Hitler salutes in the hallways and calls for Jewish students to be taken to gas chambers are just two examples of behavior that makes learning difficult. That’s what several parents at a school district public forum this week shared as they expressed support for a proposed new educational equity policy.
Karen Gabbay, who described those anti-Semitic incidents, said “Something needs to change within the culture of our schools in order for this not to be an acceptable practice.”
Policy 1006 declares the district will incorporate principles of equity within all its programs.
School board vice president Wendy Crossland told KPCW the draft policy reflects a growing understanding of how educational inequity can take many forms.
“Our job as elected board members, we legally have a duty to create, adopt, amend policies and work with the budget to help guide and support our educators to give educational opportunities to all of our students,” Crossland said .
The district’s consideration of the new policy comes as the federal Office for Civil Rights investigates at least four complaints of racist bullying at Ecker Hill Middle School, Treasure Mountain Junior High and Park City High School.
But at the public forum, pro-equity commenters were outnumbered by parents and grandparents who turned out to urge the district not to pass the new policy or focus any resources or attention on equity.
About 30 residents attended that forum, which the district scheduled to gather more public input.
Hillary Jessup, a grandmother of students in the district, summed up the opposition, saying
“Diversity creates anger and bitterness and division. Equity is not fairness. When you focus on race, skin color and ethnicity that is very divisive,” Jessup said.
Stephen Fox, a parent of four students who also serves on the community council at PCHS, called language in the new policy “extremely dangerous.”
Jessica Louis, parent of an eighth-grader, said her family left private school because of inclusiveness policies, and her children started having negative experiences and feeling left out in public school as they saw policies and programs focus on disadvantaged groups.
“They were just white kids, Christian, straight, female at birth. They weren't special anymore. And God forbid you’re a white male Christian straight kid; your history lessons are now telling you you’re part of the problem,” Louis said.
The forum came after a lengthy public comment session at the last school board meeting.
There, parent Lisa Wall said she’s not a racist, bigot or domestic terrorist, but opposes the policy. She asked how an equity policy would affect taxes, return on investment, or benefit minorities. She said the people being discriminated against in the district are those with unpopular political opinions.
Parent Allison Cook said the new policy could lead to lower standards in AP classes, and she said some portions of the policy appeared to violate state and federal law.
Cook’s husband, Jimmy May, also spoke. He told the board he represented more than 150 households who call themselves “the deplorables” and adamantly oppose the equity policy. He did not respond to a request for comment about the group.
School board president Andrew Caplan told KPCW political divisions were causing misunderstanding of the new policy’s goals. He said it’s not affirmative action or CRT or DEI – it merely codifies what PCSD has already been doing.
“The problem we're having is that, you know, have we done this probably five years ago, no one would have blinked an eye," Caplan said. "However, the national political climate has turned equity into a dirty word and it makes people very nervous on both sides of the aisle.”
Also at the board meeting, native Parkite and high school senior Jose Hernandez, who is president of the student group Latinos in Action, said he’s seen conditions and graduation rates improve for Latinos, but he doesn’t feel safe. He said during a recent spirit week, a student yelled “I hate all Mexicans.” He said that sparked fear, confusion, and uncertainty about who to turn to for help. He said the new policy would ensure responsibility and improve conditions for minorities.
Superintendent Jill Gildea said Tuesday the school board is tentatively set to take action at its next board meeting May 16 but anticipates that could be postponed. She said the district is looking for the right language rather than have it divide the community.
Parent Sarah Berry said at the forum the work is already behind schedule.
“I'm a little confused if we've started this in 2017 and it's been our mission statement, how is this not already adopted as a board policy?" Berry asked. "I don't understand that.”
District spokeswoman Heidi Matthews said 200 district employees responded to a survey about the policy with the vast majority supporting it. A family survey emailed out yielded just 30 responses, with three-quarters opposing the policy.
Two more forums are scheduled for May 2: an English language session at 5:30 p.m. and a Spanish language session at 6:30 p.m. in the Ecker Hill Middle School library.