1. Very illuminating list from @DefendingEd, a dark money group linked to the Koch political network, of what it claims is evidence of Critical Race Theory being taught in K-12 schools in Virginia
I want to highlight some examples of things they find objectionable
@DefendingEd 2. A Fairfax county social studies coordinator who says African-American history “deserves a truer and fuller account.”
This is an example of "Critical Race Theory," according to the group
3. A message from a high school principal that says: "While I did not come from a family with economic means, the color of my skin has given me privileges that others do not have."
This is an example of "Critical Race Theory," according to the group
4. A page on the Alexandria City Public Schools website called “Talking to your Children about Racial Justice”
This is an example of "Critical Race Theory," according to the group
5. A discussion at a school board meeting on whether teachers should be allowed to "take a clear position on matters that may be perceived as controversial in order to affirm the dignity and belonging of all students"
An example of "Critical Race Theory," according to the group
6. A Fairfax County School Board member posted a message on her personal Facebook page that was critical of Israel.
This is an example of "Critical Race Theory," according to the group
7. The Virginia Department of Education crafted “Social and Emotional Learning” standards (something that all 50 states have). SEL has proven academic and social benefits for students.
This is an example of "Critical Race Theory," according to the group
8. An effort "to consider how to modernize and update math instruction to Virginia’s K-12 students to prepare them all to be life ready and succeed in their post-secondary pursuits."
This is an example of "Critical Race Theory," according to the group
9 A program in Henrico County schools where Black teachers met as a group three times over the summer
This is an example of "Critical Race Theory," according to the group
10. A 5-year strategic plan by the Alexandria City School Board to create "a deliberately inclusive and supportive experience where all succeed"
This is an example of "Critical Race Theory," according to the group
11. I want to be clear that I'm NOT claiming that everything is perfect in Virginia schools. Specifically, the school system does appear willing to spend considerable amounts of cash on educational consultants that don't seem to have much to offer.
12. But there are a lot of schools and running a school system is difficult and not every dollar is spent wisely.
We should try to direct resources to things that will help students the most.
But that's very different from a conspiracy to indoctrinate kids
13. That said, there is a reason why people want to talk about "Critical Race Theory" instead of the things they actually oppose.
The details tell a much different story.
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1. Amdist the chaos of April 2024, there is something that has gotten relatively little attention: a historic victory for union organizing in Chattanooga, Tennessee
And it wasn't just a victory for unions
It was a stinging defeat for Charles Koch and his right-wing allies
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2. The NLRB certified that workers at a Volkswagen auto plant in Chattanooga voted to join the @UAW. The union secured a commanding 73% of the vote.
Koch and others have spent more than a decade trying to prevent this from happening
3. In 2014, a constellation of right-wing groups launched an aggressive campaign to defeat an earlier unionization effort at the VW plant in Chattanooga. They spent months distributing "materials...detailing the negative economic consequences of UAW representation."
1. An inflection point in the situation at Columbia was the president's decision to call in the NYPD and arrest over 100 students who were protesting Israel's operations in Gaza on the south lawn.
To understand the gravity of this decision, some historical context
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2. In the early morning hours of April 30, 1968, then-Columbia University President Grayson Kirk summoned the NYPD to arrest hundreds of student protestors. About 1,000 police officers arrived on campus and, wielding nightsticks, violently arrested about 700 students. Almost 150 protesters ended up in the hospital with lacerations, broken bones, and other injuries.
3. The students were protesting Columbia's plans to build a large gymnasium in a public park used by the Black community in Harlem. 88% of the facility would be limited to staff and students. Only 12% of the gym would be available to community residents, and they would be forced to use a separate entrance at the bottom of the facility.
1. @berniemoreno, the GOP Senate nominee in Ohio, is being bankrolled by @charliekirk11, a far-right activist who argues that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a mistake and MLK Jr "was awful"
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2. Moreno benefited from an early endorsement from Kirk's org, @TPAction_.
Moreno wrote that he was "honored to be endorsed by Charlie Kirk and Turning Point Action" and endorsed the work of the org.
"Few have done more to fight back against the radical left than they have. and I look forward to working with them to defend for our America First conservative values in the US Senate"
@TPAction_ 3. @charliekirk11 hired Blake Neff, the producer who was forced to resign from Tucker Carlson's show for posting racist screeds on message boards.
In recent months Kirk has collaborated with Neff to trash the work of MLK Jr and anti-segregation laws
1. One of the most important Senate campaigns this year is in Ohio.
The GOP nominee, @berniemoreno, has made being "tough on China" a centerpiece of his campaign
And, on the trail, he tells a couple of stories to bolster this claim
Just one problem: the stories are lies
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2. In 2011, Moreno was appointed to the board of Cleveland State University, eventually becoming chair in 2016.
Moreno claims that, as chair, he got rid of the school's Confucius Institute, an institution partially funded by the Chinese government that offered language and cultural programming
3. There was bipartisan concern that Confucius Institutes were being used to promote Chinese government propaganda
Burt Moreno had nothing to do with Cleveland State axing its Confucius Institute.
He left the board in 2018, and the Institute wasn't closed until 2021.