On Wednesday, Aug. 11, UW–Madison School of Education Dean Diana Hess submitted testimony to the Senate Committee on Education and the Assembly Committee on Education during a joint public hearing on Senate Bill 411 and Senate Bill 463.
Senate Bill 411 is regarding anti-racism and anti-sexism pupil instruction, and anti-racism and anti-sexism training for employees of school districts and independent charter schools. Senate Bill 463 is about requiring school boards to make information about learning materials and educational activities used for pupil instruction available to the public.
Hess was unable to attend Wednesday’s public hearing at the Wisconsin State Capitol, and her written testimony was read to the Joint Committee on Education by UW–Madison’s Jeremy Stoddard, a professor with the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
Following is the written testimony from Hess that was submitted to committee members:
Chair Darling, Chair Thiesfeldt, and members of the Assembly and Senate Committees on Education:
My name is Diana Hess and I am the dean of the UW-Madison School of Education. Thank you to the committee for the opportunity to provide testimony on Senate Bills 411 and 463. I’m sorry I could not be there in person with you today.
The UW–Madison School of Education takes seriously its commitment to prepare excellent teachers for Wisconsin schools. It is one of the best Education schools in the nation: Our secondary teacher education program currently ranks second in the United States and our elementary teacher education program ranks fourth. Our teacher education programs prepare hundreds of students each year to join the ranks of the professional teaching force. We have recently launched an $18 million, privately funded program to provide incentives to encourage our teacher education graduates to stay and teach in the state of Wisconsin.
As written, Senate Bill 411 would deprive Wisconsin students of the education they need and deserve, because racism and stereotyping were central causes of some of the most horrendous events in the history of the United States and other nations. To name just a few examples, slavery, genocides, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II are realities of our shared history that shape the world today. Teaching history without talking about racism and stereotyping is impossible.
The bill specifically prohibits teaching topics that would make an individual “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of the individual’s race or sex.” As a former high school teacher, I can attest that teaching history — which is full of glories and horrors — cannot be done effectively without having an impact on students’ emotions. I remember feeling great discomfort when I first learned about the three-fifths compromise that treated enslaved people as less than full humans.
Teachers do not deliberately set out to make students feel bad about themselves. I interact with hundreds of teachers each year and have for decades. The problem this bill seems to identify — that Wisconsin’s teachers, intentionally or otherwise, want to make their students feel bad — is simply not real. With all due respect, the bill provides a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. My fear is that if it becomes law, it will have a chilling effect, inhibiting teachers from teaching a full account of history, as well as many contemporary events and issues in our society that are important to gaining a well-rounded education.
Both bills risk creating problems that our already overburdened schools do not need and likely could not be done in a way that is legal. Senate Bill 463 requires posting all learning materials on websites. This would create incredible administrative burdens, be extremely costly, and cause legal problems. Many excellent curriculum materials that schools purchase are copyrighted, and while the purchase allows them to be used in classes, posting materials on websites that are available to the public would be a violation of contracts and copyrights.
Our state has strict requirements for teacher preparation. Consequently, we must treat teachers as professionals with all the rights and responsibilities the term implies. Bills that prevent educators from teaching some of the most important topics in history send the message that teachers do not merit our trust and respect. In a time when many school districts in Wisconsin have a teacher shortage, I fear that these bills could undermine our goal of attracting and retaining teachers.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on the impact this legislation would have on teachers across Wisconsin. I strongly encourage you to vote against Senate Bills 411 and 463. If you have any questions, please reach out to me (dhess@wisc.edu or 608-262-6137).
Sincerely,
Diana E. Hess, PhD
Dean, School of Education
Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair of Education
University of Wisconsin-Madison