more specifically, his God
“Did you take social studies? I took social studies. The progressives made it up it – it’s, it’s a made-up conglomerate of subjects meant to silo the way that we think as opposed to basing all of wisdom in God’s wisdom, in His word, and it all makes sense, looking at it through that lens.”
Social Studies, of course, includes civics and history, and philosophy. In fact, the National Council for the Social Studies offers a definition for social studies:
“Social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence,” which Hegseth appears to object to.
“Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences.”
“The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.”
Hegseth is not alone in wanting to reduce what children learn.
Republican Kari Lake, Arizona’s GOP nominee for governor and a former TV news reporter whose entire education was in public schools, now thinks school children don’t need to learn as much as they are currently when it comes to science, math, and history.
“I believe we are at a prime opportunity to completely re-envision how our government schools are run, because everyone’s eyes are open,” Lake told supporters at an event while campaigning with far-right white Christian nationalist U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ).
“And who says we have to have this many hours of science, this many of math and history? We can change that up,” said Lake about an entire state’s public school system that already has been “ranked worst across the 50 United States of America,” according to a report in Arizona’s KGUN 9 News .
“What does it mean to have a high school diploma? It should mean that you know some of the basics, and you also have some ability to go out and make a living. Our schools have our kids for 13 years from K through 12 and at the end of 13 years, we should have some competent adults going into the world who can make a living because there are jobs out there.”
Notice how Lake doesn’t say, “public schools,” but “government schools,” a term many on the right use to demonize public schools, expanding their belief that anything the government does is wrong, bad, or a waste of tax dollars.
Lake also sounds like she’s suggesting high school graduates are not able to get jobs because they have spent too much time learning about science, math, and history.
Then there’s far right Christian dominionist Republican Lt. Governor of North Carolina Mark Robinson , who is another extremist attacking education.
Robinson made national headlines after calling LGBTQ people “filth.”
In August MSNBC’s Ja’han Jones wrote that Robinson “may well be the most bigoted official in the United States with the least name recognition.”
Calling him “a full-on extremist,” Jones writes that Robinson And “reportedly has a new, ludicrous belief to share with the masses: Science and history shouldn’t be taught to students until they reach sixth grade.”
“First through fifth grades ‘don’t need to be teaching social studies,’ he wrote, according to local NBC affiliate WRAL-TV, which obtained an advanced copy of his upcoming book,” Jones adds, reporting that Robinson wrote: “We don’t need to be teaching science. We surely don’t need to be talking about equity and social justice.”
There’s more to Robinson’s extremist ideas on education.
Get rid of it. Or, specifically, Jones writes, Robinson has ” called for the elimination of the state’s board of education.”
“Robinson said flatly what most fact-averse conservatives won’t admit about their education crusade,” Jones continues. “They fear accurate history lessons that could inevitably lead to discussions about systemic disparities. And they fear discussions about science, which may undermine the fundamentalist Christian beliefs at the heart of the conservative movement.”
Jones sums up this entire approach to public education from the right.
“Robinson’s reported ideas about education showcase the logical endpoint of the Republican Party’s assault on lessons about social inequality: an eagerness to keep children stupid.”
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Sounds like the GOP wants an army of ignorant drones at their disposal.
Why teach kids the history of their country anyway? It can only hurt their self-esteem.
Exactly, they want to undo all the gains that have our children currently leading the world in math, science and history.
You would correct the problem with benign neglect. How Republican of you.
Democrats are trying to correct the problem with more social engineering. They could give a fuck about how smart kids are- so long as they are programmed correctly.
Well I'll give you this - you agree with the far right extremists named in the seed.
Lol .... bazinga.
What exactly do you think is causing the problem?
I don’t even need to buy a vowel since there isn’t one.
It sounds like they want just the opposite.
Why teach kids the history of their country anyway?
According to progressives, US history is a simple story of oppression & slavery, nothing else.
It can only hurt their self-esteem.
It would help them understand what a truly great country this is.
David Badash wants to protect indoctrination. Send him to me. I'll give him a course in the humanities that he'll never forget!
It is almost impossible for you to address listed topics. Im not answering any questions. Either address the seed or leave.
I replied to your comments, did they address the seed?
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The most frightful part of all of this are those that willingly support and vote for this.
the horror!
This article is a master class in throwing shit at hysterically throwing shit at wall using buzz words, innuendo and guilt by association to attack someone or saying something any sane person would agree with.
But by all means, John, campaign against trying to improve schools and ensuring HS gradates have the ability to function in society. Real winner there.
It sounds like she wants to cut back on science math and history for high school kids.
Sounds like she wants to consider changing an educational system that is one of the worst in the country. She doesn't promise to cut anything.
What's wrong with believing high school graduates should be competent?
The Arizona Department of Education has identified one issue which may contribute to the states low rankings. Arizona has an average student-to-counselor ratio of 716:1, when the recommended standard is 250:1.
Surprisingly, they didn't say that the number of hours devoted to science, math, history, but the need for more counselors.
says we have to have this many hours of science, this many of math and history? We can change that up,”
Right. What's wrong with considering changing a system that isn't working?
Well, four words cone to my mind. PURE UNADLTERATED HORSE MANURE!
Depends on the mod.
Republicans are only interested in the education system producing ignorant sheep. That's their MAGA base.
I don't know about the others but the Los Angeles Unified School District fared well from 2019 to 2022.
The Times article is stating how LAUSD compared nationally in post pandemic scores.
You really should stop poisoning your mind with such trash sources. The whole point of sites like AlterNet are to keep you perpetually enraged and irrationally angry at Republicans.
It treats an obvious joke from three years ago by a fox anchor as a real admission to frame a story about politicians. Do you not get mad when your sources tret you like a fool and manipulate you so crassly?
Was that the funny part ?
Our education system is failing. Democrats control the department of education. The teachers unions and the curriculum. The United States is falling in every subject. Math and science, and literacy the most.
During the pandemic parents in both parties realized the education system was failing and educational priorities had little to do with the subjects necessary to move our country forward.
Their concerns were met with disdain for the voices that pay the taxes and carry the most weight. Read local news across the country. It's not just conservatives outraged at the lack of effectiveness in our education. This is the number one reason why democrats will get served a serious defeat at the polls in coming days.
Listen to voters, parents matter. Bizarre fringe social issues Don't prepare children for jobs. Teacher unions will erode the American union and it's future. Establishment Democrats will be to blame.
Yes yes, and Putin is a god send. [Deleted]