🪶Hiding behind this academic #freedom argument…” says a politician in Texas about university professors whose jobs he wants to cancel. Along with what they teach. Particularly #CriticalRaceTheory. “They could have asked myself”. But they didn’t and now he wants to “end #tenure”
Other than critical race he mentions “defunding the police” and gender (“girls being deprived of sports scholarships”) and concludes: “and here’s what we gonna do … the key word tenure (he says it as if it was something perverse)… tenure? It’s time that that comes to an end”
“Tenure has outlived its time, because they (uni admin) don’t have control over their own universities” (one cannot fire those on TT during their six years evaluation!). Aim: “end all tenure for all new hires” ltgov.texas.gov/lt-governor-da… @PrecAnthro #IchbinHanna @culanth @FocaalBlog
They want to add a clause that allows tenure to be revoked when prof teaches #CriticalRaceTheory. Emphasises that these profs “do not represent the entire group” (of faculty).This argument is unscientific to the bone: you don’t innovate bcs you think like everyone else. #research
Plus: #CriticalRaceTheory is not even “innovative” - it’s catching up with what we know from history to have been. And it’s wanting to tackle the inequalities and injustices that continue to result from it today. Universities and schools are the key institution to do just that.
And so: “We will review tenure annually.” - which effectively is the end of academic freedom! “You went too far” - says a person representing the state but acting like a daddy sanctioning his naughty offspring. 🤐 Solidarity with everyone in TT positions right now ✊🏼.
Now the Q&A: “what is #CriticalRaceTheory” asks one. “It’s been around since 1989, it’s an offshoot of “critical legal theory” which is an offshoot of a socialist programme that everything in life is based on racism..” WHAT? 🤣🤣🤣 @JulieBillaud - you have to listen to this 🤡!
Q “might there be a difference btw teaching a 4th grader and a student?”And he says “no”. Because “parents choose the school.” So no understanding here that a student is an independent person capable of making their own academic decisions. The infantilisation of #highereducation!
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