One of Arizona’s oldest public charter schools is under fire from the Americans United for Separation of Church and State for using textbooks that actively promote religious interpretations of American history.
Heritage Academy uses two books by controversial anti-communist author Cleon Skousen — The 5,000 Year Leap and The Making of America — that “push ‘Christian nation’ propaganda and other religious teachings on impressionable, young students,” according to Alex Luchenitser, the associate legal director for Americans United.
“Our purpose is not to convert students to different religious views,” Heritage founder and Principal Earl Taylor told The Arizona Republic. “It is to show them that religion influenced what the Founders did.” The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.
Did you check on the second round of Washington charter applications? Did Gulen as Coral Academy reapply?
Sarajane
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And so Stage II begins. Once charters get “established” long-term, another agenda begins to emerge. Textbooks or eBooks appear that promote certain interpretations of any range of religions. These contain a positive spin on predatory capitalishm and the military-industrial complex, and a very negative spin on women issues, global warming, sustainable neighborhoods, people of color, peace activism and nuclear reactor retirements. It is not just about making money off of charter schools and privatizing our democracy using severe austerity measures against public schools. A more sinister subplot now rises to the surface.