Virginia governor faces school districts revolt over classroom overhaul plan
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Why it matters: In a rare show of unity, a group representing all of Virginia’s 133 school district superintendents denounced the Republican’s attacks on school curriculum and his ‘tipline’ to complain about educators.
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In a letter to the state last week, the superintendents called for the elimination of the controversial tipline and slammed Youngkin for rolling back diversity and equity measures in schools.
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The superintendents said that Youngkin’s targeting of equity measures can “set public education in Virginia back many years.”
Catch up quick: The letter came three weeks after the Youngkin administration published a report claiming evidence of “discriminatory and divisive concepts” in state public schools.
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The report was in line with the governor’s complaints about critical race theory. His first executive order in office sought to stamp out “inherently divisive concepts” taught in schools.
What they’re saying: “It’s clearly a consensus among educators that the governor’s strategy of trying to turn parents against each other is counterproductive,” said Mary Washington University political science professor Stephen Farnsworth.
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Youngkin’s moves have resulted in urban liberal school districts and rural conservative districts unifying in opposition through the letter, written by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents.
Virginia Education Association president James Fedderman said the tipline and “gutting of the state’s equity measures” were “pure political theater.”
The other side: The head of the Virginia Department of Education, Jillian Balow, said “the letter fails to reflect the good faith efforts” made by the Youngkin administration “to keep open productive channels of communication” with local school leaders.
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The superintendents had said they were not consulted before Youngkin’s actions.
Flashback: One month into office, Youngkin unveiled a tipline for people to email the state their complaints about “divisive” topics being taught in schools.
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Democrats and some parents quickly condemned the move. Soon after, Youngkin’s office denied public records requests filed by Axios and other outlets requesting copies of all emails sent to the tipline, claiming the emails were “working papers and correspondence” of the governor’s office.
The governor’s office did not respond to questions over whether it planned to end the tipline.
Zoom in: In Fairfax County, board chair Jeff McKay told Axios that Youngkin’s actions were unlikely to change classroom instruction.
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“Never once have I seen or has a parent complained to me about something they think is ‘inherently divisive,’” said McKay, a Democrat with two children in public schools. “I don’t even know what it is that’s trying to be fixed here.”
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Why it matters: In a rare show of unity, a group representing all of Virginia’s 133 school district superintendents denounced the Republican’s attacks on school curriculum and his ‘tipline’ to complain about educators.
In a letter to the state last week, the superintendents called for the elimination of the controversial tipline and slammed Youngkin for rolling back diversity and equity measures in schools.
The superintendents said that Youngkin’s targeting of equity measures can “set public education in Virginia back many years.”
The report was in line with the governor’s complaints about critical race theory. His first executive order in office sought to stamp out “inherently divisive concepts” taught in schools.
What they’re saying: “It’s clearly a consensus among educators that the governor’s strategy of trying to turn parents against each other is counterproductive,” said Mary Washington University political science professor Stephen Farnsworth.
Youngkin’s moves have resulted in urban liberal school districts and rural conservative districts unifying in opposition through the letter, written by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents.
Virginia Education Association president James Fedderman said the tipline and “gutting of the state’s equity measures” were “pure political theater.”
Zoom in: In Fairfax County, board chair Jeff McKay told Axios that Youngkin’s actions were unlikely to change classroom instruction.
“Never once have I seen or has a parent complained to me about something they think is ‘inherently divisive,’” said McKay, a Democrat with two children in public schools. “I don’t even know what it is that’s trying to be fixed here.”
Like I have been saying - trying to eliminate something THAT ISN'T BEING TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS K-12.
And you have been shown time and time and time again that it is. Because you refuse to believe it doesn't negate that fact.
Then why the fighting so hard to make sure it is not taught? More projection, deflection, and denial on your part.
Morons are fighting something that doesn't exist.
It seems moronic that people would fight so hard against something they insist does not exist.
I never project, deflect, or deny. That's your MO.
It's the morons who are fighting something that doesn't exist.
Do you claim anti-gay legislation doesn't exist?
Only morons would fight so hard against something they insist does not exist.
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Did I claim that?
That is funny
You claim that CRT isn't in schools.
You complain about laws that ----according to YOU----ban something that doesn't exist.
If they ban something that doesn't exist, why on God's green earth would you care?
Then why are you freaking out over it?
CRT is not being taught in schools and folks are finally realizing that this is just something that the alleged conservatives/gop/gqp are doing to stir up shit over a non-issue, over SOMETHING THAT IS NOT BEING TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS K-12.
Yeah I know cause the extremely liberal state education association says it isn't...
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No where in the 'diversity and equity measures' that are being targeted do I see anything about CRT being taught in schools.
Didn't the gop used to support local school boards?
The issue with all this is not whether or not CRT is being taught in grammar schools or high schools, the real issue is that a segment of white parents do not want their children taught that America has historically been a racist country. These parents want to pretend that slavery was not based on racism, and that the 100 years of segregation and discrimination that followed the end of slavery was solely the fault of Democrats, both ideas which are nonsense.
Virginia mothers and fathers with 8 or 10 year old sons and daughters want to shield their children from the truth.
I saw one mother tell an interviewer that her 8 year old daughter is not ready to hear about racism. Of course, for mom, she will never be ready.
Your truth... not the real truth... and to start with, an 8 year old isn't capable of processing the concepts.. but then that is why you want to teach this crap to 8 yr olds cause YOu can then tell them what to think about it... And create a whole new world of political racist psychophants...
Just like Nazi Germany created the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls, for Pure unadulterated propaganda brainwashing...
Everyone know what the liberals want, that's why american parents are mostly against it...And school boards that promote it are tools of the racist liberal teachers unions..
Hell public school enrollment has been dropping about 10% per year at least here in WA State and I suspect everywhere else this political propaganda take over of schools is happening..
It's why the national association requested (and got) a letter from Merrick Garland's office that American Parents are Domestic terrorists...
The cat's out of the bag, we now know exactly how racist the current version of the democrat party has become..... And it cannot be denied..
Those domestic terrorists are going to make their voices felt come election time. Only 8 months to go... I can't wait... We can call it the big repudiation... {chuckle}
8 year olds should be taught about racism in an age appropriate way.
As for the rest of your comment, it seems sort of meandering to me.
The facts are quite clear, America has been a racist nation for most of its history, and not just against blacks but other racial minorities as well. No one can make the case that racism has not been pervasive for almost all of our history.
Why run and hide from it, accept it and lets make things better.
Nothing but your usual projection, deflection, and denial and made up nonsense and agnorance.
an 8 year old isn't capable of processing the concepts.. but then that is why you want to teach this crap to 8 yr olds cause YOu can then tell them what to think about it
What a bunch of baloney. I grew up in the public education and private education systems. I remember learning about slavery. It was not traumatic, it was textbook history. You think 8 year olds can’t handle learning history? Imaging the lives of 8 year old children of slaves. They were being taught about racism in a far more traumatic manner.
As an 8 year old I lived with/in the history, segrated schools etc so please don't try telling me that 8 year olds don't or can't understand history when a lot of us lived it.
I've been looking through the book "A Patriots History Of The United States"
Larry Schweikart - A Patriot's History of The United States | PDF (scribd.com)
this is described elsewhere as the ultimate "conservative" history of America. On audio book it runs for 55 hours.
I perused through the section on slavery, and while the book is critical of slavery in practice and as an institution, its almost like the author Larry Schweikart goes out of his way to not blame US slavery on whites, nor to conclude that slavery in America was based on racism. In fact, as far as I can tell, the word racism doesnt even appear in the sections on slavery, nor does "white superiority" , even though this was the rationale for slavery to many southerners.
If we leave the teaching of history to the conservative perspective this is what we will get. Slavery lessons where no one was to blame for being racist.
Eventually they’ll be pushing a revisionist history narrative where slavery encompassed blacks and whites equally, with drawings depicting white folk picking cotton next to their equal opportunity black brothers and sisters.
“Slavery lessons where no one was to blame for being racist.”
Ignoring the obvious in celebration of the wonders of capitalism writ large, ‘states rights’ as an excuse, and ‘rugged individualism’ as a birthright.
They do have their excuses.
To defeat an enemy, you must learn to understand that enemy. Too many just prefer to turn a blind eye to that enemy which is racism. If we don't educate our young, that enemy wins and the kids lose.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” - Sun Tzu
Wise words.
Elections have consequences. If the group representing all of Virginia’s 133 school district superintendents(what group could this be?) they should be replaced.
Replaced why?
The parents have spoken. Just because the group (union?) does not like it does not mean they should not abide by the parents wishes.
The moron parents fighting something that doesn't exist.
So the moronic parents and teachers opposing this are just complaining about not being able to teach something they weren't teaching anyways?
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The parents that voted and got their candidate voted in. Only morons would fight so hard against something they insist does not exist.
It's a non-existent boogeyman for the 'right'
So leftists are fighting against something they claim never existed in public schools.
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And what are the morons fighting against the governor fighting against?
A law that prevents them from doing exactly what they aren't doing anyway?
That sure doesn't make a lick of sense to me.
The unforeseen benefit of the Pandemic.
More parents began paying attention to their kids education and they didn’t like what the saw.
Indoctrination and not education.
August and November 2022 will tell that tale.
Nah, it's just right wing conservatives manufacturing another crisis to get worked up over to justify their condemnation of their political opponents and social progress.
Wow. They must have really, really undercounted the number of right wing conservatives in Virginia, judging on the election results..
Lol .... social progress?
Nah, the loony left just got caught trying to push social indoctrination as education and parents across the country are saying no more.
Busted .... big time!
More STEM ....less indoctrination.