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Karen Hockemeyer's avatar

The Bible is not an approved text for the A.P. Government course. The purpose of the course is to pass the A.P. exam. Indoctrination is not education.

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Anri's avatar

...yet.

Just wait.

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Maltnothops's avatar

Didn't Floriduh create their own versions of AP courses a few years ago?

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

There are alternative versions which may not have the same accreditation.

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Anri's avatar

If the Dpt. of Ed. is wrecked, will accreditation have any meaning whatsoever going forward?

My understanding is that the process is theoretically voluntary and non-governmental, but the DoEd seems to be the primary gatekeeper for who gets a say.

Am I way off base on this?

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

I don't know.

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Maltnothops's avatar

Thank you.

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Charlie Manson's avatar

🤣😂🤣

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Secular Recovery's avatar

The guy is trying to buy his way into Sec Ed just to destroy the department

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Well they wanted to demolish the Department of Education anyway, so I don't see what the big deal is, really.

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ericc's avatar

Yeah, RFK's Jr's in a similar boat. I'm only slightly worried about him using health spending on his woo, when the much bigger worry is the GOP Congress eliminating ACA, going after medicare, and massively cutting all health spending. If he spends the crumbs on naturopathy, well, the problem with that scenario is the 'crumbs' not the 'naturopathy.'

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SPW's avatar

When this shit show is over there will be nothing but the smoking hulk of our country remaining. The putrid pustule has put in place everyone necessary to completely dismantle the entire operation and hand us over to the highest bidder. We are seeing Steve Bannon’s wet dream come true and there is no one able to stop it. Even if the pp keels over next week his creepy veep will pick up the reins and keep on flogging the dead horse. What the xtian nationalists have in mind doing will make the auto-da-fé look pale by comparison.

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nmgirl's avatar

Has anyone verified that the Declaration, Constitution and other additional materials are accurate copies? Certainly wouldn't be surprised if they were changed.

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ericc's avatar

Simply teaching kids the Constitution without the amendments would be sufficient. Slavery, women excluded from voting, no speech or religious rights, etc. And let's not forget: no limits on how often a person can be elected President.

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Dianne Marie Leonard's avatar

Also, no amendment that lets 18-20 year olds vote. Don't want them kids thinking they can presume to have a say, no matter how controlled or minimal!

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phelpsmediation's avatar

Checking accuracy is necessary with these dogmatic ones. Christian bands change the lyrics to “Imagine “. Now that is sacrilegious! 🤯

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Crowscage's avatar

the 11th through 19th amendments are omitted.

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Joe King's avatar

Since ass kissing isn't enough, looks like Walters scooted around to the front.

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Bagat's avatar

Too crowded back there.

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phelpsmediation's avatar

Have to get Lindsay Graham out of his way.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Poor little Nazi... do you really think a mere 500 of those things is gonna buy you a cabinet post? That's only 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 of dollars, sweetie, and you told him to expect millions; how's that sad little loser's excuse for a bribe gonna look on your resume?

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ericc's avatar

I'm guessing 500 was what he could afford out of superintendent discretionary spending. I.e. the limit of what he could legally get away with, without open bidding.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

I’m sure the money he used on the Bibles was where the asthma inhaler funds went.

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Maltnothops's avatar

Agreed. He might have been able to do a few more but a round number looks more …. innocent.

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painedumonde's avatar

Maybe the Bible should be included in the course as a failed example. That reliance on magic is not a winning strategy.

Alternatively, if the true principles of Jessie's teaching are drilled down on, selflessness, radical charity, a turning away from the material world instead of the bullshit encrusted teachings of today's Christians – then maybe the flaws in today's governments could illustrated.

Nah, that would require thinking outside the box, something wholely against the Sooner grain.

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ericc's avatar

There's no time for extraneous 'object lessons' that in this particular type of class.

Which is why I think Hemant is right about it being symbolic...but that doesn't go far enough. I wonder if Walters intentionally selected a class he knew wouldn't use it, so that he'd get no lawsuits from kids and parents forced to use it.

So...intentional shelfware to avoid future fallout.

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Bob Riggins's avatar

And once again I ask... What's the use of ONE bible per classroom? Does he expect the teacher to read it out loud to the students?

Or maybe it's a magic talisman: just having one copy in the room keeps out demons and witches and atheists. And the non-canonical additions (historical documents, leather binding, and the magical name Trump) just add to the powerful juju.

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Anri's avatar

"And", not "Or".

It's reading material and a talisman.

It the best talisman WHILE being read. Burns them demons right on up.

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Hank Long's avatar

I propose that he become the "Christian Martyr" that he considers himself to be, so therefore, in tradition of the Wholly Mutha Church, burn him at the stake!

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Kay-El's avatar

That actually might be easier than just firing him.

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Hank Long's avatar

Well, certainly more fun!

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Marilyn Lemons's avatar

"It's very clear that the radical left has driven the Bible out of the classroom, which leads to a lack of understanding of American history. We will not stop until we’ve brought the Bible back to every classroom in the state." He is showing his ignorance with this statement big time. Bibles have never been in classrooms, and we didn't "In God We Trust" or "under God" in our pledge of allegiance until 1954/55. The United States of America is secular democratic constitutional Republic and has NEVER been a Christian country and our Founders took great pains to make it so.

I just want to add, because of our current situation, we the real patriots, who love this country with all its warts, but with it endearing idealistic promise will prevail

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Bob Riggins's avatar

"Bibles have never been in classrooms,"

Au contraire. I always had at least one bible in my HS English classroom, and used it now and then to make a point about literature or writing.

And I'm a damned atheist.

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Marilyn Lemons's avatar

Well, I am from San Francisco, California and we NEVER had bibles in our classroom.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

It’s more like the Bible was never banned from the classroom. It’s just not taught the way he wants it to be taught because that isn’t how the USA history actually was.

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Kay-El's avatar

I’m happy to see that there’s so much pushback on Walters’ bullshit. However, it’ll be sad to see OK actually win the race to the bottom in education as he keeps on trying to get nominated as head of the Ministry of De-Education.

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Mr.E's avatar

a lying con man who implemented a Muslim ban is some one you can really trust.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/muslims-who-voted-trump-upset-by-his-pro-israel-cabinet-picks-2024-11-15/

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Daniel Rotter's avatar

This was the weirdest and most incoherent aspect of the '24 general election campaign for me. These folks voted against Kamala Harris for being part of an administration that supported Israel's war against Gaza by...voting for someone who supports Israel's war against Gaza.

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Len Koz's avatar

It never really hit me how many morons there are in the US until November 5, 2024.

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RegularJoe's avatar

Chickens figuring out that voting for Colonel Sanders to "own the libs" wasn't the best of ideas, eh? 🤔

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Chickens weren't the only ones whose brains must have been fried.

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Mr.E's avatar

surly he is not going to cover me in 11 herbs and spices then throw me in a deep fryer

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Mr.E's avatar

all this talk about fried chicken make me want some. Maybe I will go pick some up for dinner.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

I recommend the local gods Ezell's Famous Chicken. Cock-a-do-delicious. :)

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Mr.E's avatar

they are good, but I was thinking about trying the one owned by Shaq. (big chicken)

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Mr.E's avatar

ended up getting pho instead. Will get fried chicken tomorrow

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Muslims For The Infidel (MuFTI) learned the hard way what FAFO means.

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Daniel Rotter's avatar

Trump even used "Palestinian" as a slur! Were these Muslims really unaware of that?

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Matri's avatar

It’s like the past 20 years mean nothing to these uneducated morons.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

More buyers remorse? And even more to come I think.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

They probably envisioned dancing in the streets for the next four years.

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cdbunch's avatar

It may yet. He has at least 4 years.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Sure would put a damper on any further ambitions for him and his fellow stormtroopers. Forever.

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cdbunch's avatar

Since when has he been bothered by stupid concepts like cause and effect.

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Jarred Harris's avatar

"Our kids have to understand the role the Bible played in influencing American history."

Be sure to include how the Bible was used to justify the practice of slavery and the exploitation and genocide of indigenous Americans, dude. If you're gonna teach the Bible's impact on history, don't you dare leave out the ugly bits.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

Just had a quick look at MSN news – apparently a reasonable number of Kiwis think that JFK Jr will be a great health Tsar. Just goes to show you guys don't have a monopoly on stoopid.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

He'll make us as healthy 𝘢𝘴 a Tsar!

Nicholas II, to be exact- as of 18 July 1918.

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Len Koz's avatar

More proof that we should have named our species Homo Stultus, not Homo Sapiens.

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Bagat's avatar

I am old enough to remember life before the EPA. I remember the snow turning a dark grey a few hours after falling. I still remember the green sunsets. I remember glittery stuff floating in the air. I remember soot blowing around on the sidewalks, and cars covered in grit.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-epa-lee-zeldin-corporations-rcna179974

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Len Koz's avatar

Once again, Donald Trump makes Richard Nixon look better in hindsight.

Nixon created the EPA. Trump will destroy it.

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Robot Bender's avatar

And rivers burning.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

There was a brown cloud over Denver when we first moved there. We had to have our car emissions tested annually. That was after the EPA was created, but the regulations cleaned up the problem before we left.

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Matri's avatar

I’m old enough to remember that LA was a smog-shrouded hellhole.

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Jane in NC's avatar

I want some scrappy reporter to pin this guy down and make him explain how a Bronze Age book of unknown authorship has anything to do with American history.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

He stupidly lumps the Declaration of Independence in with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights when that elaborate Dear George letter, unlike the other two documents, is not legally binding.

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Jane in NC's avatar

Are we taking bets this guy has actually read the Declaration? Do we really think he knows it's a list of complaints?

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Maltnothops's avatar

Whiners!

Whingers might be more historically accurate. “Whingeing” is one of my all time favorite words.

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Jane in NC's avatar

Mine, too. It even sounds whingey.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Bet he has no idea that the Jefferson’s first draft of the Dec only mentioned “creator” once. And that it was in lowercase “c.”

The uppercase “C” and 3 additional “Creator” references were added over Jefferson’s strenuous objections.

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Jane in NC's avatar

Not a chance he knows any of that! He's one of those people who would fail a 'Is it the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence' tests. For that matter, he probably couldn't pass the U.S. citizenship test.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

He didn't grok the fact that the Dec alone was us telling a Christian Empire and a king who thought he had a divine right to rule us from 3,000 miles away that we wanted no part of them.

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Maltnothops's avatar

I didn’t know that either. Cool.

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Jane in NC's avatar

This guy's desperate 'Pick Me!! Pick me!!!' to Trump is some first-class sycophancy.

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Dianne Marie Leonard's avatar

I have no idea how many high school students even study civics or government any more. Back in the day--late 1960s--it was standard 12th grade curriculum, and we fucking worked our asses off. I'm not sure if the AP class existed; it certainly didn't at my high school! The main assignment for the second half of the year was to write a constitution, or other governing document, for a hypothetical country. The assignment had only one requirement: you don't get to know who you will be in that country. Yes, the "veil of ignorance" idea was beginning to seep down into high schools. My nephew, who is now in his early 30s, tells me that such a class was not even required when he was in high school.

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Bagat's avatar

It was clled "Civics" and a 10th grade class. I don't remember the class, but I do remember what I learned.

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Dianne Marie Leonard's avatar

Yes, I've never forgotten that class, nor the hard work we (group of 4 students) put in on that project.

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Bagat's avatar

We had no project, Like Jack Webb on "Dragnet", it was "Just the facts." A semester of total boredom.

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Dianne Marie Leonard's avatar

I'm sorry to hear that. For me, it was such an open-ended assignment! Really required stretching intellectually. At that age, I think everybody needs to do something similar.

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Crowscage's avatar

I'm going to use that if I am allowed to continue teaching US History.

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Dianne Marie Leonard's avatar

I hope you will be! I can still remember the look of incredulous joy on my teacher's face when I asked hesitantly, "This isn't just about how to set up a government, is it? It's a lot more than that." He took a deep breath and confirmed it. Then he said, "You've got the idea, the reason I made the assignment in the first place." I've treasured that small interaction all these years. May you have such an exchange with some of your students, too.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Millennial here- I had a civics class, but it was in middle school, 8th grade, and it took the scheduling slot that would otherwise have been a history class (Phys Ed, apparently, was considered less expendable by the powers that be). I doubt many students remembered even half of what they were taught in that class by the time they were halfway through high school.

It's long bothered me that it wasn't taught in the 11th grade, instead- the year before most students would be turning 18- but I suppose placing it there would create far too many young, informed voters for conservatives' comfort, even in a blue state like the one I grew up in.

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