Texas Teachers Warned Against Being "Heterosexist"
Candidates for certification to teach in public schools in Texas are being told that they will be held accountable for any "heterosexist" leanings and must become agents working to change society, according to one candidate who was alarmed by the demands. The applicant, who requested anonymity for fear of repercussions, said part of the teachings on multiculturalism required him to read several online postings about the issue inside the education industry. One warns "teachers and administrators must be held accountable for practices deemed to be racist, sexist, heterosexist, classist, or in any other way discriminatory." And a second warned that educators must not define education as the basic skills. "How do we create a better world? How do we do more than simply survive? As educators, we must help people to become committed to social change," the article demanded. The teacher candidate said the studies were mandated by the Region 10 service center for the public school educators' program.

Spokeswoman Debbie Ratcliffe at the Texas Education Agency said the state rules require teacher preparation programs to cover 17 curriculum topics, but not multiculturalism. "While we establish the broad rules that are to be followed, we do not write or approve a training program's curriculum," she said. She said the articles, if part of the program, were chosen at the region level.                    

Source: WorldNetDaily, 1/2/10