They didn’t want to do it but, after advice from their attorney, Democrats who control the DeKalb County Board of Education narrowly approved a policy about resolving complaints regarding “divisive racial concepts” after previously postponing a vote.
At a virtual meeting yesterday Board members emphasized that they didn’t agree with the state Board of Education policy under a new law passed by the Legislature regulating how teachers can discuss race relations and racism in the classroom. What is the policy? The main thrust of the state law— and now the DeKalb policy— bans teachers from asserting that the United States is systemically white racist, that one race is superior to another or that individuals should feel guilty because of their race.
The main reason the Democrats caved revolves around what the state School Board could do to punish a local school system for failing to adhere to the law. Contacted by InsiderAdvantage, state School Board members Martha Zoller and Scott Johnson noted a range of policy options— among them, revoking waivers which allow local flexibility from state law, denying state funding and losing accreditation. DeKalb’s Board members did not want to face those consequences.
“At the end of the day, it is a requirement that we pass this policy,” Dekalb School Board Chairwoman Vickie Turner concluded.
It also appears that virtually all of Georgia’s local school boards have approved implementing the state “divisive concepts” policy, and InsiderAdvantage is double-checking if the Athens-Clarke County school system is in legal compliance.
“At the end of the day, it is a requirement that we pass this policy,” Dekalb School Board Chairwoman Vickie Turner concluded.
