TSR Education: A newly proposed guidance released by the Tennessee Department of Education could result in public school teachers paying hefty fines if any part of their curriculum teaches about race and more specifically–critical race theory.
Per the rules issued by the DOE: “If the Department determines that the LEA [“local education agency”] or public charter school knowingly violated Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-1019, the Department shall withhold the payment of state funds scheduled to be distributed to the LEA or public charter school until the requirements of the corrective action plan have been met.”
The Grio reports teachers who knowingly violate the new law could have their licenses suspended or revoked, while school districts could be hit with fines starting at $1 million and rising to $5 million each time a teacher “knowingly initiates classroom discussions about systemic racism, white privilege, and sexism.”
For some background, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee passed legislation to ban the teaching of critical race theory, describing it as a “dangerous theory” that endangered every child in the state in an editorial published by the Tennessean.
They closed their editorial by stating “In Tennessee, we believe in the truth. We believe in equality of opportunity. We are proud of our history.”
Tennessee is just one of many states and school districts across the nation grappling over the teaching of race and race relations in America as it pertains to the nation’s history.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz called it “poison that is being poured into the minds of our kids” during an interview with Fox News.
Per Tennessee’s DOE, below are the subjects and concepts Tennessee lawmakers take issue with:
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