Trumbull parents oppose talk of race at school board meeting
TRUMBULL — Dozens of parents attended Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting to voice their opposition to teaching critical race theory in town schools.
The topic was not on the agenda and is not something taught in Trumbull schools, according to Superintendent Martin Semmel. Last month, a presentation on educational equity by the State Education Resource Center, a state agency that provides professional education and resources to teachers, was postponed after parents opposed to critical race theory continually interrupted the speakers.
SERC, on its website, states that critical race theory “is a theory, not a curriculum taught to students.” The theory is a controversial academic framework through which to view systems of racism and oppression in America.
SERC has acknowledged that conversations about race are not easy.
According to SERC, “We know how confusing and disruptive some of these concepts can seem — because we felt it too. But it became impossible to ignore the legacy of racism and its impact on our educational system. We could not discount students’ lived experience with race and because of their race. These are their stories, and they have gone untold for so long.”
Semmel said he had hoped to have SERC resume its presentation, but it had been postponed due to safety concerns.
“We certainly tried to bring them to be physically present in the building today. But they are actually working on developing safety protocols for their in-person meetings, given that they have received threats,” Semmel said.
Jeremy Bond, a spokesperson for the agency, said the threats were not particularly concerning and had not come from Trumbull. But the July Trumbull school board meeting was a factor in the group’s safety revisions.
“This wasn’t a response to
SERC, on its website, states that critical race theory “is a theory, not a curriculum taught to students.” The theory is a controversial academic framework through which to view systems of racism and oppression in America.
what happened in Trumbull. But it’s certainly based on what transpired,” he said. “It just was another example of ‘OK, this is why we’re being careful.’”
Bond was not sure if SERC would attend a Trumbull school board meeting in person — the COVID-19 resurgence also is a factor. But he said the agency would be available for an online presentation.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, parents held signs opposing critical race theory and mask mandates, and cheered when critics of CRT spoke.
David Steeves was one of the audience members who spoke at the public comment section and equated SERC with critical race theory. He singled out Semmel for criticism after he said Semmel had responded to his wife’s email saying that CRT was not being taught at the schools.
Steeves also said he would send his child to school without a mask when school reopens for the fall. Gov. Ned Lamont, while stopping short of issuing a universal indoor mask mandate in Connecticut, confirmed Tuesday that masks will be required in schools when they reopen.
Semmel had his defenders at the meeting, too. Challa Flemming, a Black Trumbull resident, laid out the racism her daughter and son faced at school. She said she expected her children to have a hard time because of it, but the incidents still took their toll.
“We were prepared for this reality, it didn’t make it any easier for us as parents to help our kindergartner process why another child had made a disparaging comment about her hair, or help our son process another student telling him that no one wanted to play with him because he was Black,” Flemming said.
Despite these incidents, Flemming commended the superintendent and the board for working with SERC on diversity and equity initiatives.
Flemming said that the schools could improve on a crucial aspect of their diversity and inclusion initiatives by working to include a diverse group of new teachers as the district fills vacancies.
“Please fill the 49 vacancies with teachers that look like my children,” she said.