thedailywhat: This Is Also All Kinds Of Wrong of the Day: Speaking of how Arizona is making a habit of being awful, an administrative judge yesterday upheld an earlier decision by the state’s superintendent of public instruction to ban the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican-American studies program, claiming it violates a new Arizona law prohibiting classes that “promote resentment toward a race or class of people.” Judge Lewis D. Kowal defended John Huppenthal’s call, which the school district sought to have overturned. In his recommendation, Kowal concluded that the program presents material concerning the historical oppression of Mexican-Americans in a “biased, political, and emotionally charged manner.” “I made a decision based on the totality of the information and facts gathered during my investigation — a decision that I felt was best for all students in the Tucson Unified School District,” said Huppenthal in a statement following the judge’s ruling. “The judge’s decision confirms that it was the right decision.” Huppenthal and his supporters oppose the program on grounds that using “racial terms” to frame historical events promotes “groupthink and victimhood.” But those in favor of the program counter those claims by insisting that Latino students are encouraged to excel by being exposed to the cultural and historical contributions of Mexican-Americans. A federal judge is set to rule next month on a motion to dismiss a case contending that the law barring ethnic-studies classes is unconstitutional. Remarking on Tuesday’s ruling, the attorney representing teachers in the federal case, Richard M. Martinez, said “it confirms what we already knew the state of Arizona wants to do, which is shut down Mexican American studies.” [latimes / azstarnet / photo: ap via edweek.]

thedailywhat:

This Is Also All Kinds Of Wrong of the Day: Speaking of how Arizona is making a habit of being awful, an administrative judge yesterday upheld an earlier decision by the state’s superintendent of public instruction to ban the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican-American studies program, claiming it violates a new Arizona law prohibiting classes that “promote resentment toward a race or class of people.”

Judge Lewis D. Kowal defended John Huppenthal’s call, which the school district sought to have overturned. In his recommendation, Kowal concluded that the program presents material concerning the historical oppression of Mexican-Americans in a “biased, political, and emotionally charged manner.”

“I made a decision based on the totality of the information and facts gathered during my investigation — a decision that I felt was best for all students in the Tucson Unified School District,” said Huppenthal in a statement following the judge’s ruling. “The judge’s decision confirms that it was the right decision.”

Huppenthal and his supporters oppose the program on grounds that using “racial terms” to frame historical events promotes “groupthink and victimhood.” But those in favor of the program counter those claims by insisting that Latino students are encouraged to excel by being exposed to the cultural and historical contributions of Mexican-Americans.

A federal judge is set to rule next month on a motion to dismiss a case contending that the law barring ethnic-studies classes is unconstitutional.

Remarking on Tuesday’s ruling, the attorney representing teachers in the federal case, Richard M. Martinez, said “it confirms what we already knew the state of Arizona wants to do, which is shut down Mexican American studies.”

[latimes / azstarnet / photo: ap via edweek.]