School CRT Program Targets
Babies?
If you want a close look at the madness of critical race theory, look at
what’s going on in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Maryland’s
largest school system. Little of this is connected to reality, and it’s
no wonder parents everywhere are objecting.
We received two
sets of records related to the teaching of critical race theory,
including a training course with information about a book titled
“Antiracist Baby” that introduces the youngest readers to “the
concept and power of antiracism,” and says it’s the “perfect gift”
for “ages baby to age 3.”
The documents also include information from a course titled,
“Digital Literacy 3” at Thomas Pyle Middle School. The course’s
curriculum includes activities where the children discuss the
identification of their gender, religion, and sexual orientation. The
course also includes the children using “propaganda” to lead social
justice movements.
We received the documents in response to our Maryland
Public Information Act request for:
All records related to the development and implementation of a
“Psychoeducational Lesson” related to a purported “dual pandemic”
of Covid- 19/systemic racism in use by the Montgomery County Public
Schools. Such records shall include, but not be limited to, email
communications between MCPS officials responsible for formulating and
implementing the lesson, including but not limited to those communications
of Dr. Cheree Price, in addition to all other policy documents regarding
its development.
In a September 29, 2020, email from
MCPS intern Benjamin
Mourad in the “Student Well Being and Achievement” office of
the Office of Student Support & Engagement, to Elizabeth Rathbone,
Coordinator of Student Health and Wellness, Mourad provides a list of
trainings offered in the summer of 2020 to MCPS staff. This training
includes:
- REQ: Restorative Justice Training on Restorative Circles, Mindfulness
& Other Restorative Practices
- School-based Critical Staff Member Training
- Counselors as Equity Literate Leaders
- Implementing Culturally Responsive PBIS (Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports)
In an August 26, 2020, email titled
“COVID-19 Update” to MCPS principals, MCPS Associate Superintendent for
the Office of Shared Accountability Janet
S. Wilson advises the principals that “Non-custodial parents”
who request Zoom login information [for access to school and potential Zoom
events, like Back-to School Night] should not be granted connection
information:
Additionally, parents should not login to Zoom classrooms and observe class
when the child is not with them. If teachers note a parent logging in
separately from their student, they should notify their principal who can
seek support from OGC (Office of General Counsel) or Compliance as
needed.
***
To support students at the start of the year, all schools will be required
to implement a student psychoeducational lesson during one of the
school’s mandatory Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) block before September
18, 2020. This lesson will provide students crisis facts about the dual
pandemic (COVID-19 and systemic racism) that is occurring around the
country and here in Montgomery County.
Wilson then presents the principals with a “website
for staff, students and families that highlights ongoing
professional learning opportunities for the virtual opening of schools. For
staff training opportunities are focused around these key areas:
- Technology
- Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
- Pedagogy
- Social-Emotional Well-Being and Coaching for Engagement/Success
- Accessibility Tools for Instruction and Home
- Equity
- Health and Safety
- Onboarding, Induction, Mentoring, Communication and
Collaboration
She further notes: “The professional learning opportunities are grounded
in equity and social-emotional learning to ensure that equitable
environments are established in the virtual and traditional learning
spaces. Professional learning opportunities will be updated throughout the
year, so please check back frequently.”
In an instructional video for
teachers on “Teacher Tips for SEL (Social and Emotional Learning)
on Covid19/Social
Justice,” in which the presenter first instructs teachers how to set
up Zoom classes for students and how to adjust a feature in the Zoom chat
setting to “alleviate the possibility of students saving and sharing the
chat for later.” At the 6:30 mark, the presenter, in a slide titled
“Covid-19 and social justice surrounding racism,” directs teachers to
use a “scripted response”:
We are currently living through a dual pandemic with COVID-19 and the
Systemic and Structural racism occurring worldwide. A pandemic is an
outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects
an exceptionally high proportion of the population. As you can see from
this slide [featuring a Black Lives Matter protest poster], both are
affecting lives of people in our community and around the world. Part of
what we will discuss today will surround facts about COVID-19 and the
Social Justice Movement in our country.
In an October 8, 2020, email to
MCPS principals and others about “psychoeducational lessons and
curriculum updates,” Wilson reveals that there is a “Social Justice
Book club for Grades 4-8.”
In a September 11, 2020, email titled,
“Psychoeducational Lesson Drop In support,” MCPS Director of
Psychological Services, Dr. Christina Conolly tells MCPS faculty:
We have had a lot of staff members who have questions about the
implementation of the social justice slides on the lesson. Please be
available to coach and/or co-teach with a staff member that may not be at a
place on their anti-racism journey to effectively teach that section of the
lesson.
A PowerPoint presentation titled “Family
Guidance to the Psychoeducational Lesson,” includes the following
slides for parents:
- “Secondary Slide: Dual Pandemic” includes a depiction of
Black Lives Matter protesters along with police officers in Germantown,
Maryland kneeling at a George Floyd protest, as well as the headlines,
“What It’s Like to be Asian During the Coronavirus Pandemic” and
“Why the Coronavirus Looks Different to Black America.”
- “Elementary Slide: Some Facts about Racism and Social
Justice” contains a link to a video titled “Antiracist
Baby,” based on a book written by Ibram X. Kendi.
- “Teacher’s Notes,” advises teachers that the “Antiracist
Baby” book introduces the youngest readers to “the concept and power of
antiracism,” and says it’s the “perfect gift” for “ages
baby to age 3.”
- A slide titled “Secondary: A Brief Anti-Racism Glossary,” notes
“Systems of Oppression identifies inequity by calling attention to the
historical and organized patterns of mistreatment. In the United States
systems of oppression (like systemic racism) are woven into the very
foundation of American culture, society, and laws. (Social Identities and
Systems of Oppression, 2019)]
- “Secondary: Common Initial Crisis Reactions,” lists symptoms that
secondary school children may experience because of crisis include
emotional, cognitive, physical and interpersonal/behavioral symptoms. The
category of physical reactions includes “decreased libido” and
“hyperarousal.”
- “Can Students opt-out [of the psychoeducational lesson]?” includes
the bullet point, “Students cannot opt-out of the lessons,” but parents
may request “an alternative method” for their children “due to mental
health concerns.”
In a PowerPoint presentation titled the “3rd through
5th Grade Psychoeducational Lesson” a slide labeled “COVID-19
and Social Justice” includes the claim that, “People in African
American and Latinx communities have been more likely to get sick
from COVID-19 because of how racism and unfairness impacts their
lives.” [Emphasis in original]
In a presentation titled “High
School Psychoeducational Lesson,” a link is provided to the “Educator
and Caregiver Learning Guide from Disrupt Texts” for the book titled
“Antiracist Baby.” In the book the authors note, “To White
caregivers … Racism is a problem that was invented by White people, and
it is the work of White people to dismantle it.” The authors add that it
is the responsibility of White caregivers to “study
Whiteness,” and advise that, “Indigenous, Black and People of
Color are not ‘minorities’ but ‘People of the Global Majority’
(PGM).”
In a September 15, 2020, email
exchange with the subject line “Message about SEL (Social and
Emotional Learning) and Psychoeducational lesson,” Wilson and other
officials discuss parents wanting their children to opt-out of Black Lives
Matter lessons.
Wilson writes: “I want to put on your radar that this [opting out] may be
related to the anti-racist curriculum initiatives.”
MCPS Area Associate Superintendent Cheryl
Dyson, replies: “Agree, Janet and Diane. I’ve heard directly from
principals and directors. Some principals have parents who want their child
to opt-out from the Black Lives Matter lesson.”
Area Assoc. Superintendent Diane Morris then responds: “Yes, I think
so.”
The next reply, from MCPS Chief of Engagement, Innovation, and Operations
Derek Turner, is entirely redacted, as is a “high importance” reply by
MCPS Admin. Services Manager Felicia Yorro.
The new records include a draft activity assignment titled “Personal
Identity Character Sketch” in which students were told to “focus on
the intersectionality of your culture and another way that you identify
yourself (your race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, class
or another identity factor not listed here).” The assignment was adapted
from the book “Courageous Conversations.”
A slide titled, “Five Approaches to Social Justice Activism” includes
the section “Food,
Festivals & Fun:”
Activism at this stage is based on cultural events and “celebrating
diversity,” usually through cross-cultural programs and activities.
Events tend to focus on surface-level cultural awareness, and often
actually contribute to the stereotypes they are meant to challenge. People
at the Food, Folks, and Fun stage might host an International Fair, a
Multicultural Night, or a Diversity Fashion Show. Although these events
have the potential to bring people together across difference, they do not
have the potential to address injustices such as racism, sexism, classism,
or homophobia.
The handout further notes that, “charitable giving” to such
organizations as Amnesty International is a route people often choose
“that will ease their own conscience, but don’t want to associate in
any deeper way with a particular cause.” The handout also discusses
volunteerism and is critical of “savior syndrome,” which it defines as
when, “wealthy kids are sent into poor neighborhoods to do
service-learning, but never discuss how their relative wealth is
connected with the relative poverty of the people inhabiting
those neighborhoods.” [Emphasis in original]
A draft presentation created by Montgomery County Public Schools Secondary
Literacy Instruction is titled “Digital Literacy 3, Quarter 2: When
Justice Isn’t Served” and features a “No Justice No Peace”
logo, and features the following slides:
- “Scenarios of Injustice” describes a group activity where the
students, “Work together with your group to determine how you would
address your scenario of injustice,” and “Everyone must prepare to
present your ideas to the class.”
- This activity includes a section where students are provided with a
“Scenario of Injustice” to discuss and write down ideas about. In this
scenario, students are told that they witnessed two men – one black and
one white – fighting in a parking lot. Police arrive and separate the men
-forcing the black man to the ground, handcuffing and putting him in the
police car. The police question the white man who, “shakes hands with the
policemen and walks away.”
The “Digital Literacy 3, Quarter 1” presentation features several “Graphic
Organizers:”
- Under the heading “Common Task, Gender Roles Reflection Graphic
Organizer,” is a draft slide titled, “Reflecting on Gender Roles in My
Life,” in which students are asked to “Describe when and how you first
recognized your gender as part of your identity. It could have been in a
positive, negative or neutral way.” It further asks the children to
“Briefly describe how you felt about being a member of your gender
group(s) in different aspects and stages of your life.”
- Under the heading “Race Reflection Graphic Organizer” is a draft
slide titled, “Reflecting on Race In My Life” that asks students to,
“Describe when and how you first recognized race. It could have been in a
positive, negative or neutral way.” Students are further asked about the
race of their family members: “Are your parents the same race? Are your
brothers and sisters? What about your extended family-uncles, aunts,
etc?”
- The “Religion Reflection Graphic Organizer” features a draft slide
titled, “Reflecting on Religion in My Life,” and asks students to
“Describe when and how you first recognized your religion. It could have
been in a positive, negative or neutral way.” It further asks “Did you
feel threatened, minoritized or privileged in this moment? Why?” and
“Where do you go to worship?” and “Did your belief become stronger as
you became older?”
- The “Sexual Orientation Reflection Graphic Organizer” slide titled
“Reflecting on Sexual Orientation in My Life” asks the children to
“Describe when and how you first recognized your sexual
orientation.”
A presentation titled “Social
Justice Movement: Making a Difference” includes:
- A set of slides that prompt students to “Create a timeline for your
chosen social justice movement …” In this activity, the students
are taught that a “catalyst” is “something that quickly causes change
or action: such as “art, music, speeches, events, laws, movies, court
cases, pop culture, propaganda, and literature.”
A presentation titled: “Researching
Important Leaders and Organizations” includes:
- A slide titled “Social
Justice Leaders” that includes a picture of a Black Lives Matter
protester with an upraised fist and long-time Communist Party USA
member Angela Davis.
This material details how extremist race politics and CRT are being used to
target children for political ends. Politics should immediately be removed
from the curriculum of Montgomery County Schools. These CRT-laden teachings
have no place in any American classroom.
Judicial Watch Tells Court FBI May Have Violated Law in 1/6
Probes
The FBI and Justice Department are playing games with the truth regarding
their actions on January 6, in particular their collecting personal,
private information about American citizens.
In the latest move, we filed a
response to Justice’s effort to block our request for records of
communication between the FBI and several financial institutions about the
reported transfer of financial transaction records of people in DC,
Maryland and Virginia on January 5 and January 6, 2021.
This comes in our lawsuit against
the FBI (Judicial
Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:21-cv-01216))
for:
All records of communication between the FBI and any financial institution,
including but not limited to Bank of America, Citibank, Chase Manhattan
Bank, Discover, and/or American Express, in which the FBI sought
transaction data for those financial institutions’ debit and credit card
account holders who made purchases in Washington, DC, Maryland and/or
Virginia on January 5, 2021 and/or January 6, 2021.
In its motion for summary judgment, the Justice Department, despite
previously admitting to the existence of these records, refused
to “confirm or deny the existence of records” about this
surveillance of American citizens.
We argue in response that the Justice Department should not be allowed to
shield “improper activity:”
In this case, the FBI appears to have conducted an improper, broad sweep of
financial records, not just those of persons it had reason to believe were
involved in the events of January 6, but many more Americans. Detailed
media reports not only indicate that the FBI sought financial records, but
also set forth in detail the specific criteria and scope of the records
obtained.
Bank of America reportedly “actively
but secretly engaged in the hunt for extremists in cooperation with the
government” and, following the events of January 6, gave the FBI
financial records of their customers who fit the following profile:
- Customers confirmed as transacting, either through bank account debit
card or credit card purchases in Washington, D.C. between 1/5 and
1/6.
- Purchases made for Hotel/Airbnb RSVPs in DC, VA,
and MD after 1/6.
- Any purchase of weapons or at a weapons-related merchant between 1/7
and their upcoming suspected stay in D.C. area around Inauguration
Day.
- Airline related purchases since 1/6.
Our suit shows how the FBI is corruptly trying to hide that it used the
January 6 incident as an excuse to conduct unlawful surveillance of the
American people’s bank transactions.
Until next week,
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