Finally, a Republican lawmaker is trying to make big changes in Oklahoma classrooms!
According to KFOR, State Senator George Burns – the guy who thinks his tractor is sexy – is working hard to make sure classrooms are havens for white-washed history equality in education.
Fresh off introducing a bill that would essentially make Sunday School an elective in Oklahoma schools, he wants to prevent indoctrination of "young, impressionable minds" by banning scary-sounding things like "action civics, protest civics, or project-based civics" from being taught in Oklahoma classrooms.
Via KFOR:
Sen. George Burns has filed Senate Bill 1174, which would prohibit schools from promoting action civics, protest civics, or project-based civics.
He argues these policies require students to participate in ideologically partisan protests, lobbying campaigns or internships with political advocacy organizations outside of school.
“The classroom is no place to push partisan politics or agendas. It is beyond unethical for districts to use tax dollars to force educators to teach controversial issues in an effort to indoctrinate young, impressionable minds,” Burns said. “Fair and unbiased dialogue about public policies and political affairs is educational but requiring the teaching of partisan beliefs will not be tolerated in our state. My bill will protect public school educators from unjust teaching requirements and provide guidelines for those who choose to engage in such dialogue with their students.”
If by refusing to let teachers lecture on “controversial issues” or “push partisan politics and agendas” Burns meant keeping students from learning that the Civil Rights movement was a series of effective protests and not something nice that the white men in power decided to grant, his bill would definitely be effective.
But I have a feeling there are going to be a lot more topics that are off-topic if this bill were to pass! So here are 5 things SB 1174 will probably prohibit in Oklahoma classrooms!
Teaching About the Boston Tea Party
Being that SB 1174 would do away with teaching kids about political protests, I guess teachers would have to leave out the whole “throwing tea into the harbor protest against unfair taxation” story when teaching about the American Revolution, since it literally was a political protest. I am surprised a republican lawmaker would want to deter kids from speaking out against taxes going to foreign countries since his campaign platform revolves around making sure “that none of our tax dollars are spent in China or other countries.”
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Teachers' Bumper Stickers
Keeping politics out of the classroom would likely extend to the parking lot. No longer will the art teacher’s 2012 Nissan Cube be able to sport a Bernie 2020 sticker, nor will the history teacher’s Nixon/Agnew decal be welcome on her bumper. For some reason, the 3 NRA stickers on the Ag teacher’s truck are still acceptable for school property.
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The Oklahoma Congressional Page Program
Prohibiting “action civics” would probably nix the Oklahoma Congressional Page Program, which allows high school kids to spend a week at the Oklahoma State Capitol being yelled at for forgetting Sweet-n-Low when delivering a representative’s coffee witnessing actual laws being made and participating in mock floor debates with their peers. Prohibiting action civics would probably also discontinue…
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Voting for Class President
Though it doesn’t really matter because no class president has ever made good on their “pizza every day” or “no gym class” campaign promises.
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Teaching the Fact that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican
Even though the republican and democratic party platforms switched decades ago, rightwingers love to use their right click-to-save-meme ability to point out that the president who issued the Emancipation Proclamation was a republican. Thanks to SB 1174, I guess teachers will just have to focus on his history of uniting the nation and other BS instead of bringing politics into history.
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Ask Hayley for American war history book recommendations. Then follow her on twitter @squirrellygeek and become a contributing member of TLO here.
