In 2021, I became aware of an Ottawa County collaborative course that suggested suicide could be reduced by affirming LGBTQ students. The training implied that parents who did not affirm their LGBTQ children were largely to blame for the increase in suicide rates. The same group of presenters featured in the training produced a series of videos for teachers and school districts to advocate affirmation of LGBTQ students.
This clip shows how the group recommends teaching Gender Inclusive Sex Education.
This clip shows how they recommend keeping names and pronouns students are using secret from their parents.
The suicide prevention training that focused on LGBTQ affirmation was produced for school districts by a partnership of the Ottawa Community School Network (OCSN), the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD), and the Ottawa County Department of Public Health Department (OCDPH). The presenters were part of the Michigan Department of Education LGBTQ Student Project. I contacted our district high school principal and asked if the school or district had an LGBTQ support plan. The answer was not that I’m aware of. I put in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the OAISD and to Ottawa County seeking more information on the training, but no records existed. As for the Ottawa Community School Network, they are not a non-profit, and they are not a for profit business. There was no straightforward way to obtain information through them. They appeared to be an outside organization gaining influence within the school system, and appeared to be somehow under the direction of the United Way.
This confusion was confirmed during the December 18, 2023 Ottawa County Community Mental Health (CMHOC) meeting. (3:00:05) CMHOC Executive Director Lynne Doyle explained Angela Brigham (formerly Angela Dersheim), the OCSN director is paid by CMHOC, but employed by the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD). The other OCSN representatives are paid by the United Way, but the director has oversight responsibilities for those staff.
The stakeholder network of public and private partnership mixes funding, diffuses accountability, and creates confusion for members of the public that have questions about their programs. During COVID, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) found a backdoor pathway into local health departments. Through awards, directives, and so-called best practices, they were able to control local populations. They instituted mask mandates and closed schools. This is not much different than what the Ottawa Community School Network (OCSN) is doing.
OCSN has representatives operating in several school districts, and these individuals are not accountable to school personnel. If parents have an issue with the OCSN, they must reach out to multiple organizations for answers. The OCSN coordinator is not accountable to the principal, superintendent, or school board. Parents can ask their questions to Community Mental Health who provides partial funding, but must also seek answers from the OAISD, the United Way, and in the case of the suicide prevention training, the health department as well.
According to their website, “Community schools are academic and social centers where educators, families, and neighbors come together to support innovative learning and to address the impact of out-of-school factors, such as poverty, racism, and violence, which can undermine the effectiveness of in-school opportunities. For example, a health clinic can deliver medical and psychological treatment, dental care, as well as glasses to nearsighted children, and inhalers for asthma sufferers. Extending the school day and remaining open during the summer enables the school to offer additional supports.”
These are lofty goals, but what do these things have to do with reading, writing, and math? Their goals intrude on the responsibilities of parents. What if the community does not want these things? After all, bullet point #4 in the Station 6 graphic above includes the following text: Beginning activism skills. Many parents have accused modern public schools of grooming kids to be activists, and here we have it plainly spelled out. I’m sure most teachers aren’t on board with that, but nonetheless those providing the vision for public schooling think it is important. What should a parent do if the OCSN philosophy is not in alignment with theirs? OCSN is another form of government overreach.