Critical Race Theory is being taught to kids at Grand Haven High School during Academy Class. The amount of CRT they receive depends greatly on their teacher, but all academy classes are expected to teach the first four lessons from the book This Book is Anti-Raciest by Tiffany Jewell. Each member of the student group Calling All Colors received a copy of this book at a convention they attended before the outbreak of Covid-19. This book promotes racism and has no place in the classroom.
The book This Book is Anti-Racist teaches kids that our society is racist. It promotes ideas of white supremacy and micro-aggressions. It teaches kids that interrupting someone is a racist act. Kids are asked to write down their identity, identify how it is part of the dominate culture, how it is marginalized and determine their power. Kids learn that their history began long before they were born and their skin color makes them responsible for years of horrible oppression. Teachers should be teaching kids to value others based on their character, work-ethic, and integrity, not by the color of their skin.
In July 2021, the National Education Association approved a plan to promote teaching CRT in schools. At the July 2021 GHAPS school board meeting, Hailey Barton, a teacher who leads the Calling All Colors group stood up and gave a five-minute, left-wing political propaganda speech on Critical Race Theory that came directly from Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers.
- long version
Randi Weingarten says Critical Race Theory is not being taught in American schools because it is a college level course, and students need to be taught accurate history. This is exactly what Hailey Barton said. The truth is that CRT is being taught. It is not called CRT and it is not a separate subject. It hides under many names such as social-emotional learning, diversity, equity and inclusion, windows, doorways and sliding glass doors. It is hidden in the lessons of reading, writing, rhetoric and history the students are exposed to each and every day and sometimes it is directly addressed in Academy Class.
These ideas are harmful to our students and dangerous for our society. It will take a large number of community members speaking against these policies to have them removed from our school. If you would like to share a lesson your child had at GHAPS on anti-racism please send us an email at jsn1984@protonmail.com.