Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited Chicago Hope Academy on Thursday as part of her History Rocks! tour, which has been marred by controversy over its ties to conservative groups.
The school, which fundraises heavily to subsidize tuition and serves mostly Black and Latino students, welcomed McMahon despite some students and parents expressing reservations about the visit. Principal Ike Muzikowski said he had initially thought it would be a "great opportunity" for students to learn from her, but ultimately decided that having her attend an event was better than not having her come at all.
"We learned that it's very easy to point fingers and label people as bad or good," Muzikowski said in a press conference after the visit. "We need to have these kinds of conversations... so we can listen to each other."
McMahon, whose Education Department has been accused of promoting policies that harm certain communities, told reporters she was happy to be invited to the Genoa-Kingston High School event later that day. She claimed the History Rocks! tour is non-partisan and focused on civics education.
However, her visit to Chicago Hope Academy drew criticism from some who say the school's ties to conservative groups undermine its mission to promote values like justice, equality, and unity.
The controversy surrounding the History Rocks! tour has been ongoing since its launch earlier this year. The Education Department says the tour aims to showcase examples of high-quality history and civics instruction that bring American principles to life, but many have questioned whether the content is inclusive and accurate.
In another stop on the tour, an elementary school in Connecticut canceled a visit by McMahon after parents expressed concerns about the politicalization of the school.
The school, which fundraises heavily to subsidize tuition and serves mostly Black and Latino students, welcomed McMahon despite some students and parents expressing reservations about the visit. Principal Ike Muzikowski said he had initially thought it would be a "great opportunity" for students to learn from her, but ultimately decided that having her attend an event was better than not having her come at all.
"We learned that it's very easy to point fingers and label people as bad or good," Muzikowski said in a press conference after the visit. "We need to have these kinds of conversations... so we can listen to each other."
McMahon, whose Education Department has been accused of promoting policies that harm certain communities, told reporters she was happy to be invited to the Genoa-Kingston High School event later that day. She claimed the History Rocks! tour is non-partisan and focused on civics education.
However, her visit to Chicago Hope Academy drew criticism from some who say the school's ties to conservative groups undermine its mission to promote values like justice, equality, and unity.
The controversy surrounding the History Rocks! tour has been ongoing since its launch earlier this year. The Education Department says the tour aims to showcase examples of high-quality history and civics instruction that bring American principles to life, but many have questioned whether the content is inclusive and accurate.
In another stop on the tour, an elementary school in Connecticut canceled a visit by McMahon after parents expressed concerns about the politicalization of the school.
. I mean, come on, the kid's just trying to educate some young minds about civics and history. It's not like she's there to proselytize or anything 
. And let's be real, the school was totally welcoming of her visit, despite some students and parents being a bit... reserved 
. Ike Muzikowski seems like a pretty cool principal who just wants to have an open dialogue about these issues 
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. The Education Department says the History Rocks! tour is all about showing high-quality history instruction, and I'm inclined to believe 'em 
. Yeah, there might be some controversy surrounding the tour, but let's not forget that it's supposed to be about education, not politics 
. I feel like we need more nuanced conversations about how we engage with public figures who might have differing views 
education sec linda mcmahon thinks she can just waltz into chicago hope academy and lecture them on civics ed without even being aware of the history 
like what even is a non-partisan tour if it's got ties to conservative groups?!? 
how can we trust her when she's promoting policies that harm certain communities?!? 
i wish more ppl would speak out against this kinda thing, cuz it's not just about mcmahon, its about the entire edu system being flawed 
. I don't think it's fair that some students and parents got upset, but at the same time, they're right to be concerned 
. Maybe we should have more conversations about how policies affect everyone, not just certain communities 
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, and it's great that Principal Muzikowski is tryin' to get kids thinkin' critically about their perspectives 
. Maybe instead of makin' a big fuss, we should just be supportin' efforts like this and encourage more conversations around history and civics 
i dont get why she said the History Rocks! tour is non-partisan tho... if its not inclusive then how can it really be non-partisan? 
and what's with all these schools canceling her visits because parents are worried about politics in school? shouldn't that be a thing we talk about in school or something? 
. That said, I do think it's awesome that she's making an effort to get involved with schools and talk about these important issues, even if it is a bit rocky around the edges 
. It's like, you gotta think of all these different threads... 
, but can't they just keep the politics out of it? It's like trying to draw a perfect circle... easy to start, hard to finish 
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I'm telling you, it's all about control and manipulation... 
. And then you got McMahon showing up, no hard questions asked, just a photo op 
. What's really going on? Is this tour for real or just a PR stunt to get her name out there again?
I mean, I get that education is important and all that, but come on... 
. It just doesn't sit right with me. I wish they'd take a more inclusive approach, you know? Get some experts from different backgrounds and perspectives on board to make sure the info is accurate and representative of all communities. That's the kind of education we should be promoting! 
it's pretty messed up that ed sec linda mcmahon is profiting from these events and claiming they're non-partisan 
, we need these kinds of conversations so we can listen to each other... anywayz i'm still all about History Rocks! i mean who doesn't love civics education and learning about american principles? 