NC GOP lawmakers want to require teaching 'balanced political viewpoints' in schools

Some North Carolina Republican lawmakers want to require school districts — but not charter schools — to provide “balanced political discussions in classrooms” and to list their instructional materials online.

Proposed legislation filed Wednesday in the General Assembly requires that if the viewpoint of one of the two major political parties is presented, then equal time must be given to the other party’s viewpoint. The legislation comes amid complaints from conservatives that public schools are promoting a liberal social justice agenda.

The primary sponsors of Senate Bill 700 are all Republicans: Sens. Chuck Edwards of Henderson County, Joyce Krawiec of Forsyth County and Ralph Hise of Mitchell County. The News & Observer couldn’t reach them for comment Wednesday.

But at least some teachers accused lawmakers of showing a lack of trust in them.

“If they can’t feel like they can trust us to do our jobs, then let’s trade jobs,” Rodney D. Pierce, an 8th-grade social studies teacher in Nash County Public Schools, said in an interview Wednesday. “Let us be the legislators and you come to teach.”

Read more: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article250495369.html
(Raleigh News & Observer)