Carroll school district fine-tuning plan to address racial, cultural bias
After almost five hours of discussion on a diversity plan two years in the making, Carroll school trustees voted 5-2 Monday to receive the plan and authorize administrators to hold workshops to gather more input from the community.
Over 100 people spoke for and against the Cultural Competence Action Plan during the virtual meeting.
Some in the audience said moving forward with implementing the plan was crucial to help heal years of racial tension for students of color and bias against the LGBTQ community. Others questioned the plan, saying it went against Christian values that children were learning at home and how the issue of “microaggressions” was going to be addressed.
“It’s demoralizing to observe the amount of opposition in our community to change,” said Anika Shah, who helped organize the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition.
Kelsea Gordon, who also spoke in favor of the plan, said parents don’t know how to teach their children about racism.
“We live in a predominantly white community. We are protecting a toxic culture allowing people of color and the LGBTQ community feel that they don’t belong,” Gordon said.
But others in the audience felt that there was too much “over-reach” and that the plan did not allow children to learn “Christian values.”
Jonathan Covey, policy director for the Texas Values Coalition, said the plan will create an environment where students are pitted against one another and it will also impact Christian students. “From a parent’s point of view, this is not what many parents want for their children. This plan emphasizes LGBTQ issues particularly,” he said.
The district’s diversity council wrote the five-year cultural competency plan which outlined strategies to bring about changes in the district to deal with racism, gender bias and other concerns after two videos surfaced showing Carroll High School students chanting the n-word.
While the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition called for the school board to approve the plan, a petition on the website southlakefamilies.org called for a six-month delay to allow parents time to read the document.
According to posts on the site, the district is being taken over by liberal activists, and parents should have a chance to review costs and other factors. If approved, the plan is expected to cost $425,000 for the first year for expenses including speakers, audits and stipends and $250,000 per year after that.
Eric Ransom, co-chair of the District Diversity Council, pleaded with board members to forget about politics and to focus on being human. “We are a community that should be united and not divided,” he said.
“Think back to the day when the video came out. Do you remember the shame that came out that a child screamed racial slurs? Time just helps those looking to forget their actions,” Ransom said.
But several trustees said they did not believe that they or the community had ample time to study and discuss the 34-page document.
“If we don’t take action tonight, what are we saying to our kids and parents who have come to us over the years over and over,” said board president Michelle Moore.
“I have an obligation as a trustee to our students. I have spent a lot of hours committed to this district and if our kids are coming to us and sharing these stories we are not a best in class district, that’s my personal opinion,” Moore said.
But trustee Eric Lannen said the community needs more time to talk about the plan and to address the recommendations.
“This plan arrived July 23. I wasn’t on the district diversity council…” Lannen said.
“We used our in-house attorney (to look at the language). Did we get a second opinion?” he said.
This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 5:15 AM.