Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Residents Speak Out about Critical Race Theory with CBS News Videotaping — and TE School Board Approves Tax Increase for 17th Straight Year!

A very long night, the public needed to stay at the school board meeting until midnight for the vote on the 2021-22 final budget. As expected, the taxpayers of TE School District will have the 17th straight year of a tax increase. The board vote was 7-2 in favor of a 2.5% tax increase.

Most of the standing room only crowd had left before the budget discussion and board vote because the first two hours of the meeting was devoted to resident comments regarding racial equity, critical race theory (CRT), the Pacific Educational Group contract with the District, etc.

By my count, at least 29 TESD residents spoke on different aspects of the curriculum and the teaching of diverse perspectives on history. Local newscasters from CBS attended the meeting and videotaped a segment for the 11 PM evening news.  Here is a link: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2021/06/14/tredyffrin-easttown-school-district-meeting-on-new-race-curriculum-draws-full-house/

I would encourage everyone to watch the school board meeting when it is available online and really listen to the words of the many residents who spoke. But equally important, I would encourage you to listen to the remarks of two school board members which followed the resident’s comments.

The first board member to speak personally attacked residents with which he disagreed, disrespected several people in the audience and a political rant comparing the board meeting to the January 6 violent attack on the US Capitol building.

The TESD Policy 9370 Code of Civility for Board members, states in part the following words, “The School Board expects its members to be role models of civility while attending District sponsored events on or off District property. The Board expects its members to promote a respectful environment ….“. Policy 9370 further states, “Individuals who believe that a Board member has violated this Policy may report the perceived violation to the Board President or Vice-President. Policy violations will be handled on a case by case basis …”.

In stark contrast, the words of school board director Scott Dorsey were thoughtful and with meaning — he gave me hope for the future and I thank him.

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  1. Thank you Patty for keeping this in the spotlight. On the matter of the budget, this is a travesty. At this point, I unfortunately hope the district is sued like Lower Merion was as the budgeting practices warrant it and it will continue until they are legally stopped. I could not get childcare so missed the meeting but will watch it when posted. As for CRT, I’m presuming the board member you reference is the one with a social media page that similarly chastises parents who sign petitions and if so, I am not surprised. His disrespect for parents and glorification of all teachers has been a tenet of his term. If the district is hiding behind PEG’s proprietary curriculum as a reason not to share it, terms of the agreement between the district and PEG should be rewritten to require it and then that matter would be resolved. Otherwise it’s a convenient skirt around sunshine laws. If there is nothing to hide, don’t hide it. I long for a day that I don’t envision where transparency and accountability is the rule and respect for differing opinions is given from the top down at the school board and as importantly from the bottom up from other parents. Anyone who disagrees right now is being labeled a racist, just like anyone who pushed for reopening because their kids were suffering were labeled callous and indifferent to teachers’ well being. You can love our district and our teachers without a blind allegiance to everything and anything the teachers union and the board proposes. When parents do gather under a group and common issue they find policy changes to not allow them to speak as one, like BUILD and redistricting. It is only when we can act without fear of retribution from the school and from our fellow parents that we can truly speak openly in this community. Meanwhile, dissenting voices are pushed underground, ostracized, and ridiculed with false labels. Sadly, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. What is immediately needed is a statement signed by ALL the board members showing respect for differing opinions and contrition for comments made last night that didn’t.

  2. We only have ourselves to blame. What else can we expect when we elect teachers, ex teachers, ex Administrators and people who work in education to the school board? I don’t understand your outrage. When you vote for someone because of party affiliation or because they say they will represent you in a way you want them to, when everything single thing about them and what they do screams that’s not true, this is what you get.

    Understand who you’re voting for. We have ourselves to blame.

    1. I completely agree, ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL. This has always been my mantra and I have expressed it here in posts several times, especially in the last 4-6 years. If you are voting party line because you are upset about politics at the national/state level you are cutting your nose off to spite your face.

      You actually have the opportunity at the local level to speak to these candidates (2 of them currently on the board knocked on my door a few years ago), go to townhalls, read about them on local blogs like this. I think most people spend more time picking out a new pair of sneakers then they do learning about their local politicians who can have their hand in your pocket and ideas in your children’s before you blink an eye.

      The sad thing is that most of the voting population are low information voters who only turn out in the general election cycle and vote down ballot party line. Until that changes and people wake up because it starts to hurt them or their families personally to the point they notice it right in front of their faces, they won’t change and by then it’s too late, the toothpaste is out of the tube and harder to reverse.

      So sad to see this happening to the community I moved to specifically to raise my family and have called home for 3 decades.

  3. I attended the meeting and stayed long enough to hear the board comments. It is impossible to believe that no one on the board stopped Kyle Boyer. Maybe they were as shocked as the rest of us. Rather than bringing people together, Boyers disrespect and attack on members of our community only sought to divide. He should resign immediately.

    1. Also don’t be surprise once he starts teaching in the district again. Which he will once he gets off the board.

      1. oh stop – there is a time and a place and that was not the time and it was not the place regardless of what color he is. He is a SB member

      2. Oh, pluuueeese. KB has political aspirations. His being on the board is nothing more than the pulpit he needs to try and be “relevant” in the local media by shouting about CRT.

      3. The problem is you guys are not use to hearing a black man speak up. Yes I know it’s new! Glad he did and there will be more! But this is all about politics anyway, but you guys continue to entertain with your comments. And why do you hide your names?? I never understood that. But continue please. Lol

    2. Thank you for naming the other board member who spoke. Not sure, Pattye, why you named Scott Dorsey and not him.

      1. What planet do you live on? We have heard black men and women speak up all the time. No one has a problem with that. What you have never heard are white people speak up

        In friendship,

  4. Thank you for this information & blog! I look forward to watching this meeting in its entirety. I find it unfathomable for anyone to stand before the school board and “defend” a program namely PEG -critical race theory, without having access to the information currently being taught. As a parent to middle and high schoolers- many red flags have been waved as my children have shared questionable and divisive tactics based on race. They are tired of being humiliated and belittled based on the color of they’re skin. What a sad state to be in at this moment in time. It is the responsibility of every voting member of this community to ask questions and do your homework before the Fall election- we clearly do not need anymore pencil pushers or cheers leaders defending what we are not allowed to read or learn about! Knowledge is power- spread the word!

    1. “being humiliated and belittled based on the color of they’re skin.” First I think you must of meant “their” and second that must be a terrible thing.

  5. I was told that all of this information has been discussed in the Diversity Committee meetings for years. Diversity Committee meets twice a year so maybe it should receive higher status and become like Finance Education and Policy and meet once a month. The next one meets in October so plan to attend and learn what is going on in the classrooms. This is where it is discussed. Oscar Torres chairs the Diversity Committee. Send all your questions to him.

    1. For those interested here is the link to the committee & the agenda in April when this was discussed.https://www.tesd.net/cms/lib/PA01001259/Centricity/Domain/1/April%207%202021%20Diversity%20Committee%20Agenda.pdf Ask yourselves why do you need to register for the diversity meeting? Why is it not open to all? (Apparently 70 people were in attendance virtually). Look at what they call an agenda. Here is the equity initiative they presented at that meeting. https://www.tesd.net/cms/lib/PA01001259/Centricity/Domain/1882/Equity%20Update%20Apr2021.pdf. If you go to the April school board meeting at 1:43:00 Sue Teide gives her report https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFOKbmffVv8 about that meeting. I am unable to find the recording of this committee meeting, so I guess I need to find one of the 70 people who attended.

  6. Pattye,

    I’m having trouble accessing your site. Is it on overload? What should we do? It keeps happening on and off.

    1. The hosting site representative indicated a significant surge of traffic on the site this morning, which caused the slowness for Community Matters to load. Also, there was a link to CBS News imbedded in the post adding to the issue. I apologize if you had difficulty accessing the site but there’s nothing more that can be done. Hopefully, as the traffic surge slows, accessibility is easier.

  7. If T/E wishes to maintain its national recognition in Education it also needs to be more transparent about what is (or is not) included in its program.

    Additionally, an audit of the last 10 year’s costs may reveal how supplies have been absorbed and by who. To have 17 years of over budgets (when in fact in some cases the actual costs were less than the last tax increase was raised to cover) is scandalous. Expecially, when T/E has other future costs it will have to bear because of its poor Storm Water Management plans that have necessitated many of the current tax payers having to spend monies to repair their properties. These costs should be borne by the Township for its failure to properly apply its CAPEX funds to such known and ongoing issues which according to the most recent report goes all the way back to 2008. Impacted tax payers should offset their damage cost against their T/E taxes so to be properly remunerated for their direct out of pocket costs. This way everyone on the T/E Board is held accountable for their lack of action or inaction whatever the case may be.

  8. “The first board member to speak personally attacked residents with which he disagreed, disrespected several people in the audience and a political rant comparing the board meeting to the January 6 violent attack on the US Capitol building.” So typical of TESD. When confronted, resort to bullying parents to try and shut them down. So…do we still drink the Kool-Aid that the Board has the best interests of our children and parents in mind? Or is it really their OWN interests? Maybe what needs to be done is dissolve the Board and replace all of them that do not meet new criteria via special election so that any board member (1) Must be a parent of a child currently in the district (2) No board member can be employed, or previously been employed, by the district in any capacity, nor have any contractual services relationship with them whatsoever (3) one board member will have specific responsibility for special educational services (4) replace the role of business manager with an external fiduciary i.e. someone from PwC or similar. Its time we replace self interests and political leanings with our children’s interests.

  9. I am not sure what Kyle Boyer said but I do know that some of the comments made by parents who are against CRT were also insensitive, disrespectful and full of untruths. I spoke last night and unfortunately did not truly get a chance to say what I really wanted to say. I will say this, African Americans have been fighting our whole lives for equality and inclusion and once again when the door seems to open up, certain individuals collectively come together to fight progress! Yes PEG in our school system, but it is there for a reason and that is we have been treated unfairly for years so please stop acting like everything is ok in our school system! For you maybe, but for so many others who look like me it is not!! It has not been and it needs to change. If your children feel uncomfortable that’s great so maybe instead of complaining, try telling them the truth. If you feel uncomfortable then you need to learn the truth! All of you who are not African American have NO CLUE how we feel on a daily basis so for you to be a little upset at the school board and the school systems attempts to make things better for those who have been and still are undervalued, underestimated and marginalized due to the systemic and institutionalized racism in this country and in our communities need to look within and ask why? CRT, PEG and more are just tools to level the field of life that we have been left out of! So sorry you feel this way but for me – welcome to my world!! Now you know how it feels!

    1. Thank you Kevin for speaking at the meeting last night.

      Thank you for your comment — I want to make certain that I fully understand your position. As an African American living in the District, you support the TE school board and administration using CRT as part of Pacific Educational Group (PEG) curriculum. Correct?

    2. Kevin,

      I don’t think there is anyone in this community who supports racism, discrimination, inequality of any kind, toward anyone. CRT and PEG will not level the playing field for anyone. While our attention is being diverted to race wars – so that we are at each other’s throats, the grand planners have been stealing the playing field from all of us. They need us divided. They know preying on racial senstivities will make us turn on each other. What they are most afraid is our unity, all of us standing as one force. CRT is a tactic, not a promise. I am reaching out to everyone. We must stand together, stop the partisan politics and racial bickering. We have a country to save, if not for ourselves, for our children. We are at the precipice. Will you stand up, black-white-brown as one?

      1. Barbara,

        You nailed it. They want us divided and in this case it is on race. It’s all about control.

        Did no one listen to our Chinese neighbors who got up to speak about their experiences living during the Revolution in in China before their families fled???? The people were not being divided by race but by class. Different grouping, same outcome, divide and control.

      2. So, is “supporting racism” different than being racist? Because you’ve got to be kidding me that you think there is no racists in this community.
        If you think that having our children – not yours – learn American history that is not white-washed will divide us more as opposes to have the white majority understand the minority experience a little more clearer then you really are ignorant.

        1. How dare you call me ignorant. Just because someone doesn’t agree with your point of view doesn’t mean they are racist or “support racism”. Of course there are racists and bigots in this community as they are everywhere in the world. As a Jew I know there are also anti-Semites in this place I’ve called home for almost 3 decades. All of my children have experienced anti-Semitism in this “community”, in school by teachers, by peers and neighbors.

          I am a minority as well, the color of my skin is white so at first glance you don’t know I am a minority, but most people around here are not “like me”. Progress is slow, but I’ve seen improvements in people’s attitudes, curriculum changes etc. over the last 2 decades for people that are not this community’s prevalent religion. It doesn’t happen by the flip of a switch. More work is definitely needed but CRT is not the answer.

          1. But, Tina, in response to your statement above. Who in the history of this country has been “divided and controlled”?

            1. We are currently divided right now more then we have been since the 60s/70s. By the political elites. They love chaos, pitting people against each other for actual and/or perceived grievances. Race, class, religion, political party affiliation. They hope you spend your time and energy in the weeds against one another so they can do what they want. Break it down and build it up. A house divided can not stand.

              1. So you are choosing to ignore the fact that for hundreds of years in this country that POC were “divided and controlled”? You seem to have gone off on a tangent not related to CRT. The real history of POC in this country (American Indians, Blacks, and Asians) needs to be taught, discussed and learned from. As you say you are someone from this community whose family has experienced discrimination your I really don’t follow your reluctance to have a history taught that is not whitewashed.

          2. You said it, “the color of my skin is white so at first glance you won’t know I am a minority” Right away in society you have a advantage over me just from identity. But you can be made at Kevin for calling you ignorant. 🤣🤣

            1. Dante,
              Keep on playing the victim and you will continue to be the victim.

              There are black doctors, lawyers, scientists, police chiefs, sports players…no one is stopping you to be who you want to be…
              except yourself. Change your thinking.

              1. Says the person who won’t display their real name. Yes I’m speaking to you “Think Ur Victim, Then Ur victim”. Let’s have a conversation without hiding behind the keyboard. 🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️

            2. Dante,

              “There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”
              ― Booker T. Washington

              “I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed, and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.”
              ― Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery

        2. RL4Life,

          So if you don’t support CRT, you are a racist?

          Have YOU looked at history textbooks for elementary and middle school kids that are currently being used? It is not white-washed and stresses the minority experience.

        3. I think you meant “as opposed to having the the white majority understand the minority experience more clearly…
          I stand corrected. There ARE racists in this community. A racist would use the phrase “white-washed”. A person who truly seeks to have one culture understand more about the experience of another’s culture would say just that, or even better, “History would better be taught from different cultural perspectives so that it speaks to all of us” Using racially pejorative terms to describe another culture is racist and offensive. It also causes others to reject the message I assume you wish to impart and the outcome I assume you wish to have.

          1. You are correct – “opposed vs opposes.” White-washed is a trigger for you? Ok. The term is being used to describe how a version of events has been depicted throughout time. It is not being used to describe a culture.

            1. why do you assume I am triggered? “White- washed” is a derogatory racially insensitive word. You must be conscious of all racially pejorative terms especially if you wish to be taken seriously and as following your own principle-which appears to be respect and fairness to all

    3. Kevin,
      Feeling undervalued does not necessarily mean that you are. Feeling underestimated doesn’t necessarily mean that you are. In my humble opinion, most of what we feel are a mix of our experiences filtered through our own distorted lenses, actual experiences and our and society’s interpretations of those experiences. Blacks don’t have superiority over any other group in terms of victimization and oppression. We have all been victims in various ways. While I may not know what it is like to have walked in your shoes, you also don’t know what it has been like to walk in mine. I am a jew – I have been called may things, horrific things, all my life. I have been verbally nd physically assaulted. I know the lethal consequences that labeling a group a certain way can lead to – I am not your oppressor and will not let you be mine. I will however, be your friend and stand united with you as a fellow human being and child of G-d. Are you willing to do the same?

  10. The video from TE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING from last night is up – thank you to the District’s technical staff for providing it so quickly!

    The meeting is divided into three sections and I would implore you to watch Part 1 and listen to the comments from community members, followed by comments from board members.

    At a minimum, please watch and listen carefully to the words of school board director Kyle Boyer as he personally attacks members of this community. For over 15 minutes, his words seek to inflame and further divide us!
    Fast forward the meeting video to 2.17.18 for Boyer’s remarks.

    How can this behavior by an elected official possibly be OK?

    To view Part I of the meeting, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYykrdKIxzU

    1. I could not be prouder of that board member, Kyle Boyer, who passionately and clearly expressed both his personal experiences with systemic racism and the importance of the equity program in our school district. How dare any person discount his account of how hurtful some comments were to him or seek to silence him.

      1. Did you attend or watch the school board meeting? If not, I suggest that you do so. Civility toward residents is required by those elected to serve.

        1. Yes, I did watch about half of the comments and all of Mr. Boyer’s statement. In addition, my husband attended the meeting in person and made a public comment. I found Mr. Boyer to be professional and if anything, given the strong emotions that he was understandably feeling, very restrained in his response. I’m very confused about what was disrespectful about anything he said. His comments may have made some individuals uncomfortable, but that does not equate to being uncivil.

          1. It’s curious that you are writing comments here, given your friend’s disrespect for Community Matters! In my world, that is disrespectful.

            1. I’m honestly very confused by your comment. I have no idea to whom you are referring to as my friend? And I still honestly do not understand what is disrespectful. I am being 100% sincere about not understanding.

          2. Direct quotes from Kyle Boyer’s remarks at Monday’s board meeting. Play back the recording that the TESB posted and correct any errors. I did it multiple times so I am fairly confident they are accurate.

            “What we’ve seen tonight is why the Capitol was breached on January 6.”

            “Shame on members of our community who would pedal offensive innuendo behind anonymous monitors and shame on the people who provide a platform for it.”

            “There was nothing surprising about the meetings when we redistricted. Nothing surprising about the passion of the many parents who spoke under the guise of wanting to keep communities of apartment buildings together when in my mind recognizing discrimination for the ugly head it had reared.”

            ——————–
            Quote one compares people that shared their opinions Monday as being the reason for the 1/6 events. The second directly shames (actual word) blogs (this one?) that allow people to comment anonymously. The third calls out people who were against the public school redistricting lines and directly says they did it as discrimination. A fourth quote directly called out a parent who is a private citizen who spoke at the meeting yet gave her no mechanism to respond. Out of respect for her privacy, I am not sharing that one.

            Wherever I fall on these issues (and for the record, I am closer to pro than con), I am concerned with a public official making these disparaging remarks against the community and specific members he was elected to serve. He has not apologized. He has reinforced his stance on his facebook page.

            And no, I am not signing my name specifically because he directly contributed to me feeling unsafe in doing so. And unlike him, I am not a public official and privacy is my right.

            Mr. Boyer, if you are reading this I welcome your written response on this blog to add context and clarifications to your words.

            1. The words of Kyle Boyer only serve to further divide this community. His personal attacks on people who disagree with him have no place on the TE School Board.

              His words indicate a total disregard and disrespect of the people he is supposed to serve. We are better than this and deserve better than this as a community. If Kyle Boyer doesn’t apologize to the public, then the school board should step up and do it for him. Saying nothing is not the answer.

              BTW, I planned and then finally moved to the school district about 3 years ago. Sadly, had I known then what I know now, I am not certain that the move would have happened. Just saying that I am very disappointed.

      2. As you should not discount the feelings of those hurt by his comments or attempt to silence their voices.

  11. I listened to the tape. Regarding Kyle’s comment about Jan. 6, He’s comparing one thing to another that is really not related, in order to make the meeting seem like speakers were more inappropriate than they really were. There is absolutely no comparison between the rioters on Jan. 6 at the Capital and the speakers at the school board meeting on Monday night.

    And his comment shaming you for providing a platform that allows citizens to voice their opinions using screen names is laughable. Retribution from Administrators and teachers is real. The real question is why we put up with it. Hopefully, the next school board directors won’t put up with it.

    1. I respectfully disagree. I found this article to be inaccurate and slanted to the right.

      You and others may find these more informative:
      Podcast by Heather Cox Richardson. Historian and professor of history at Boston College -apple.co/3zsMs69
      Article US News and World Report – https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/what-is-critical-race-theory-and-why-are-people-so-upset-about-it?src=usn_fb&fbclid=IwAR1F0pm7S1aMdCZYzVV-xQvZg11HpeXQGSy3P-1vm8UWq8r680-fp3N09pI

  12. Fearing Retribution,

    Diversity Committee meetings aren’t taped because they say kids come to the meetings and report how they’re treated at school and how it makes them feel so the District doesn’t want to expose them to public scrutiny by putting their comments on tape.

    As I understand it, this committee is where all of this is discussed. Twice a year. Ridiculous. Somebody do something.

  13. This is what I sent…

    It was great that the TE School Board graciously gave lots of parents and taxpayers an opportunity to share their thoughts, experiences and knowledge about the current equity project. However, I was incredibly disheartened and shocked that Kyle Boyer was allowed to, in his official capacity as a board member, make the comments he did later in the evening. As a board member you are held to certain standard that require you to remain impartial, unbiased, always listening and collaborating with the stakeholders of the district, us the taxpayers. I felt he was extremely disrespectful to parents that did not share his opinion and even worse abusive with his language, in referencing sharing our thoughts in league with January 6th riots at the capital. In addition to his shaming rant. The school board is not his personal sounding board, nor a place were his aggressive and dismissive opinions should be expressed. He is suppose to respect and represent all taxpayers and to that end he must practice diplomacy. I bring this up to you because the complacency of the board is very telling and brings to question it’s ability to carry out the immense responsibility given to the elected few when the representation is so one sided and not inclusive of all thoughts and opinions. I encourage you to consider disciplinary actions for the outwardly discriminatory slander by Kyle Boyer. He is not our parent, we should not be scolded and above all should not be discriminated because ours views do not align with his.

    I hope in the very near future a real conversation can be had that allows for all thoughts, opinions and a search for real solutions.

      1. I have found most members of our Board incredibly pejorative and demeaning towards parents. Stacy Stone’s comments during the big reopening board meeting near scolded TE parents, calling parent selfish. It’s difficult to find recent examples that the majority of this School Board actually like parents. Instead, they seem to thrive off power and a near parental/morally superior sense of self. Their relationship with the TE community is soiled and their recent decisions, a total failure to our children. Parents, we can do better than this/them. Reopening schools was an example of coming together in a bipartisan manner with open dialogue and parent-led communication. I hope someone can find a parent-led solution here too.

        1. I am hopeful that the community can come together, listen to one another with open and respectful discussion and make positive movement forward.

  14. After watching the TESB meeting, what can you say?
    We are to blame is a good place to start.

    But First, I want to Thank Pattye & those who have used this blog to educate TE citizens who simply want their children to have a good education including math, science, english as well as informed of social issues without a school system pushing a political agenda.

    We did not pay our ever increasing taxes to support a project where our kids are compromised, forced to become little PEG warriors–you know some will say that’s racist, but then again when you call everything and everybody who doesn’t agree with your agenda racist, you actually water down the word and loose effect what you’re trying to do in the first place. No one is denying there are injustices. But you don’t force people’s kids faces into it and expect good little foot solders. If you know your history, it just doesn’t work. You actually create more of what you want to stop.

    But the TESB is going along with a political agenda. For the record, TESB is not “bipartisan”. It’s comprised of ALL Dems and one converted Dem to Independent–that does not make a bipartisan board. It’s a very left wing board–just look at the Marxist curriculum they approve & fund.

    As evidenced by the TESB member’s comments, they are not interested in reigning in the growing costs at TESD. In fact, they approved a new, six figure position, “Equity” Chair for Dr Oscar Tores. IT’s one thing to educate our kids on differences that exist in our society Vs creating a new Chair!

    As mentioned, this community needs to rescind the current board’s terms. We need someone like the PSERS board member, State Senator Katie Muth who is demanding the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System turn over papers relating to the fund’s day-to-day operations, decision-making processes and investment information. Muth says she cannot properly serve as a fund trustee without access to the documents, and her suit asks the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court to compel production of the documents. Note-Ms. Muth is a strong willed Demacratic from Montgomery Co. who isn’t afraid of representing her constituents. TE needs strong woman who will stand up to the PEG curriculum & the wacky budgeting process. But first, sue the board.

    1. six figure diversity chair salary could be a child’s college tuition. As gor tax increases, how much $$ was saved in no transportation costs, utility bills while schools were closed for a year. Taxpayers should be getting a rebate

      1. Diversity committee chair is one of many parts of Dr. Torres’ job…to say that this position has a six figure salary is not accurate.

  15. I am a immigrant. I have personally experience racial discriminations in this country. I also struggled and is still fighting to break the invisible ceilings above me because of my skin color, my accent and limited resources available to me. I do share sympathy with the black community and understand how they feel.

    However, I want to call for the transparency on TE school board’s decision/policy on PEG and CRT. Because, although agreeing that we have to solve inequality, I do not agree with CRT in many ways. As a parent, I do have the right to know what is taught to my kid at school.

    The way Mr. Boyer impetuously reacted to parents who requests transparency and the words he used to blame unscrupulously others, can explain a lot why I am against CRT. To someone, it is just strong emotions. But to a lot other people, it is not. I do not want my kids learn to treat people with different opinions like he does, nor do I want my kids to be treated by person like him if they can not reach an agreement.

    1. I agree with your sentiments Heidi. As parents, we want our children to be respectful of all people, including those who are our elected officials. But when a school board representative speaks to the public the way Kyle Boyer did, it is impossible. He should be a role model for our children but nothing could be further from the truth. His lack of respect for those who do not share his views was on full display for all to see. I’m glad that there was a video made for all to see.

  16. Pattye, yes I do but to be clear it is just a tool used by PEG to help with the overall goal to make things equitable for the African American children in our district. I know first hand how things are back when I was in school, the history of this district and what goes on today, so yes there needs to be a change made. I will say this, I am SO PROUD of Kyle Boyer and Rev Scott Dorsey for their ability to speak on a such serious subject..and no it is NOT CRT or PEG. All I can say is Kyle is 100% correct as well as Scott and for those who do not get it, then you need to look closer. I watched the video and saw the lady come back up to the mic to push her agenda without listening to what President Berger said, then I heard a man interrupt Scott as he spoke. The meaning behind a lot of this is the arrogance and privilege that so many feel they have that led to the June 6th insurrection. There was a lot of venom and hatred that came out that evening and that is why many of us responded in such! There is a problem when every time we are seeking justice and equal treatment in this country it almost like we have to get approval from white people! So many talked about being equal and treated the same when in this country and our community that is NOT TRUE! If your children have a problem discussing race, racism, privilege, entitlement, history (real histyory!) and more then you need to ask yourself, what have I taught them or the school taught them! There are many untruths, left out information and blatant lies that have been in our schools for years so when it is time to unravel them and speak truth do not get mad, do not change the narrative, do not point fingers just be thoughtful and understand that there is a problem that needs addressing and fixing! I applaud everyone who is truly out there trying to correct a wrong. As you know I am out here fighting and am always ready, willing and available to have a conversation about all of us being better for our sakes and our children sake! What I will not do is allow someone who does not look like me and Never been through what I have been through as Black Man in america to tell me how I should feel, get their permission or what I should or should not talk about. There is a problem and I am glad we are at least trying to make it better.

  17. I agree with Kevin that a change does need to be made in the district concerning equality and Kevin thank you for all your contributions to our community. I don’t think anyone is trying to tell you how to feel. Everyone is entitled to their own feelings. That being said, your comment about making “things equitable for African American children in our district” rubs me the wrong way.
    Personally, I think we should be making things equitable for ALL children. I am sure that we have many Asian, Latino, Middle Eastern, etc. who at times all feel isolated, uncomfortable or singled out. I think our problems can also attributed to socioeconomic status and not just the color of one’s skin. Think “free lunch kids”, do they not feel treated differently than others? Also children that have two mommies or two daddies, do they not feel “different”? Overweight children, a child with learning differences, the list goes on and on.
    It is impossible to know what another person has gone through in their own life experience. No one can ever know, it’s just the way it is. I’m sorry for what you may have gone through in your own life as a black man. As a person who is white, I know I can never understand. I didn’t live it.
    I say this respectfully to you, we shouldn’t be labeling each other into groups. We are all members of one race, the human race. As long as we keep labeling each other by color, etc. the divisiveness will never end.
    I am a supporter of change but not necessarily with the PEG methods. I would like to know which administrator or administrators reviewed those materials and made the decision that it would be good for our district.? Who’s input did they get before deciding? I read through the survey and found some of the questions just downright stupid. Going into a salon and not knowing if someone would be able to cut your kind of hair??? I have super curly hair. I worry about that every time I go to a new salon. I don’t feel oppressed by that. It’s just the way it is. Were all students given that survey or only certain groups? I can see why it upset parents. Those questions sought to divide, not open eyes. What was the district thinking?
    We need to teach history the way it really happened and not sugarcoat it. History is great with some ugly parts. Awesome and awful things happened. Awful things brought about change. Hopefully as a society we learn from the awful so as not to repeat the ugliness over and over again.
    Admonishing one group does not automatically raise another group up, That’s not how it works. We need to raise each other up, as a whole. Sorry if it sounds “Pollyannaish”. I try to live life as an optimist.
    I don’t really think we need to spend a ton of $ for a group to tell us how to raise our kids. It all goes back to the “Golden Rule”. Just treat all people the way you would want to be treated. We all need to do better. It really is as simple as that. If we all live that way, we WILL see change. Be kind..

  18. As an immigrant minority, I wholeheartedly support Diversity and Inclusion. The rich diversity in this community is truly our asset to celebrate and I would love to see everyone is included in this celebration. When we talk about equity, the question is how to define the equity? Should we focus on the equal outcome or should we focus on the equal opportunities.

    If Mr. Kevin Stroman was asking for equal opportunities for African American children in our school district, I would wholeheartedly support it too. We should all work hard on achieving the goal of equal opportunities for all children in the TE School District.

    I would love to see what has our district done so far to bring that support to those disadvantaged children who need it. Why don’t we use the funding for PEG to make these enrichment programs that can truly benefit the minority children to advance their learning?

    I do agree there is injustice and discriminations in our society that we have to face. As Asian, so many hate crimes happened to innocent Asian American elderly citizens, women and kids in the past year which also demand justice. However, I just don’t see how we would use PEG/CRT to solve this racism issue, CRT scholar Ibram Kendi clearly stated “The only remedy to racist discrimination is antiracist discrimination. The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.”

    Are we using racism to combat racism? If like someone said PEG is not teaching CRT, instead, it promotes the diversity, equity and inclusion, then include us (the parents) in this training too, so that we can truly understand how wonderful it is. Don’t hide it from us.

    1. PEG is not providing a curriculum to be taught in our schools. The equity initiative was presented to the education committee and the full board for a vote earlier this school year, I think less than 5 people commented on it at the time. And the PEG partnership has been in place for several years. The administration just presented an update on what they have been working on with PEG a few months ago, which is trainings for teachers and staff around how to hold conversation about difficult subjects and ensure that students feel heard and supported. PEG does not provide curriculum … but training for teachers.

  19. The board president clearly stated that CRT is not being taught in TE. If not, what is being taught? Maybe the PEG material is something the majority of TE residents would agree with. But the board, again, is being secretive and has done a terrible job of communicating.

    It’s clear to all that diversity training would be and is controversial. Many months ago the board could have been proactive, transparent and included the public in the decision making process. As a result, there could have been a core group of supporters at Monday’s meeting speaking in favor of the program. That opportunity was lost. The board could have been prepared at Monday’s meeting with a presentation outlining how teachers are being trained, what is being taught to the students, what is planned for the future, what are the tangible goals and what are the costs. Instead of a rational explanation the public got a lecture from one board member, a life story from another and a promise from another to continue with the program (whatever it is) despite public concern. Sad.

    1. Well said Keith Knauss,

      The Administration/Board pretends that there was no method to their seemingly arbitrary and capricious lack of preparation for the School Board meeting Monday night, in which they appeared to utilize no forethought. I believe there was a method to their, unstructured and inconsistent “shoot from the hip” madness..

      The lack of clarity and transparency caused chaos, drama and turmoil creating confusion. Confusion wears citizens down and exhausts them into an eventual lulled submission. It happens all the time.

      The Administration/Board knows exactly what they’re doing. As Keith said, sad, but more than sad, Pathetic.

      Shame on us for continually being victims of their unacceptable actions towards us.

    2. The SB “tolerated” public comments regarding concern about CRT in the schools but did not respect them. So much for “Courageous Conversations”. If this is the attitude in the district, I fear for our children who will be subjected to this one-sided bigotry and marxist indoctrination in the classrooms. I am also concerned about the following: “Protest Civics, which is known primarily as “Action Civics,” would further politicize education by forcing students into one-sided political activism paid for by the taxpayer. For example, if Critical Race Theory-based curriculum is about indoctrinating students to hate America and its values, Protest Civics is about turning them into street marchers”.
      When a school system teaches children WHAT to think instead of HOW to think, they will not become creators and achievers – They will become slaves to the new power structure which will determine what outcome they may have based on compliance – not their individual thoughts, ideas, talents and abilities, choices, creations, hopes and dreams. The role of the public school is teaching academics not political and social engineering.
      You don’t fix racism, with racism, oppression with oppression. Two wrongs will never make a right.

      1. You really are so missing the point. CRT is not about “indoctrinating students to hate America and its values…” It’s about understanding that at one point in our history slavery was a value of this country. That oppression was a value of this country. That POC being marginalized was a value of this country.
        The school system has been teaching students WHAT to think forever. The problem is WHAT they were being taught. It’s not teaching someone to be racist. it’s teaching them that this existed (exists) and to understand it you need to be able to recognize it in all its forms.

      2. The school board has disrespected and largely ignored the community’s feedback for years on so many topics as yearly increases in taxes, fences at schools, renewal of superintendent, renewal of business manager are just a few. Why should this explosive topic be any different?

    3. The SD has a contract with PEG to provide diversity training … which surely contains a NDA. And PEG is not providing a curriculum to be taught in our schools. The equity initiative was presented to the education committee and the full board for a vote earlier this school year, I think less than 5 people commented on it at the time. And the PEG partnership has been in place for several years. The administration just presented an update on what they have been working on with PEG a few months ago, which is trainings for teachers and staff around how to hold conversation about difficult subjects and ensure that students feel heard and supported.

      1. I bet you are not the same person you were 20-30 years ago and that you have become a better and wiser person. Do you want to be condemned for eternity for those negatives in your history and perhaps not knowing any better at the time, or the person you are today – still flawed as we all are, but a better version of yourself, growing and changing for the better over time? Our Founders had a noble vision and good intentions. They wanted freedom from tyranny. Slavery was and remains wrong. Good people realized it was wrong and fought to stop it. Many lost their lives to accomplish that, both black and white. We became better over time Calling white people and white children oppressors is just wrong – It is stereo-typing, it is dehumanizing, and it’s aggressive and it’s destructive. Stop blaming white people for the prison you keep yourself in. There is a segment of the black community that has capitalized on force-feeding a steady diet of “you are a victim”. You are not. Victimhood is like carrying weights in your pockets and in your mind. It weighs you down. It hurts and it makes you hate. Blacks don’t need lower standards, extra points or dumbed down curriculums, awards for just showing up, or protected status.. That is insulting to blacks. They are as capable if not more so than any other culture in this country to succeed, and become whatever they want to be if they work hard, show up, open their hearts and embrace this country as the great country it is. We and the country are all works in progress. sometimes we don’t realize something isn’t working and it needs to be pointed out. Certain things need to change -no disagreement there. It’s not the what, if the how we go about it. Labelling, stereotyping, accusing, and aggressing is going to alienate those you want to hear you. Believe we can be better tomorrow than we are today and lets just talk about it and find solutions together – black and white and Asian and Indian, hispanic, together. It is not PEG or CRT that will bring productive change – It will do the opposite.

        1. Well said Barbara. Somewhere up above someone asked why, as someone who has experienced discrimination as a Jew, why I do not want history “retold” or “correctly told”. If the history they want retold is that country was founded in 1619 I disagree, as it was not. That this country can never detach itself from the sin of slavery and we, generations upon generations later, and those of us who did not migrant to this country until the 1900’s should continually answer for that sin…..I will not. This country was founded over a hundred years after slaves were brought to this land. In the 1600’s this land was occupied by the English, French, Spanish, Danish, Mexican, all trying to stake their claim and make money. It wasn’t until the American revolution that this country started to come together and slavery was well entrenched in the economic system. I can go on and on about slavery at the time of the revolution and then as it was thoughtfully and methodically removed from the fabric of this country over hundred year span but this is not the place. Where did I learn all of this you may ask, on my own as a student of history as I got older, but the basics in public school back in the 70’s and 80’s. So if I learned this, how can it now be said that history is being “white washed”?

          What it comes down to is that I chose not to be a victim. I know that humans as a whole are kind and tolerate and that when an intolerant person makes a comment about Jews in my presence it is their problem. A large portion of our family was murdered and displaced in the Holocaust but today, less then 100 years later we do not stand around asking to be seen as victims.

          I don’t believe I went off on a tangent above when I spoke about people in our society wanting to divide us so they can control the narrative. It is a valid point and I’m sorry if some people don’t see how everything ties together. One of my favorite quotes from Booker T. Washington, which is so appropriate for the times we live in, follows. Please study him, he is extraordinary and was a try visionary. Here are a couple I think are spot on for the topics at hand:

          “There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”
          ― Booker T. Washington

          “I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed, and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.”
          ― Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery

          1. What a remarkable man! Thank you Tina for posting those quotes. Reading a number of more in depth materials about him now as a result…..

          2. I never read Up From Slavery, but after seeing these quotes from BTW I just downloaded it from Amazon.

  20. As a Tredyffrin Resident and former T/E parent, I appreciated Kyle Boyer’s comments. He was speaking his own truth and experience as a student, teacher and board member in our district. We should listen to his perspective, likely he is the only person to have this unique experience. If his comments made some uncomfortable, they need to examine why that is. It seems to me the whole community could use some education and discussion around race. T/E should consider not only sharing their curriculum but also offer workshops to parents and residents as well. I wish my kids had the benefit of having Mr. Boyer as a teacher.

    1. Mary,

      There’s a very big difference between:

      Kyle Boyer speaking his own truth and experience as a student, teacher and board member in our district and him comparing the speakers at the Board meeting to rioters at the Capital on Jan. 6.

      There is no comparison between the speakers at the Board meeting and the rioters at the Capital.

      It was irresponsible, disrespectful and disingenuous of Mr. Boyer to make such a ridiculous statement, especially as a School Board Director. The smidgen of credibility and respect he had is now completely gone.

      1. Dear Blame on Us, That is not the way I heard those comments from him. That said, I’m going to go back and relisten with your point in mind. Maybe it would help us all to relisten with hearts and minds open and try to see things from his perspective as a person of color in a majority white community.

        1. Mary,

          Here are Kyle Boyer’s words:

          What we’ve seen tonight is why the Capitol was breached on January 6.”

          I don’t know what you mean by:

          “That is not the way I heard those comments from him.” How did you “hear” the comment?

          Because he’s a person of color doesn’t give him permission to make inflammatory comments that aren’t true about people in his community he’s elected to serve.

          As stated by Barbara and Tina, many groups suffer discrimination. Fat people, skinny people, short people, extremely tall people, Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Indians, Asians, females, blondes, and the list goes on.

          If you’re not a white male, 5’10” plus, chances are very good, you’ve experienced discrimination. And look who has the power:

          5’10” plus white males. No coincidence there.

  21. I received the following announcement from a resident – a non school district event TONIGHT to be held virtually to discuss critical race theory (CRT) with experts! If you are interested and able to attend, I’m sure that we all would appreciate your comments/thoughts. Here’s the information:

    Join my friend Pastor Dr. Rashad Grove as First Baptist Church discusses CRT with experts on the subject. This is not a School District sponsor event.

    The Feature speakers are scholars Dr. Diane Turner, PhD. Curator of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University, and the Rev. Marlon Millner, MDiv. PhD candidate, Northwestern University.

    This is an opportunity to learn more about what CRT is and what it isn’t. Happening tonight at 7 pm!

    For the link, you can go to facebook.com/thefbcwayne/live_videos/ OR Zoom.us Meeting ID 599 139 5155 Thursday, June 17 at 7 p.m.

    The seminar will be inclusive, but we invite those who can contribute to do so via:
    fbcwayne.org/ways-to-give
    ▶ CashApp @fbcwayne
    ▶ by check to First Baptist Church, 1012 Upper Gulph Road, Wayne PA 19087

  22. Where are the evidence-based studies that show PEG methods/curriculum improves students’ self-esteem, scholastic achievement and feelings of equality and inclusion? Surely the school board would have reviewed such studies before making such a hefty investment. Certainly the SB would share these studies with district residents. What are the measurement tools being used to assess? Who is doing this assessment? What are the reliability and validity data on the measures being utilized? If such a program is found to harm children, I assume the school board and admin are liable for damages? This could get very expensive

  23. “The so-called Berwyn School Strike was a defining moment in the area’s history, hailed as helping to lay the groundwork for Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed school segregation 20 years later. Last November, it was commemorated with a historical marker at Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church, which served as a meeting place for the Black parents organizing the boycott.”

    “The present-day Tredyffrin-Easttown school district — affluent, mostly white and Asian American — has sought to grapple with its past and present, embarking on an equity initiative in 2018 to retrain teachers, reframe curriculum, and promote classroom discussions about race and racism. Now, that effort is being attacked by some parents and community members as promoting critical race theory, an academic framework that studies how policies and the law perpetuate systemic racism. Conservatives have recently associated the term, as well as efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, with leftist political indoctrination.”

    https://whyy.org/articles/suburban-philadelphia-districts-equity-initiative-provokes-anger-over-critical-race-theory/?utm_campaign=sproutsocial&utm_content=1624029399&utm_medium=post&utm_source=facebook%2Ctwitter&fbclid=IwAR2DwXY8GXKmOz-L5soUqvBzNO50lu46YBojEK7EjvqztW98WjlFH0PH6Zk

  24. Thank you for the information. I do believe it’s important to learn from our past so we don’t repeat it. Thank you Ms. Cunningham for telling your story.

    But as someone who moved here not knowing of this story, the writer portrays current residents as if we did the wrong–which occurred over 70 years ago. By writing, “affluent, mostly white and Asian American — has sought to grapple with its past”. That’s a big guilt trip to place on our kids. As Ms. Cunningham said, “I don’t know whoever started that ‘You’re Black and I’m white.’ I’m a person, so are you. God created all men equal, it’s what the Bible said.” But indeed, that is exactly what TE is now trying to teach our kids–separate by skin color. Our kids, ALL KIDS, are not guilty from what happened 70 years ago. But PEG will say otherwise.

    The perspective from the writer is definitely slanted against current residents and concerned parents. She looses credibility by excluding current school board member, Kyle Boyer’s outburst against parent’s concerns, which were not addressed by the board. (How could she exclude that??)

    It leaves one to wonder how balanced the conversation will be with our kids behind closed doors in classrooms.

  25. Portland schools engaged PEG as consultants. Is the Portland experience the same as what might happen at TESD? The board might want to explain how far they plan to go with the PEG model, what they plan to give up in limited employee time and effort, and how they plan to finance the initiative.

    “PPS’ investment in racial equity work has been deep, and the costs are adding up. Since 2007, PPS has spent $1.2 million on contracts with Pacific Educational Group, plus another $1.2 million in personnel time to cover substitutes during trainings.

    Singleton’s [the founder of PEG] model is RIGID, the SAME at each school district he consults with.

    After the administrators and then teachers are trained, each school has its own equity team, charged with delivering ongoing race-focused training to staff at their site.

    Thirty-four PPS schools have CARE (Collaborative Action Research for Equity) teams of teachers who have brought that work into their classrooms. PPS expects the CARE teams will expand to reach all teachers over time.

    The Care and Equity teams meet with parent groups for two-hour staff trainings each month.

    And the 11 pilot schools have PASS (Partnership for Academically Successful Students) teams, which work with the parents of students of color to advocate for their students.

    PPS invited PASS team parents to attend three-hour equity seminars in October and December; another is being held at the Marshall Campus on Feb. 20.”
    https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/207542-63978-courageous-conversations-parents-say-policy-fails-in-practice

    1. This is an interesting read about PEG and the financial cost to Portland School District. I wonder how much T-E has paid PEG (to date) plus the company was approved in the latest budget. Would it require a right-to-know to know the cost? And as you mention, the additional cost of staff and teachers. Where is that $$ coming from?

  26. No one is trying to blame kids for what happened in the past. What is wrong with our country and its institutions spending some time, energy and capital to try to correct the result of hundreds of years of slavery and the discrimination that continues because of it? Don’t we want change? The students who spoke at the school board meeting were incredibly eloquent and nuanced on this. Many of the students in this excellent district will go on to great places of higher educations and positions of power. Don’t we want them to lead in a way that makes the world a better place?

    1. In the spirit of understanding, Jane, could you please define how, HOW would you like to “try to correct the result of hundreds of years of slavery and the discrimination that continues because of it.”

      I ask this in view of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1862, The Union winning the Civil War, 1865, The Civil Rights Act of 1968, All the anti-discrimination laws we have on the books (Federal, State & Local) and Corporate America’s focus to make sure minorities are represented & hired–you fill out an employment form lately? These are all positive efforts in trying to right a wrong.

      So, I’ll ask again in the spirit of understanding, HOW would you like to “try to correct the result of hundreds of years of slavery and the discrimination that continues because of it.”

      Thank You.

      1. I think everything you cite is part of it. I just think it is a long row to hoe (if that is the correct phrase) and that the more history we understand and more empathy we have for those who experience racism every day, the quicker we can chip away at that racism. It will happen eventually, I have faith, but it is messy and requires many things – making voting fully accessible, providing support to those who need a leg up, really understanding bias within the various systems and trying to break it down, and yes, continuing to talk about it. We have to keep talking about it.

        1. Racism is not one-sided. As I said before, you can’t fight racism with racism. That reality, that racism isn’t one-sided, never seems to make it into the discussion. Courageous conversations must include an honest acknowledgement of and discussion about black racism and oppression of whites.

          1. Barbara says…”Racism is not one-sided.” Would you please explain that a little deeper? What do you mean by that?

            1. It’s simple RL, There is a segment of the black community who are vehemently racist, not only against whites but also against other blacks – for instance, based on the darkness/lightness of their skin. Do you want me to go deeper RL – we can always do that over coffee, if you’d like. We can have a Courageous Conversation!…..

              1. Is that a big problem in our community? Black on Black crime. Is that something your patients are dealing with?
                Are your children complaining about that when they get home?
                Do you have children in the district?

  27. Jane, Thank You for your reply.
    I too have faith that we can “chip away at racism” and it is messy but worth the conversation.
    Regarding your first point, “making voting fully accessible”
    I agree, it’s crucial for every citizen to have access and have their vote count.
    Do you feel you are repressed in voting, say, right here in TE?
    Also, during the past national election, there were reports of mail in voting not being done on the “up & up”. Because of that and other issues, some states tried to make voting more secure, including having voter ID. They were named racist in their actions.
    What would you do in order to “making voting fully accessible”?…and I’ll add, “accessible and secure”.
    Thank You.

  28. I work at my polling place here and I do think mail-in and in-person voting is accessible and secure here and from what I understand in most places. I do think the national conversation about voting rights and history of it around the country is important though, and part of what students should study.
    Thank you for the dialogue. If I check out soon it’s because I am busy with work, etc. I appreciate the opportunity to exchange ideas.

    1. I had several residents send me this Fox article tonight, thanks for providing the link. Although I admit I don’t watch this particular news channel, seeing the latest TE school board meeting make the national news was a surprise. For many parents, they just want to see the equity training curriculum — the nondisclosure between Pacific Educational Group (PEG) and the District just makes the situation difficult to understand and for some, may arouse suspicion. There are many comments following the article, with many citing transparency issues.

    2. The taxpayers paid for the curriculum and the training so they have every right to know what their money went to. The non- disclosure BS is just cover What are they so afraid of us finding out? That it is marxist tactics? pitying one group against another? coercive practices which are psychologically harmful? stereotyping? shaming? teaching children to hate their country- past and present? fear it’s future? being made afraid to have their own thoughts and feelings and expressed them as they will be shamed and excluded for going again the groupthink? You want to traumatize children? – keep this up but don’t be surprised when their suicide rates and drug/alcohol addiction increase. The CCP and Soros are thrilled. The communists America haters are in there glory

      1. Systematic

        You are projecting on to me what you are in fact doing. You call it exaggerated responses. I call your response to CRT hysterical, and anyone who understands your own description of the movie A Clock Work Orange and your comparison of that movie to CRT, will come to the same description of your response…….hysterical. Calling someone’s response to something hysterical, is not name calling. It’s describing an inappropriate response to something you feel (IMO) inappropriately threatened by.

        I agree with you that the Administration should be more transparent with you about the curriculum.

  29. I don’t think there are many that would disagree with the district’s efforts to teach history (including the ugly racist parts) or the districts efforts to eradicate racism. However, many of the destructive elements of CRT can sneak into the work environment via training courses and filter into the classroom under the guise of anti-racism.

    The best description of CRT I’ve found so far is is in the expert testimony of an academic:
    https://noleftturn.us/announcement/expert-redstone-report/

    Besides a good description of CRT, the expert testimony reveals an interesting court case. The teacher and school are accused of teaching CRT as the one and only true doctrine that students must accept. No dissent is allowed.

  30. Barbara,

    The core idea is that racism is a social construct, and that it is not only the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies. It brings to mind the black home owner who replaced herself with a white woman before the appraiser came to value her house. The appraised value was $200,000 more when the appraiser thought the owner was a white woman rather than a black woman.

    There is inherent bias against black people. That is a fact.

    No one calls out the Administration more than me. I go to meetings. Do you? I can confidently say the administration is without question not:

    “”””””That it is marxist tactics? pitying one group against another? coercive practices which are psychologically harmful? stereotyping? shaming? teaching children to hate their country- past and present? fear it’s future? being made afraid to have their own thoughts and feelings and expressed them as they will be shamed and excluded for going again the groupthink? You want to traumatize children? – keep this up but don’t be surprised when their suicide rates and drug/alcohol addiction increase. The CCP and Soros are thrilled. The communists America haters are in there glory”.””””””

    They’re simply trying to raise awareness.

    I think the question is:

    What are you afraid of?

  31. Another Barbara,

    Why do you assume someone is “scared” of something because they have different take on something? I think Barbara has given her opinions and stated her concerns eloquently several times in the above posts. She has spoken about her life experiences that have lead her to what she feels and believes.

    1. my response to another Barbara was not approved which is ok. It’s telling that when a white woman speaks up in anger she is accused of being afraid. It’s a cheap attempt to discount and silence dissenting points and push a Kafka trap.
      of view. What I am is angry. If you have a problem with that find a way to manage your anxiety and stop projecting. I won’t do that dance with you. You want courageous conversations, let’s do it

  32. “They are simply trying to raise awareness”…how do you know for certain? Did you review the PEG documents?

    Let it be clear, there is no fear. There is concern as it relates to what our kids are being taught. Ordinarily, TESD is transparent with the curriculum being taught to our kids. But now TESD hides behind a vendor and their demands. Then, reassures parents that it isn’t a “curriculum”. Then, what is it?

    What is PEG afraid of? Why not disclose what they are teaching our teachers who teach our kids? TESB did NOT represent our children nor parents when they entered into a contract with PEG with a non disclosure agreement. TESB used TAX Dollars–paid by parents & concerned citizens yet, will not fight to gain understanding what our students will be taught? Makes sense? Not at all.

    TESD has been using PEG since 2018. Now, they are ramping up their systemic indoctrination. By hiring an “Equity Chair”, they plan to roll this out into EVERY COURSE–Math, Science, English etc. To every grade. Then, have peer pressure groups to ensure complete indoctrination. Can you say, “Clockwork Orange”.

    As it has been stated, no one is afraid of teaching our kids about injustices that humans have done & continue to do. But when systemic indoctrination is used, questions need to be answered. TESD know exactly what they are doing but will not be transparent with parents.

    Enough talk.
    Action is needed.
    Class Action Law Suit is required.

    1. Systematic indoctrination,

      You are comparing a PEG contract with Clockwork Orange, a dystopian film filled with violent crime. There is NO comparison. You are overstating your point in order to frighten people to support your view. I find your reaction confusing, hysterical and non sensical with no merit or basis in reality.

      Use the PEG contract and what it’s about as a topic of discussion with your children. Ask them what they think about it. See if they share your view. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. I guarantee there’s way more scary things your kids are exposed to in today’s media and world than anything the PEG contract is going to show them.

    2. Brilliant analogy with Clockwork Orange. It has crossed my mind many time as I have been reading the DEI/CRT comprehensive plans, curriculums, and methods employed.

      The curriculums and training are offered by numerous groups but the materials and objectives are sill the same whether it’s in the school system or corporate America –

      Those quick to attack the analogy clearly either have not read the book, seen the movie and have totally missed the point. They also have no familiarity with the methods of DEI and the agenda of those funding it

    1. In a back handed way, you make a good point Dante. Freedom of speech is crucial for a democracy to thrive and it’s citizens to trust and communicate with each other.

      You may want to write to Amazon about Freedom of Speech. Amazon removed the documentary, Created Equal, about the life of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The tech giant claimed they were “amplifying black voices” during Black History Month, yet it deplatformed Created Equal, a two-hour documentary about the life of Justice Thomas.

      You see, Created Equal and Clarence Thomas doesn’t fit the left’s narrative about black people in America. Justice Thomas’ childhood began in the segregated south and yet he went to college, became a lawyer with his career taking him to the highest court in America–as a judge.

      Maybe PEG should be teaching TESD students about Americans like Justice Thomas…what do you think Dante?

      1. Freedom of Speech,

        You say:

        You see, Created Equal and Clarence Thomas doesn’t fit the left’s narrative about black people in America.

        Maybe, but I think Amazon removed the documentary after researching the Anita Hill hearings in 1991 which revealed sexual harassment allegations against Justice Thomas. Justice Thomas has no character and I believe that’s why Amazon removed the documentary. I was around to view the dystopian movie, filled with violent crime, A Clock Work Orange and I was also around to view the Clarence Thomas Anita Hill hearings. If the 1991 hearings were today, Clarence Thomas would certainly not be a Supreme Court Justice. His career would be ruined and possibly his freedom threatened by legal action.

        That’s why Amazon removed the documentary.

        1. To Another Barbara

          HBO, rightly, aired Anita Hill’s story. Why suppress Justice Thomas’ story? Remember, the current president presided, was the chairman of the judiciary committee at the time, 1991.

          More recently, we all witnessed for ourselves what happened during the Judge Cavanagh supreme court hearings. Very similar tactics were used. Coincidence?

          You see, there are two sides of a story. It appears, in your world, only one side gets their voice to be heard. Fortunately most reasonable thinking people are waking up realizing we do not want Corporate America nor social media to practice censorship and ignore the first amendment.

        2. You say “Justice Thomas has no character and I believe that’s why Amazon removed the documentary”.

          First, Justice Thomas is ideologically conservative. He was not convicted of any crime. He was victimized by a progressive lynching – the same tactic used by the left in recent times

          Second, the film depicts Biden, who was chair of the Senate confirmation hearings at the time, in a highly negative light

          Third, Bezos needs the protections of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) of 1996 which also applies to digital platforms, not just social media. Amazon has been involved in litigation which may be headed to SCOTUS. Justice Thomas has stated that lower courts have given too broad an interpretation “of Section 230 giving internet companies “sweeping protections” that were not intended by the statute.” Justice Thomas therefore poses a threat to big tech and digital platforms. By dropping the movie, Amazon can claim that Justice Thomas, assumed damaged by this move, would have a conflict of interest and therefore should recuse himself from any Sec 230 cases where Amazon may be involved.
          Always follow the money, the agenda, and know the players…Same tactics, different day

          1. Barbara,

            Because Justice Thomas wasn’t convicted doesn’t mean he isn’t guilty. Anyone who saw the hearings knows Justice Thomas is guilty of sexually harassing Anita Hill and everyone who saw the hearings knows Justice Thomas has no character and would not be a Supreme Court Justice had those hearings taken place today.

            1. You are correct…no way would Justice Thomas survive those hearings should they have occurred today. That should not be a point of pride, as today the left would have destroyed the addition of a brilliant legal mind to the court for no other reason than him not suiting their selfish purposes.

    2. I support the right for citizens to post anonymously and so does the Supreme Court. Maybe Mr. Coles should take note of the following. The US Supreme Court wrote in their opinion reaffirming the right to anonymous speech in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm’n, 514 U.S. 334 (1995):

      The decision in favor of anonymity may be motivated by fear of economic or official retaliation [for instance, by the administration], by concern about social ostracism [for instance, by Mr. Boyer’s lecture at the recent school board meeting], or merely by a desire to preserve as much of one’s privacy as possible. Whatever the motivation may be, at least in the field of literary endeavor, the interest in having anonymous works enter the marketplace of ideas unquestionably outweighs any public interest in requiring disclosure as a condition of entry. Accordingly, an author’s decision to remain anonymous, like other decisions concerning omissions or additions to the content of a publication, is an aspect of the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment.

      1. Thank you Keith for this comment. Some of the residents who post anonymously on Community Matters do fear retribution — a parent posting on a school district issue may fear retribution for their children (or themselves) from administration or teachers. For an employee (like a teacher) posting a comment could jeopardize their standing with the union, other teachers, administration, etc. Many of these people have contributed greatly to the community discussion on Community Matters over the years and I fully support the right to comment anonymously. That said, all comments are reviewed and are not posted automatically.

  33. To Another Barbara

    Your view of Clockwork Orange is different than mine…no surprise there. Did you ever view the movie or just look up the review?

    To simplify: The main character/robber is “trained/programed” not to be able to rob again. He is then not able to defend himself when he is robbed. Flip it with PEG training—train/program our innocent kids that they are racists, but when racism is turned against them, they can’t defend themselves—

    I’m not using fear tactics, it’s my analogy. What would you call–TESD ramping up their PEG Systemic Indoctrination by hiring an “Equity Chair” and implementing into EVERY COURSE–Math, Science, English etc Into Every Grade and to have Peer Pressure Groups to ensure complete indoctrination. What do you call that? Some may say, Clockwork Orange. (But that’s an analogy, lets stay focused on the main topic)

    Yes, teach our kids about injustices in the past & present. But let parents know the material so WE monitor what is being taught to our children–they’re our kids, not the states. Laws state, there needs to be complete disclosure what is being taught.

    Please know, as parents, we monitor what our kids watch “in today’s scary media” which goes back to my initial post. PEG needs to be transparent & disclose it’s materials so parents know what is being taught to our kids. What are they hiding?

    You can defend PEG all you want, but it is Systemic Indoctrination until PROVEN otherwise–Simply, show us.

    Also, you should know, you over use the word fear. We are educated, motivated to defend our kids from systemic indoctrination, not fearful.

    Enough talk.
    Acton is needed.
    Class Action Law Suit is required.

  34. Systematic,

    Yes, I was young but I saw the movie when it came out. I’m very familiar with what it’s about that’s why I believe your comparison drawn between the two subjects is flawed and based on false reasoning. Readers can decide for themselves.

    I’m not going to respond to you anymore. You’re too angry, hostile and continue to become more hysterical. I don’t understand it. Your extremism confuses me.

    1. Systematic, offered you an articulate, well-reasoned, and thought provoking explanation of the Clockwork Orange analogy. Yet you respond by accusing him/her of being too angry, hostile and, becoming increasingly hysterical. You then characterize his/her statement as “extremism”. Do not confuse your own emotional reactions and extremism by attempting to make them his/hers. This might be a way to restore your equilibrium but doesn’t advance learning or the conversation. Courageous conversations are difficult indeed – for all of us

      1. Barbara

        Like I said, readers can decide for themselves who is hostile, angry, extreme and or hysterical.

        You said yourself that the moderator flagged a comment you tried to post. So what does that say about you?

        1. Oh dear Another Barbara,

          Why don’t you write Pattye and ask her? Not all posts are allowed through and it is up to Pattye to determine what she allows and what she doesn’t. There are many valid reasons for holding posts back. I certainly understand why she may have given pause. Your comment is again, revealing. I have learned it is best not to spit venom or throw mud when you are standing downwind. This will be my last post to you out of respect for others.

          1. Barbara,

            Readers can tell by this post and all your other posts why your comment was flagged. You expose yourself every time you express yourself.

    2. To another Barbara

      I have my views, you have yours.
      But you resort to name calling because you don’t like my point of view and how I present it.
      From your strong reaction, I must have hit a nerve.

      I’m sure TESD”s new Systemic Indoctrination Peer to Peer Group will do the same to our children if they dare have views different than the group.
      Thanks for providing the example.

  35. Systematic,

    Me saying that you’re angry, hostile and becoming more hysterical in your attempt to scare readers to believe your point of view is not me name calling you, it is an observation on the emotional state you allow yourself to get pulled into because you’re so desperate to discredit CRT. you can’t allow yourself to be rational, calm and respectful.

    As I keep saying readers can decide for themselves.

    Thank-you for proving my point.

  36. Another Barbara,

    It’s abundantly clear by your exaggerated responses, I hit a major nerve. Why? In fact, you stated you were not going to respond to my posts any longer.

    Unfortunately, instead of responding and moving the conversation forward, you resort to more name calling, try to discredit me and change the topic.

    Good try.

    But I’m not the topic.

    The education of our kids – that’s the topic!

    1. “Another Barbara” is so typical of the so-called “progressive” left. When pushed into a corner, resort to intimidation, discrediting and bullying. Kinda looks like what we are seeing on the SB and elsewhere in society right now…

      1. Yo,

        Your feeble attempt to dodge responsibility for your own bullying, intimidation and discrediting by accusing me of what you do does not work.

    1. Barbara,

      Charlie Kirk? Really? Voddie Baucham?

      Baucham’s new book on the subject, Fault Lines, is subtitled, “The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe.” Catastrophe? Really? This inflammatory rhetoric is a tactic to make Christians fearful in order to sell books. Are we really to believe that if we allow for the gospel to include social justice it will cause devastation to the faith? Remember that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:7).

      Another highly-read article on CRT appeared on The Gospel Coalition website in 2019. In an article titled, “The Incompatibility of Critical Theory and Christianity,” Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer offer several points, which I bullet point here. I’m often struck by how few people have skipped over their first two points because they don’t fit the narratives they want to believe.

      Not everything that critical theory affirms is false. Like almost any discipline, there are areas in which Christians should agree with critical theory.
      The notion of hegemonic power is also legitimate…as the culture imbibes norms and values promoted by dominant institutions.
      Critical theory functions as a worldview. Christianity provides us with an overarching metanarrative that runs from creation to redemption…through the atoning work of Jesus… In contrast, critical theory is associated with a metanarrative that runs from oppression to liberation: We are members either of a dominant group or of a marginalized group… As such, we either need to divest ourselves of power and seek to liberate others, or we need to acquire power and liberate ourselves by dismantling all structures and institutions that subjugate and oppress. In critical theory, the greatest sin is oppression, and the greatest virtue is the pursuit of liberation.
      Because critical theory understands all relationships in terms of power dynamics, it can’t be confined to a single issue such as class, or race, or gender. Consistency will push us to apply this framework to other areas. Critical theorists classify racism, sexism, capitalism, heteronormativity, cisgender privilege, and Christian privilege as forms of oppression. In all these cases, a dominant group has imposed its values on a subordinate group.
      Critical theory claims that members of oppressed groups have special access to truth because of their ‘lived experience’ of oppression. Such insight is unavailable to members of oppressor groups, who are blinded by their privilege.

  37. A couple of days ago, Linda Stein wrote an article in Delaware Valley Journal about the last school board meeting, the headline and first paragraph caught my attention.

    T/E School Board Member to Parents: Our Use of CRT Isn’t The Problem, You Are

    Tredyffrin/Easttown School Board Member Kyle Boyer acknowledged the school system uses elements of the controversial Critical Race Theory in classrooms, but he told the audience at a recent school board meeting that CRT isn’t the problem. The parents who oppose it are. …

    https://delawarevalleyjournal.com/t-e-school-board-member-to-parents-our-use-of-crt-isnt-the-problem-you-are/

  38. Thank you TE parent for posting the article. It could have been titled many ways –

    KYLE BOYER MAKES STUNNING CONFESSION……Confirms TE school district parents were right to be alarmed about CRT and seeds of communism being taught in our public schools.

    It is the public school’s job to teach academic and critical thinking skills, not indoctrinate with political ideologies and social engineering – Teach, not preach.
    By the time the public schools are finished with our children, they will be unemployable – maybe that is the objective.

    I also understand that that TE SD is also bringing in materials from the Howard Zinn Education Project – yes the communist, anti-American Howard Zinn.

    School Choice or homeschooling

    1. Some more educational summer reading for TE parents on CRT…

      From today’s WSJ Opinion–
      Critical Race Theory Is a Hustle

      It may resemble a serious academic discipline, but it’s really just a fancy argument for racial preferences.

      By Jason L. Riley
      July 13, 2021 6:19 pm ET

      A majority of American fourth- and eighth-graders can’t read or do math at grade level, according to the Education Department. And that assessment is from 2019, before the learning losses from pandemic school closures.

      Whenever someone asks me about critical race theory, that statistic comes to mind. What’s the priority, teaching math and reading, or turning elementary schools into social-justice boot camps? (Instead of trying to change the ENTIRE Curriculum of the Main Line Schools from LM, Radnor, TE etc, why aren’t the people behind CRT trying to help the underprivileged children improve their reading, writing, math etc? It’s a fair question)

      Given that black and Hispanic students are more likely to be lagging academically, it’s a question that anyone professing to care deeply about social inequality might consider. Learning gaps manifest themselves in all kinds of ways later in life, from unemployment rates and income levels to the likelihood of teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and involvement with the criminal-justice system. Our jails and prisons already have too many woke illiterates.

      Wealthier parents will make sure their kids receive a decent education, even if it means using private schools or hiring tutors. But the majority of children are relegated to the traditional public-school system, where progressives now want to prioritize the teaching of critical race theory. In addition to being a horrible idea, the timing couldn’t be worse. As the country rapidly diversifies—for more than a decade, U.S. population growth has been driven primarily by Asians and Hispanics—liberals want to teach children to obsess over racial and ethnic differences. What could go wrong?

      Recently, the nation’s two largest teachers’ unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, announced that they had jumped on the bandwagon. At its annual meeting earlier this month, the NEA adopted a proposal stating that it is “reasonable and appropriate for curriculum to be informed by academic frameworks for understanding and interpreting the impact of the past on current society, including critical race theory.” More, the organization pledged to “fight back against anti-CRT rhetoric” and issue a study that “critiques empire, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, anti-Indigeneity, racism, patriarchy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, ableism, anthropocentrism, and other forms of power and oppression at the intersections of our society.” There was no proposal vowing to improve math and reading test scores, alas.

      Meanwhile, the NEA’s sister outfit, the American Federation of Teachers, has joined forces with Ibram X. Kendi, an activist-scholar who openly embraces racial discrimination against whites. “The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination,” Mr. Kendi asserted in “How to Be an Anti-Racist.” Sadly, that sort of circular drivel is what passes for deep thinking on race today. Mr. Kendi spoke at an AFT conference last week, and the union announced that it will donate copies of his writings to schools, AFT members, educators and youth mentors.

      Critical-race ideology is also entering the classroom via the New York Times “1619 Project,” which claims that the Revolutionary War was fought to preserve slavery and earned its creator, Nikole Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer Prize. In a forthcoming book, “Woke Racism,” the humanities professor John McWhorter argues that proponents like Mr. Kendi and Ms. Hannah-Jones have mostly been given a pass because they’re racial minorities, they’re on the left, and criticizing them is politically incorrect.

      “On the issue of the Revolutionary War, Hannah-Jones’s claim is simply false, but our current cultural etiquette requires pretending that isn’t true—because she’s black,” Mr. McWhorter writes. “Someone has received a Pulitzer Prize for a mistaken interpretation of historical documents about which legions of actual scholars are expert. Meanwhile, the claim is being broadcast, unquestioned, in educational materials being distributed across the nation.”

      Mr. McWhorter is right to point out the racial double standards at work in elevating shoddy pseudoscholarship. He’s also correct in noting the general cowardice of his colleagues in the academy. There is no shortage of books about slavery or America’s founding, and none of them have been written by Ms. Hannah-Jones. To what, other than her race and politics, does she owe all this deference?

      And while Mr. Kendi is using trendier language—“antiracism,” “implicit bias,” etc.—critical race theory amounts to little more than a fancy argument for affirmative action, and always has. The theory comes out of the legal academy, and early proponents argued that race, ethnicity and gender should be used as academic credentials in hiring and promoting professors. It’s less a serious academic discipline than a hustle. It posits that racial inequality today is the sole fault of whites and the sole responsibility of whites to solve—through racial preferences for blacks. It’s employed by elites primarily for the benefit of elites, though in the name of helping the underprivileged. Ultimately, it’s about blaming your problems on other people—based on their race—which might be the last thing we should be teaching our children.

  39. For those interested, I have found a bunch of documents that provide insight into the Pacific Educational Group training and business operations. It’s a random group of documents found on various school and district websites around the nation.

    Shoot me an email at kefxb24@yahoo.com if you would like a zip file containing what I found.

    1. To-kefxb24
      So, how did your phishing expedition go?
      You catch any phish?

      Still waiting for you to post your PEG findings.
      That is, if you have any findings.

  40. Thanks, but in this day & age of anonymous posts, I don’t know too many people who will take you up on your offer.

    Here’s an idea–why not post the information here–maybe one a day. It would be informative.

    By the way, you did hear there is a lawsuit against TESD to provide information as it relates to PEG. It includes a freedom of information request from TESD on PEG’s material etc.

    Unfortunately, this TESB & Admin only respond when they are forced to do so. After all, they don’t have to pay for the lawyer’s fees, we do.

  41. Hello, All. New here. My ethnicity nor race matters much. I keep reading that people felt disrespected and attacked by the way Mr. Boyer presented himself at the school board meeting that took place, but please understand that disrespect is not the emotion or vibe that was being communicated. His tone is simply a tone of passion. It is a powerful voice that was shared with much conviction.

    Individuals may feel threatened by the strength behind the words spoken, but the words needed to be said and needed to be said with the emotion contained within the statement.

    Please try to differentiate between disrespect and depths of emotion when speaking about how passionate people deliver and share the truths of their personal and professional experiences.

    Thank you.

  42. The video speaks for itself.

    When you have people more concerned defending & explaining a school board member’s rant against concerned parents, taking the focus from the real topic, the curriculum being taught in our schools to our children, that is a real problem and disconcerting.

    Don’t you find it ironic, parents who “share the truths of their personal & professional experiences” and have the same “passion” for expressing their views & defending their children from CRT, are given labels from the same school board member you defend? And the labels are not complimentary.

    Curriculum is the topic and remains the topic. Critical Race Theory, CRT, is being pushed into TESD schools by people using their political muscle.

    Why is CRT being pushed into TESD? Why change the ENTIRE curriculum from Grades K-12? How will CRT change the curriculum for our students? Honest questions, yet we are essentially told to sit down & shut up.

    TESD is a public school and receives tax dollars. TESD must be accountable and transparent even if some think otherwise.

    1. The issue that should concern all taxpayers in the district is that our children are no longer being educated. They are being indoctrinated with racist and communist propaganda. This is misuse of public money. It is criminal. Parents, please consider alternative learning environments for your children. Taxpayers will seek resolution through legal channels

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