D.C. – Sen. Josh Hawley introduced legislation on Monday aimed at promoting patriotism in public schools and preventing the implementation of Critical Race Theory into school curriculums.
“What we’re seeing is, all of these left-wing interest groups are trying to push Critical Race Theory and trying to say America is systemically racist,” Hawley told The Heartlander. “They’re trying to teach it to our kids and get it into our classrooms and unfortunately, we’re seeing it in Missouri.”
According to a press release, the Love America Act would require all school districts that receive federal funding to ensure students are able to read and recite America’s founding documents at certain grade levels.
The legislation calls for students to be able to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the first grade, the preamble of the U.S. Constitution in the fourth grade and the preamble of the Declaration of Independence by eighth grade. 10th grade students would be required to identify the Bill of Rights as well.
The Love America Act would also bar federal funding from schools that teach those documents are the products of white supremacy or racism. The bill comes in response to recent efforts to implement Critical Race Theory into public schools’ curriculums.
“Over the past year, Americans have watched stunned as a radical ideology spread through our country’s elite institutions–one that teaches America is an irredeemably racist nation founded by white supremacists,” Hawley said.
In April, Rockwood School District’s Literacy Speech Coordinator came under fire for advocating to hide race-based curriculum from parents in order to teach it without their knowledge. Francis Howell School District also faced controversy earlier this month after they hired a professor who specialized in Critical Race Theory to help develop curriculum for the school.
Hawley, who has three children of his own, condemned the actions of the school districts and said he doesn’t want his kids learning things that teachers are “actively trying to deceive” parents about. The Senator also said he “absolutely” expects that federal funding could be at risk for schools who continue to try to hide curriculum content from parents.
“I think Critical Race Theory should not be put forward as fact, should not be mandated and should not be taught with federal taxpayer support,” Hawley said.
“Here’s the thing about Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project: it’s false. It’s not real history. Let’s teach our kids the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution. It’s the truth about who we are and that’s what my bill would do.”
