TUSD appeal to save "Ethnic Studies" reveals cult
Tucson Independent Daily
8/21/11
TUSD appeal to save "Ethnic Studies" reveals "cult"
“The quality of ideas seems to play a minor role in mass movement leadership. What counts is the arrogant gesture, the complete disregard of the opinion of others, the singlehanded defiance of the world." – Eric Hoffer, The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements
Over the years, one of the most common complaints by objective observers of TUSD’s Mexican American Studies classes is the anti-intellectual nature of the scatter shot curriculum. The frequent references to the fantastical place called Aztlan, migration theories that have no scientific foundation, and the easy to swallow, simple minded analysis provided by critical race theory have caused more serious educators to question the educational value of TUSD’s Mexican American Studies classes.
In the first day of hearings in the appeal of Tucson Unified School District on the finding by Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction that the district’s Mexican American Studies classes violated state law, Governing Board President and established educator, Dr. Mark Stegeman, in emotional testimony, confirmed what many educators have been saying for years; the classes are a "cult."
Dr. Stegeman, a well respected professor of Economics, read from notes he took during visits to Mexican American Studies classes this past spring. His extemporaneous notes describing his experience in MAS teacher Curtis Acosta’s class, included phrases such as “this is a political rally,â€
