The politics of education are getting more and more divisive. John Dube, a 25-year veteran high school history teacher is on the front lines of a heated national battle against critical race theory (CRT). Now 63, Dube has 35 years of public service under her belt. Today, he remains fervently dedicated to teaching the lessons of that history to Idaho’s students. Yet his commitment to better education has landed him in a bind. He now finds himself under attack from education interest groups that complain about what they perceive to be leftist zealotry being taught in America’s classrooms.
At first, Dube thought the controversy over CRT was a temporary concern. He thought the enthusiasm would wear off shortly, only to find out that the passion went far deeper. Following a post by Granite Grok that revealed the names of New Hampshire signatories who supported CRT legislation, Dube received a threatening Facebook message stating, “Whats up homo? I heard your teaching Marxist commie CRT in your classrooms. You can fuck right off you garbage human.”
Dube’s level-headed response to the threats was a testament to her strength. “I refuse to be cowed,” he said at first defiantly, but things turned ugly fast. Within days police officers showed up on his doorstep, sent there by the FBI out of worry for his safety. Dube’s toughest test yet awaits him in Idaho. He deserves the chance to rebuild his reputation and re-establish his bona fides with a community that’s become more divided than ever over culture wars.
Even with all that chaos though, Dube stands firm that his classes don’t even mention CRT. And he puts tremendous effort into motivating his students to learn how to think. He makes history a field that is open to interpretation and debate. “History isn’t a science. It’s not like the law of gravity. Why did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor? You can answer that in many different ways. It’s all in the debate,” he articulated.
The attack against him isn’t just from trolls behind computer screens. Moms for Liberty added percussion by throwing down a $500 bounty to anyone who can find a violation. They are excitedly learning more about Dube’s teachings and practices. This has fostered a culture where educators have felt under siege just for performing their vocation.
Dube expressed his frustration with what he perceives as an Orwellian approach to education, stating, “It’s the old adage: control the past, control the future. It’s how totalitarian regimes take away people’s rights – by literally rewriting history.” He does so in service always to teaching about America’s flaws and mistakes. He is an advocate for the role of historical understandings in the creation of engaged and informed citizenry. “America is a flawed country. We’ve made tremendous mistakes,” he said, emphasizing that learning from those mistakes is essential for progress.
In the months since, Dube and his wife have endured an unacceptable level of attrition from the pressures that surround them. The pressure from the threats and negative response from their communities has pushed them to reconsider their future in Idaho. Dube mentioned a very real change in the way educators are understood and received in their communities.
Previously, Kristy Lewis, an educator who is going through this process, commented on the increasing fear across her profession. “There was a clear and imminent risk. I was talking to students about complex topics like climate change, and it was unnerving to think that someone might record me because they thought I was doing them harm.” Lewis lamented how petulant political posturing has taken up the space from educators’ main events of concentrating on educating their kids.
As educators like Dube continue to be subjected to the scrutiny, hostility, and ire of the public, many are rendered refugees in their own hometowns. Sandra, another teacher affected by similar circumstances, shared her sentiments: “We are refugees, and many of us are in hiding.” Yet this widening chasm over pedagogy and viewpoint has started to color life inside public service. Conversations on our Nation’s racial and historic legacy deepen this impact for those truly called to teach.
Unfazed by the pandemonium around him, Dube sticks to his guns. He believes in promoting an inquiry- and evidence-based approach to learning, stating, “I believe in encouraging my students to think critically.” His mantra reflects a deep understanding of history’s importance: “If you have an understanding of the past, you can understand a lot about the present.”