April 22, 2018
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Blog

The Week in Quotes (April 15 – 21)

Here are some of the week’s most notable quotes.

Marisa Perez-Diaz of the Texas State Board of Education, in a statement describing the board’s decision to rename a long-sought-after “Mexican-American Studies” elective course, a decision that has touched off a new wave racial tension.

“The time for cloaking bigotry and/or fear of diversity under the guise of ‘patriotism’ and ‘Americanism’ is over. My experience is as American as apple pie, because guess what, my ancestors were on this land well before it was conquered and named America.”

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From a “messaging guide” distributed by a nationwide network of rightwing think tanks known as the State Policy Network, in a counteroffensive against the teachers’ strikes that are sweeping the country.

“For those of you who are in states where you’ve cut taxes recently, that is sure to be a theme in coverage. That is obviously a challenging message to counter.”

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Richard Flores, a Mexican-American studies scholar at the University of Texas, discussing State Board of Education member David Bradley’s statement that he believes “hyphenated Americanism to be divisive.”

“To say that one does not believe in hyphenated Americans is one of the reasons we need this course. Because this entire Mexican-American community was not accepted into the American way of life.”

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Beth Etzler, teacher at East Side Intermediate Elementary in Palacios, Texas, in a New York Times look at America’s declining public schools.

“Our classroom budgets have been cut to about $200 per classroom. In our supply closet, it’s rare to find tape and you’ll never find construction paper. Seeing my classroom would lead people to think things are great because my room is well supplied. It is. By MY paycheck.”

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Aaron Kindel, superintendent of San Antonio charter school Great Hearts Monte Vista North, in response to parental outcry over an assignment asking students to discuss the positive and negative aspects of slavery.

“In the eighth grade American History class students were asked to reflect on the differing sides of slavery. To be clear, there is no debate about slavery. It is immoral and a crime against humanity.”