Recognizing the cross-sector nature of this work, ED has also partnered with the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Transportation (DOT) to help state and local leaders increase diversity in their schools and communities, and narrow opportunity gaps:
- In a joint letter issued by all three agencies, state and local leaders are called to work together in community-led efforts to promote and support socioeconomic and racial diversity in ways that create real economic mobility and provide access to opportunities for every child in every community. Working together with local education, transportation, and housing and community development agencies, communities can help create and sustain access to high-quality educational opportunities; decent, safe and affordable housing; and well-connected public transportation networks and safer streets.
- The agencies also hosted an interagency listening session for education, housing, and transportation leaders at the U.S. Department of Education's headquarters in Washington, D.C. The session addresses the need for increased diversity in our schools and neighborhoods, and challenges and opportunities for creating this. http://edstream.ed.gov/webcast/Play/afc380b8183d4d418b18af9fbd3ace8b1d
These recent efforts build on the series of steps to promote strong and diverse schools and early learning programs that ED has taken during the past several years, including:
- Investing in programs that support diverse schools (Opening Doors, Expanding Opportunities Program, Magnet Schools Assistance Program, Charter Schools Program, and Preschool Development Grant program selection criteria);
- Issuing guidance in conjunction with the Department of Justice explaining how K-12 educational institutions can lawfully pursue voluntary policies to achieve diversity or avoid racial isolation within the framework of Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and current case law; distributing guidance and a letter on the voluntary use of race to achieve diversity in higher education concerning the implementation of Fisher and Schuette; a letter to educational leaders of institutions of higher education to eliminate discrimination based on race, religion or national origin and create safe learning environments; and guidance about ensuring students have equal access to educational resources without regard to race, color, or national origin.
- Resolving complaints and compliance reviews related to racial discrimination at the elementary, secondary and postsecondary levels through ED's Office for Civil Rights, which has included reviewing university admissions plans for compliance with Title VI, as well as resolution agreements with school districts to increase equal access to criteria-based schools.
[Source: https://www.ed.gov/diversity-opportunity ]
Pornography in Books available to school-age children -
In recent months, there has been a shocking departure from the age-appropriate books in elementary school libraries, middle school libraries, and high school libraries to the progressive gender-obsessed, transgender, same-sex, hyper-sexualized, violence-themed, and even pornographic books. The departure from age-appropriate reading material to borderline pornographic reading material (including depictions) is all done in the name of
"diversity, equity and inclusion." Parents currently do not have a say on what is offered to their children in these libraries, which is, in itself, a huge issue. It is an undisputed fact that there are reports from all over the country of the sexually explicit and pornographic content that is being disseminated to children through the public education system.
How and why is this happening? What we are realizing is that libraries and even classroom
"required reading" assignments have become the new outlets and venues for the American Library Association (ALA), the nation's largest association of librarians. The ALA, which receives funds of about $17 million, publishes one of the most widely used
"diversity" book lists, and school librarians and school officials use that list to buy books.
Virginia parents, for example, have expressed outrage at what they call pornography in their children's library books and have expressed that anger at board meetings. One parent read excerpts and showed pictures from selected books, one of which showed a fourth-grade boy performing oral sex on a grown man. These parents have had some success and some books were eventually pulled (pending a
"thorough review," of course). But other offensive books, such as
"Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe and
"Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison, are still available in school catalogs in several Virginia counties. Maryland public schools also have such books on their library shelves.
In 2016, Virginia's Governor McAuliffe vetoed a bill that would have prevented students from having to see such sexually explicit material in schools. The so-called
"BELOVED bill," which was named after a parent passionately objected to the sexually-explicit content in the novel of that name (authored by Toni Morrison), would have allowed parents to review and opt out of engaging with sexually explicit books that might be shown to their children. McAuliffe at the time called the bill
"unnecessary" and said the matter would be resolved by the Virginia Board of Education. In 2017, however, the state board rejected a similar proposal to allow students to opt out of engaging with sexually explicit reading material. That's Virginia for you.
An even more offensive book, one that has outraged parents nationally, is titled
"Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe. It is so sexually graphic that a parent could not read excerpts from it or even describe it in detail on a radio interview because of FCC guidelines. It is meant to be an autobiography about the author's
"journey of self-identity," which, according to the description, includes
"bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction." When a Virginia parent raised concerns to her child's county school superintendent, he defended the book in an email, likening it to art - specifically, to Michelangelo's artwork
"David" - and contrasting it with Playboy magazine.
The books of concern today contain graphic sexual images and descriptions of sex between children, teens and even adults and minors. Some are graphic novels that look like comic strips. The content is pornographic and represents a disturbing agenda by activists that targets youth, hiding behind seemingly virtuous and innocuous words such as
"diversity" and
"inclusion."
North Carolina must not accept what Virginia has accepted.
NC Lt. Governor Mark Robinson believes he has a responsibility and the duty to protect all people, but most importantly, our children in the public school system. On October 11, at the Asbury Baptist Church in Seagrove, Robinson spoke these bold words:
"There's no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth. And yes, I called it filth. And if you don't like it that I called it filth, come see me and I'll explain it to you." He was referring to the reading material available for 7thgraders. At the STAND UP FOR AMERICA rally in Raleigh last month, Lt. Gov. Robinson again echoed those views and added:
"It's filth, you and I know it. I don't understand why they don't understand it."
So, what is the
"filth" that our Lt. Governor has been speaking out against? If someone were to display some of the images from schoolbooks used for teaching in Michigan, for example, he or she would be arrested. In North Carolina, if students were to mimic what is being taught to them in their progressive health (sex education) classes, they would be guilty of a felony. If a person were to speak the words contained in the books that are available to students today, he or she be asked to stop since children were present. If it's not appropriate for polite society, why is it appropriate to teach children?
The books
"Forged in Fire" (addressing pedophilia, child rape) and
"All American Boys" (very poorly-written and full of the F*** word and other curse words) are required reading for 8th grade students at Ayden Middle School, in Pitt County, NC. I've looked at several of the excerpts from these books and it is mind-blowing that adults, and especially individuals tasked with the responsible education of North Carolina children, would allow them, let alone even consider them as
"appropriate" for middle-school reading assignments. I'm sure there are even worse books in the more
"progressive" school districts, such as Wake county and Mecklenburg county.
Again, after reviewing all the progressive, offensive, perverse, vile, disgusting, and inappropriate material allowed in our North Carolina public schools, I have to ask 2 questions: (1) WHY? With the limited time the school system gets our children for the purpose of giving them a proper education, why do the state school board and local school boards think it's valuable to misappropriate that time on progressive subjects, on resurrecting racism, and on indoctrination that fight against parents and family values and make it so hard for them to raise decent young men and women? And (2) How do such subjects and indoctrination coincide with the NC state constitution's education mission to
"forever encourage" religion, morality, and knowledge in education?
Finally, I say to the members of the NC Department of Instruction and to all the offending local boards of education:
"SHAME ON YOU." I say the same to our dishonorable governor Roy Cooper:
"SHAME ON YOU, GOVERNOR COOPER!" You can all do better, and you must.
References:
Christopher F. Rufo,
"Subversive Education," City Journal, March 17, 2021. Referenced at: https://www.city-journal.org/critical-race-theory-in-wake-county-nc-schools [City Journal is a publication of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (MI), a leading free-market think tank.]
Diane Rufino,
"The Teaching of Critical Race Theory in Schools is Unconstitutional, ForLoveofGodandCountry's Blog, September 14, 2021. Referenced at: https://forloveofgodandcountry.com/2021/09/14/teaching-of-critical-race-theory-in-schools-is-unconstitutional/
Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson Addresses House Committee on the Judiciary, BreitbartNews (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTvKswJjves&ab_channel=BreitbartNews
North Carolina Constitution, Article IX (
"Education Encouraged" - https://ncleg.gov/Laws/Constitution/Article9
Michelle Cordero,
"How Critical Race Theory is Dividing America," The Heritage Foundation, October 26th, 2020. Referenced at: https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/how-critical-race-theory-dividing-america [Includes a podcast interview and a full transcript of that interview}
Srivats Lakshma,
"What is SEL? Parents Push Back Against CRT's "Trojan Horse," Saying it Promotes Suicide," November 16, 2021. Referenced at: https://meaww.com/social-emotional-learning-what-is-parents-push-back-crt-trojan-horse-explained
PANORAMA, Question Bank - https://go.panoramaed.com/question-bank-student-check-ins?utm_campaign=blog-top-cta&utm_content=gettoknowyouquestions
PANORAMA, 21 Quick Questions to Check-in on Your Students' Well-Being in 2021-22 - https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/21-questions-check-in-student-sel-wellbeing
SEL Activities for Middle School - https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/social-emotional-learning-activities-middle-school
"Schools in Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools." Human Rights Campaign. Referenced at: https://www.hrc.org/resources/schools-in-transition-a-guide-for-supporting-transgender-students-in-k-12-s (you can download a copy of the brochure from this site)
Derrick Wilburn addresses School Board on Race and Critical Race Theory, YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2fGVbMYp54&ab_channel=DerrickWilburn
Dr. Susan Berry,
"Transgender: Connecticut Parents Report Kindergartners Taught Gender Ideology Without Opt-Out," Breitbart, November 18, 2021. Referenced at: https://www.breitbart.com/education/2021/11/18/transgender-connecticut-parents-report-kindergartners-taught-gender-ideology-without-opt-out/
"Essentially Child Pornography" (addressing reading material for young children in Ohio schools), NBC News, September 15, 2021. Referenced at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/essentially-child-pornography-ohio-mayor-asks-school-board-resign-over-n1279277
