WCPS to start the school year without a mask mandate; school board hears criticism of CRT | New

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Much like the Bowling Green School District, public schools in Warren County will not need masks, regardless of their immunization status, when students return next month.

Based on current conditions, Warren County Public Schools will not require students or staff to wear face coverings when returning for the 2021-22 school year, although all students and staff have the option of wearing face coverings if they wish, WCPS Superintendent Rob Clayton wrote in a district-wide post Friday.

Although masks are not mandatory, WCPS encourages those who have not been vaccinated and children under 12 to wear masks. As per the mandate (from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), WCPS will require that all students and staff (even if they are vaccinated) wear masks when taking buses; this includes transportation to and from school, field trips, sporting events, etc., Clayton wrote.

At a county school board meeting Monday at Greenwood High School, board chairman Kerry Young reiterated the decision, saying it would be unenforceable because principals and teachers are not allowed to ask students. students if they are vaccinated. The vaccine is also not available for children under 12, he said.

Well, try to keep the 3 feet apart, Young said, referring to CDC guidelines. There is one place where this advice has no say. It is mandatory to wear a mask on a school bus, as a school bus is considered public transport. So if a child or adult is on a school bus going from home to school, on a school trip, at a sporting event, until that changes, it doesn’t. is not a recommendation. It’s a warrant, so Warren County schools will follow the law.

Clayton, however, added in his own comments at the board meeting that information changes on a daily basis and those plans could change over time.

We remain committed to continuing to connect with our school community as things evolve if there are any changes, said Clayton. We are optimistic and are able to continue with the current process and continue to maintain close communication with our local health experts and consult with public health advice, Clayton said.

The move comes as the delta variant, a highly contagious strain of coronavirus, spreads in Kentucky.

Monday’s board meeting also saw several parents and local residents share concerns about whether critical breed theory is being taught in schools.

Proponents of critical race theories argue that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist in that they function to create and maintain social, economic and political inequalities between whites and non-whites, in especially African Americans, said the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Responding to comments from parents, Clayton said he was unable to make a general statement, in large part because perceptions of the framework vary widely from individual to individual.

First, the curriculum is determined by law in the state of Kentucky at the school level. However, parents, students, staff, everyone in our community has access to this program, Clayton said.

In terms of critical breed theory, CRT and some of those other terms, to my knowledge, I haven’t seen them listed in any degree program in the state of Kentucky. When it comes to what is and what is not taught in our classrooms, we focus on the most essential concepts and standards. Now, being in a very diverse school district, there are a lot of conversations going on in our classrooms. We train our teachers to be developmentally appropriate with the level of teaching that occurs in the classroom, and we want our teachers to present all topics objectively.

Clayton said he thinks district educators do a good job of navigating political issues or current events that might arise during class discussions, and he invited those with questions about the content to speak with. school principals.

That said, a handful of parents and locals said they were concerned about the critical race theory and Marxist ideologies taught in schools, although they offered no evidence to support this. their assertions.

Larry Causey, who identified himself as a former member of the Warren County Education Board who served for 12 years, wanted to warn the board that he would have his two grandchildren removed from WCPS.

I have no intention of telling them that they are bad people because of the color of their skin, and that is exactly what it is, Causey said.

Gary Peller, a professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center and a leading member of the critical legal studies and critical racial theory movements, said that was not exactly what the theory was about.

He recently told the Daily News that the framework does not teach that whites are inherently oppressive. The theory focuses on systems, not individuals, and how they perpetuate racial inequalities and racism.

We don’t believe in blaming or shaming anyone, Peller told the Daily News.

Another public commentator, Brian Witty, who introduced himself as a business owner and volunteer, said he views critical race theory as a dangerous ideology.

I think it separates our kids and teaches them that the color of their skin is something that should divide them, Witty said.

Another speaker, Cynthia Ribeiro, also challenged critical race theory and more specifically Project 1619 and the Wit & Wisdom literacy program, which cover topics such as slavery, school integration and the civil rights.

These are things we would like to know as parents, she said.

Ribeiro also asked if the school system was becoming transgender-friendly and what that might mean. She was also concerned about the possible return of masks, she said, as wearing masks leads to a lot of bad results, emotionally and mentally.

The board heard from a final speaker during its public comment period, Chris Stunson, principal of Bristow Elementary School.

Stunson was attending the meeting with students attending the Western Kentucky University Young Male Leadership Academy, which develops leadership skills in young men of diverse backgrounds by exploring the teaching profession, according to the program’s website.

Stunson, who is African American, said YMLA students were recently recognized at a national Educators Rising conference for their solutions to solving these problems in the classroom.

Our young men found a solution to this dilemma which included a discussion of the topics, by speaking with members of our school board. Our children have solutions to our problems that adults cannot. Warren County Public Schools are preparing our children to solve these problems. The dilemma we face tonight, our students have been resolved to the point where they have been recognized as second in the country, said Stunson. We have solutions. We prepare our students.

– Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @NewsByAaron or visit bgdailynews.com.

– Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @NewsByAaron or visit bgdailynews.com.

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