Source: Editorial Board
What is the goal of our public education? Is it to prepare our children to lead in the future? Or is it to protect them from a past we all need to learn from?
This is something to think about…
On February 14th, a West Charlotte High School teacher decorated her classroom doors to recreate a “white” and “colored” entrance of a Sears store in the 1930s.
On the same-day, the teacher was told to remove this controversial display, because the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) deemed this activity to not align with the district’s curriculum and approved lesson plans.
The teacher’s daughter, Laquinta Caldwell, told WCNC Charlotte that her mother was “making sure that the kids knew, or could see, a visual of how things were back in the day.” This activity was to “show that Sears, which is a department store, was one of the first stores that allowed Blacks to shop with white people.”
Because of this controversial Black History Month display CMS plans to retrain its teachers in the specific social studies curriculum practices that can be used in lesson plans and teaching moving forward.
Many critics see this activity to be tasteless, and to potentially upset and marginalize Black students. Others see this activity to spark meaningful and healthy conversation.
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How is our public education system preparing our children to lead? Will they be ready to lead when the time comes?
In order for our children to be ready for the future, we have to give them all the resources they need to succeed. This means we have to teach them about our full history, which is not always nice and tasteful.
Last year, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Parent’s Bill of Rights. NC Newsline reports that this bill was designed to intimidate educators and censor curricula in public schools.
And in February 2024, the Randolph County Board of Education voted to ban the book, Invisible Man. Ironically, this book is also on a list of suggested books for high school students that was compiled by the NC Department of Public Instruction.
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How will you get involved to take a stand against the General Assembly or your school board from watering down education?
Vote on Tuesday, March 2nd and November 5th for candidates that are for teaching our students a full history that is not recreated or ignored.
Click here to find your voting location for Election Day.
Remember, our children are our future. Let’s make sure they have everything they need for their future to be bright.
