Indiana school counselor tells parents their kids can opt out of Black History Month lessons

[SpankMe]

Source: NBCNews.com

An Indiana public school is facing criticism after one of its counselors sent a memo allowing parents to decline Black History Month lessons for their children.

“In honor of Black History Month and Valentine’s Day, I will be coming around and teaching lessons related to equity, caring and understanding differences,” read a memo from Sprunica Elementary School’s counselor Benjamin White.

“Studies show that students who have a greater understanding of diversity in the classroom and outside world will demonstrate improved learning outcomes such as improved grades, better peer relationships, and greater career success later on,” White wrote. “These lessons can provide a great impact on students and help facilitate a better learning environment for all.”

But the memo ended with: “If you would like to opt your child out of receiving these lessons then sign the form below and have your child return it to the school to give it to the teacher.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/indiana-school-counselor-tells-parents-kids-can-opt-black-history-mont-rcna16540

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So, parents can opt out of curriculum "...related to equity, caring and understanding differences...". But sanitized White lies about slavery's impact on human beings from Africa continues to be part of the mandatory curriculum.

Hell, in Texas in 2010 they even proposed changing the expression "slave trade" to "Atlantic triangular trade". They'd ban the use of the word slave if they could.

[Freethinker65]

1. WTF. Make them homeschool their snowflakes.

[OldBaldy1701E]

3. THIS! (n/t)

[redstatebluegirl]

16. Or send them to one of the awful Christian schools to be indoctrinated.

[Hoyt]

2. Don't like it, but it's better than banning it. Liked way memo was worded.

Hope a lot of kids get the truth, even if their rube parents opt out.

[jgmiller]

4. Honestly this doesn't bother me

If he just did it then he'd be blasted for spreading a liberal agenda and he didn't specifically say it was opting out of teaching anything about black history he makes it sound like it's an additional assembly or class which again isn't a horrible way to do this.

[ificandream]

17. Same here.

I think if it had been an option for, say, a chemistry class no one would be concerned. And that's not to say some black history won't be mentioned in other classes.

[Chicago1980]

5. And his last name is White...

Oh the irony.

[SouthBayDem]

9. Sounds about White. nt

[SharonClark]

6. He was being sarcastic toward parents

who would sign the letter after he explained how the class would improve their children’s education.

Win for him and no-win for any bigoted parents.

[riversedge]

7. and a No win for the kids whose parents sign the Opt-out note.

[riversedge]

8. "It's simple: either you teach about Frederick Douglass AND Abraham Lincoln or don't teach about eit

I agree. This opting out has got to stop!


@DropnJewels·40m



Replying to @fenwaygreg @NoLieWithBTC and @NBCNewsIf they can't then they need to take it to the Supreme Crt.

It's simple: either you teach about Frederick Douglass AND Abraham Lincoln or don't teach about either one.

Parents need to get strategic. It's time to put Plessy v Ferguson and Brown v Board back in the spotlight.

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=mquEnELghERo4MIXmNrRGw

[SouthBayDem]

10. This school is in Nineveh, Johnson County,

a 94% white county that went 66% for Trump in 2020 and has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1940 (except 1948 for Truman). This town is about 35 miles south of Indianapolis.

Indiana also had a well known KKK branch during the Jim Crow era. Wouldn't be surprising if this part of the state had a lot of Klan members back then.

[jaxexpat]

12. Know something about this area myself. It's largely just "dumbass" country.

Good job on the "homework", SouthBayDem. These people have gotten away with it by co-opting the reference "salt of the earth" and proudly standing, without blinking and chin held high, in the fields of waving amber grain.

[HUAJIAO]

14. And if you salt the earth, everything dies.

[BluesRunTheGame]

20. Actually, the school itself is in Brown County.

It’s part of the Brown County school system and is close to Bean Blossom, Indiana. Not sure how it’s attached to Nineveh which is in Johnson County. (I used to live in Nineveh)

Edit: Figured it out. The Nineveh zip code extends into Brown County.

[Emile]

13. Channel 13 news Indianapolis covered this yesterday and to my surprise

it was not favorable news coverage.

[SKKY]

15. I don't like that they have to do this, but it's better than banning it outright...

...so, as the parent of two kids in the Indiana public school system, I'm ok with this. Not fine with it. Definitely not good with it. But I'm OK with it.

[intheflow]

18. If you think, as a guidance counselor, that it's okay for parents to opt out

of Black history lessons, then just make it an optional program from the start. I mean, do they send this type of BS out about other subjects?

"We're teaching evolution in our biology classes. If you would like your child to opt out..."
"We're reading Uncle Tom's Cabin in our literature class. If you would like your child to opt out..."
"We're teaching Common Core mathematics. If you would like your child to opt out..."

[Akoto]

19. I'm upgrading him to Benjamin Whitest. n/t

[Hoosier_Progressiv]

21. Ashamed

I am ashamed to be Hoosier but look at Indiana's participation in the KKK and this would not surprise anyone. Pathetic and people wonder why America is so low in educational outcomes.