Stakeholders Ask Why County Is Partnering With CRT Based Teacher Training Company
Image Credit: dvidshub.net / Public Domain
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
The agenda for an upcoming school board meeting in Wilson County shows a contract review form between Better Lesson, providing training services for teachers and administrators, and Wilson County Schools. The contract amounts to $22,500 from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 according to Moms For Liberty, Wilson County. The school board will vote on the contract at its April 4th meeting.
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A Wilson County stakeholder has concerns with the proposed contract:
I wanted to share the reasons why I am concerned that taxpayer dollars are to be spent to utilize a training solution, that focuses on the following:
“The Identifying and Addressing Implicit Bias strategy contains tools needed to discover and explore unconscious biases, and to develop ways to respond to those who act on prejudices. It is designed to support teachers to create safe, considerate and successfully collaborative learning environments. The strategy can be used in the beginning of and throughout the school year as students explore new content that may uncover new biases. When students have opportunities to transform their own thinking and plan ways to transition from bystanders to upstanders, the learning community becomes a place of empowerment.”
The core values of “Better Lessons” which can be viewed on their website here: https://betterlesson.com/about-us/
“Commit to closing the opportunity gap in education. Commit to examining biases, shifting actions and views, and dismantling unjust systems.”
My question here would be, what “unjust” systems do teachers feel need to be dismantled? Which biases specifically are they seeing in our district that would justify such training? Are we only suggesting said contract as it is tied to EL Education, our current [English Language Arts curriculum]?
Better Lesson also has a specific view in terms of mathematics curricula. I quote “Teaching math isn’t just about Numbers. It’s about us.” February is Black History Month. However, educators should not limit their focus on inclusion of Black voices to just this month. Culturally responsive teaching and learning (CRTL) can be integrated into any subject, every day of the year.“
I would also point you to the video here: https://teaching.betterlesson.com/strategy/1248/resource/3423204
In regards to the above quote and 30 second video, I would point you to Tennessee Code 49-6-10, recently amended by HB0580 and SB0623.
I have also included a snapshot of one of their proposed “trainings.” Do you feel this aligns with Tennessee State values and your constituents in our community? I would urge you to vote against this contract with “Better Lesson”. Wilson County deserves better.
The Tennessee General Assembly banned the teaching of CRT in K-12 schools last year. Under the new law, Tennessee’s teachers can’t teach that “an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, is inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously.”
“Impartial discussion of controversial aspects of history” is still permitted under the law, and limits on teacher speech won’t apply when a teacher is responding to a student’s question or referring to a historical figure or group.
The penalty for a transgression is steep; the state education commissioner is permitted to withhold valuable state funds from any school found to be in violation. However, this hasn’t stopped some teachers.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
This is shocking!!! Thanks to whoever reported it.
One of the reasons why we moved to Tennessee from another state was to save our son from the lunatic theory of CRT being taught in his previous school. Please save our children and do not allow CRT to enter our schools here! Kids don’t know racism until they are taught about it. Let them all play together and focus on reading and math instead of creating artificial conflicts and divisions. Kids should grow happy without feeling guilty for being white or black! Please stop this madness from poisoning our school system!
You hit the nail on the head Lidia! Let kids be kids while they’re kids. Don’t allow any CRT hogwash to be used to brainwash any students!
I would refer to the studies performed in the 60s of control group children (2yr to 5 yr) who all played in the same closed room. The studies determined that children at this age have no sense of race or color or even language. Only that the play activity & the toys were important. Proving that racism in taught, not genetic.
It is past time to pull ALL funding and/or give fines to any school or teacher that promotes or teaches CRT garbage.
Its Not Just the Schools. Its the Libraries also. Check Out the website for DQSH. This is going on in TN. Look at their poster child on the main page. Just disgusting!!
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Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is just what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores. DQSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. In spaces like this, kids are able to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where people can present as they wish, where dress up is real.