(Mike Osborne) — State Education officials on Monday launched what will likely be a contentious review of its Social Studies Academic Standards for Tennessee school children.
The review is a routine rewrite of what children are taught in Social Studies classes. The review is conducted every six years as required by state law.
However, ongoing culture war battles over gender issues, racial issues, civil rights history, the role of religion in public life and other controversial topics could make the review challenging.
Making the review even more complex, the GOP dominated state legislature earlier this year passed numerous restrictions on what Tennessee children can be taught concerning a wide range of contentious issues.
The review process began Monday with the start of a public input survey period on the social studies standards. Tennessee residents have till July 18 to forward comments to the State Board of Education.