A new bill in Virginia requires all public school teachers to refer to January 6 as a “violent attack” on democracy.
Most people would say that narrative isn’t true. But, that isn’t the main problem. Main folly of this is trying tell teachers what to say.
5 and 5 are 10. A 6 year old will gladly repeat that after you. But, don’t tell a teacher to say that. Look for a teacher who actually believes it’s true. A good teacher has godly character, a solid foundation of assumptions in life, diligently studies his field and comes to class ready to share his actual beliefs and actual convictions.
If you’ve ordered teachers to say this… you might as well use robots!
Even the students, especially as they get older, need to learn something we in a classical school might call the “dialectic.” The dialectic is that clash of opposing ideas found in every area of study, in history, science, actually even math.
I’m a Christian, so we start with God’s word as the foundation of truth. Kids need to enter the world with training to find those opposing ideas and with the skill to identify what type of worldview those claims are coming from. They need practice asking good questions, navigating everything they are hearing, and hopefully learning on their own how to arrive at truth.
If the governor signs the new law, there is no way government schools can teach this important skill. A lot of books say Jan 6 was just a protest that got out of hand, and so forth. The new rules prohibit any classroom “material” that doesn’t toe the line. If the teachers can’t even acknowledge that there is another credible viewpoint, how will they coach kids in wading through it.
Don’t let them make robots of your kids. Join parents who find a way to get their sons and daughters out of state schools.
