This week, a superintendent of a Massachusetts school district sent an email to their staff that included links to left-wing resources arguing that “Israeli terrorism has been significantly worse than that of the Palestinians.”
According to parental rights organization Parents Defending Education, the email sent from the superintendent of Revere Public Schools was to alert parents of “the investigation currently underway regarding racist and anti-Semitic graffiti” on school grounds. The email included links to “teaching resources” about the conflict.
“Learning for Justice has provided the teaching resources at this link which is specific to the Israeli and Palestinian fighting,” the email stated. “Please note that we have staff members and students whose families come from both countries. These events are likely triggering for them but also for students and staff members with families in any of the many countries that are currently at war either within or at war with another country.”
PDE pointed out that the link provided by the superintendent to Learning for Justice attacks Israel (via Parents Defending Education):
The long history surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is deep and complicated. But there are things we know to be true. We know this conflict connects to imperialism and other oppressive systems that we encourage educators to name and address with students. We know that people are dying, fighting for their lives and engaging in liberation movements to be heard and treated with dignity—and that they’ve been doing so for decades.
PDE explained that Learning for Justice “is an organization that has pushed for its “Social Justice Standards” to be adopted in schools throughout the country.” This includes “anti-bias” education.
And, a link provided by Learning for Justice goes to the Middle East Policy Council, which claims that “Israeli terrorism has been significantly worse than that of the Palestinians.”
"It should come as no surprise to anyone that Learning for Justice - the Southern Poverty Law Center's curriculum project - is promoting a one-sided progressive narrative about Israel. SPLC jumped the shark long ago, and it is lamentable that any school district in America still chooses to use their materials in the face of the group's flagrant ideological bias and obvious contempt for parents,” Nicki Neily, president of PDE, said in a statement.
The Learning for Justice resources linked by the Revere Public Schools Superintendent attack Israel. https://t.co/gPaidmOwDS pic.twitter.com/YAVggOjHS2
— Nicki Neily (@nickineily) October 11, 2023