DeWine explains requests for board resignations
Gov. Mike COLUMBUS —
DeWine confirmed Thurs- day afternoon that he asked for the resignations of two Ohio State Board of Education members: Former Board President Laura Kohler and member Eric Poklar. Both voted against rescinding a previous anti-racism reso- lution.
“It was made clear to me by the Senate,” DeWine said. “They confirmed three, and they didn’t take two. It was clear they were not going to confirm them. And so that’s why I suggested that they resign. They didn’t have to, but that’s what I suggested.”
DeWine was referr ing to the Ohio Senate’s Oct. 27 confirmation of three school board members -Steve Dackin, Martha Manchester and J. Timothy Miller - who each voted Oct. 13 to rescind the anti-racism resolution passed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
However, Kohler a nd Poklar were also waiting for Senate confirmations. Kohler said she learned the Ohio Senate had enough votes to remove her.
The anti-racism resolu- tion passed in July 2020. It stated that disparities exist between Ohio Black, Indig- enous and students of color and white students in all parts of the education system; progress in closing the gaps has been uneven and unsatisfactory; that racism, hate and bigotry have no place in schools; and that the board seeks open and courageous conversations on racism and inequity.
On Oct. 13, the board, which had new members since the anti-racism reso- lution passed, voted for a new resolution that repealed the original statement and replaced it with one to promote academic excellence without “respect to race, ethnicity or creed.”
Instead, it acknowledged race can be a factor in educational gaps but said other issues, like poverty, can create gaps, even though critics said disaggregated data showed that children of color perform worse on tests than poor white children.
DeWine, who was answer- ing reporters’ questions during a coronavirus brief- ing, said history should be taught as it happened. He said people should be proud of the Declaration of Inde- pendence and Constitution.
“Yes there was slavery, and we cannot minimize that, and that has to be taught, as well,” DeWine said. “But I think that we should not be doing anything that divides kids. Or divides parents or divides people in this country. It does not help a child for a child to be told that they might be a victim. It doesn’t help really to tell another child they bear some guilt for something that hap- pened in the past.”
Critiques of the Constitu- tion and Declaration of Inde- pendence can be found in the New York Times’ 1619 Project, which evaluated the legacy of slavery in America. Many conservatives dismiss the 1619 Project as divisive and as critical race theory, an approach to American history looks at racism in society today, such as how it’s baked into the criminal justice system and other fac- ets of government.
The outcry on the right that followed the publication of the 1619 project gave way to the anti-critical race theory movement as part of a coor- dinated nationwide effort designed to pack school boards with right-leaning candidates.
The campa i gn for Jim Renacci — DeWine’s opponent in the 2022 Republican primary — sent out a press release Thursday applauding the victories of anti-racism education candidates across Ohio in Tuesday’s, signaling that the issue will likely remain part of the upcoming campaign and beyond despite not being part of Ohio’s public school curriculum.