What is Considered Appropriate or Inappropriate?
"Appropriateness" is a relative term, as is the term "success." These terms can mean different things to different people. What is acceptable to you may not be acceptable to me and vice-versa. Traditionally, society is established based on moral standards. Without these standards, there is no unit of foundational measure. Like a thermometer, laws, codes, ordinances, and humanitarian respect for others have been established over the centuries. Without established order, there is nothing to hold anyone accountable or nowhere to return if one deviates from what has been considered to be norms in society. Without the law or moral standards, anything goes. That logic may sound desirable to human nature, but it results in lawlessness that leads to devastating consequences. Recently we have seen the consequences of lawlessness in society, which leads to great destruction.
In attempt to establish an authority or moral compass within the school system, we have what are called "Curriculum Screening Committees." These committees consist of individuals within the school system that are tasked with reviewing and approving curriculum, teaching materials, or any other educational resources. The relevant policies and procedures along with a screening committee can be abused and neglected like anything else. Upon investigation, it has been discovered that the Curriculum Screening Committee plays a very limited role in the teaching materials that actually reach the classroom in the end.
Is the Curriculum Screening Committee Just an Illusion of Having Some Sort of Regulatory Compliance?
When you discover that methods were purposely created in order to bypass the Curriculum Screening Committee, it can be greatly disconcerting. WCBOE has established an unofficial, organized system in order to circumvent the teaching material screening process. This is accomplished by calling materials excerpts, ancillary resources, compilatory resources, seeds, units, framework, web resources, or they simply say that materials were approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). They refrain from using the word "curriculum" by rebranding teaching materials to call them something different. This illusionary trick is designed to minimize the significance of a teaching material in order to create an exception to the rule. This bypasses the criteria for requiring review or screening by such a committee. Using 9 chapters from a 10-chapter novel would then classify it as an excerpt, thus bypassing the screening process. A one-page poem acquired from a compilatory resource of poems, or an instructor using an online resource can serve as a bypass.
The committee cannot screen what they are not asked to review. Even if committee members were asked to review, parents place their trust in each committee member's personal moral compass, which may or may not be up to par. This systematic manipulation is the intention and by design. This must end immediately, as several controversial books and resources are currently being used in conflict of existing WCBOE policies as well as the purpose for which the Curriculum Screening Committees exist.
School is No Longer About Teaching How to Think, Read, Write, and Speak - It's About What to Think
History and Science is not what it used to be. History is being erased from history books, and history is being twisted and presented as something other than how it has really happened. English class is no longer English class. This is happening in Wicomico County and throughout the State of Maryland. The students are no longer taught how to think, read, and write, but what to think. Please review the small sample of attached teaching materials and documents below from a 9th Grade English class in Wicomico County Public Schools. Some materials are indecent, inappropriate, discriminatory, contain propaganda, while other materials appear innocent in nature. Combined, they are all used in the context of a framed agenda of pushing identity politics. Subversive teaching materials are focused on shaming, blaming, rebellion, victimhood, and creating divisiveness in order to stimulate social change.
These common elements are found throughout the framework of the politically-influenced curriculum within WCBOE, some which contain obscene and indecent material. The identity agenda claims to support equity and equality, but accomplishes the complete opposite (inequity and inequality). Students are politically-profiled based upon their responses to daily tickets, warm-ups, worksheets and assignments as they respond to teaching materials of propaganda. Everyone can agree that it is very important for students to learn about different cultures from all backgrounds. However, the issue is how this is being done with political interference, indoctrination, and discrimination. Their goal is not to teach the students about different cultures, but to assimilate them into a unified culture that accepts, embraces, and tolerates any behavior. In their utopia, there's no good or bad behavior. Life is all about feelings, and anything goes. Do what you whatever you want if it feels good. If you identify yourself as an elf that likes to run through the forest naked and peak into people’s windows, it’s perfectly okay. If people don't embrace the way you choose to be, then they are the problem. They must be eliminated.
What can be accomplished by denigrating others? This goes against several WCBOE policies and contradicts their mission statement. Universities and social activist-consultants are training new teachers and school administrators each day to embrace and replicate the doctrines of identity politics. Notice the name below the identity chart above. One would assume that this is a faculty member of the school system. This name is placed at the bottom of several school worksheets. This was a hired consultant by the school system (with our tax dollars) to provide curriculum and training on how to implement the identity doctrine in the school system. When WCBOE was asked about hiring consultants for training on identity, they denied it. This individual is from an organization called underatree.org. You can visit their website to see what they are about, including their blog. They believe that violence is acceptable and even potentially necessary as stated in their blog post.
To be perfectly clear, the buy-in of this doctrine does not account for all teachers. There are many great teachers out there. Some teachers are just unaware of what is actually happening in the school system, or they refuse to submit to the agenda (while holding the course to traditionally teach what they know they should). When entering the classroom, a teacher must have the ability to cast aside their own personal political beliefs for the sake of others, while remaining neutral in the classroom. Dabbling in this area is best left up to parents. This is an extreme overreach of the school system in the name of diversity, equity, and equality. They are going in areas they ought not. We need to encourage and support those teachers that do the right thing by not crossing this line despite the opposition of the establishment against them. We love our teachers, support them, and stand with them to the absolute end.
The School System Has Control Measures in Place So You Don't Know
As far as transparency, the school system has done an extremely poor job as many parents would agree. The school performance of WCPS is less than desirable. Their so-called transparency itself is transparent. Based on experience, the school system is anything but transparent. WCBOE has created a transparency portal on its website containing censored and stripped-down documents (and many documents withheld) as an illusionary form of compliance and family involvement. During parental interviews, many parents seem to have the same issue. Nobody seems to be receiving graded assignments back or are any of their concerns adequately addressed by the school system. Parents simply want to see their child's progress and what they are learning, but the school system makes this extremely difficult. Some principals do little to enforce or compel teachers to comply with a parent's request. It has become so difficult, that a parent must resort to filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request or Maryland Public Information Act (PIA) request in order to get their child's homework back. These obstructive practices by the school system must end.
If a parent asks to see a teacher's lesson plan, the school system has a pattern of refusing. They say that a teacher's lesson plan is his or her own personal property, and not subject for review. While a teacher is employed by the school system, parents have the right to see what is being taught. The school system is obstructing in order to protect their agenda. As a result, we are paying a teacher to be employed through a school system, and the school does not know, care to know, or even question to see what the teacher is actually teaching in their classroom. Does this make any sense? It does. It's called the hidden agenda. As a result of COVID-19 school closures and hybrid teaching models rolled out, parental oversight is feared by some educators. This is a great concern to them, because parents might discover the indoctrination methods being used within the virtual distance learning environment.
There is an objective for the school system to eliminate books and paper entirely, and we are just about there. They claim that they want to use technology to reduce cost and to be "cutting edge" by utilizing tablets and laptop computers in the school system. Don't be fooled. It is for control purposes, and to remove any accountability so that parents won't be able to see what their child is learning. You can't review homework papers or class work if there isn't any to review.
Obscene Materials Used in the Classroom to Promote Careless Sexual Acts, Bullying, Violence, Rebellion, Anti-Parent, Anti-God, Anti-American Sentiment, and Drug Use
This past school year, WCBOE was discovered to be using a book called Persepolis in 9th grade English class. Prior to the reading of Persepolis, students were required to research Islam using online resources provided by the teacher. They discussed in group settings to learn what Muslims believed, and read Quran scriptures from these sites. This 3-day activity (2-days research, 1-day Powerpoint presentation) was done prior to the reading of Persepolis.
There are documented instances of the teacher having the students meditate at the beginning of class as indicated in the class agenda as "Breathe" This is a violation of religious liberties as this practice roots in Hinduism, and an integral part of the Buddhist religion. In a future article, we will expand on the religious bias that exists in the school system and how anything but Christianity is endorsed.
After the Islam pre-assignment was complete, they proceeded to read the book called Persepolis in class. Persepolis is a comic-book format memoir written by a Muslim woman who grew up in Iran and moved to the Western world. Here are a few sample pages to present for educational purposes. The entire book of Persepolis can be read here.
This letter was sent to WCBOE in response to this discovery of this controversial book being used in class. Their response was that the book was pulled from use and should have never been distributed to students. Apparently, this book bypassed the Curriculum Screening Committee and should have never been ordered in the first place. However, the Board members and the Superintendent pretended to remove Persepolis from the school system. In their defense of it, they said Persepolis was approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). In response to this complaint, WCBOE created an unofficial policy in attempt to accommodate and justify the use of such materials while placing them in school libraries. Public information requests were filed and their response was untruthful in several areas. WCBOE has created another exception to the rule by now requiring a parent permission slip to use the book.
In the end, the Superintendent and the Board worked to protect this book and keep it in the school system, despite violating their own policies and procedures that already exist. Persepolis remains in the school system to this day, totally making a mockery of the existence of the Curriculum Screening Committee, equity, equality, parents, students, school climate, and existing WCBOE policies and procedures. If a parent wishes to purchase Persepolis for their child to read, they are free to do so (and respectfully their choice). However, most parents agree that Persepolis should not be purchased, endorsed, utilized, or provided access by the school system using taxpayer dollars. Financing controversial, inappropriate material that has violated school policies with taxpayer dollars is highly unethical (parent permission slip or not). Changing the policies to accommodate this unethical behavior won't ever make it right.
The Thug Life is a Good Life. Why Are People Incarcerated for Being So Well Behaved?
Also, in English class there is a push to glorify a lifestyle that degrades and harms people in the name of identity politics. Through violence, drugs, degrading of women, gang lifestyle, imprisonment, and turf war, WCBOE promotes diversity by immortalizing a man who identified himself as a thug, who hid behind his art of rap and poetry in order to commit lawless acts of crime. His name is Tupac Shakur. See his body of decorated tattoos as presented in class, which displays some messages that WCBOE wants your child to see and embrace behind this seemingly innocent poem. This is the video documentary on Tupac shown in the class, as specified in the class agenda.
Divisive Examples of Propaganda Used in The Class
PARKSIDE HIGH SCHOOL - WICOMICO COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
COPYWRIGHT: Sandra Cianeros - House on Mango Street
Welcome to the Gender Discrimination Club
From this chart you can see the difference between yesterday's Traditional vs. Progressive Learning that we have today, courtesy of Dr. Carole Hornsby Hanes. She hit the nail right on the head for what is taking place in Wicomico County and throughout the State of Maryland.
As parents, we are being systematically removed from the picture of raising our children. The school system violates several of their own policies without consequence: (Mission & Vision Policy, Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy, Selection and Review of Textbooks, Instructional Materials and Media Materials Policy, Anti-Bullying Policy, Harassment & Sexual Harassment Policy, Policy Violation Policy, Policy Revision & Review Policy, Family Engagement Policy, Violation of Criminal Laws Policy, and Whistleblower Anti-Retaliation Policy). As both parents and taxpayers, we are not to stand by and allow it. It's our school, and not theirs. Our children belong to us, and not to them. We hope you at least get the point and that your eyes are opened to what’s really going on in Maryland and the local county school system with their push of identity politics. In the future, numerous relevant examples from parents will be shared (broken down by topic). Some readers may be disturbed, upset, angry, don't care, discredit, criticize, agree, or even disagree with this article. However, mass amounts of evidence was gathered over a long period of time and is the absolute, indisputable truth. The fellow members of the Delmarva Parent Teacher Coalition bring forth the truth to empower and provide a platform to the silent majority.
Voice Your Opinion and Make Sure That You Are Heard Loud and Clear
The Wicomico County Board of Education members work for the citizens of Wicomico County, and not for the Superintendent. It's time to wake them up and remind them of that. These are the individuals who have rejected, obstructed, and knowingly allowed these teaching materials to be used in the school system, and permit intellectual manipulation of your child. Drop them a line and let them know what you think, and remember these board members, come election time.
WCBOE Board Members
Donald Fitzgerald - dfitzger@wcboe.org
Gene Malone - gmalone@wcboe.org
Allen Brown - abrown@wcboe.org
John Palmer - jpalmer@wcboe.org
Tonya Lewis - tlewis@wcboe.org
Michael Murray - mmurray@wcboe.org
Ann Suthowski - asuthowsk@wcboe.org
Our view of school indoctrination
Fellows & Editors
August 10, 2020 Copyright DelmarvaPTC.org 2020
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References
1) MSDE Framework: https://mdk12.msde.maryland.gov/INSTRUCTION/StandardsandFrameworks/ela/Pages/Gr_9/the_search_for_identity/Unit_Overview.aspx
2) Persepolis. Marjane Satrapi, L'Association, Pantheon Books https://rhinehartadvancedenglish.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/1/0/22108252/the-complete-persepolis-by.pdf
3) Tupac Shakur: King of Hip-Hop Whose Legacy Will Never Die | Biography BIO.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHVQB6cIuMI
4) "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" Tupac Shakur
5) "House on Mango Street" Sandra Cianeros
6) "Cinderella's Stepsisters" Tony Morrison - WCBOE worksheet.
7) "I Want a Wife" Judy Syfers Brady - WCBOE worksheet
8) Carole Hornsby-Hanes, PhD
All copyright © information provided at no charge and strictly for educational purposes.