My child was exposed to progressive material in school. I followed up with the principal and the district. I was easily persuaded to think it was nothing to be worried about and it was all a misunderstanding. I dropped it. Greenwich is my hometown and I wanted to believe it really was a misunderstanding. A few months later, I heard about radical curriculum in neighboring schools. I tuned into a BOE meeting for what would be the first of many. The state and federal government along with multi-billion-dollar corporations have taken complete control of our local schools. Even if you are skeptical about Critical Race Theory (CRT) being in schools or even if you want it as curriculum, the fact that federal and state laws and board policies are being violated should be concerning. If it’s happening here, it’s probably happening in your hometown as well. This is the truth about what is really going on in Greenwich, CT. What was once known as the greatest public school district in the entire nation is now completely unrecognizable.
Greenwich is using Social Emotional Learning (SEL) which includes CRT and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) teachings. If your state has adopted the Common Core Standards fully or partially, chances are it’s in your public schools as well. It is a condition to receiving federal funding. The problem is, this curriculum is experimental, researched based and serves as a nationwide data collection hub. Does your school provide curriculum transparency? Does your school provide you as the parent and legal guardian of your child with an opportunity to give consent on material that is not required or for your child’s participation in surveys? If not, then your district is in violation of the federal law, possibly your state law and more than likely board policy. The current violations in our district are as follows:
In violation of Personal Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) 98.3 Access to instructional material used in research based experimental programs. SEL is an experimental program, it is used for research purposes. According to this law, all SEL material including teachers' manuals, films, tapes, or other supplementary instructional material- shall be made available for inspection by parents. We have no access to the curriculum. The administration refuses to provide curriculum transparency, the BOE will not hold the administration accountable for this transgression. The video shown to remote second-graders that made national news, featuring an erect penis, was an SEL video. The SEL curriculum in our district is under the full discretion of the Superintendent.
In violation of PPRA 98.4: Protection of student’s privacy examination, testing, or treatment. SEL surveys and worksheets (administered primarily via Panorama in Greenwich, which are connected to CASEL) is a form of psychological testing and cannot be administered without parental knowledge and consent. In Greenwich, this is being administered without parental consent and students in 7th-12th are often incentivized with raffle tickets and goody bags to complete them. This material also violates our school board policy 2240, “Students participating in studies, authorized by school administration, must have the approval of their parents”.
In violation of Connecticut State law “the State Board of Education (SBE) to make available to boards of education prepared curriculum materials for certain subject areas to assist schools and encourage them to incorporate these subjects into classroom instruction...To encourage local and regional boards of education to include multicultural education and awareness as part of the program of instruction in the public schools and as part of in-service training programs for teachers.” Our BOE has not and does not review any student curriculum or training for teachers. Everything is being distributed without the knowledge or approval of the BOE.
Federal Funding and taxpayer dollars are being used to train teachers on SEL and DEI using Ruler and similar programs. These trainings have been studied and discredited by licensed professionals and law professors. You cannot adequately train teaching staff to become behavioral scientists, psychiatrists, ethics lawyers or intervention specialists-via “workshops”. It is frivolous spending. Teachers need to obtain a separate college degree in order to effectively and safely use these training techniques and teachings in the classroom on our children. It falls outside their level of expertise and field of education.
This is not about “banning” curriculum. It is about adhering to laws and policies that exist to protect the rights of children and parents. It is about moving money to support teachers in what they have been trained for, traditional academics. Big money is tied into every standardized test and survey our children take. This was never about creating a fair and quality education system for all children. The district receives millions in funding and grants to implement these government standards funded by corporations (which have no academic value). There needs to be a 95% participation rate to maintain funding.
President Donald J Trump used one tactic to accomplish more than any other president in our nation’s history; he followed the money, stopped the cash flow and watched the dominoes fall.
By: Esther Nogic