At the Manitowoc Public School District’s routine board meeting last Tuesday night, some families were not thrilled with the passing of the new “Controversial Issues in the Classroom” guidelines.
The guideline states that discussion of said “controversial issues” must only take place when warranted in-class curriculum and should not cause “a substantial disruption in the school environment”.
The main argument point was that the parents of the students are the primary educators.
Vice President Matthew Spaulding argued that MPSD staff do not have the authority to present their beliefs in the classroom and that it should be solely left up to the parents/guardians.
He stated, “As a parent of an MPSD student, I 100% agree that I play the primary role in my child’s education.”
This led to disagreement by board member Paul “Biff” Hansen who argued that not every child has a parent figure at home, and they need and deserve to have the same education.
“Sometimes those kids need somebody at school to be there for them because there’s nobody at home that cares. What do we do for those kids?” he asked the board.
Multiple citizen speeches were made in opposition to the proposal, as well as in support of the passing of it.
Collin Braunel spoke of his frustration with schools taking away parents’ ability to share their beliefs with their children.
He said that “Fighting to keep the propaganda out of schools and allow parents to instill the beliefs of their forefathers is the right of every parent and it should not be challenged.”
Special Education Paraprofessional Sara Sladky read a letter on behalf of a Lincoln High School Student who had concerns over the proposition of the new guidelines and the impact it would have on their club: the Gay-Straight Alliance.
The letter read, in part, “Because that’s exactly what we wanted it to be: a club with the ultimate goal of it being a safe place for anyone and everyone, no matter their race, gender, or sexual identity, or any other factors.”
The motion passed by the majority voting for it, but board members Kerry Trask and Biff Hansen opposed it.
You can view the full meeting on the MPSD Board of Education YouTube Channel.
