Image Credit: Charlie Kirk / Facebook & Canva
Tennessee Conservative News [By Olivia Lupia] –
A new law set to take effect ahead of the 2026-27 school year will allow teachers to discuss Christianity’s role in shaping American history by clarifying that those who speak from this perspective will not be in violation of state policy.
One of several pieces of legislation from this past session named after the late conservative pillar, the “Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act” authorizes LEAs, public school teachers, and faculty at public institutions of higher education to provide instruction on the positive impacts of Christianity when teaching about American history.
HB1822 was sponsored by Rep. Mark Cochran (R-Englewood-District 23) and Sen. Paul Rose (R-Lauderdale-District 32) and will allow instruction on “key moments in the story of the United States”, including the religious history of the Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact, recognition of Divine authority and religious influence in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, the role of the Ten Commandments in American legal tradition, and the history of the national motto “In God We Trust”.
“Our nation has an incredibly rich history that deserves to be taught accurately and completely. Christian leaders and beliefs were undeniably foundational in the creation of the United States. Tennessee Republicans are committed to giving students the full story. This law provides needed clarity for educators and ensures these significant historical truths can be taught in public schools,” Cochran stated.
Cochran also reiterated that the legislation is purely permissive and not intended to require a new curriculum or mandate classroom instruction.
“I think it’s almost impossible to teach American history without acknowledging Christianity’s impact on it,” Cochran said. “The primary motivation for the legislation was really to set some reassurance for our teachers to make sure those folks who want to teach these concepts that they know there’s nothing wrong with that.”
CEO and Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, JC Bowman, seems to concur that the law appears to be more about offering guidance and protection for teachers rather than actually changing what students are taught. “I don’t think [educators] are going to notice much”, he said.
He also noted a potential challenge for teachers looking to engage in these kinds of discussions is a lack of classroom materials available to educators interested in the concepts outlined in the legislation.
“That’s my biggest complaint about this,” Bowman said. “I mean, we passed legislation, and we go down that path towards something, and there’s not enough material already done.” He also thinks additional guidance is needed as schools could interpret the law differently.
“Academic freedom is really an important discussion to have, and I think the legislators are good at doing that, but we have to make sure we don’t censor people,” he said.
Rep. Cochran said the Tennessee Department of Education is expected to provide guidance on implementation, though he did not clarify if the DOE will have those guidelines issued before the start of the next school year when then legislation will be in effect.
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
