Thursday, May 13, 2010

Arizona passes law that puts restrictions on ethnic studies


It looks like leftwing demagoguery has no effect on Arizona. After two months of the left saying that Arizona’s new immigration law is racist, Arizona’s governor signed into law a bill that puts restrictions on ethnic studies courses. 
Politico: Arizona GOP Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a law banning the state’s schools from teaching ethnic studies classes.
Brewer signed the bill Tuesday that targets Chicano studies programs currently being taught in Tucson schools. […]
The law prohibits the teaching of any classes that promote “the overthrow of the United States government,” “resentment toward a race or class of people,” “are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group” or “advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.” 
Considering how Arizona’s immigration bill (SB1070) was so incorrectly reported, I decided to look this one up myself. Here is HB2281 (the bill also contains new guidelines for student disciplinary action). Below are the parts of the bill that pertain to ethic studies

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1.  Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding sections 15-111 and 15-112, to read:
15-111.  Declaration of policy
THE LEGISLATURE FINDS AND DECLARES THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO TREAT AND VALUE EACH OTHER AS INDIVIDUALS AND NOT BE TAUGHT TO RESENT OR HATE OTHER RACES OR CLASSES OF PEOPLE.
15-112.  Prohibited courses and classes; enforcement
A.  A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL IN THIS STATE SHALL NOT INCLUDE IN ITS PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION ANY COURSES OR CLASSES THAT INCLUDE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
1.  PROMOTE THE OVERTHROW OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
2.  PROMOTE RESENTMENT TOWARD A RACE OR CLASS OF PEOPLE.
3.  ARE DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR PUPILS OF A PARTICULAR ETHNIC GROUP.
4.  ADVOCATE ETHNIC SOLIDARITY INSTEAD OF THE TREATMENT OF PUPILS AS INDIVIDUALS.
B.  IF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION DETERMINES THAT A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL IS IN VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION A, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION SHALL NOTIFY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL THAT IT IS IN VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION A.  IF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION DETERMINES THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL HAS FAILED TO COMPLY WITH SUBSECTION A WITHIN SIXTY DAYS AFTER A NOTICE HAS BEEN ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION MAY DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO WITHHOLD UP TO TEN PER CENT OF THE MONTHLY APPORTIONMENT OF STATE AID THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE DUE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL.  THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL ADJUST THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL'S APPORTIONMENT ACCORDINGLY.  WHEN THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION DETERMINES THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH SUBSECTION A, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL RESTORE THE FULL AMOUNT OF STATE AID PAYMENTS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL.
C.  THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL PAY FOR ALL EXPENSES OF A HEARING CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
D.  ACTIONS TAKEN UNDER THIS SECTION ARE SUBJECT TO APPEAL PURSUANT TO TITLE 41, CHAPTER 6, ARTICLE 10.
E.  THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO RESTRICT OR PROHIBIT:
1.  COURSES OR CLASSES FOR NATIVE AMERICAN PUPILS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL LAW.
2.  THE GROUPING OF PUPILS ACCORDING TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING CAPABILITY IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, THAT MAY RESULT IN A DISPARATE IMPACT BY ETHNICITY.
3.  COURSES OR CLASSES THAT INCLUDE THE HISTORY OF ANY ETHNIC GROUP AND THAT ARE OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS, UNLESS THE COURSE OR CLASS VIOLATES SUBSECTION A.
4.  COURSES OR CLASSES THAT INCLUDE THE DISCUSSION OF CONTROVERSIAL ASPECTS OF HISTORY.
F.  NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO RESTRICT OR PROHIBIT THE INSTRUCTION OF THE HOLOCAUST, ANY OTHER INSTANCE OF GENOCIDE, OR THE HISTORICAL OPPRESSION OF A PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE BASED ON ETHNICITY, RACE, OR CLASS.

Notice the restrictions E and F at the end. While some are quick to ridicule the bill, there were two examples in the nation recently that this bill would seem to address. That black only field trip certainly would have run right into this law and that UCLA professor who was advocating the downfall of capitalism via revolution. So it isn’t like the thing this bill addresses don’t or can’t happen.

Via: Arizona State Legislature

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Very nice! May this be a trend. To many Universities offer degrees that have no benefit in the real world.

Bob Belvedere said...

Thanks for the report, Clifton.

Quoted from and Linked to at:
Three Cheers For Arizona

WOLVERINES!

spc said...

Don't understand legal-speak all that well, but it looks like it is intended to cut through the BS that some would call reverse-racism.

The fact that this idea is novel should be astounding- it demonstrates how we have become, over time, accustomed to a politically correct environment that we now have to go out of our way (walking on egg shells) not to offend anyone while turning things back to normal.

I don't fully trust the motives to be pure, but it is a step in the right direction- we should never have been in this situation in the first place.

trinity said...

I am seriously impressed with Gov. Brewer. I hope she continues to stick to her guns and do what she knows is the right thing.

Jess said...

Smart move for her, and Arizona.

I think it's about relevancy. The requirements needed for functioning in society have nothing to do with subtle differences between the different members of society. Using taxpayer funds to focus on such things is beyond the scope of public education, and leads to resentment, which is what ethnic studies are supposed to prevent.

Gorges Smythe said...

Now if the rest of the country would just have the guts to do the same!

Janelle said...

We would all be a lot better off changing most of our pols as often as we change our clothes. Since none of us cares personally for them, why in heaven's name should would they care about us? Except as blocks of voters............break out of the box, folks.

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