October 7 of last year. [inaudible conversations] ladies and good morning. Welcome to the nations capital. The subcommittee on Early Childhood elementary and secondary education will come to order. A quorum is present. Without objection, the chair is recess at any time. The holocaust ended in 1945. The hate to behind it has not. Antisemitism ephe topic of todays hearing is particularly troubling. Its hard to grasp how antisemitism has become such a dominant force in our k12 schools. Some kids as second grade are spewing nazi propaganda which begs who has positioned these young minds to people. The very need for this hearing is a travesty. The aftermath of october 7 has revealed some most deprived ideas. Once marginalized from society and our Education System has failed to stop it. Its not just antiisrael its antiamerican. Antiamerican. Its antidemocracy. Our Witnesses Today represent three of the witnesses represent some of the Largest School districts in the nation where theres been some vital antisemitism in their districts. Just a few minutes ago we heard from students, parents and even a teacher who said this is happening without an appropriate or any response all. Jewish students in their districts fear riding the just eating and breathing as a jewish student. Hear from the leaders of the districts to tell us what are you doing what are they doing to keep students safe. New york city, ae the largest most vibrant Jewish Community and thehe stories coming out of the new york city Public Schools are reports that we have, march class one student was called a nazi salute and swastikas were drawn on the teachers walls in one week. Antisemitism within montgomery Public Schools, and its close to home its just 15 miles from here. Mc ps has been home to student walkouts featuring calls to kill the jews, bring hitler back and whats worse the administrators approved excused absences for the walkouts in violation of policy and finally Berkeley Unified School distri National Spotlight and perhaps the most public fashion of the group, the allegations are most serious. While not exhausted the details of the beast includes kids nazi salute songs to their jewish class. What are you and how can we stop this . Youve been accused of doing nothing and turning a blind eye. Give you a chance to say exactly what youre doing and what are you doingeep students safe. Middle and High School Students or hard eugard enough being a kid in middle and high School Without the added fea jewish. I can hardly fathom sending one of my suns to school exposed to the vile yet parents are faced every day with this struggle. It doesnt have to be this way. This is the moment for all of us to take a stand against hate, the indoctrination of the next generation of future leaders and with that i yield to the Ranking Member for her opening statement. Thank you very much mr. Chairman. There is no question we must do more to combat antisemitism not just in schools, bu everywhere. We must do more to protect jewish students into Jewish Americans who are threatened and harassed and attacked because of who they are. Every student deserves to feel safe and be safe atoo the same time we must do more to address the rise in islam a other forms of discrimination and hates well. Ive said many times i hope the committee can Work Together on ways to address the scourge of antisemitism, and i will express that again today that we Seek Solutions that recognize the seriousness and scope the challenge, the importance of keeping students safe at school,e need to balance the civil rights of students to be free from discrimination under title vi of the Civil Rights Act with the First Amendment rightree speech and expression. This is the Education Committee and i hope the Important Role of education and importantly fact, at the top of the list on the biden administrations u. S. National strategy to combat antisemitism is to increa schoolbased education about antisemitism including the holocaust in american heritage. Antisemitism is not a n problem. The adl the Antidefamation League has been working on they have a center for Antisemitism Research. The American Jewish committee has an action plan with a toolkit for pubchool administrators. Lesson plans and other teaching materials are widely available through organizations like the u. S. Holocaust memoria like new york and several other states my home state holocaust and genocide study with ageappropriate i remember my late friend holocaust survivor in his 80s andold his story of survival to hundreds of audiences and univers colleges, middle schools and high schools places of worshipd clubs. Personally and through his book from a name to a the kind of unforgettable education that makes a difference a blessing. I also want to its important for leaders to stand up to antisemitism no matter where it comes from. Many of my colleagues claim to care about the rise in this country but when they march in Charlottesville Virginia with burning porches into chantingjews will not replace us, the president at the time, donald fine people on both sides. One of the participants that unite was nick fuente a vile antisemite who among other statements denied of the scope of the holocaust while comparing jews exterminated in concentration camps being baked man oven. Former President Trump posted him in november of 22. General john kellyresident trumps chief of staff and sta favorably about hitler including that he had done some goo ago he said quote any jewish person that votes for democrats hates their religion. Despite of these psi examples of comments that others have called antisemitic and relationships ive notord from colleagues across the aisle. In fact what we have seen thisconsolidation of support. If my colleagues care about condemn and denounce these comments from the lea of their party so i will offer up my colleagues on the other side of the aisle the opportunity to thesements i look forward toon today with the hope that we could have a constructive dialogue about hht back against antisemitism so all students can be safe and feel safe at school whether it is a k12school college or university and i yield back the balance of my time. Pursuant to the rule all that do so by submitting them to the. Open for 14 days after the date of the hearing to low such statements and other materials referenced to be submitted f the official record. I there are members colleagues that are not a p subcommittee who may be waving for the purpose hearing. And now lets get to the introductions of the distinguished panel. The first witness is the chancellor of tk city Public Schools where the new York City Department of york new york. The new York City School is the largest system in the nation. Appointed by mayor eric adams on january 1, 2022 but he started his career as a School Safety officer after which he began his first teaching job at Public School 167. He serves as an assistant principal at 191 before becoming a school for law government and justice. Hes graduate of the Public School system. He holds bachelors degree from Rutgers University and earned Johns University of law. The second witness is carla who is the president of the Montgomery County board of education for the schools and rockville maryland to get elected to term on november 8th, 2022 she is serving a second term as the president of the board board of education policy experience began at the university of pennsylvania where she worked at the collaborative for Science Education working as a Teacher Professional Development and handson science educatist philadelphia schools. She served as Vice President or children and youth for the link nonprofit for the preventative school year and youth progra universitys with a bachelors degree in biology and received degree in education from the university of pennsylvania. Greetings from the sunshine state. We are glad to see w you are. Lets yield for the introduction of a witness. I welcome tonior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties on the Privacy Technology project. Among other things previously served as a legaldvisor for africa from Stanford University a M Public Affairs from the Princeton School of public and International Affairs and the doctorate from the welcome. The final witness superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School district into berkel california. And the urban educator and Community Activist with over 21 years of experience. Aside from serving asperintendent of Berkeley Unified School district, she is a professor senior lecturer at the urban education at Loyola University and is active in the Community Serving as a board n member for organizations such as 826 valencia and othon organizations with missions aligned to hers. Shes a proud member of delta sigma welcome to the witnesses we t to your testimony pursuant to the Committee Rules i would ask that you limit each of your oral presentations to five minutes. At the summary of your written statements, your full written statement is in the record,js j tttjsesmi tthli eotteum tmeonyaabyoss ht k tro er we have a robust protections for the freespeech rights the not lose your constitutional he right to hold your opinions to share your opinions so long as they are in the bounds of the school context. But the school must ask it. As i said when i hostile educational environment and so a lot of what we are dealing withtoday how have schools respond in the situations . Is the husband of a Public School teacher of the parent i understand that when they make mistakes we dont send them to the room we try to help them understand what they have done wrong. The infective had on others try to figure how to make the people who have been harmed feel a whole. Change behaviors in the future. I no good teachers and administrators across the country during now. This is the everyday work of schools while also making them safe if it clicks you believe listening to testimony of your fellow panelists today that theyre doing that . I can oume theyre doing their best. I find it interesting that of the committee are prejudging as forinstance a case in barkley the same family of a court case in new york people complain about being prejudging that one. I think really what i hope comes out of this conversation today and continues in the spirit of is that we all again say hatred in any form. It is simply unacceptable for the nine states congress. Alluded here to the as they are. Theres something wrong with them we would work tog that. Thank you mr. Chair yelled back with us and give it much representati5uve the great state of california. Representative kylie is recognized for five minutes. Thank you mr. Chair. O im sorry im having trouble reading your lesson, ford . Yes i dont know we answer to you as to whether theres been any professors terminated at your school. Conduct because the answer was im not able to speak about personal matters what i can say to you is we investigate every complaint and concern thoroughly that. He tells in general is they settlement term in a quite a pleasant journal i cannot speak about personal matters like i cand to follow up and take action aggressive pressure your collie gave us an answer for. Because i respect im not going to be able to do that back let you know again any issue comes up we investigated and pending the outcome of that investigation we do take action. This actions range of a. Thank you. You give us a statement here testimony is that any suggestion or assertion ust that is your distr is false. However the Brandeis Center o defamation leg filed a complaint read from that release summarizing within incidents include students repeatedly hearing antisemitic comments in classr s the jews nunc jewish is asking jewish dudes with their number is referring to numbers tattooed on jews during the holocaust. Jewish students being for their physical appearance and demonized as evil. They do antisemitic class grants teacher promoter walkouts that praise hamas and second rate teacher classroom activity or children writing stop bombing babies on sticky notes to display in the building. Jewish students report violence including being jumped at school many said they remove their stars tshirts they wanting to keep their heads down to hide their judeo is him and with those school dayshisschooldays in fear but s less to pervasive bullying. Pare incidents to the administration hostile environment. Antisemitism ive ever seen before said Kenneth Marcus chairman of the Brandeis Center former u. S. Assistant secretary of education. Any assertion the question is if youre not willing to acknowledge the problem likely because it is being adequately addressed . You can be confident they are in my schools every day in thehools, in the classrooms with the babies. I am very clear has been incidents of insight cynicism in barkley Unified School District district but every single time we are aware of such an instance we take action up we take appropriate action. Can i ask about israel palestine correct and thats been introduced in some classes in the wake of october 7. Do you approve this curriculum cluster. We do have controversial policies Student Interest we did have a group of teachers who try to create lessons to respond to the moment. And engage our students for. But you approved it . You approve the curriculum . That the tedious grady yes for. With the slides that break them said for some palestinians withfor the river to the sea is a call for freedom and peace. An cited support a quote from congresswoman who is censured by this body in a bipartisa appropriate thing to have on the side for students . Expose on the side again question except for some pal since the verb to the sea is a call for freedom and or fragment p student thats appropriate . We deafly believe its it important to expose our students to diversity of ideas and perspectives it. As a perspective it is you do . I mean you said earlier that this is antisemitic. You put this on a slide in the class and the students go around it. I dont have the same thing surprising about that. About the ethics study curriculum you have. You contract with the group called the liberate Ethnic Studies Consortium is that righ yes. This consortium as i understand it grew out of the initial group to form californias active career in the version was universally condemned antisemitic. Fourteen members of legislature all democrats that its difficult to fathom why the state of california a narrative about jews that echoes the propaganda of the nazi regime. Even gavin newsom said the curriculum was offensive and so many wayser see the light of day. So it was revised. Ethnic Study Consortium they split off and the groups are going to stick with the version that the version you went out and decided to have in your classroom is that right question. Is incorrect congressman i thank you for the opportunity to clarify. Barkley unified school is not just curriculum liberate Ethnic Studies Consortium. In fact are ethnic study curriculum is created in house if you will but we p with a scienceus iam start maybe i misunderstood you contract with liberate pickwick slip liberated as a thought partner. Our Teacher Center staff and her y Committee Members actually create a curriculum. Were not purchasing or buying any curriculum from the ethnic studies but i do not understand between a soft partner work with liberate ethnic studies is one of two experts in the f of ethnic studies barkley Unified School District evaluated to partner our curriculum units being created in partnership with community members. Thank you very much my time is expired i will say mr. Chair you specifically with a group whose work product was rejected california. Its become rampant perfect gentlemexpired pickwick signature yelled back with her thank you very much for the great state of new representative your records for five minutes or. Thank you very much for your bed to become chancellor brady background is not only in School Safety you are also a classroom teacher and you are also the founder regarded high schools for the school of law government and justice in the school in the bronx as well, the Eagle Academy for young men. I want you to speak to us briefly about the curriculum to ad