These profiles contain text of state legislation about the teaching of the Holocaust, and Holocaust-explicit History/Social Studies and English/Language Arts state content standards. Also provided is contact information for state departments of education.
TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CONTACTS
Ms. Brenda Ables
Social Studies Coordinator at Curriculum and Instruction, Tennessee Department of Education
Address: 5th Floor AJ Tower, 710 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37243--0379
An Act Creating The Tennessee Commission On Holocaust Education
Legislation: On May 3, 1984 the Governor signed a State Senate Joint Resolution which created a Commission on the Commemoration of Holocausts. The Commission was responsible for the annual recommendations for the observance of the Days of Remembrance of the Holocaust and other genocide. In 1996, a new law creating the Tennessee Commission on Holocaust Education was passed with additional appropriations for the Commission's work. The new law st Education was passed with additional appropriations for the Commission's work. The new law includes the following statement: "WHEREAS, the Legislature finds and declares that: (1) During the period from 1933-1945, six million Jews and millions of other Europeans were murdered in Nazi concentration camps as part of a carefully orchestrated program of cultural, social and political genocide known as the Holocaust; (2) All people should remember the horrible atrocities committed at that time and other times in human history as the result of bigotry and tyranny and, therefore, should continually rededicate themselves to the principles of human rights and equal protection under the laws of a democratic society; (3) It is desirable to educate our citizens about the events leading up to the Holocaust and about the organizations and facilities that were created and used purposefully for the systematic destruction of human beings; (4) It is the policy of the state of Tennessee that Holocaust history is the proper concern of all people, particularly students enrolled in the schools, colleges, and universities of the state of Tennessee; (5) Programs, workshops, institutes, seminars, and other teacher training activities for the study of the Holocaust have taken place during recent years at various high schools and colleges in the state of Tennessee; (6) It is desirable to create a permanent state-level commission, which as an organized body, on a continuous basis will survey, design, encourage, and promote implementation of Holocaust education and awareness programs in Tennessee and shall be responsible for organizing and promoting memorialization of the Holocaust on a regular basis, throughout the state...." Though funded by the state, the Commission is independent of the Department of Education.
Contact Name:
Felicia Anchor
Address:
Tennessee Holocaust Commission on Education 2417 West End Avenue
Museum
