Comments on CRT make up bulk of N-O-W board meeting

By SARAH PARKER | County Line Editor

Critical race theory has been a recurring topic among audience members the past several months at N-O-W meetings. 

A conversation on critical race theory continued to occupy the Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School Board at its regular meeting July 20, with some residents alleging that the conflict-ridden concept had made its way into the school’s curriculum and board members denying it was being taught. 

It was clear that those in attendance July 20 did not share an agreed-upon definition of critical race theory, however. In its strictest sense, critical race theory refers to an academic framework developed in the 1970s that racism is systemic (not perpetuated by individuals), though its opponents now use it as an umbrella term for a variety of ideas and practices, such as Marxism, racism education, and diversity training.

A variety of local residents and parents offered their views on the subject. Anna Allison of Ontario maintained that critical race theory promoted a sense of victimhood among people of color, in a sense causing them to think, “I’m not responsible because I’m a victim. Others should take care of me.” She cited the movement toward reparations as an example of that phenomenon. 

According to Allison, critical race theory accuses White people of being “oppressors” and in effect devalues them. She quoted Black author Maya Angelou: “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”

Allison also added, “All of us have red blood. We’re all similar in that way. And each of us has a soul, and, I can tell you, an eternity, whether you believe or not. You’re not going to be judged by the color of your skin.”

Allison likened critical race theory to Marxism as well, suggesting that the academic concept had among its goals to enact worker revolution, overthrow the bourgeoisie, and end private property ownership. Furthermore, critical race theory was an attack on the nuclear family, she maintained.  

She added that she had Black friends in the Janesville and Beloit area who did not approve of critical race theory.  

Additionally, Allison noted that she and other like-minded districted residents would form an activist group, get a post office box, and contact everyone in the school district before December.   

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Brookwood Spanish teacher Denise Buckbee offered a counterpoint to the anti-critical race theory audience members. Noting that she was married to a Black scholar in educational leadership and had served as his research assistant, she asserted that critical race theory “doesn’t say you’re racist if you’re White.” 

She also negated the notion that individuals are responsible for the actions of their ancestors. Nonetheless, it’s important to learn history and to work toward a more just future, she added, quoting Cicero: “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?”

In her mind, she said, Black and Brown voices were only minimally included in school curriculum, and their voices were “appropriate, legitimate and necessary” to understand racism. 

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Parent Cory Wilson admitted that she didn’t “agree what critical race theory was all about,” but she did allege that an N-O-W showed CNN to students “every day.” She advised the school to rotate among news channels such as MSNBC, Fox News, One America News Network, and others. 

Decrying the divisiveness that has gripped the nation, she said, “We’re never going to come together until we’re all getting the same news. CNN is clearly one of the most leftwing news sources there is.”

She also alleged that a “pro-Biden” teacher had “quashed” her child’s notion that election fraud had occurred during the November 2020 election. 

“It’s not a conspiracy; the mainstream news is not reporting it,” she said, adding that the interaction could have been used to “learn more” rather than create a “deeper divide.” 

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Board president Justin Arndt told the group several times that critical race theory was not being taught at N-O-W. Rather, race issues may be part of current event discussions, he said. 

Ontario resident Janielle Hanson called Arndt’s statement a “fallacy,” maintaining that current-events homework on Black Lives Matter had been assigned. In response, Arndt said it was simply a look at a topical issue. 

Hanson responded, “That is not a current event. That was a political pull. Don’t even go there.”

She continued that Black Lives Matter was the same as Marxism, that it would destroy the nuclear family, and it was a fundraising arm for the Democratic Party. 

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Sharon Stroh of Wilton noted that she was a 1976 graduate of Royall High School, which had one Black family at the time, and they were “wonderful people.”

“We don’t need critical race theory,” she said. “If we have one thing in common, it’s our children.” She advised the board to focus on educational basics such as reading, writing and arithmetic. 

Also, she maintained that critical race theory was “polarizing” and Buckbee’s presentation was the first time she had heard anything positive about the concept. 

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Patricia Broxham of Ontario asked the board if they were seriously reading the anti-critical race theory material the residents had given to the board, asking if they had come up with a “unified answer” on the topic.

Board member Julie Radke said she had taken the material home and had read it, and she conceded that it was possible a current events issue hadn’t been taught correctly. But she added, “We have expressed I don’t know how many times that we are not actively teaching (critical race theory).”

Broxham replied, “Do the staff know that?”

Norwalk resident Tommy Kotten added, “Are there consequences?”

To that end, Broxham asked if the board had considered putting an anti-critical race theory stance in policy form. 

Superintendent Travis Anderson acknowledged that critical race theory was a “tricky topic,” but again maintained that it was not a part of the school’s academic standards. 

District hires new principal

Melissa McKittrick will serve as the district’s new elementary principal, replacing Gayle Luebke, who resigned last spring. Anderson noted that McKittrick was bilingual in Spanish and had taught every grade in elementary school. 

Other business

• Rusty Shankle was hired as a new junior high science teacher; Wade Behrens, instrumental music teacher; and Casey Oium, Family and Consumer Education teacher. 

Also, the board accepted the resignations of instrumental music teacher Josh Berons and junior high science teacher Melissa Hansen, whom N-O-W had hired last month but who found other positions in the meantime. 

• The board agreed to prepay $1.21 per gallon for 85,000 gallons of liquid propane to Premier Co-op, which had submitted the low bid. 

• The board agreed to spend $8,974 to replace 30 out-of-date iPads. 

• Principal Angela Funk’s contract will expand from 217 to 235 days. 

• An air conditioner compressor in the high school office has failed, and the district will have to replace the entire unit for $9,355. 

• The summer school lunch program ends Aug. 17. 

• Anderson noted that the district had raised about $3,000 at its recent rummage sale, plus the athletic department had earned an additional $1,700. 

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