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John Ranta's avatar

Perhaps we should look at Republican efforts to promote ignorance holistically, rather than piecemeal. This Texas law (and Texas is not alone) on what can and can’t be taught in public schools, is terrible. The never-ending election “audits” and promotion of the big lie, are terrible. The discrediting of medical science, the demonizing of Dr. Fauci, masks and the vaccines, the promotion of quack cures like horse dewormer, are all terrible. The constant attacks on mainstream media are terrible. The attacks on climate science are terrible. I could list many more - attacks on “the elites”, on education itself, on Black Lives Matter, etc. Each time these individual attacks happen, we focus on that specific issue - Critical Race Theory in schools, for example. Maybe we should zoom out. Considered together, these individual attacks comprise a broader attack on knowledge, on intelligence, on facts and science. Is there a document somewhere, in the Koch brothers’ file cabinets, or Roger Ailes’ credenza, or Mitch McConnell’s desk drawer, that outlines this broader strategy? It might be titled “How to build a compliant base” and it’s table of contents would have chapters like “Destroy expertise, undermine science, revise history, dismantle public education, tear down mainstream media, discredit democracy, establish a theocracy, etc.” It sure looks like Republican leaders, with their allies in “christian” fundamentalism, big business and right-wing media, are out to systematically undo the Enlightenment itself, and restore the Dark Ages.

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Denise H.'s avatar

I have so much to say about this! But I’ve been told by a co worker that my comments here can make me a target of the new conservative school board. Not only is the teaching affected, our freedom of speech is, as well. Two years ago, I thought I had my dream job. Now what?

Administrators are scrambling to try and figure this all out. I would not have handled it this way to record a training session, and take it to the media. The teacher association definitely! This was not a problem solving tactic. But teachers are backed into a corner and terrified. Hopefully it will have a positive effect in the long run. Schools all over Texas are in the same quagmire. We need this house bill to be overturned and make it go away. And several other house bills! The force that got originalist on our school board needs to be met with an equal push back! Let’s hope for some common decency and common sense to return to education.

Thank you, Heather

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