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Dear Editor:
Recently, Hamilton Southeastern Schools Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Stokes has alleged that misinformation about the HSE school district has been presented (ostensibly by Fishers One) during the current HSE school board race that is in full swing. It is both disappointing and puzzling that Dr. Stokes could assert such a distorted falsehood against the slate of four candidates, backed by Fishers One, when these candidates may be her bosses one day. Publicly criticizing your potential bosses hardly seems like a wise career move.
Fishers One is a grassroots community organization with the goal of restoring academic excellence in the Hamilton Southeastern Schools.
Actually, to the chagrin and displeasure of the parents, and the entire HSE community, it has been Dr. Stokes, and certain school board members, who have been the authors of misinformation.
Time and again, the Board Members who voted to hire Dr. Stokes have deceived and outraged a community of parents and patrons to the point that all trust in HSE Schools has been lost.
Transparency and parental rights, two of the tenets of the candidates supported by Fishers One, have become major casualties of the current HSE Administration and the School Board. Fishers One has actually shined a “light of truth” on the policies and actions of the Administration and the Board, who have operated and made decisions based on “vagaries” and a lack of solid data. Allow me to be more specific.
Microaggression
When the addition of the Microaggression language was being proposed to the student handbook, the Administration’s presenter assured the Board and the community that “a rigorous review process which includes considerations from feedback of our students, our teachers, staff, Board Members as well, and our Administration,” had been conducted. Where do they say that parents were consulted about this major policy addition? During my three-term stint on the HSE school board beginning in the late 1980s, the Board always brought the parents into any major or controversial decisions. Where was the Board’s and the Administration’s transparency on the microaggression discussions?
Social justice
Upon Dr. Stokes’ hiring by the Board in April 2021, Dr. Stokes was quoted as saying, “Please don’t fret about academic excellence. We’re here to make sure that our students have academic excellence. I will make sure that continues to happen.” However, hers and the Board’s actions belie that statement. Dr. Stokes, on a HSE posting on HSESchools.org, states the following:
“Our children thrive in our schools when they understand their value, know they are loved and supported and are inspired to excel in all facets of their lives. Transforming learning and life outcomes for students through education, equity, and excellence requires an all-hands-on-deck approach by ALL of us.”
This statement does not really express the goals of academic excellence, but hints at a social justice agenda. Upon leaving her post as Assistant Superintendent at Munster Schools, The Crier newspaper in its May 11, 2021 edition pointed to Dr. Stokes’ greatest achievements, in her own words, of working with “underserved populations – black and brown students (and) non-English speaking students.” Furthermore, her experience at Munster Schools “impacted her greatly” as their district had “courageous and difficult conversations about race and equity.”
It seems that Dr. Stokes’ career background and passion has focused on social justice issues rather than academic excellence. Was social justice the real basis on which five board members voted to hire Dr. Stokes rather than academic excellence?
This appears to be another case of lack of transparency.
Should the monies paid to a Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer and the more than 90 part-time equity counselors have been better spent on academic programs?
Academics
Regardless of what the HSE administration and school board say, academic scores and ratings within the district have tumbled. In 2006, HSE Schools was in the top five in the State of Indiana’s public-school districts, according to ISTEP scores published by the IDOE. During my time on the Board during the 1980s and 1990s, the four top school corporations in the state were Carmel, HSE, West Lafayette, and Zionsville. Year in and year out, these school corporations competed for the top spot, the positions changing from one year to the next.
During that time, HSE Schools was the fastest growing school corporation in the state. Despite this tremendous growth, HSE still held one of these top spots. This unparalleled growth was created by parents who wanted to move to the HSE district because the schools were top-notch and the community was family-friendly.
Today, HSE’s growth has flattened, while HSE’s academic rankings have fallen. More and more families are moving their children to private schools – away from HSE. Also, according to the Indiana Department of Education statistics, HSE ranks number 16. The HSE Board and Administration brag about how NICHE, a school rating organization, has ranked HSE at number 6. It is doubtful that NICHE, a nation-wide organization that ranks K-12 schools, colleges, etc., has better statistics than Indiana DOE. Nevertheless, a dubious sixth-place ranking, if it is accurate, is a drop from the previous top four.
Curiously, HSE has chosen to compare itself, academically, with school corporations of similar student populations like Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, and the like, rather than competing with the best academic school districts.
Again, HSE Schools, led by the Board and the Administration, has offered up lack of clarity and deception to the community, rather than focusing on improving academic performance.
Gender identity
As disturbing as a lack of trying to achieve academic excellence is, the secretive way HSE Schools deals with gender identity, sexuality in children, and pronouns is abhorrent.
Gender Support Plans are developed by HSE-hired counselors for students who express a desire, or are coerced, to transition to the opposite sex. In this counseling, a child may acquire a new name and new descriptive pronouns to be used in school, and this information may not be communicated to the parents. These seven hired social workers, scattered across six HSE campuses, are tasked with running “Student Support Groups” related to General Expressions/ LGBTQ+.
Secrecy, not transparency, is at the heart of this gender identity agenda. Could not the monies allocated to these seven social workers have been better spent on academics when gender identity really falls under the purview of parents, not the schools?
HSE Schools needs a change in the school board for the parents and the community to regain trust and for education in the Fishers community to return to the excellence it once enjoyed.
Candidates Pascoe, Albright, Lang, and Orr need to be elected on Nov. 8.
Tom Curry
Former HSE School Board Member
I absolutely 100% agree. I have a special needs child in the HSE school system who was treated extremely poorly, neglected and eventually kicked out of school. Not one person in the school or the admin were willing to help us or our child in solving any problems. It was more of a not my circus not my monkey response from HSE. It was only AFTER we hired a lawyer and proceeded with due process that we found out certain admin personnel in charge of the special needs programs for HSE hired a third party psychologist to come in and evaluate our child without our knowledge or consent to see if he had the conditions ALREADY diagnosed by his real doctors.
We reached out to Dr. Stokes about these constant issues multiple time with no response still, to this day.
HSE needs a new Superintendent and a new Head of Special Needs Director. Maybe a couple people who are not willing to break the law just to get their way and hopefully ones who actually care about the students and their academic success, rather than secrecy to protect themselves.
I also agree. I carpooled 3 kids that left the district last year and you can’t tell me that all 3 “all of a sudden” felt like they were bisexual. These kids were all bullied and easily manipulated. They felt a need to find a place to fit in and this agenda, that is so protected and discussed so fluidly, is the first thing that caught and got anyone and everyone’s attention!
I respectfully disagree, Tom.
1) We used to be one of the smaller schools. Now we are bigger than any of the schools that have passed us. Being biggest has a whole set of problems.
2) We have a lot more parents now that do not value education. In the 1980’s, few parents questioned a teacher’s authority. Not anymore. Perhaps Zionsville and Brownsburg (or anyone else that ranks above us) parents aren’t that way? That I don’t know.
3) When I started, all teachers wanted to be at HSE. Now some are leaving “where parents respect them.” That was unheard of at one time. I’m afraid these new four board members will drive more good teachers away. At least that’s what I’m hearing. They are too political for a nonpartisan job?
4) There’s a lot of talk about indoctrination. I don’t know why because it’s not happening. And that’s one of the other reasons I can’t support these four. They are talking about getting rid of something not happening. Can they give examples where they think it happened? Has anyone even looked at the SEL lessons? I have. With thousands of teachers, I’m sure people can come up with a few examples of things teachers shouldn’t have said. But don’t put all teachers and a whole school system in that category. So are parents thinking teachers are, for example, talking kids into being gay? That’s not possible. I can pick out the gay kids in a preschool class! They don’t get talked into being gay!!! So why so many gays all of a sudden? Because we have made wonderful strides in allowing them to “come out.” We had just as many gay kids in the 1980’s. But they were too scared to tell anyone. Leading to suicidal thoughts, inability to learn, etc. Why is everyone so afraid of them?
Now let’s talk minority kids. I was very popular with the high school black kids. So they told me things they didn’t tell other people. I heard from many of them that they felt out of place at HSE. Why should any kid feel like that? I could count the black kids on one hand when I started. So now that we have more, shouldn’t we make them feel wanted? Perhaps our scores are down because as black kids come to HSE, many looked down on them. And that makes learning very hard. Hmmm. Correlation? I have actually heard people from Fishers say, “I bet the scores are dropping because of all the blacks!” How can a kid learn in a community where there is such prejudice? And do you remember when one of our bock teachers was at a Fishers gas station and was called the N word and told to get out of the city?
5) Back to basics? We have always been about basics. Ask our college students who are succeeding without difficulty. One class a week discussing feelings or whatever is state law. And what is wrong with that anyway? What’s wrong in pointing out to a bully how they make another person feel? I was a bully in school. Maybe a lesson or two about what I was doing might have made me be better?
I don’t know. I’m afraid of these four board members running on a political agenda. I know two of them personally, and I like them. But I don’t want politics on the school board. I just want candidates that care about ALL kids.
Natalie Stoner
Natalie,
You wrote, “They are talking about getting rid of something not happening.”
If that is true, then what is your concern? How can anything be removed that does not exist and why does it preoccupy you and the other leftists in this community?
You and your cohorts argue the “Fishers One” endorsed candidates have a political agenda. What is the agenda? To think they want to turn our school system into a Republican manufacturing machine or something?
This is what the Fishers One website reads on it’s front page:
“Fishers One is a grassroots, community-based organization dedicated to keeping people informed while restoring academic excellence in our schools, holding elected officials accountable, maintaining Fishers as a great place to live, and cultivating the next generation of leaders.”
You disagree with that statement? Which of those goals offends your sensibilities?
There is no secret agenda here, Natalie. It’s open and transparent. The community thinks our current school board has become distracted with a political agenda of their own. The current school board and administration has lost focus on academics (as evidenced by HSES’ drop in ranking fro #4 in the state to #16 in the state) while spending valuable time and resources worrying about microaggression policies, SEL, DEI, an unhealthy obsession with ensuring young children can checkout sexually explicit books in school (and public) libraries, and other matters not focused on academics. In addition to that, HSES kept our schools closed longer than any other Hamilton County school system in 2020, which we all knew then, and data proves now, has had severe academic, emotional, and financial damage to our community.
You and those on the left suggest we have a teacher shortage, because of the threat of having community standards? Perhaps we have a teacher shortage because of the LACK of community standards. Maybe teachers don’t want to work for HSES because our school system has dropped from a consistent top 5 school system in the state to a 16 to 22 ranking in the state (depending on the year). Maybe teachers are tired of working next to radical, leftist teachers who push political agendas over academics?
Finally, of course, you casually toss out the “racist” card. Typical of liberals. Everyone who disagrees with your opinions are racist. Homophobes. Sexists. You liberals use those words to try and cancel the discussion with everyone who disagrees with you, but you are the one who mentions “gay” (5 times). Not Mr. Curry. You are the one brings up “race” — not Mr. Curry.
1) “talking about getting rid of something not happening.” Your candidates are talking about getting back to basics. Ridiculous. We were always about basics. Every time I read that, I cringe.
2) They also think CRT, a college class, is being taught. Lies. My concern? That their agenda is to make people think these things are happening and they are going to come in and make it better.
3) Do you even know why our schools were closed during Covid so much? After a former teacher died, and then a present teacher at the high school (and his son), our teachers were freaked out about coming back. We’re they wrong to be freaked out? I don’t know. I don’t work for the Dept of Health. But nevertheless, they didn’t want to come back. Can’t have school with each school needing 10 subs that didn’t exist. Perhaps it sucked that teachers were scared, but you can’t run a building without teachers.
4) Ben Yoder didn’t get asked to leave ISTA. So you see, you are misinformed. I know that for a fact. He’s a friend of mine. Makes me wonder how many lies you believe.
5) you again, as everyone else on Facebook, mention Yoder and that one teacher. We have over 2000 teachers. Funny how we only hear about two of them.
6) And what about these two teachers? The board has NO SAY over which teachers get fired. Ben Orr has stated he knows of six teachers he wants to fire. How does he even think a board member has that power?
7) the last teacher I talked to that left HSE to teachers elsewhere. Why? “She didn’t like how the parents treated the teachers during the pandemic.”
Why are the others leaving? You say because of a drop un some stupid rank? OMG. No teacher gives a shit about any rank. We do our best. That’s it.
8) I’m not a liberal. Voted Republican more times than democrat in my life. So you are wrong again.
9) Me? I only care about kids. I’m not pulling any race card. I just stated what black kids have said to me.
But you know something I believe with all of my heart? Even though it’s never been said? The Four candidates and those that support them wish this:
1) that HSE was still all white
2) that gay kids would keep their mouth shut
3) that transgender kids are mentally ill
4) back to basics means let’s get back to the white, non-gay community we were 25 years ago.
I cannot support that mentality. Our demographics have changed, and we need to support all kids.
I won’t respond anymore. I’m done. You can’t change people. But I’m hoping that anyone that knew me as a teacher knows that my only focus has always been the kids. All of them. And I don’t think these four candidates are the best for all kids. Period. Signing off and hoping what’s best for kids happens.
Shame on you! I have read your comments and do understand that people have different perspectives on the issues but your categorical statement that:
”The Four candidates and those that support them wish this:
1) that HSE was still all white
2) that gay kids would keep their mouth shut
3) that transgender kids are mentally ill
4) back to basics means let’s get back to the white, non-gay community we were 25 years ago.”
Followed by:
“I know two of them personally, and I like them”
So you personally KNOW 2 of the 4 candidates that you CAN’T support and “like them” but think that they are racist homophobes that hate transgender kids and think that “back to basics” is a dog whistle for agenda to support that ideology? Honestly I think this speaks more to your lack of character than denigrates theirs.
Dawn Lang, my wife, is a candidate that you are disparaging with your libel/slander and I will have NONE of it. I have never met a more caring individual that genuinely is concerned about the well-being, both physical and mental, of others. She regularly makes extra efforts in EVERYTHING that she does to insure that those she comes in contact with is treated with due care and respect. Her professional career (both current and past) focuses on education and how to maximize those learning opportunities to help students/young adults be the most successful that they can in their chosen vocations. She is helping educational institutions and employers understand that there isn’t just one way to build that success and that each student/young adult has their own individual pathway and to merge those pathways with opportunities for success.
Your broad brush attack on her and “those that support” her is unfounded and malicious. She would never call you out for your outlandish statement and claim because she has too much respect for you but I am sure she is personally hurt by your comments.
I, on the other hand, have no such restriction nor limitation following your comments here and elsewhere in calling you out on your crap (politely as I can on this forum). To publicly assert that she is racist and homophobe is beyond the pale. The only saving grace is that you look foolish and transparently jaded as EVERYONE (including the existing board members that you seek to defend) that personally knows her also knows your claim is full of crap. Quite frankly I am saddened that my once favorable view of you has been marred by your latest public tantrums.
Your public praise of the current board and prior administration fails scrutiny as we ALL attended your “retirement” party in which you loudly, publicly and unabashedly BASHED AND INSULTED the board, prior superintendent and administration as you unceremoniously quit half way through the year because your were “tired of their BS”. I was there. I heard it.
I hope that my older two don’t read your insulting statements about their mother. My wife took a personal interest in your efforts to treat your husband before he died of cancer…reaching out to her contacts to put you in contact with the best radiation oncologist in this hemisphere. My older son, you know the one raised by the racist homophobe, voluntarily helped you move before your husband’s death…seems she did a good job raising him.
Shame on you.
We have often remarked to others how much we respected our kid’s (older two) experience with you and lamented the fact that our youngest would not have that opportunity. Seems like you left at the right time.
You owe her an apology and if you had any self-respect you would offer it…PUBLICALLY… but for you to save face I’m sure she would accept it privately.
I didn’t call anyone a homophobe or racist. I simply stated that the four candidates would be thrilled if things were like they used to be 25 years ago when we were rated higher. I feel that their “back to basics” platform is all about being the school we were when none of these things existed. Hence, the word ”back.” I am insulted that anyone says that I didn’t care about education and I indoctrinated kids. This group running makes it sound like that’s what most teachers at HSE are doing. And that is what has set me off on their platform. This lumping is as teaching kids to feel bad that they are white (or whatever else they say) is maddening. Comments I’ve read on Fishers One are hurtful and untrue. They keep referring to two teachers that are left wing as if that’s a norm at HSE. It is not!
And the reason I said I liked you two is because I do. And thanks again for helping me when Larry was dying. I just dislike your politics. No. I hate your politics. That Fishers One group has said so many hurtful things, and I know they back the four candidates. I suppose if I didn’t read Facebook, I wouldn’t be so mad.
If I hurt Dawn, I’m sorry. There. My public apology. But I still can’t support this group’s motives. The last straw with this group was when Orr said he had six teachers he wanted fired. Who does he think he is? That kind of talk is scary from a board member (even though he has no power to do so).
As far as bashing the administration, those I bashed are gone. The principal that pushed me over the edge was fired right after I left. I didn’t like him or the last superintendent. But they are gone. I’ve always liked the board we have now (well most of them). And I think they are focused on all kids.
I wasn’t going to respond any more but if I hurt Dawn, I did want her to know I’m sorry. Bottom line is I’m tired of the bashing of what I think is a fantastic school system. I was proud to be a teacher at HSE. And there is no place for politics on the board.
And then I see the comment on this website that I’m endorsing the four Fishers One candidates? Omg. Dirty politics once again.
Rank may have went down but the test scores went up shouldn’t that be the point higher test scores not ranking and kids are more than tests scores. Also these candidates site is promoting are not local grad roots when Free to Learn a national org is sending out school board texts promoting candidates in several school districts
I am happy to see the four candidates support police and hopefully there will be an end to teachers hanging defund the police posters in their classrooms!!! I Believe it is an absolute slap in the face for the Fishers Police Department to work in our school system in the buildings looking at these posters hung in classrooms. If the schools are going to support this freedom of speech then Fishers Police Department should not work in the schools.. let’s see how long that lasts with school scares these days. How can the schools allow this and expect these Cops to come to work everyday and feel supported in the schools.. yet they still do as it’s their job..talk about a double standard! Our kids were out of school way to long during Covid and then the restrictions that lasted so long! The students are not on the high risk category yet we continued to stay out of school and mandate masks for so long! The final kicker was those that were vax could stay in school and those non vax had to quarantine if around a student who tested positive ! You do realize even if u are vax u can still spread Covid yet we continued to quarantine the non vax.. I am a healthcare worker.. nurses still reported to work daily and you didn’t see them dying at high rates. I get it it was scary for many a lot of ppl lost their family members but the school kids were not the high risk category. I will be supporting the 4 candidates as are all who can vote in my family! It’s time for this school system to turn around!
And I know they are just repeating the headline. But look at it. Makes it sounds like I’m endorsing. Unreal. I’m done with this website for life.
I cannot in good conscience vote for candidates who are pro-school choice to be on a public school board. A pro-school choice candidate means that the person is on board with diverting public school funding to private and parochial schools through vouchers. Anyone serving on the school board should be 100% pro-public schools. Fishers One, as an “organization” has been vocal about defunding HSE schools, vocal about being pro-school choice and vouchers, and that’s all I need to know to speak out against voting for anyone endorsed by that group. Keep public school money in public schools where it belongs.
I support the candidates that are transparent by attending a free community forum where all candidates were invited and public asked questions as well as candidates that did interviews with students for Larry Lannan podcasts. Fishers One candidates are running a platform on transparency but I’ve seen opposite of transparency from them
Mrs. Stoner-
Dawn has reminded me that hurt PEOPLE, HURT people.
That explains your lashing out and unprovoked attack on her.
Given her kindness, she has given you grace in our discussion over your attack on her.
I can honestly say that I would NOT be so kind but then again she is a MUCH better person than me or you.
Although I was hoping for a more adult apology in the terms of:
“Dawn, I am truly sorry that I unjustly called you a racist and homophobe.
Please accept my apology.”
I guess I will need to be satisfied with:
“I’m sorry you got your feelings hurt BUT you must understand that I really dislike/hate/loathe this other group of people at FishersOne so I felt ENTITLED to unjustly and maliciously label YOU (and those that support you – like your husband, friends, family and neighbors) a racist and homophobe because YOU/THEY don’t share MY political beliefs.”
Doesn’t quite seem fair and accurate but heck… it’s all fair because you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY dislike/hate/loathe that OTHER group of people.
For a math person, that doesn’t seem logical nor reasonable.
As my grandmother would say “Bless your heart.”
Jeff Lang
From 2005 to 2010 there were only three other school districts who outperformed HSE on standardized testing; West Lafayette, Carmel, and Zionsville. Carmel schools have also experienced great growth, yet they still remain in the top five. However, HSE schools started to decline with scores in 2011, and currently the 2022 Ilearn data ranks HSE as number 16 when looking at combined math/ELA scores for public schools.
DATA SOURCE: IDOE
Fact: academic decline began in 2011, that was only eleven years ago
Fact: other schools have experienced population growth, yet not experienced decline in ranking
Fact: current administration doesn’t discuss strategies to correct for academic decline and make up for Covid learning loss because they believe in Niche rankings and we are headed in the right direction
Solution: NEW LEADERSHIP
Comment to Natalie Stoner
Mrs.Stoner, you were my son’s Algebra teacher right before you retired. He stated to me at the time that you were a good teacher. After reading your comments on this thread, I asked him if he remembered you and he said “yes”. I then asked him if remembered if you ever spoke of your political affiliation, ideology or activism? He stated, “no, she just taught us Algebra and she was pretty cool.” Here lies the difference between YOU and SOME teachers in today’s classrooms.
There are SOME teachers who are teaching THEIR ideology in our school system…ie INDOCTRINATION as you mentioned and as you stated was NOT happening in our schools. I know this for a fact because I spent 2 years working at FHS during Covid, and saw the assignments and information disseminated to students with my very own eyes and ears. I saw that our schools needed PEOPLE to help in our classrooms in order to get kids back IN school and I signed up. I had the privilege to work with Resource Students and ENL students. I, like you have a gift of building relationships/bonds with students/people of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, religions, etc. I have spent much of my life/career treating everyone the way I would want to be treated…it is a really simple concept taught to me by my Mom, my teachers, and my Sunday School teacher. A lesson that I live by to this day.
I am going to assume that you DID NOT need signs in your classroom stating the fact fact that you are accepting of ALL people? Well in many of today’s classrooms, there are quite a few teachers who have signs that say, BLACK LIVES MATTER, rainbow signs for acceptance of LGBTQ, signs with pictures of Different color people etc. I did not need these signs in my classroom either. Most of the students that I worked/interacted with realized after being in class with me, that I respected them, cared about them and wanted to see them ALL succeed. My classroom became the place where students (again, different races, religions, sexual orientation etc.) congregated in between class periods, at lunch, and in the mornings when students had an extra period to catch up on homework, meet with teachers etc. These signs are just one example of the FACE of indoctrination, ideology and activism.
I saw first hand the ideology of a “few” teachers when I helped my students with their assignments. One of my African students was given a 2 page paper on WHITE PRIVILEGE given to her as a writing assignment. I have a copy if you would like to see it. I had another student who was given Pedigree Symbols in Biology that included Transgender? Now correct me if I am wrong, but if we are to “ follow the science”, I have yet to see a chromosome or Anything related to DNA that says transgender? Again, I have pictures of this assignment if you would like to see with your own eyes. Then there was an assignment with posters students created posted right outside my classroom on “Signs of Fascism”..with the first “sign” being “Ultranationalism”…funny how that corresponds with our current President’s “Ultra MAGA” tagline. This same poster included “Mass Media” as another sign and the example given was Elon Musk taking over Twitter? How about the Use of the Main Stream Media lying omitting the truth or shutting down Free Speech especially in the past 6 years? Then there was the assignment on Economic Inequality, Economic Inequality and Race, Incarceration, Racial Inequality and Class Inequality in the USA that was given to one of my ENL students. Per this assignment, she was not allowed to utilize any other sources but the ones provided by the teacher unless she provided the other examples and the teacher approved them. The documents provided by the teacher were extremely biased in a negative fashion toward the US. No balance…just biased data stating how horrible the USA is. I have copies of this assignment as well. Then there was the assignment in US History for ENL students with a 2 column/list description of Democrat and a Republican. One of the first descriptors for a Democrat was (I am paraphrasing): Someone who is supportive of immigration and immigrant rights. Republican: Someone who is against immigration and immigrant rights. The descriptors went down hill from here slanted in a favorable light toward the Democrat party. Now on this assignment, I went to the teacher to ask him to help me understand his definitions so that I could better assist the students without my own thoughts or opinions. . He explained to me that for the ENL students, he needed to simplify the information in a way that the student could better understand. I countered this argument with encouraging him to brain storm with his other Social Studies colleagues to create a more balanced definition of what each political party stands for prior to providing such information to students…especially students who are new to our country, who may be traumatized after having to leave their home countries due to violence, economic challenges, etc. Which leads me to a quote/question I received from an ENL student during his Government final on the second to last day of school 2022. “ So, when I become a US citizen and I am able to vote…because my skin is brown, I will need to vote Democrat?” I was literally taken aback and saddened. My response to him was, “No, not necessarily. When you are a citizen and you have the right to vote, I encourage you to pay attention to the candidate or people who are running and vote for the person who most closely aligns with you and your family’s beliefs, needs, etc. Don’t worry about Democrat or Republican. Novel concept….teaching a student how to think for himself/herself..ie. Critically thinking.
The library at FHS high lighted numerous books that I would be embarrassed to read aloud to adults, much less teenagers. I had a student who came to me about his confusion regarding his sexuality. He was 14 at the time. I encouraged him to talk to his parents, but I also encouraged him to schedule time with a school counselor…sadly I had no idea that even our school’s counselors were being encouraged to stoke the flames of sexuality and gender confusion in lieu of being supportive, providing unbiased counseling and possibly looping the parents in. The librarian was finding him books that had pictures and dialogue about gay and lesbian relationships, sexual encounters, etc. without the approval of his parents. He had shared with me that his parents would not be approving. I encouraged him to talk to his parents because he is a minor and I knew from conversations with him that he was very close with his parents. I am friends with several people who happen to be gay. My brother is gay and married to his husband and they have been together for over 35 years. I love him and his husband. But even my brother and many of my adult gay friends are adamantly against the grooming that is occurring in our schools and our communities. You say you could always tell who would be gay when you taught younger kids years ago…I won’t completely disagree with you except, nowadays, it isn’t that easy… Mainstream media, TikTok, FB, Instagram, and sadly teachers, mentors and mentally unstable adults are making “Sex” something that everyone should be doing no matter how old or young with whomever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want. Morality be damned. It is everywhere. Our children’s culture is over saturated with sex, gender ambiguity, confusion, etc. And sadly what used to be considered grooming children or pedophilia has become mainstream. Adults have become desensitized to what used to be clearly sexual abuse of minors. I can say this because I spent the early part of my career as a therapist/transitional housing director at a large domestic violence/sexual abuse counseling center. I worked with women and children who had been sexually abused..I am seeing the same trauma, behaviors in many of these kids today that I saw in the children I worked with at the counseling center. To be clear, I am not saying that ALL kids who come out as gay have suffered trauma or been groomed, but I have no doubt many of the “confused” kids of today have been manipulated by the things/people I mentioned above.
I felt compelled to go into such detail because I am tired of people like you saying that our children are not being “indoctrinated” into sexual/gender ambiguity, hating our country, racial division, etc. I have seen and heard it with my one eyes.
Again, I have many more examples, but hopefully you can now see and better understand why so many parents are angry and frustrated with our current school board, administration and teachers.
I agree with you that all teachers should not be painted with a broad brush. The majority of teachers in our school district are fantastic. Unfortunately, there are teachers who have an agenda and who are not shy about sharing their agenda. One such teacher wore t-shirts regularly to school that said things like, “ Ask me how America or the US (I can’t remember which) is racist?” Your comment about why teachers are leaving HSE…some are leaving because they don’t want to teach in an environment where they have NO control over their students negative behavior, their cell phone usage in class, etc. Many others are tired of walking on egg shells for fear they will inadvertently commit a “micro aggression and get fired or reprimanded. Many are just tired of not being able to do what they were trained to do and what they love to do..and that is TEACH…facts not fiction or opinions.
I hope the information I provided opens your eyes to what IS a happening in our schools.
I’m not apologizing to Dawn for calling her a racist and homophobe because I didn’t call her either. I simply stated that this group would rather we were still all white, no issues with gays, and ranked higher. I’m guessing if you had a choice of things the way they were or the way they are now, that’s what you all would choose. In any case, your response was ridiculous. I wouldn’t have even read it except someone sent it to me.
I do want to thank Shana Patz for a very informative response. I don’t get that kind of information because Fishers One blocked me. God only knows why. I guess because I don’t agree with everything they say ??♀️ . If that group wants people to be more informed, they shouldn’t block people.
Mrs. Stoner, I don’t know why Fishers One blocked you, but if I had to guess, it’s probably because you spread misinformation, just as you have in nearly every one of your posts in this thread.
LOL
This is what I said about the new board members a couple of weeks ago.
Even though it’s never been said, The Four candidates and those that support them wish this:
1) that HSE was still all white
2) that gay kids would keep their mouth shut
3) that transgender kids are mentally ill
4) back to basics means let’s get back to the white, non-gay community we were 25 years ago.
It’s time the fighting and bickering ends. I said this out of anger for what people were telling me about the new board members. I was told these things from people that “troll” the Fishers One site (that I’m not allowed on). I had NO EVIDENCE of anything I said. It was all hearsay. My anger stemmed from Ben Orr’s statement about wanting to fire teachers. A board coming in just to get rid of teachers infuriated me. Again, that was all HEARSAY as well.
I was also angered that they were running on a Republican ticket when school boards should be non-partisan. And it’s not because I’m not a Republican. I’ve always vote both ways.
Another reason I said this? I was advised by so many teachers not to support these four. And my allegiance has always been to the teachers I left behind. Blind allegiance. I subbed last spring and didn’t see any evidence of some of the horrible things I was hearing. But let’s face it. I was only in one building.
Anyway, I just wanted to explain what motivated me to say these things. And I regret it.
Dawn Lang was a friend of mine, and I hurt her. When her husband told me to fu*k off, it hit me that I should have never said anything over things I heard from people on the other side, especially since I had no proof. Just hearsay. She and the other board members deserve our support now that they are our new leaders. I don’t always like who is President, but I try to support whoever gets elected and not publicly bash them. So I want to start fresh now with this public apology.
I am sorry for what I said. Losing a relationship over politics is stupid on my part. I am giving the board a chance that they are doing what’s best for all kids. I know that Dawn has a huge heart for sure (I don’t know the other three). My comments were unjustified. I will no longer be making any more political statements on stupid Facebook. Again, I’m sorry. I just want less hate to start today.