Officials from #Harvard & the #Trump admin have exchanged multiple offers since last month as they have explored a potential deal over the #government’s role in #admissions, #hiring & #curriculum. The details of the negotiations remain unclear as talks continue.

#Sotomayor:

The board had argued that the #curriculum & no-opt-out policy "serve its compelling interest in 'maintaining a school environment that is safe & conducive to learning for all students."

The court agrees with this "as a general matter," but it notes that the board allows opt-outs for other reasons, suggesting that opt-outs are not actually unworkable.

#law #SCOTUS #PublicSchool #schools #education #LGBTQ+ #censorship #bigotry #religion #NewApostolicReformation

The #university's lawyers argued #DHS's action was part of an "unprecedented & retaliatory attack on #AcademicFreedom at #Harvard," which is pursuing a separate lawsuit challenging the admin's decision to terminate nearly $3B in federal #research #funding.

Harvard argues the #Trump admin is retaliating against it for refusing to accede to its demands to control the school's #governance, #curriculum & the #ideology of its #faculty & #students.

The university had argued that the #Trump admin's revocation was a "blatant violation of the #FirstAmendment" & punished the school for rejecting "the government's demands to control #Harvard's #governance, #curriculum, & the '#ideology' of its #faculty & #students."

In the new lawsuit, the #university accused the #Trump admin of exerting “clear retaliation for #Harvard exercising its #FirstAmendment rights to control Harvard’s governance, #curriculum & the ‘ideology’ of its #faculty & #students.”

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, #InternationalStudents who contribute significantly to the university & its mission,” the lawsuit said. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”

Garre said no, because those #schools would still need to meet the state’s #academic #standards & could not focus their #curriculum on those subjects. As a #CharterSchool, St. Isidore would have to meet those standards, too, Garre has argued.

#Alito invoked several hypotheticals of what he called “progressive” #schools setting their own #curriculum, including being “an #LGBTQ+ friendly school” w/ #books that present #SameSex couples as “a perfectly legitimate lifestyle,” [#bigot] or teaching #history from the standpoint of #Project1619, which sought to reframe how the #UnitedStates talks about #slavery. [this fuckin guy]

Justice #SamuelAlito asked #Oklahoma atty Gregory Garre if #CharterSchools could be more flexible in their #curriculum & give families more alternatives to choose from in #public #education. Garre said all #PublicSchools, including charters, have to conform to the state’s curriculum requirements.

Justice #ElenaKagan said she saw huge incentives for #religious groups of various faiths to start #CharterSchools if #SCOTUS ruled it was permissible. “There’s a line out the door,” she said, “if you can do this consistent with your religious beliefs.”

That would also disfavor #religions that don’t conform to other state requirements on #curriculum, she said.

Justice #ElenaKagan signaled skepticism of the proposed #Catholic #school, suggesting #CharterSchools are much like traditional #PublicSchools: They accept all applicants, they’re free, the state has a say in the #curriculum, the schools have to comply w/state #standards, & they can be closed by the state.
“When I look at #Oklahoma & its charter school program, these #schools look like regular public schools. These charter schools are, in every respect, equivalent to regular public schools”
#law

There are also #secular implications of becoming a #CharterSchool. Charter #schools have more flexibility than traditional #PublicSchools, but there are rules about #teacher #qualifications, #curriculum #standards, #discipline processes, #employment terms, facility conditions & serving #students with #disabilities. Students are typically required to take standardized tests.

The #ExecutiveOrder is cast as returning power over #education to states & local communities, as #Trump has repeatedly promised to do. It does not recognize that #K12 #schools, as well as public #universities & #colleges, are ALREADY controlled almost entirely by states & local communities. The federal government, by #law, may not control school #curriculum.

The Biden admin encouraged schools in the opposite direction, promoting #diversity & #equity initiatives & directing schools to #respect #transgender students’ rights, but it NEVER tried to CONDITION federal FUNDING on what was taught in #classrooms. The #Education Dept during #Trump’s first term also did not try to #dictate #curriculum, w/then-Secretary Betsy DeVos arguing that the curriculum should be decided at the local level.

@bud_t @wb2ifs @thenrao @hamradiosci @arrl @goodgame_k5ata @ARDC made this all possible. They are hands-on (#hams-on ) with the #EMS #electromagneticspectrum #amateurradio #curriculum release