Under the newly-passed standards, which will be put in place this fall, North Carolina’s second-graders are required to learn how “various indigenous, religious, gender, and racial groups advocate for freedom and equality.” Fourth-grader are asked to explain how “revolution, reform, and resistance” shaped their state. Eighth-grade teachers are asked to teach “how slavery segregation, voter suppression, reconcentration, and other discriminatory practices have been used to suppress and exploit certain groups within North Carolina and the nation over time.”
“I know all of the code words, and I know what they lead to. I don’t like where they will lead our students,” Robinson said. As of Thursday, his online petition had gathered nearly 30,000 supporting signatures.
The standards come with a preamble written by State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, the Republican board member who joined the Democrats to cast the tie-breaking vote. She wrote in the document that students should learn about both the “hard truths” and accomplishments in the nation’s history.
“Let us study the past such that all students can celebrate our achievements towards a more perfect union while acknowledging that the sins of our past still linger in the everyday lives of many,” the preamble reads. “Let us study the past so we can understand where it might lead us today.”
In a statement released after Thursday’s vote, Robinson said he would continue to fight against what he considered “leftist indoctrination.”
“Let me be clear,” Robinson said. “This is not over. I will continue to lead the fight to ensure that our students are educated, not indoctrinated.”