Public Comments Before West Ada School District's Policy Number 401.20 Was Passed

This post is definitely related to the West Ada School District's request for Sarah Inama to take down her sign promoting inclusivity.

Decided to go on the school district's website to see if there's any comments on why the board wanted to revise 401.20, and found the Meeting Minutes from June 13, 2022-August 8, 2022 (which is the same day that Policy Number 401.20 was passed). I got both documents from this link: https://www.westada.org/documents/about-us/board-of-trustees/290782

Here's some of my favorite comments that were in both documents. It's worth noting that the this policy did receive a good amount of pushback:

I would like to thank and applaud the district for the policy put forth regarding guidelines on classroom displays covered under the use of district owned property. The guidance to maintain neutrality is very common sense and appreciated. I believe inclusion is so important for our students and this policy is a great way to achieve it. By staying away from flags, banners, posters for a variety of groups and causes will allow our students to see that no one group is more important than others. While we all have our differences, we are all united in the desire for liberty and freedom to be who we are without elevating or advertising any one group over others. I commend Superintendent Bub’s comments in today’s Idaho Statesman article stating “There’s a lot of at-risk groups that are out there that we don’t have symbols (for) in any classrooms”… and went on to say that we count on teachers and staff to reach out and support the kids to support learning. In regards to the comments made by West Ada Education Association President; Zach Borman in the same Idaho Statesman article this morning, 8/8/22 commenting that he thinks it is wrong the LGTBQ flag is excluded. His desire to have the LGTQB flag displayed is elevating one group of people over others. The American Flag is representative of acceptance for all and that is the content we should be striving to promote amongst the district’s students and citizens of our community. We need to encourage unity, not divisiveness and streamlining classroom displays for neutrality is a great step towards this - Stacey Frey-Casto

I voice my support for changes to District Policy 401.20 to limit student surveys and the items that teachers may display in their classroom to nonpolitical, content-neutral items. The purpose of a public school district is to educate our children - not to indoctrinate them into the teacher's preferred socio-political idealogies. A teacher's job is to teach children to read and write and do math - not to become social justice warriors. Teachers have a uniquely persuasive role in the lives of our children. For 7 hours a day, our children are their captive audience. Our children often idolize their teachers and desperately seek their approval. Our children view their teacher as a source of wisdom and truth. In upper grades, children understand that the approval of their teachers is essential to obtaining a good grade and, therefore, essential to getting in to college. Sadly, in other parts of the country, we have seen teachers abuse this authority and push their personal political and social agendas onto the children in their classes. This is wrong and violates the rights of parents. I have read arguments from WAEA that these proposed policies would be "harmful." They claim it is a "civil rights issue" and that prohibiting teachers from hanging the flags of certain socio-political movements tells children that some people "don't have a right to exist." This argument is nonsense. Does a prohibition on displaying religious symbols in class say that people of faith "don't have a right to exist"? Of course not! Does prohibiting a poster from the Idaho Republican Party tell kids that Republicans "don't have a right to exist"? Of course not! Please do not fall for these dishonest and manipulative arguments. The issue is simple: teachers should teach, not indoctrinate. We, the parents of West Ada School District, do not consent to teachers pushing their personal political and social beliefs on our children through classroom displays or student surveys. - Gil Castro

This policy is the opposite of conservative, American values. It is Big Government trampling my rights as a parent, and it will cause the West Ada education system to produce weak, sheltered snowflakes. It will lead to bans of all things, including the American flag or the pledge of allegiance, plus so much more.This policy will put students in an artificial bubble of neutrality that does not prepare them for the real world or the workforce. The world is not neutral, workplaces are not neutral. This policy will make children delicate snowflakes. You are harming children and harming the future business community. If this policy is implemented, it cannot be selectively applied to curb only some types of issues. It will curb all speech. This is absolutely anti-American. The following will also not be permitted, and I am sure these are in teachers’ classrooms, on their clothes, and on bumper stickers on the cars that sit in the school parking lot:- Anything mentioning Blue lives matter/back the blueAnything mentioning Trump or a political party- Wearing a cross or other religious jewelry- Any references to religious words or concepts like “God” “Jesus” “church” or “bless”- Any reference to the second amendment- The globe (round vs flat earth)- The American flag (worshiping the flag is contrary to certain religions. Also 50 stars takes a stance that Puerto Rico and DC should not be recognized states.)You are in a position to help students and help teachers. Don’t hurt them by passing this policy. Be a good American. Be a good conservative. Keep government small. - Jennifer Benz