Topic: Curriculum

A high school biology teacher from Washington state writes in to describe being instructed to teach that "carbon" (rather than carbon dioxide) is an evil particle. He expresses frustration with the politicization of science education but notes that high school students remain open to counter-ideas before they are "turned" by university environments.

The Coalition for Liberated Ethnic Studies released a "Palestine Toolkit" for educators, providing lesson plans that accuse Israel of genocide and encourage student activism. The curriculum promotes tactics such as blocking traffic and sending petitions to elected officials, drawing criticism for its extreme political stance.

The New Jersey Education Association released a video advertisement labeling parents who protest at school board meetings as "extremists." The union is facing backlash for using footage of out-of-state protests to characterize local opposition to Governor Phil Murphy’s new K-5 LGBTQ-themed sex education standards.

Oxford University is considering a plan to "decolonize" its curriculum by teaching that Imperial measurements like miles, inches, and pounds are deeply tied to the history of the British Empire. The initiative aims to make science and social science teaching less Eurocentric by adding diverse voices to the history of measurement.

A video from a college campus reveals that many students are unable to identify the significance of the Fourth of July or the year of American independence. Two teachers interviewed on camera admitted to bypassing standard curricula to teach "anti-racism" and Black Lives Matter activism to elementary and middle school students. The hosts argue this shift in education is the root cause of declining civic knowledge.

Education and political leaders in Evanston, Illinois, called for a temporary halt to history instruction in state schools until a new, alternative curriculum can be decided upon. The proposal follows national debates over the 1619 Project and the role of traditional historical figures like Christopher Columbus. Critics argue that stopping history classes is an extreme measure that threatens educational standards.

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) approved a controversial new sexual education curriculum for students in grades three through eight. The curriculum, which includes lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation, was met with dueling protests and the arrest of a transgender activist. A specific classroom example is discussed where a guest speaker explains the concept of being a "drag king" and gender fluidity to young children.

The Netherlands is facing a shortage of 6,600 teachers as professionals exit the field due to excessive administrative data entry and rigid digital curricula. Schools are described as computerized factories where teachers must maintain constant digital profiles on students. Protests are planned as class sizes reach 50 students and educators lose autonomy over teaching methods.

Two professors discuss the removal of Western Civilization courses from major American university curricula. They argue that by failing to teach the foundations of the West, schools are leaving students without a cultural foundation, making them susceptible to "social justice" ideologies. Only a small fraction of the 3,000 major U.S. colleges still require these courses.

CNN Student News, hosted by Carl Azuz, featured coverage of Al-Shabaab terror threats for middle and high school classrooms. The report detailed the group's links to al-Qaeda and their calls for attacks on shopping malls in the U.S., UK, and Canada. The hosts question the psychological impact of presenting ten minutes of terror-related news to children in an educational setting.

Three teachers testified before Congress regarding the negative impacts of the Common Core curriculum, specifically criticizing the "scripted" nature of lessons. One teacher described kindergarten math requirements that include advanced vocabulary like "isosceles triangles" and "rhombuses" which she argues are developmentally inappropriate. The hosts discuss the shift toward abstract math concepts at the pre-K and kindergarten levels.

The discussion on Common Core continues with "compensation math" or estimative arithmetic, which some engineers claim to use but others find confusing for children. A third-grade lesson plan is shared that teaches children about the use of barcodes on people and animals. The hosts predict that Republicans will turn Common Core into a partisan issue, potentially obscuring the actual concerns regarding the curriculum.

The hosts argue that Al Gore is treated as a celebrity rather than a scientist. They trace the decline of the American education system back to the creation of the Department of Education under Jimmy Carter, alleging it serves as a tool for state-controlled curriculum.

The Texas Board of Education recently voted on measures that critics say attempt to push evolution out of the school curriculum in favor of creationist doctrines. Despite scientific consensus, polls suggest nearly half of the U.S. public does not believe in evolution. The hosts discuss how religious infighting among different denominations further complicates the party's ability to focus on fiscal issues like balancing the budget.