Across the county parents are pushing back against Critical Race Theory-based curriculum which has been slowly introduced into their kids’ school for years. One Peoria Unified School District parent, Heather Rooks, discovered quite by accident just how deceptive some educators have been in their effort to spread the divisive material.
According to Rooks, while reviewing a public records request response she had received from the District, she uncovered the lengths some educators will go to in order to ensure that they inject the racist teachings into the classrooms.
Rooks says that during the December 10th, 2020 Peoria Unified School District Governing Board meeting staff in the Curriculum Department, in conjunction with an alumni student, who currently attends Northern Arizona University (NAU), brought forth for board approval an elective course to be offered at the District’s Centennial High School.
The agenda for the meeting only offered a small description. The lack of an outline of the coursework and no record of what texts and resources would be used in the course prompted Governing Board member Judy Doane to ask if the course work would include material associated with the controversial 1619 Project. Social Studies Curriculum Coach Jennifer Mundy advised Board members that they were to approve the course first before the coursework would be determined. Mundy told the Board members that she had communication with the Arizona Department of Education regarding the use of the 1619 Project materials as one resource for the course.
Dr. Bell, the District’s Chief Academic officer also stated that the process for new course proposals needed to be approved first by the Board then the curriculum team would work with the teacher to develop the curriculum and course work materials.
In a 3-2 vote, the Board approved the course. Doan was joined by Board member Rep. Beverly Pingerelli, who is also a member of the Arizona House of Representatives. Both women said they could not approve the course without seeing the course work first.
Arizona law requires school board to approve curriculum before it is adopted. The core texts for proposed classes must also be available for review by the public prior to approval by a school board.
Lo and behold, Rooks came across an email in the records request response that clearly shows staff’s deception during that December 2020 meeting.
