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What Tennessee Children Are Learning About Religion, Explained In 90 Seconds

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Critics say this seventh-grade textbook published by Pearson is biased in favor of Islam. The text is one of several that have been approved as meeting Tennessee's education standards. Credit: Chas SiskWPLN
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In recent months, conservative activists and parents in Tennessee have been accusing middle-school social studies class of religious indoctrination — specifically, of paying too much attention to Islam. Some lawmakers have even gotten involved.

We asked WPLN’s Chas Sisk to explain what students are learning about religion in middle school and what the complaints are about.

The controversy is continuing to smolder across the state, and the legislature will consider a bill early next year to remove “religious doctrine” from education standards.

Filed Under: Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: ,

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Chas Sisk, Senior Editor

Chas joined WPLN in 2015 and became an editor in 2018. Previously, he covered state politics for Nashville Public Radio and The Tennessean, and he’s also reported on communities, politics and business for a variety of publications in Massachusetts, New York and Washington, D.C. Chas grew up in South Carolina and attended Columbia University, where he studied economics and journalism.

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