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BANNED IN THE USA: RISING SCHOOL BOOK BANS THREATEN FREE EXPRESSION AND STUDENTS’ FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS
PEN America
April 7, 2022
No Left Turn in Education and Parents Defending Education have curated lists of “radical” books that they view as “indoctrination,” and have actively sought to mobilize disaffected parents under the banner of “parents’ rights.” These efforts are having a widespread impact; even where books are not ultimately banned, and even when processes are being followed, these campaigns can inspire skittishness about teaching topics that might in any way be construed as taboo. In Williamson County, Tennessee, a challenge from a local Moms For Liberty chapter resulted in only one title banned from the curriculum, but six books were ascribed “instructional adjustments.” These six books were not banned in their entirety–and therefore are not listed in the Index–but wound up with restrictions placed on specific pages. Teachers are allowed to read Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh, but cannot read pages 25-27 aloud to students. They can read Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea by Chris Butterworth to students, but they cannot display pages 12-13.

Williamson County Schools temporarily removes library app over social justice book
Tennessean
April 7, 2022
Williamson County Schools has temporarily removed access to a digital library used daily by elementary school teachers and students.
In a message sent to families and media on Thursday, the district said the move was in response to concerns surrounding a book titled "An ABC of Equality" and "others with similar topics" on the app called Epic!
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From school boards to statehouses, conservative Moms for Liberty push to grow influence
Reuters
April 6, 2022
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April 6 (Reuters) - Last month, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds surrounded herself with members of the conservative parents-rights group Moms for Liberty when she signed a bill that outlawed transgender students from playing girls’ sports.

Diversity, inclusion and student safety efforts at WCS have come far, what's next?
Tennessean
April 1, 2022
A lot has happened in the arena of diversity and inclusion in Williamson County schools. Not only in recent months, but also in recent years.
Four years have passed since a group dubbed the "cultural competency council" had its first meeting with former Williamson County Schools superintendent Mike Looney in 2018. The council's aim was to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all students and families.
Moms For Liberty's Big Takeover Plans
Curmuducation
April 1, 2022
Tiffany Justice, one of the co-founders of Moms For Liberty and experienced Florida rabble rouser, appeared on Steve Bannon's show to share some of her thoughts about ongoing culture battles, and at one point she laid out her plans for what comes next:

THE SOUTH IS LOW – TN IS LOWER
Tennessee Education Report
March 31, 2022
The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is out with a report on teacher compensation across the region. Not surprisingly, teacher compensation in the South is about 16% below the national average. Of course, Tennessee teacher compensation lags behind even the average in our region. We are low in a region that is low.
Reading list: CRT and book bans in Tennessee schools
Chalkbeat Tennessee
March 31, 2022
Across the country, new laws targeting critical race theory and debated books are influencing the small but pivotal decisions educators make every day: how to answer a student’s question, what texts to read as a class, and how to prepare for a lesson.

Tennessee librarians concerned with legislation on school books
News Channel 5
March 30, 2022
The House passed a bill Monday that lets school boards deem books “obscene," and threatens to withhold education funding. It could also slap school librarians with criminal penalties if orders to remove books aren't followed.
Bill to bolster school library book bans advances in Tennessee legislature
Chalkbeat Tennessee
March 29, 2022
Days after Gov. Bill Lee signed a law requiring school libraries to screen their materials for “age appropriateness,” Tennessee lawmakers advanced a harsher bill that could slap school librarians with criminal penalties over books some might label obscene.

EXTREME PRIVATIZATION
Tennessee Education Report
March 29, 2022
If you are wondering what it looks like when school privatizers are close to total victory, Tennessee is a prime example. Here, the forces that want to take public money and hand it over to private entities are on the verge of completing their conquest.
Tennessee House advances school book scrutiny bill
Williamson Herald
March 28, 2022
The Tennessee House on Monday passed a bill that lets school boards deem books "obscene" and threatens to withhold education funding and slap school librarians with criminal penalties if orders to remove them aren't followed.