Citing critical race theory, school board member votes against equity training
Norwalk-La Mirada school board members at their meeting Monday. (Photo by Vincent Medina)
NORWALK - Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District approved for the University of California Los Angeles Center X to provide reciprocal learning partnerships for equity training sessions for educators.
However, parents, teachers and school board member Narcis Brasov opposed the measure believing the training would spread communism and teach critical race theory.
“The contract says ‘The framework creates a space to consider how an individual’s identity and position unconsciously lead to an examined bias,’ positionality might sound like a strange word, but it’s a classic term in the critical race theory literature,” Brasov said.
The school board member also argued that the training would turn faculty members against each other, citing his sibling’s experience at their unnamed district.
“One of my siblings has taught there for us for more than 20 years, has implemented a very similar training,” Brasov said. “People that work together well across all races, genders for decades, are suddenly watching their backs and looking at each other suspiciously.”
Dr. Jessica Medrano, Director Professional Development Innovation and Improvement, explained that the virtual training does not aim to divide faculty, based on previous training sessions at the district.
“This will be our third year, working with them on this particular training,” Dr. Medrano said. “It’s been a training we’ve done with our site administrators and services administrators around engaging in conversations focused on equity.”
Parents who also opposed the training echoed similar concerns, such as Sharron Steins.
Narcis Brasov
“Any type of training for teachers or students involving the words justice, implicit bias, equity, gender, socially marginalized, cultural diversity, racial bias, inclusion, or climate are all rhetorical disguises and euphemisms for Marxism,” Steins said. “Please do not spend our taxpayer money on anything that is ideologically driven.”
Dolland Elementary teacher Jose Manso was concerned about the context of racial questions on a district survey.
“Question 5: when there are major news events related to race, how often do adults at your school talk about them with students? And I just wonder, what are we supposed to talk about with the students,” Manso said. “The survey asks, how often do you think about what students of different races or ethnicities or cultures experience? How do I answer that? Am I going to be you know, pointed out as a racist?”
Dr. Patricio Vargas, Assistant Superintendent Educational Services, tried to explain that the training provides a way to learn about an issue from a different perspective.
“We’re in the field of education, we’re in the field to learn different approaches or frameworks or thought processes,” Dr. Vargas said. “So we’re not sending educators here, because we think they’re races for their bias. It’s just a different perspective to hear and seeing them to learn and to grow.”
The measure passed five to one, with Brasov being the only board member in opposition to the cultural equity training.