I remember how it was -- JR
VA Dept. of Ed. Uploads Then Deletes Video of Muslim Guest Lecturer Who misrepresented 9/11 events
Recently, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) posted a video to their YouTube account from Amaarah DeCuir, a lecturer at American University. The video, which has since been removed without explanation, not only focused on "culturally responsive and inclusive lessons" to do with 9/11, but stated it was "not going to reproduce what's understood as American exceptionalism."
The video in question was titled "Culturally Responsive and Inclusive 9/11 Commemoration."
Notes from those who have seen the video highlight that there is an attempt to get rid of the idea of Muslim Responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. "We’re not going to reproduce a false assumption of Muslim responsibility for 9/11. We’re just going to begin right there and name that there is no responsibility and therefore we’re not going to use this space to try and untangle this," DeCuir says at one point, as highlighted by Parents Defending Education.
DeCuir tells teachers not to use "terrorist," but rather "name it as an attack caused by extremists." She also tells teachers, "Do not use this day to amplify the extremists themselves and don’t use this day to amplify their acts on 9/11. You name what happened and that’s it," claiming "there’s no need to provide details."
"As teachers, it’s our responsibility to determine the relevant details of 9/11," DeCuir claims. She later says in the video that "Teaching is a Political Act."
The video also advises teachers on how to discuss the aftermath of 9/11, including immigration policies, and to mention Trump's 2017 travel restriction ban.
DeCuir also emphasizes that teachers should "not demand students to stand and condemn 9/11," which she calls "highly inappropriate."
In a slide of the video titled "Webinar In's & Outs," some of those items which are "OUT" include "False assumption of Muslim responsibility for 9/11" and "U.S. foreign policy analysis" as well as "American exceptionalism."
In a statement, VDOE tried to distance any involvement:
"This webinar was part of a series intended to help teachers create welcoming and affirming classrooms for all students and in this specific case to provide support to Muslim students, who may be subject to bullying around the anniversary of 9/11," Executive Director of Communications Ken Blackstone said. "As stated in the presentation, the speaker made it clear that her views and opinions do not reflect the views and opinions of the VDOE. As such, any statements made in the webinar are not to be attributed to the Virginia Department of Education."
While DeCuir did make such remarks in her opening, the video was uploaded to the VDOE YouTube account before it was taken down. And, as Parents Defending Education noted:
However, earlier this year Virginia Governor Northam announced that she is a member of the state’s Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Education Practices Advisory Committee. Also, the state education agency’s communications officials posted the video, titled, “Culturally Responsive and Inclusive 9/11 Commemoration,” on the agency’s official YouTube channel, and it features the Virginia Department of Education “EdEquity VA” logo and name on its first slide, with each slide in the presentation carrying the agency’s official logo. The agency is advertising the video as part of its “EdEquity VA” webinar series. In addition, DeCuir thanked Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni for his support. She said she presented him with her recommendations before presenting the remarks to the public.
Asra Nomani, vice president of strategy and investigations at Parents Defending Education, and a Virginia resident, blasted the presentation as "hijacking history" and "sanitizing the truth of the 9/11 attack" in a statement to Fox News.
"As an American Muslim parent and journalist who has investigated Islamic terrorism for the past 20 years, it’s offensive, immoral, unethical, manipulative and dangerous," Nomani said. "The Virginia Department of Education is woke-washing the 9/11 attacks. Speaker Amaarah DeCuir instructs teachers to erase the fact that the 9/11 hijackers were motivated by an extremist interpretation of Islam. Decuir advises teachers to talk about ‘extremists’ behind the 9/11 attacks, without identifying them as Muslim extremists or calling them out as ‘terrorists.’ It would be like teaching about the Holocaust without discussing Nazi Germany."
"What’s more," said Nomani, "the Virginia Department of Education is promoting a victim narrative for Muslims by instructing teachers to focus on ‘anti-Muslim racism’ that allegedly sprang out of 9/11. The Virginia Department of Education is taking a page out of the playbook of truth-deniers within the Muslim community who don’t want to own up to the real problem of Muslim extremism, but meanwhile dedicate lessons to ‘white supremacy.’ The Virginia Department of Education is failing students – and America – and needs to immediately remove this irresponsible instruction and apologize for endorsing this dangerous rewriting of history a platform."
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The Time for Education Savings Accounts Is Now
When I enrolled my two younger sons in public school, I did so as a matter of convenience. After all, as a taxpaying citizen, I am entitled to services from a system that I and many others pay into — whether we have children or not. But in the wake of rouge COVID protocols enforced on the local and state levels, the education system has become a pain, riddled with inconsistencies in scheduling, school closures, and programs, leaving parents to fill in the gaps on their own.
Last week I learned that my kids would shift from their usual five-day-a-week schedule to having two intermittent off days. Administrators made these decisions with no proof of their viability and without the consultation of parents (to which I believe we should establish a Parent’s Union to fight back against wayward plans like these). Decisions were made for us, but not on our behalf. And with many of us with full-time jobs and rigid schedules to keep things afloat, these inconsistencies are devaluing the education system that was established to serve the family and society as a whole.
To this, I say the time for educational savings accounts is now. I’ve opined on my viewpoints on ESAs before, but never could there be a time more appropriate to access such resources. To summarize the value of ESAs, schools receive state funds for each child in attendance. But since students are barely benefitting from the school system as it stands today, it makes sense to apply a model in which the taxpayer dollars follow the student to an academic institution of their choosing. For some families, this means taking matters into their own hands and adopting a homeschooling program. Others may send a child to a better school in another district. Some could even attend the private school of their dreams.
Additionally, ESAs are the answer to putting the power back into the parents’ hands on either side of the mask mandate debate. I believe in a family’s right to choose, and the funds should rightfully go to the individual or institution that is fulfilling the educational role. And with the number of parents considering and proceeding with a homeschooling program, it would be a disservice to shut these families out of the taxpayer money they’ve already paid into a system that would not serve them due to strict COVID protocols.
If anything, ESAs would make the education system better as schools vie for state funds and use them to improve and attract more families. Historically, free market competition outperforms government oversight by a long shot, and applying this model to public schools across the country will alleviate much of the conflict and confusion that take away from simply offering a great education to the kids who deserve it. If we’re really looking for solutions, why are ESAs not one of them?
https://patriotpost.us/articles/82480-the-time-for-education-savings-accounts-is-now-2021-09-06
***************************************Millions of children return to classes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland today amid fears of a similar spike in Covid cases to Scotland
Millions of children returned to school today amid fears it will cause a new spike in covid cases as headteachers and parents revealed they will ignore official guidance on masks and ask their children to wear them.
The row over whether 12 to 15-year-olds should be vaccinated is also dominating the first day of term in much of the UK this morning.
New research revealed today that two in five parents will insist their children wear masks despite them no longer being compulsory in England as it also emerged that nearly half of all state-educated children failed to get the required amount of online learning during lockdowns during the last academic year.
The current Department for Education guidance on masks says: 'No pupil or student should be denied education on the grounds of whether they are, or are not, wearing a face covering.'
But a survey of 1,300 people by the Parent Ping app has found that 23 per cent of parents will send their children to secondary school in masks because headteachers have asked them to - while a further 15 per cent will do the same even though the school isn't insisting on it.
And three-quarters of parents said that their children would be tested weekly - down to 20 per cent for primary school children, according to The Times.
Sir Hamid Patel, chief executive of Star Academies, which runs schools in Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, said: 'We are encouraging staff and pupils to wear face coverings in crowded areas or in places on site.'
BMA chief says 12-year-olds should be allowed to overrule their parents on decision to get a Covid vaccine because they 'have enough maturity' - but admits jabbing teens will only cut infections by 20%
Children should be able to overrule their parents to get the Covid vaccine, a BMA chief has claimed.
Dr David Strain said 12 to 15-year-olds have 'enough maturity' to decide for themselves whether to get the jab.
The co-chair of the medical body added that rolling out doses to the age group could cut the spread of the virus in schools by 20 per cent.
Britain's four chief medical officers are set to announce whether 12 to 15-year-olds should be offered vaccines by Friday, reports Playbook.
Last week the JCVI told the Government to seek advice from elsewhere whether children should be inoculated.
They said the virus posed such a low risk to children that the benefit to their health of immunisation would be marginal. But they did not consider societal factors such as the closure of schools sparked by the virus.
It comes as experts fear England will see a surge in Covid infections within days as children return to school last week and this week.
Parents told MailOnline today they have mixed views on the use of masks in schools - and whether teenagers should get the jab.
Ian Edginton, 58, an author from Erdington, Birmingham, said: 'I agree that all Year 7's should still be wearing masks at schools, especially when moving around corridors and socialising – classrooms too.
'Unfortunately, in my opinion, we are going to have to keep masks in schools until Covid is wiped out completely.
'I had tuberculosis when I was young and my lungs are scarred, I don't know when any children going through the same. Masks have to remain.
'I also agree with this age group having the vaccine, anything that can help eradicate this disease we have to do.
'We have to protect the schools; we can't have problems like we did before the summer holidays. We all know parents and friends from this school and we all need to carry on doing our bit.'
Rajesh Kesavan, 46, from Walmley, Birmingham. said: 'I strongly agree with the continuation of wearing masks in schools. Right now, we have the information that the only way to protect from this pandemic is to wear the masks and continue social distancing.
'The vaccine is showing some positive signs. I had vaccines when I was younger with no side effects and many other children at school have had other vaccines, or will in the future. I can't see why this covid vaccine for this age group would be a problem.
'This could be the way to protect our children. I work in the medical professional as a radiographer so I am around people who have benefitted from various vaccines.
'While I agree children should be vaccinated against covid, whether that be in the not-too-distant future, I also edge of the side of caution about the side effects it can have on children. We need to do our research too.'
Full-time mum, Keely Stevenson was accompanying her autistic son to this first day of Year Seven at Stationers' Crown Woods high school in Eltham, south-east London.
She said she was grateful the school had given parents like her rapid Covid tests for their children to do before returning.
The mum-of-three, 35, from Eltham, said: 'They gave us rapid COVID tests to make sure it was safe for them to go back to school. My son did his and it came back negative and I feel safe enough with that, especially if all the other kids are doing them.
'But there are no masks in school from what I'm aware of. I wear a mask when I need to like when I'm around vulnerable people or when I go into a shop but in general we're not wearing them anymore. It seems to be that way with most people so I'm not too concerned if there's not a lot of mask wearing.
'We've not had a letter offering my son a jab but I don't know if I want him to have one. I do so as to please everyone but I've not even had mine yet. I'm a carer and I've still not had mine. I make sure the kids have their tests regularly and that has worked out well so far.'
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My other blogs: Main ones below
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)
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