Posts by Mark Spooner
Saga of the “Controversial Issues Policy” — Part 1
The Fairfax County School Board has had a Controversial Issues Policy for many years. It requires teachers to be objective and nonpartisan if controversial issues arise in their classrooms. The text of the Policy is HERE. It seems sensible to have such a policy; right? Otherwise, our schools could be a means by which those…
Read MoreUpdate on Suit Against Fairfax Schools re Kendi Videotape
As previously reported, we filed suit against the Fairfax County school system on January 13, 2022, challenging its refusal to give us a copy of a videotape of a presentation by Critical Race Theory guru Ibram X. Kendi. See “Fairfax Schools Monitor Sues Fairfax Schools,” Jan. 13, 2022. The presentation, for which…
Read MoreSchool Board Meeting — March 10
Last night’s meeting of the Fairfax County School Board was noteworthy in that most of the speakers during the Community Participation segment, as well as most others in the audience, were critics of School Board policies and actions. This isn’t always the case. Activists on the left often make their presence felt to a greater…
Read MoreCourt Nixes School Board’s “Social Justice” Admissions Policy
Introduction The Fairfax County School Board implemented a new admissions policy last year for the elite Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (“TJ”), designed to increase the percentage of African American and Hispanic students in the school at the expense of Asian Americans. Yesterday, the federal district court in Alexandria struck down…
Read MoreIf It Can Happen in San Fran ….
The citizens of San Francisco overwhelming voted this week to throw three members of the local school board out of office. Only three of the seven members were eligible for recall. All three were ousted by more than 70 percent of the voters. The San Francisco School Board incurred the wrath of parents and other…
Read MoreFairfax School Board Defends Race-Centric Curriculum — Continued
Introduction The most recent post on this site reported on speeches by members of the Fairfax County School Board in defense of their new social studies curriculum, which focuses relentlessly on issues of race, power, bias and identity. See “Fairfax School Board Defends Race-Centric Curriculum,” February 12, 2022. This post analyzes and critiques the comments of the…
Read MoreFairfax School Board Defends Race-Centric Curriculum
Introduction Recent posts on this site have outlined the process by which the Fairfax County School Board has reshaped the curriculum for social studies courses to focus on issues of “privilege,” “equity,” “power” and “bias.” See “Development of New ‘Anti-Racism’ Curriculum in Fairfax County,” Jan. 16, 2022; “Fairfax County’s Race Centric Curriculum for U.S. History,” Jan. 21, 2022.…
Read MoreVirginia Senate Rejects School Board Power Play
Yesterday’s news from the Virginia Senate was extraordinary. Half the Democrats joined with all the Republicans to reject the latest power play by Northern Virginia School Boards. The Senate voted 29-9 to allow parents to opt out of local mask mandates for students in public schools. The House of Delegates will almost surely endorse this…
Read MoreExcellent Video on Critical Race Theory
Attached is a video that summarizes the origins, teaching, and objectives of Critical Race Theory (“CRT”). It was prepared by a prominent CRT opponent, Christopher Rufo. It is well worth the time required to watch it (17;45). The video confirms and reinforces several prior posts on this website, which have shown that the Fairfax County…
Read MoreVirginia Senate Committee Kills Youngkin Education Bill
Introduction Glenn Youngkin, Virginia’s Governor for only a few weeks, has attempted to make education reform a top priority, but the Democrat controlled Virginia Senate is united in opposition. On Thursday, February 3, a Senate Committee killed a key Youngkin proposal relating to Critical Race Theory. Youngkin was elected in November 2021 after an education-focused…
Read More