ELA Curriculum Subject Of Lawsuit Currently Used In 33 Counties In Tennessee

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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

A contentious English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum which has prompted a lawsuit is currently being used in 33 counties in Tennessee.

In May of last year, Moms for Liberty – Williamson County formed a “Wit & Wisdom Deep Dive Team” to take a closer look at the ELA curriculum for which waivers had to be granted by the state. To date, 30 parents have spent more than 1,200 hours looking through the content.

According to Robin Steenman, spokesman for the Williamson County chapter of Moms for Liberty, Wit & Wisdom failed a state review twice before the Department of Education, under Penny Schwinn, granted waivers.

In the curriculum, ELA is intertwined with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) – something that conservative parents say is a cover for Critical Race Theory (CRT) and which is now outlawed in Tennessee’s public schools.

The state’s Education Commissioner, Penny Schwinn – appointed by Governor Bill Lee – previously founded a charter school in her hometown of Sacramento, CA, where Wit & Wisdom is used. That school, Capitol Collegiate Academy, is one of two nationwide that sits on a panel for the curriculum’s publisher, Great Minds. 

While a voting member for the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission, Schwinn granted the waivers for 33 counties in the state to use Wit & Wisdom in their school districts. This action ultimately cost Schwinn her ability to vote on the commission, taking away her ability to grant waivers in the future. For a list of counties where Wit & Wisdom is taught in Tennessee, click HERE.

According to Moms for Liberty, the investigation of Wit & Wisdom began after the parents of a 2nd grader exposed to the curriculum “was suddenly ashamed of his skin color and his country” and then more parents became increasingly concerned about the dark and inappropriate content that their children were having to read.

Moms for Liberty found some common themes running through the ELA curriculum which is used in Kindergarten through 5th grade:

  • Mean White People 
  • Cannibalism 
  • Suicide Ideation
  • Extreme Emotion
  • Anti-Nuclear Family
  • Dark Imagery 
  • Age-Inappropriate Topics
  • Anti-America
  • Graphic Death

Age-Inappropriate content was found in the following grades:

Kindergarten: Murder

1st Grade: Graphic Mating, Gender Fluidity

2nd Grade: Anti-Police, Anti-Fire Department

3rd Grade: Anti-Church, Torture

4th Grade: Rape, Murder, Adultery, Scalping/Skinning, Stillbirth

5th Grade: Gore, Excessive Violence, Alcoholism, Promiscuity & Harmful Relationships

The curriculum is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit that has been filed by parents against Williamson County Board of Education; Jason Golden, in his official capacity as Superintendent of Williamson County Schools; Dave Allen, in his capacity as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment; and Penny Schwinn. Patricia and James Lucente say that implementing Wit & Wisdom in Williamson County violates Tennessee law that prohibits the teaching and inculcation of CRT in Tennessee.

For concerned parents who wish to shield their children from the harmful content found in Wit & Wisdom, Moms for Liberty – Williamson County has an opt-out toolkit on their website.

More information on Wit & Wisdom can be found here.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.

4 thoughts on “ELA Curriculum Subject Of Lawsuit Currently Used In 33 Counties In Tennessee

  • October 31, 2022 at 1:32 pm
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    Why is Penny Schwinn still employed by gov LEE?
    She has been nothing but harmful to Tn education
    Any one that could come up with Wit&Wisdom needs to be kept far away from anyone under 21 or face criminal charges

    VOTE
    FOR
    JOHN
    GENTRY
    GOVENOR

    Reply
  • October 31, 2022 at 7:10 pm
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    I was shocked to learn that Knox County was among the school districts that adopted the racist and un-American elementary school curriculum Wit and Wisdom. Teaching first and second grade students about sex acts, “gender fluidity” and anti-police and firefighter propaganda is unthinkable. I guarantee that most parents and taxpayers don’t know about that. I am contacting my school board member to find out if she is aware of the curriculum. Thanks to Tennessee Conservatives and Moms for Liberty – Williamson County for exposing this dreadful curriculum.

    Reply
  • November 1, 2022 at 4:59 pm
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    Moms For Liberty has been a great movement to bring awareness to all of us. When my then 2nd grader came home asking why white people were mean, my husband and I knew we had to address what was being taught at her school. That was just the beginning of many more questions and concerns about the W&W curriculum. The saddest part of all of this is not only the fact that the problems with this series have been recognized by us- the parents- but the disregard that the board of education has for our opinion. I hope this law suit will be looked at very seriously.

    Reply
  • November 4, 2022 at 4:32 pm
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    BTW
    Since the teachings of W&W is in direct violation of state law, why is a lawsuit required?
    From the individual school principles up to Schwinn need to fired, the legislators for those districts should be called before the general state legislature and censured
    LEE has obviously stepped aside from his obligation to Tennessee citizens
    Hey Skermitti are you still sitting on the side lines with “do-nothing ” Lee?

    Reply

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