Pro-Amnesty Indoctrination in Virginia Public Schools?



Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) set up a program in Virginia public schools to advance his own immigration agenda… at the taxpayer’s expense. As part of the “Speak Up for Immigration” lesson plan for high school students in the Commonwealth of Virginia, teachers will ask students to write letters to elected officials in support of immigration reform, after using various resources advancing Senator Warner’s vision.

If the Senator is truly interested in hearing differing opinions, shouldn’t he be encouraging students to speak “on” or “about” immigration? No, his program is “for immigration” – for more of it.  He should have just entitled the program “Speak Up for S. 744” because the program is slanted to persuade the students to support the Senate mass amnesty bill that Senator Mark Warner voted for in 2013.

The lesson plan instructs the teacher to “Guide students to the understanding (sic) the importance of looking at personal stories when analyzing laws and policies.” The oft-repeated adage, “Hard cases make bad law,” is entirely forgotten here. Senator Warner wants to look at this issue from the perspective of the illegal alien, not the U.S. citizen he currently represents.  Although U.S. case law uses the term “illegal alien,” the lesson plan adopts the biased Associated Press agenda by using the term “undocumented immigrant.”

The sole resource in the lesson plan that addresses an alternate perspective is a local news channel’s 2-minute video segment about amnesty opponents.  On the other side of the debate, there are photos of refugees, a video address by Senator Warner, several news stories with interviews of illegal aliens, and sample persuasive letters from Amnesty International’s website.

Moreover, although law enforcement is an integral concept in the immigration debate, students in this program do not hear the perspective of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Border Patrol officers. There is absolutely no mention of national security concerns. How can students really learn what is at stake in the immigration debate if they only hear half the story?

In a press release, Senator Warner announces that he will speak at Charlottesville High School, where 10% of the students are foreign-born, because it “currently has students affected by the outcomes of immigration reform.” Apparently, Senator Warner believes that the 10% foreign-born population at this school is the only group impacted by immigration reform. To the contrary, immigration reform impacts more than just immigrants and illegal aliens. The forgotten 90%—the American-born students—are left to learn this lesson the hard way, as they will face competition for scarce jobs as the result of Senator Warner’s immigration policies. Immigration reform does not affect 10%; it affects 100%.

Although Senator Warner’s lesson plan is incredibly lop-sided, teachers do assign an important task: sending letters to elected officials. Senator Warner should be contacted about immigration reform. There’s a lot he needs to learn.

About Author

avatar

Content written by Federation for American Immigration Reform staff.

9 Comments

  1. avatar
    Mass Legalization Is Unsustainable on

    “Speak Up FOR Immigration”

    If the Senator is truly interested in hearing differing opinions, shouldn’t he be encouraging students to speak “on” or “about” immigration? No, his program is “for immigration” – for more of it.

    Do you think there will be anything in the curriculum about the downsides of mass immigration? Doesn’t sound like it. Do you think there will be anything in the curriculum about why it might make sense to limit immigration/enforce the law? Doesn’t sound like it. The forced letters they want sent are immigration is “all good”, a panacea, and that enforcing immigration is unjust and should not be done. That will get you an A. I’m sure Sen. Warner’s speech will be unbiased and content neutral. LOL.

  2. avatar
    Jim in Virginia on

    Warner is a no load! He famously stated he wouldn’t support any law that wouldn’t let Americans keep their healthcare plans, then of course he did. He blindly supports a president that lies like a rug. His claim to fame as Virginia governor, VITA, which I had to deal with for many years, was a complete bust and cost taxpayers millions of dollars. And now his is trying to brainwash our children to support amnesty for illegal aliens. This is one Virginian who will do everything I can to make sure Mark Warner is out of the US Senate in 2014, he has to go!!

  3. avatar

    Suppose an anti-amnesty Senator or Congressman were to be giving the public school system “lessons” in their political view. We are truly reaching 1984 territory.

    And what happens when a student writes an essay saying they think the laws of the country regarding immigration need to be enforced? That you should come legally and not expect to be rewarded for breaking the law?

    • avatar

      Exactly right. If Senator Sessions were to help teach a curriculum as slanted against amnesty as this one is slanted for it, the media and the Democrats would be lambasting him for blatant political interference in our public schools. The double standard really is Orwellian.

  4. avatar

    Reality–
    90 million working age American citizen are without jobs. 47% of the work force is classified temporary and are limited to 30 or less hours per week. 900,000 veterans are on welfare- not by their choice. Immigration reform/ Amnesty would bring 15 million or more illegal aliens and an expanded guest worker program to compete with those American citizen for non-existent jobs. And too will have to compete is the son and daughter of citizens and the very high school students that Wagner is trying to have join him — blindly.

    • avatar

      will bring in the illegals with a job they have held for 20 years……………………………….important, key point you forgot

  5. avatar

    It’s outrageous taxpayer-funded one-sided propaganda like this course that helps explain why so many young Americans come out of school opposed to even debating immigration policy. Warner says he will speak via videoconference with students at Charlottesville High School on December 4. Can FAIR provide someone, or at least some educational materials, to explain to these poor students the other side? Wouldn’t it be great if Dan were allowed to debate Warner?

  6. avatar

    Schools See Overpopulation as a Way to Keep Their Jobs

    The sad fact is overpopulation is driving their salaries down with insourced replacement teachers and the reduced wages of overpopulation is destroying the schools’ biggest pot of gold, property taxes….as home values reduce with lower/current overpopulation wages.