If the Wayland Board of Education meeting Monday night was a movie, it could be titled, “Torches and Pitchforks: The Sequel.”
Torches and pitchforks is a common description journalists use to describe when an angry mob invades a public session, sometimes marred by unruly behavior.
The citizens’ group that has been visiting board meetings for the last three months stopped in again to lodge complaints about vaccines, masks and Critical Race Theory. The last of the three issues (CRT) was brought up for the first time only a month ago, but it dominated the discussion Monday evening.
Tempers flared, threats were made and one of the group’s members, who identified himself as John Rotha of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington D.C., was escorted out of the Fine Arts Center, shouting to the board, “We have been pushed around for long enough. We won’t go back to the way it was before… Recall proceedings aren’t that difficult.”
“Rotha” began the meeting by interrupting Board President Dan Cassini to lodge objections and he was particularly triggered by Casini gaveling down Nico Willingham, a juvenile, because the lad didn’t follow the procedure of stating his address. One of Nico’s defenders said she was appalled by his treatment and insisted the Open Meetings Act doesn’t require the public to provide an address.
After public safety officer Matt Miller escorted “Rotha” from the premises, two police officers were summoned and the board took a 15-minute recess before things calmed down.
However, the public criticisms continued from about two dozen people, who gathered together in the parking lot and came into the meeting together, just like they did in May and June.
Young Willingham, after the recess, told the board he believes it is better for him to be home schooled than return to the classroom.
Olivia Jones said her grades suffered and she suspected mental health as well, promising, “If Critical Race Theory is taught, I will ask my mom to homeschool.”
There is considerable debate nationwide about just what Critical Race Theory is, but the band of parents and citizens insisted it promotes racial hatred toward white people, Marxism, socialism and puts students against one another.
Jeff Coon maintained the school district is usurping control of information from their children by “teaching them what to think rather than how to think.”
One woman who said she was a medical professional said she routinely was seeing children as young as 6 years old attempting to commit suicide because of being forced to wear masks and observe Covid-19 pandemic protocols.
Gina Warren told board members, “As a parent, I’m over the mask. If Wayland teaches CRT, I will not send my child to school. This is indoctrinating our children.”
There is no evidence that CRT is being taught here at the elementary, junior high or high school levels and Superintendent Dr. Christine Hinds repeated her assertion that Wayland will start school late next month with five days in the classroom and plans now are to make wearing masks optional, unless otherwise ordered by the health department or Centers for Disease Control.
Jon Richardson said CRT has been all over the news lately, and it uses language such as diversity, anti-racism, collective guilt and systemic racism. He asked who is the architect of CRT.
The board did not respond to the commentary, particularly after “Rotha” left the building, when Cassini said, “I can’t reiterate this enough, but this meeting must be respectful.”
“Rotha,” on his way out of the Fine Arts Center, shouted the promise that the pressure groups will be back for subsequent meetings and recalls are not out of the question.
It is a wonderful thing to read about a group of parents standing up for their children. Too many are absent from or ignorant of the lives of their children. It was also heartening to learn that students stood up and spoke their opinions to the school board. Good job to those brave students!
Ah yes, CRT, the dreaded theory first brought to “light” in the late 1970s.
This was supposed to end racism, and make everyone equal, no more riots, etc.
In the beginning, there were some changes (that needed to be done) .
Financial institutions could no longer make it impossible for certain ethnic, religious persons to get a loan to purchase property in certain areas.
Alas, zoning ordinances started showing up that eliminated low cost housing and complexes. These laws/ rules relieved the financial institutions of being racist.
CRT brings all these things up for discussion. Should children in K-12 be exposed to these things happening everyday? When or is there a correct age for your child to know that racism exists? (and factors other than color constitute racism).
Sure one can homeschool and teach only what they deem necessary. Subjects like racism, the LBGT+Q, slavery, war, religion, etc., are subjects teachers “shy” away from. These are all subjects that are extremely sensitive and most teachers don’t want to have anything to do with them.
States are starting to enact legislation to prevent the teaching of CRT. Of course, the majority of this legislation is brought on by the conservative political movement. Claiming the indoctrination of Socialism/ Marxism into he education system… but, passing legislation that forbids the teaching of CRT is not Marxist or Socialist (you can’t make this stuff up).
For whatever reason, we humans are not all the same color, believe in the same religion, have the same ethical principles, etc. Therefore, racism, discrimination, lack of equality will always be a challenge. There have been many advances towards equality for all.
A utopian world is still a long ways off.
The founding fathers believed that free public education was the cornerstone of a future American Republic. Even before the adoption of the Constitution they set aside property to build schools under the Northwest Ordinance. History teachers, debate coaches, and journalism instructors like myself, were educated at colleges and universities to teach students how to learn, discern, research, evaluate, and think for themselves using the best and most credible available sources of information in a rapidly changing information revolution. Our job is not to indoctrinate. That is often the purview of private, religious or agenda driven charter schools. We model and teach critical thinking, not critical race theory, a concept taught in law schools to help pre-lawyers understand a.) the complexity of race relations in the U.S. and b.) the tragedy of American jurisprudence to live up to its core philosophy of justice for all in American history. Sadly, those attending the board meetings, breaking the rules of civil discourse, have failed to realize the sources they use to justify their anger are propaganda designed to provoke a extreme right wing, anti-public school agenda in America. Free, quality, non-doctrinaire public schools are one of the pillars of America the republic! Having grown up in seven states North and South and attended 16 public and religious schools in 18 years, the last one Wayland beginning the last half of my junior year in highs school, I can truthfully say the minimal textbook based education so common across American history classrooms of memorization and rote learning failed to teach students how to think! I sincerely apologize for those in my profession who failed so many millions now who have fallen for slick, extreme agenda driven, mostly skewed news sources!