A new human rights curriculum that was recently introduced to middle schools and high schools all across New York is a disservice to students because it wastes precious instruction time which would be more wisely spent on academic fundamentals.
Last Friday, December 10, over 1,000 New York students took part in the inaugural webcast of the “Speak Truth to Power” curriculum distributed by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights and New York State United Teachers.
The web event originated from a classroom at Chestnut Ridge Middle School, a school with a student population that recently scored below-average on statewide tests, according to the New York Times. It is extremely difficult to see how lessons focusing on corporate “greed,” landmine awareness, Chinese labor camps and abolishing the death penalty will do anything to raise student test scores in math, reading and science.
According to a NYSUT blog, the curriculum “introduces general human rights issues” and “urges students to become personally involved in the protection of human rights.”
New York parents and taxpayers ought to be very concerned that their public schools think this curriculum is an appropriate use of time. Students may end up with an increased awareness of global problems, but if they don’t graduate with basic academic skills, what can they possibly do about such issues?
This is another case of public schools using class time to indoctrinate students with a radical, leftist political agenda. No curriculum that promotes the views of Van Jones should be allowed to pollute the minds of school kids.
New York schools need to focus on the rights of their students to an education that prepares them for life. Teaching social awareness to students who are lacking basic academic skills is a luxury that New York schools, families and taxpayers cannot afford.