What do Texas educators want for Teacher Appreciation Week?

We want the right to teach multiple perspectives & talk about current events w/ students. HB3979 is up for vote on Tues 5/4 & we need you to contact your Texas Rep to OPPOSE this bill. 1/13
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB03979I.htm

Don't know who your Texas State Representative is or how to contact them? Click here: https://house.texas.gov/members/find-your-representative/ Email and call them today, then do the same tomorrow. 2/13

The whole bill is problematic, but I'm going to highlight some key parts that target teachers' ability to provide multiple perspectives in history, connect the truths of our past to our current reality, & create space to share lived experiences. 3/13

(h-1) This sub-section is mostly about " the fundamental moral, political, and intellectual foundations of the American experiment..." & teaching "the founding documents of the United States..." I have lots of thoughts, but the most dangerous sub-sections are (h-2) & (h-3). 4/13

(h-2)
(1) no teacher shall be compelled by a policy of any state agency, school district, campus, open-enrollment charter school, or school administration to discuss current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs; 5/13

(2) teachers who choose to discuss current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs shall... strive to explore such issues from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective; 6/13

(5) No teacher, administrator, or other employee ... shall be required to engage in training, orientation, or therapy that presents any form of race or sex stereotyping or blame on the basis of race or sex. 7/13

Basically this whole section is saying that we can't talk about white supremacy, whiteness, sexism, patriarchy, etc... There's a lot of fear in the whole bill, but it screams of it here. And wait until you see the next two sub-sections... 8/13

Can't include anything that suggests that:

(6) an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex; 9/13

Can't include anything that might make:

(7) any individual ... feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex; 10/13

Don't include anything that suggests that:

(8) meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist, or were created by a members of a particular race to oppress members of another race. 11/13

And finally:

(h-3) No private funding shall be accepted ... for the purposes of curriculum development, purchase or choice of curricular materials, teacher training, or professional development pertaining to courses on... social studies, or similar subject areas. 12/13

So email and call your State Rep today and tomorrow! https://house.texas.gov/members/find-your-representative/
Tell them to OPPOSE HB3979 (SB2202)!!!

Then share this harmful bill & immediate action steps with at least 10 people so they can call their reps to OPPOSE it, too. 13/13