Here is the Heritage Take on the top issues today.Please reply to this email to arrange an interview.
Unions Double Down on Inserting Critical Race Theory Into Education <[link removed]> – So what can be done to limit union power over education and reject critical race
theory? First, teachers should be aware that they do not have to join a union, nor do they need to in order to receive some of the benefits they seek. For example, the American Board (formerly the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence), is a nonunion professional association that provides alternative teacher certification. Second, states should open up multiple pathways to the classroom, no longer requiring would-be teachers to enroll in university-based colleges of education to
enter the profession. They can begin by eliminating teacher certification requirements, which have no relationship to teacher quality. Third, states should require school districts to be transparent about the content taught in their public schools. In the aforementioned survey conducted by Braun, while 63% of parents said that transparency is important, only about one-third of parents said that their children’s school is “very transparent” in conveying its educational philosophy. It should be easy for parents to see what is being taught in their children’s classrooms. Heritage expert: Lindsey Burke <[link removed]>
Union will defend teachers in ‘critical race theory’ fights <[link removed]> –Big teachers unions are finally being honest that tenets of critical race theory
have infected all levels of K-12 public school instruction, and in fact are pledging to bring it to all of the nation’s 14,000 school districts. They are also using a dishonest new tactic by pretending that CRT is just a way to teach “honest history.” First, we all want children to have a thorough understanding of our shared national story. If there is a consensus in America today, it is that our students do not learn enough history or civics. Moreover, if CRT is really about history, why are aspects of it appearing in math and science lessons? The answer is that CRT believes the American “superstructure” is fundamentally racist because it has been forged with racist concepts, and CRT therefore sets out to undermine the entire superstructure. Teachers should not be used as pawns in this struggle. They can teach children different perspectives on controversial issues without compelling students to believe a certain viewpoint. But unions are dishonestly labeling their activist agenda as history lessons. Parents are right to call them out and demand that schools stop indoctrinating children with a toxic narrative that not only causes division but also violates the Civil Rights Act and the Constitution. Heritage experts: Mike Gonzalez <[link removed]> and Jonathan Butcher <[link removed]>
Biden’s Pre-K Proposal Faces Questions From Republicans Over Federal Role <[link removed]> – The American Families Plan spends $200 billion on a new universal preschool plan that through its design and delivery will resemble the failed Head Start
program. Government preschool programs have been tried and have always yielded negligible or negative results. This proposal would expand the reach of teachers’ unions and controversial government curricula into the lives of three- and four-year-olds while driving out more personally tailored and family-oriented preschool options. Heritage expert: Lindsey
Burke <[link removed]>
Democrats’ Double-Cross Wrecks Bloated Infrastructure Deal <[link removed]> – If the negotiations were happening in good faith, Republicans who agree to the deal would lift the Democrats’ threat of an enormous
reconciliation bill. After all, if Democrats could just turn around and get everything they want through reconciliation, what’s the point of negotiations? That’s exactly why Republicans, from the centrists who negotiated the bipartisan plan to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are so upset with the impossible demand. Even some moderate Democrats are balking at the radical move. Legislators should recognize that while there is tremendous potential in getting federal infrastructure policy right, they don’t have to rush. There is enough time to craft a bill that maximizes the value of taxpayer dollars by spending on national priorities and cutting federal red tape. Regardless of where infrastructure discussions go from here, it’s vital for Republicans to secure promises from leading Democrats that bipartisan compromises are not contingent on a radical left-wing spending package. Such an extreme, bad-faith approach threatens to make Congress more dysfunctional than ever, which would be bad news for America’s future. Heritage expert: David Ditch <[link removed]>
Biden’s plans to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy are losing momentum <[link removed]> – Raising taxes on businesses makes our country less competitive place to do business—and less attractive to those
across the world who would invest here. Workers and consumers bear much of the costs of higher taxes as businesses attempt to pass some costs onto consumers through higher prices and onto workers with lower wages. Investors also are harmed as higher taxes diminish earnings available to distribute to shareholders. This harms even typical workers who invest for retirement as profits flow to the government rather than benefit those prudently preparing for their future. Heritage expert: Joel
Griffith <[link removed]>
‘Scholars and Scribes’ Preview: 5 Big Cases From Supreme Court’s 2020 Term <[link removed]> – Now that the Supreme Court’s 2020 term has concluded, it is time to review
it. This was the first term we saw Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who joined the court in October 2020, in action. Hopefully it’s the last term that has telephonic oral arguments (although we hope that Justice Clarence Thomas continues to ask questions when in-person oral arguments resume). So, what happened? What were the big cases the court weighed in on? And, how did the justices rule? Heritage expert: Zack
Smith <[link removed]>
-
