Tennessee Passes Bill To Withhold Funding For Schools Teaching About Systemic Racism
Socialites, get into this! This month, Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill that would withhold funding from schools when students are taught about systemic racism and white privilege.
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Following several days of fiery debate, the Senate voted 25-7 for the ban one day after the House easily passed the bill along partisan lines in Tennessee’s GOP-controlled legislature. HB 0580/SB 0623 officially cleared the General Assembly Wednesday, one of several to pass on the day lawmakers adjourned for the year, News Channel 9 notes.
The legislation allows the state education commissioner to withhold funds from schools and districts where teachers teach certain concepts about racism, sexism, bias, and other social issues that are part of the nation’s history. As the news site notes, the measure says if the Education Commissioner finds out a school is knowingly in violation, the commissioner will withhold state funds from the school until the school provides evidence they are no longer in violation of the rule(s). Here’s how one teacher reacted to the news:
Although most of the majority-white GOP caucuses in the House and Senate supported the move, Black Democratic lawmakers warned the bill would make schools fearful to even teach about the United States’ history on race.
The legislation will head to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature.
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