"As an educator, I refused to be complicit in a curriculum that engendered racial hostility, irresponsibly demeaned America's civil institutions, undermined our public servants, discounted any virtues in Western civilization and taught disdain for American sovereignty." - John Ward, former teacher at Tucson High Magnet School.
Eliminating a radical La Raza ("The Race") studies program in an Arizona public school district is unconstitutional and restricts free speech, according to a group of teachers who are suing the state to reinstate the taxpayer-financed curriculum that one instructor says "ignited racial hostility."
The Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American/Raza Studies program was eliminated earlier this year when the state enacted a measure -- HB 2281 -- to stop funding ethnic studies curriculums that advocate the overthrow of the U.S. government.
In 1998 the district created the Mexican American/Raza Studies division -- renamed “Mexican-American Studies” last year to sound less extremist -- to promote the "Chicano agenda."
A few years ago a Hispanic history teacher in the district, John Ward, denounced the curriculum’s biased theme that Mexican-Americans continue to be victims of a racist American society driven by the interests of middle and upper-class whites.
Kids were taught that the southwestern United States was taken from Mexicans because of the insatiable greed of the Yankee who acquired values from the corrupted ethos of western civilization, the teacher wrote in a newspaper opinion piece obtained by Judicial Watch, a group devoted to investigating government corruption, according to officials at Judicial Watch.
Students also learned that California, Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Colorado and Texas are really Aztlan, the ancient homeland of the Aztecs, and still rightfully belong to their descendants, people of indigenous Mexican heritage. Also, the former Tucson teacher said, students were told that few Mexicans took advanced high school courses because their “white teachers” didn’t believe they were capable and wanted to prevent them from getting ahead.
The curriculum engendered racial irresponsibly, demeaned America’s civil institutions, undermined public servants, discounted any virtues in western civilization and taught disdain for American sovereignty, according the teacher who blew the whistle on the La Raza program. He also revealed that many of the instructors who taught the courses were not certified to teach.
The teachers who are suing to renew public funding for the district’s Chicano studies department claim in their complaint that their free speech has been impermissibly infringed by the state.
Furthermore, they claim that students who take the La Raza courses score higher on standardized tests, graduate from high school at higher rates, improve their overall grades and have better school attendance records, but have offered no evidence of those claims.
Earlier this month, the California Regional Office of the National Council of La Raza, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, hosted a conference for K–12 school leaders and education experts on October 7–8 in downtown Los Angeles. The goal was to reframe the conversation on expectations, standards, and accountability as they relate to Hispanic students in the public school system.
The conference, “Accountability for All: Raising the Standard of Learning for Latino Students,” kicked off at on October 7 with remarks from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa.
Other participants included superintendents, executive directors, and principals of charter schools in the NCLR School Network from throughout the nation, most of whom serve student populations with a high percentage of Latinos.
According to La Raza officials: The conference gave school leaders a forum to exchange information and perspectives, a clear understanding of how to integrate the needs of Latino and English language learner students into accountability measures, practical tools that can be implemented at their schools, and the chance to provide feedback on policy recommendations at the federal level.
"The goal of La Raza and other leftist or 'progressive' groups is to indoctrinate youngsters and cause them to reject traditional American values and culture," said political strategist Mike Baker.
'While they are starting in areas of the U.S. close to the U.S.-Mexico border -- such as California, Arizona and New Mexico -- they ultimately plan to gain access to northern school districts," Baker said.
The conference, “Accountability for All: Raising the Standard of Learning for Latino Students,” kicked off at on October 7 with remarks from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa.
Other participants included superintendents, executive directors, and principals of charter schools in the NCLR School Network from throughout the nation, most of whom serve student populations with a high percentage of Latinos.
He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.
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Comments
This is what makes pro-illegal liberals sick in the head. You tell them that Mexico is teaching the take back or takeover in their schools, and the same classes are being taught in U.S. taxpayer-funded schools. The open-borders crowd dismisses this as focklore, and believes it is harmless. And it is harmless, untill you grant amnesty and the vote to 20 million invaders. California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas then become controlled by the Mexican vote. To allow this to happen, and use taxpayer dollars to politically educate people to be predisposed on taking the country is the pinnacle of ignorance; and so are liberals.
I have been hearing this "take over" since the 1960's. Now its more a reality with many of them here. I dont care if they are hard workers, they have to become AMERICAN'S and they dont want to. They want to bring THEIR ways to MY country and change it. THEY would never allow us to change THEIR country. Why is the US allowing all foreign people to keep their culture and then try and change OURS with THEIR beliefs?
I have a good idea lets bring them hear and bill the Mexican goverment fore the coast Im not realy a bad person but thees people are good workers and are meak but some of the ones that clame that thay are fore the Mexican people are in my owne personal appinon is using thees people for personal gane.
If the ones that are talking a bought the imagrents rights are all nut cases why are thay not in mexico condeming the mass sloter of the people thair by the drug dealers.
Im sick of thees dum asses coming hear and using ower laws as a pawn fore thair gain
How about a requirement that ethnic studies must offer a program for EVERY ethnic group in the school and its sending districts OR offer no programs.
As far as "expectations" go, why not adopt the SAME standards for all students, regardless of race or ethnicity? Naw...that would be much too "Western" an ideal for these Marxists to understand!
HOW LONG DOES LEGAL 100 PERCENT AMERICAN TAXPAYERS HAVE TO PAY ? FOR THE UNDERMINEING OF AMERICA COME ON NOW HOW LONG WILL THIS BE PERMITTED? THIS IS AMERICA ADAPT OR LEAVE REMEMBER MEXICO TO THE SOUTH ALWAYS. JUST A LEGAL AMERICAN>>>>>>
We are trying to stop it...it is egregious that we have to pay to have our children taught this anti-American, socialist, garbage. Today is election day and we are hoping many of the socialists will be defeated. We have had enough!!
La Raza stinks in my book.
Let these people go back to Mexico to learn what
the Race is all about.
When did mexican become a race?
I wk at an after school program North of LA 70 miles. The kids think THEIR 1st language is Spanish. They wanted THEIR flag flown on Memorial Day. They carry THEIR flag at school and wave it often. They speak Spanish and when told to speak English, they say its THEIR 2nd amendment right to speak Spanish. They hate President Bush for closing the borders toTHEIR people. They are not AMERICAN'S. I want them to go back, this is not THEIR country. They are changing out culture. GOD BLESS AMERICAN.
Arizona doesn't want you anymore. The Republicans are coming and they are ready to kick butt. No more free ride because they will cut the social programs that keep you all you going.
PS
The Dream Act failed today.
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