Teachers' organization promotes pro-Palestine seminar about 'heroic resistance to Zionism'
WAYNE, N.J. (TND) — A New Jersey nonprofit, which acts as an unofficial teachers’ union, is urging members to attend a training intended to teach educators how to insert partisan political opinions into their classrooms.
As first reported by Parents Defending Education, the Passaic County Education Associations (PCEA) recently emailed a newsletter to its members, which promoted a summer training series titled “Educators for Palestine Summer Series.”
The intended goal of the four-part event is to “equip” teachers “with the knowledge and practices needed to bring the truth about Palestine into [their] classrooms,” according to a document describing the July training series, which was included in PCEA’s email to members.
“In order to teach about Palestine authentically and critically, we must understand the history of its people and their heroic resistance to Zionism,” reads a description of one of the Saturday events. The description goes on to say teachers will be taught “essential knowledge educators need” if they want “to bring the real story of Palestine to their classrooms.”
The event is hosted by the Democratic Socialists of America BDS and Palestine Solidarity Working Group and is scheduled to take place across four Saturdays next month.
The BDS movement, which stands for boycott, divestment and sanctions, seeks to punish Israel for its alleged oppression of Palestinians. Critics of the movement call it anti-Semitic.
The document describing the training series also notes that it will help educators prepare for “the all too frequent backlash” they might face as a result of their training.
“We will hear from several educators who have navigated this difficult part of the crucial work of teaching about Palestine, as well as from organizations with the expertise and resources educators will find helpful should they encounter opposition,” the training’s description reads.
The National Desk reached out to PCEA for comment, but did not hear back prior to publication. If a response is obtained, this story will be updated.
