In this installment of WCPSS Updates: Parents explode over Diversity Inventory, Records Request Fees and other headlines.

#1 – Diversity Inventory given to 10th graders at Heritage High

A “Diversity Inventory” worksheet asking highly personal questions about religion and sexuality was yanked after outraged parents contacted the school, the district and images of the sheet circulated online.

On Aug. 28, Heritage High Principal Scott Lyons posted a message to parents about the lesson. It was very similar to that released by WCPSS Communications Director Lisa Luten.

Some of the statements and reactions by teachers, however, were appalling with one teacher mocking a student who was so embarrassed by the worksheet that they cried.

Push back wasn’t just from parents, but also from a former candidate for Wake County School Board, Shaun Pollenz, on Facebook.  Pollenz, who is a former Wake student and who is gay, railed about the invasiveness of such a worksheet:

WHAT IN GAY HELL? This worksheet is being used, for the second year in a row, in Wake County public school classrooms. They’re asking 14 & 15 year old students to announce their sexual orientation. They’re asking about the sexual orientation of the students’ doctors, parents, siblings, friends, elementary school classmates. Why? WHY?!

As a gay student in the WCPSS during the 90s, I was relentlessly bullied for being gay even though I was firmly in the closet. Denying my own truth, as painful as that was, did not spare me from the ridicule of my peers. For 7 years, almost daily, I encountered homophobic bullies and never once felt comfort from or was defended by a teacher, administrator, counselor or other staff member. Never once. It was the 90s, after all. I was alone.

Today, we are more accepting of our LGBT students, but they still get bullied…I’m sure of that. And what are we doing in Wake County now? Asking them to either out themselves or lie about their identity. Asking them to publicly address questions they may not be ready to answer. Asking them to out their parents, their friends, their doctors, their elementary school classmates. Why? Whose business is any of this?

This shouldn’t be allowed in any schools, much less our fabulous public schools here in Wake County. It’s unfortunate that board members don’t feel responsible for curriculum matters. They should be doing their jobs to make sure our students don’t encounter filth like this during their formative years. Unfortunately, “The Board does not have responsibility over curriculum matters,” according to Dr. Jim Martin.

I think it’s time we had better representation on the school board. What do you think?

Parent Dina Bartus and her son will be meeting with Wake County’s human resource department Tuesday, Sept 3, 9:00 am at Heritage High School. The Bartus’ should not be alone in this fight and parents should stand with them.

The Diversity Inventory is just one example, but here’s another where the Office of Equity Affairs is openly promoting the revisionist history works of socialist and ‘something of an anarchist’ Howard Zinn.

The heck with Zinn, kids should be reading Mary Grabar’s book Debunking Howard Zinn: Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation Against America.  Go read a nice long excerpt of it over at American Greatness.

And then there’s the push for “Social Justice Standards” training which includes lunch, on our dime?

The next Wake School Board meeting is Sept. 3rd at 5:30 pm. Parents are encouraged to attend.

#2 – WCPSS Board wants to institute fees for records requests

The “special service charge” would be applied if staff spend eight or more hours on fulfilling a request.  That “special service charge” would be $15 per hour for the clerical time used and $25 per hour for supervisory time.

It is unclear from the conversations by the Wake Board if those service charges would be concurrent, meaning a request could cost $40 an hour for each hour beyond the initial eight.

The proposed fees are excessive and not in line with state law. Most records asked for can be digitally produced.  The district would also need to demonstrate why it took them in excess of eight hours to pull the requested records.

This move would have a chilling effect on access to information by the public and media. Given the flurry of requests by parents for MVP math information from the district, it seems like this move is meant to shut down parents from making future inquiries.

#3 – Headlines and Miscellaneous

• Wake Ed Partnership comes to the Board’s rescue on MVP math
• Group representing Wake County Schools leaders asks Cooper and NCGA to pass the budget
• WCPSS transportation fails to pick up hundreds of special needs students

The war on School Choice and families continues. It’s time to sign up and show up: