I’m not sure what kind of heart John Huppenthal has, but he must have something under that political suit. He has a family and even though he forgets his childhood days in Tucson, you’d think there must be a bit of Old Pueblo there somewhere. But maybe not.
This is racist Arizona after all, and not the Baja version we love to brag about in these parts. As he left office last week, Huppenthal set his legacy as state Superintendent of Public Instruction, when he reached back to that disgusting anti-Mexican-American studies law, finding Tucson Unified School District out of compliance. Now our equally brilliant new state supe Diane Douglas gets her turn. At this point its a game, yet it remains a game worth watching, and if those Baja sensibilities mean anything to you, it’s going to be a game you’re going to want to participate.
Huppenthal claims that the new culturally relevant courses that replaced the former ethnic studies classes are to blame, classes that came about through the district’s federally mandated desegregation plan. He doesn’t like a U.S. history class taught from the Mexican-American perspective because it includes too much Mexican history: “In this class we will study the history and culture of Chicano, Mexicano and indigenous people throughout the United States and Mexico. This class is intended to get students to become critically conscious about the society that we live in and the history that has made it what it is today.”
He doesn’t like another course because it teaches lyrics from bands like Rage Against the Machine. Remember, one of the facets of this Mexican-American studies law is that those old classes encouraged the over throw of the US government. I wonder if Rage’s lead singer Zack de la Rocha is ready to return to Tucson to help defend his lyrics, these classes and a new group of students now under attack.
It’s this continued run of racism from our state officials that make it embarrassing to call Arizona home, at least that part of Arizona. But at the same time, what’s remarkable this round in the fight are the statements coming from a new district superintendent. It’s true we haven’t always been easy on H.T. Sanchez since his move to Tucson from Texas.
Back when he started he didn’t like the fact that we said he was taking over a beleaguered school district. That adjective bothered him, and I was left wondering if he knew what we’d just been through and what was around the corner.
I think he does now. Maybe.
I was heartened by the statement he released on Friday: “The state of Arizona has repeatedly attempted to intervene in the districts active desegregation case for the stated purpose of controlling the district’s implementation of federal court-mandated curriculum. These courses were developed specifically under the court order. That order—the Unitary Status Plan—requires us to develop and implement culturally relevant courses taught from both the Mexican American and African American perspectives.”
“This threatened enforcement proceeding is nothing more than an attempt to circumvent the federal court orders denying the State’s intervention. It seeks to undermine our compliance with the curriculum mandates of the Unitary Status Plan,” Sanchez wrote.
“I look forward to sitting down with in-coming Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas when she takes office later this month. During the election Ms. Douglas emphasized local control for curriculum decisions and we are eager to work with her as we continue to satisfy both state and federal law.”
During the last fight, many in support of the Mexican-American studies classes begged TUSD to take up the fight because the last desegregation plan included the classes. Here we are again. Sanchez sounds like he’s ready to fight if needed. Certainly he’d have a federal judge on this side and a majority on the governing board who supports the classes.
So Baja, how about you? You ready for the fight too? Are you ready to support Sanchez and hold him accountable?
Mari Herreras, Managing Editor
This article appears in Jan 8-14, 2015.
“Now our equally brilliant new state supe Diane Douglas gets her turn.”
Isn’t it a bit early in the game to denigrate Douglas’ intelligence? What has she done or said to merit such gratuitous insult? To date, her only substantive comments are in favor of having the schools in the state compensated for the monies denied them by the legislature and realistically acknowledging Common Core cannot be dismantled unilaterally. Now she has met with Sanchez and appears willing to work with TUSD on an approach to keeping culturally relevant courses alive and made available to students in schools throughout the district.
Comparing her to Huppenthal is ridiculous. There is plenty of time to see how Douglas handles the job, why not wait until you actually have a reason to call her stupid or worse?
“…when he reached back to that disgusting anti-Mexican-American studies the Tucson Unified School District out of compliance.”
There is something missing here and I am not quite sure what.
I listened to a commentator from Paris last night speaking on the mass killings by what he thought were home grown terrorists. He made the comment that they got what they deserved based on forced “multiculturalism.”
That sure provoked some thought.
I’m no editor or expert on punctuation,grammar etc. Is it just me or did this editors note make ABSOLUTELY no sense whatsoever! There are whole sentences missing for Christ’s sake and “its going going to be a game you’re going to want to participate” what is that right? I’m perplexed someone please either correct me or back me up here. So, I can regain my sanity for the moment!
Mari is a racist and (whether or not a product of) a shining example of the ill-equipped graduates that are turned out by a school system that prizes though control over education.
I simply don’t know where to begin. I think that just as Jimmy Carter is thanking heaven for Barack Obama taking over as the worst president in recent memory, Dan Gibson is thanking heaven for Mari Herreras. The Peter Principle is at full force here. Ms. Herreras has been promoted well beyond her abilities, I suspect several times.
Celina Hosp beat me to it in some respects. I will just add, that beyond the asinine points she is trying to make, the “Editor” fails to even grasp common grammar. I suppose that it is difficult to compose lucid prose, when the thinking behind it is so disjointed (I’m being kind to morons here).
All I can say is Dan Gibson was great at clicking a mouse to bring up stupid crap off the internet and call it news. I’m sure you never had to think too much about what he put in print.
Ms Herreras is first and foremost a story-teller and a very good, home-grown one. This is a story about institutionalized racism (yep, white male supremacy racism) and that story makes you uncomfortable as it should. Arizona’s politics, to the rational world outside of the echo chamber is a national disgrace and a show of buffoonery that never ends.
So attack punctuation, grammar, syntax, but don’t ever acknowledge that this is a real story about oppressing people of color in the name of education or anything else.
“So attack punctuation, grammar, syntax, but don’t ever acknowledge that this is a real story about oppressing people of color in the name of education or anything else.”
This woman is an “EDITOR” for christsake. She is supposed to be an expert at punctuation, grammar and syntax, among other things. At this, she is an embarrassment. If she wasn’t such a nutcase, I would feel sorry for her. But she is and I don’t.
And her “story” is just BS, as are your comments.
Are you a big man now?
I’m proud to say I’ve been a loyal reader of Tucson Weekly for quite sometime now.I picked up my first weekly @El pueblo neighborhood center library when it was still a closet with close to 500 books stuffed into rickety bookshelves very well taken care of by the staff of one. The size of that library in juxtaposition to it’s location (6th ave. and Irvington) was truly a testament to how unimportant it was to bring new reading material to the low class working poor.
But, I digress.
I would like to say, given the fact that I’ve been such a long time reader, that I , religiously read my favored weekly publication front to back. this isn’t the case however, I do have a few columns that I must read every week including: Danehy, all of the events pages, Police dispatch, news of the weird, savage love, red meat, Mine and whomever is unlucky enough to be around’s horoscope, ask a Mexican (unfortunately) and most recently the editors note.
The last editor was interesting enough but now I’m happy to see a female taking over position as editor. I’ve only read a few of her columns and from what I can tell she can get angry at times but I do believe that
she ,like myself, is very caring and lovingly invested in Tucson. Her hoorah for the 520 does not seem obligatory in the least. un-fortunately, This last confused me I even read it several times to make sure that lack of sleep and too much coffee wasn’t playing the part in my confusion
This is just terrible editing and writing! I’m very disappointed and you know what Mari? I suggest you step it up. Because, this is very badly written. Which is a shame because you seem to love Tucson and are very passionate about your work. I suggest you step it up!
,
“This class is intended to get students to become critically conscious about the society that we live in”…
But don’t you dare try that with this publication. I hear you loud and clear.
I guess there won’t be any claims of fair and balanced here, will there?
Preach to your choir.
Lou Albano always said , 10,000 cheering or 10,000 booing, the results are the same,
you’ve got their complete attention