By Mayra Diaz- Educator, Lighthouse Learning Solutions
In places like Florida, laws continue to be made with the goal of censoring educators on important topics, such as race, in the classroom. This month we are pivoting away from our usual upbeat tone, and we’re focusing our attention on the current state of education in America.
In early 2022, the “Stop WOKE Act,” or the “Stop Wrong to Our Kids and Employees Act,” got signed into law by Florida governor Ron DeSantis. This law essentially bans instruction on topics related to diversity, race, and gender in the classroom. The law is an attempt by people in power to maintain their power under the guise of “protecting” children from the reality of human diversity. The obvious goal is to silence those who want to teach the younger generation empathy and respect for all humans.
Last week on our Lighthouse Homeschool Solutions blog, we wrote about other laws that related to book banning and the dangers of prohibiting children from reading about different perspectives. Laws like these should be incredibly concerning to any true educator. As parents and as educators, we should be giving students a true understanding of the world by teaching the realities of history and placing value on experiences of people from all kinds of backgrounds. Laws like the “Stop WOKE Act” leave us, as educators, afraid for our livelihoods and afraid for the future of our children.
Talking to children about the experiences of different people, no matter how difficult, allows them to think about the world beyond themselves, to look across time to see reflections of themselves, and to be compassionate for those who are different from themselves. Read about the “Stop WOKE Act” and learn more about what it entails. Also, watch the video below to learn about the educators and others affected by this law.
Florida Just Passed Its ‘Stop WOKE’ Anti-CRT Bill
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