Last week, widespread outrage erupted over ASD’s placement of a non-endorsement sticker on America’s founding documents. Must Read Alaska broke the story and demanded, “ASD must answer for this action.” MRAK and our community of readers now have ASD’s explanation both about the non-endorsement fiasco and also ASD’s renaming of Veterans Day as “student release professional development day” on the school calendar. Corey Allen Young, the Assistant Director of Communications, Publications, and External Affairs for Anchorage School District, provides the answers.
Regarding the non-endorsement sticker on a booklet of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, ASD openly apologizes to the community, stating: “This request should have been directed to another team, such as Teaching and Learning or Donations, for review instead. We made a mistake, and we’re sorry for the mix-up. We’re already following up with the requestor to make sure it’s handled correctly moving forward.”
ASD also addresses fictitious claims from independent journalist Dermot Cole and other community members defending the non-endorsement disclaimer. Dermot Cole claims, “Hillsdale put the disclaimers on the documents.” However, Corey Young states: “The requestor followed the flyer/poster guidelines which includes adding the disclaimer themselves.”
The requestor, not Hillsdale College, added the disclaimer. In a serious lapse of judgement, the requestor (who ASD declines to identify), miscategorized America’s founding documents as a community flyer or poster. The requestor’s mistake does not fully excuse ASD as the guidelines clearly state: “It is the responsibility of the community organization to present the material to the Communications, Publications, and External Affairs for review and approval.” This department should have recognized the inappropriate mis-categorization of our nation’s founding documents and directed the requestor to pursue the correct avenue, which would have avoided the disclaimer being placed on the documents.
ASD cleared up another false allegation leveled against Hillsdale College by Dermot Cole and others: “Hillsdale College mixes its own propaganda with those documents… No apology was necessary. The disclaimer was entirely appropriate.”
Corey Young was asked the following question: “Is there anything other than the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in the pamphlet? If yes, please provide proof of this with pictures of the content as well as an explanation of why ASD feels the need to distance itself from that content.” Corey Young did not reply with examples of propaganda or additional material in the pamphlet, but instead repeated ASD’s apology, acknowledged the disclaimer as a mistake, and stated ASD’s commitment to upholding America’s founding documents and the values found therein.
Furthermore, many organizations provide booklets with the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. If ASD had a reasonable objection to the content provided by Hillsdale College, the Department of Communications, Publications, and External Affairs could have instructed the requestor to choose a different organization to procure the documents. ASD does not accuse Hillsdale College of using the pamphlets to spread propaganda but on the contrary, agrees that the non-endorsement disclaimer was inappropriate.
Regarding the renaming of Veterans Day on the school calendar, ASD responded: “The calendar was designed to focus more on instructional and non-instructional days rather than holidays. Due to limited space, not all holidays are included. Not naming November 11 specifically as ‘Veterans Day’ was not intended to diminish the importance of the holiday.”
Additionally, Corey Young assures the community that “beginning next school year, Veterans Day is back on the calendar and it’s a full school closure day for both students and staff in recognition of the holiday.”
MRAK will continue to monitor public institutions for errors which unintentionally but damagingly indicate anti-American sentiments.
For transcripts of the on-record conversations and quotes cited in this article, please write to [email protected].
Yeah right! A mistake. The same policy is why kids can’t read and write at grade level. The same agenda why ASD leadership wants men wearing lipstick and spandex teaching children about diversity. Give me a break.
Thank you!
The gay porn ASD buys for the kids does not have a disclaimer. The marxist flags they hang in their classrooms do not have a disclaimer. When planned parenthood reps come in to teach pleasure based “comprehensive sex ed” do they have that disclaimer on their handouts?
What is your obsession with gay porn, dude ? It’s kind of creepy
Maybe you should ask the ASD why THEY are obsessed with it.
Because he is a normal American.. Dude
This is a good question. Is there any way we can get an answer?
And the darier kissing begins
The requster (who ASD declines to identify), should be fired. Unfortunately Anchorage school district leadership is as dysfunctional as the Anchorage assembly and mayor. The 73% of Anchorage non-voters are directly responsible.
We are sorry we got caught!! Now just forget about it and GIVe US MOREMONEY!!!!!!
I thank the ASD for the explanation and apology. It was a mistake.
That wasn’t an explanation. Those were excuses.
“……Those were excuses……..”
No, they were not. An “excuse” is a “justification” for the act. A reason why it was justified. A reason why others must accept the act. The response clearly admitted that it was an error. Now, you might retreat into the proclamation that “they’re lying!”, and you might be correct, but I accept the apology because I know that screw-ups occur, all the time, and I’m not interested in pursuing ideological repression. If they admit that it was wrong and apologize that it happened, I accept it.
You are free to pursue “justice”. Good luck with that,……….,
ASD are true heros. They should get their own day of the year. Oh, looks like they already had a day in mind!
you are correct. NOT a mistake at all!
Yeah. And you swallowed all that!
I accepted it. I always accept apologies. I might remain wary, but I don’t reject apologies. You are free to do so as you wish.
Cole is full of bunk, as always
“The requestor, not Hillsdale College, added the disclaimer. In a serious lapse of judgement, the requestor (who ASD declines to identify), miscategorized America’s founding documents as a community flyer or poster.”
Who pays for ASD? The public does. Why does ASD think it should be able to decline the public the information it requests?
As for the calendar, Veteran’s Day is a federal holiday. “Student release professional development day**” seems to indicate that teachers, etc., were working on a holiday. Were they? I seriously doubt it.
Marsha, ASD explanation regarding Veteran’s Day does not wash.
ASD claims “Due to limited space, not all holidays are included”. That works for UNOBSERVED holidays. Since this is a federal holiday AND there was no school it should have been listed the same way as “Thanksgiving”.
I suspect that by labeling it “…..professional development day” they get to count it as a “school day” to make up the federally required 180 days of the school year. If they label it as the holiday that it is, it would not count towards that number. The question I have now, were the teachers at work that day or did they stay home?
Shenanigans are afoot!!
Arrgh so sorry Manda!
Oh, so it was the other “team’s” fault?
thank you, Natalie. Your work is appreciated
Schools need to Teach about the ” Son’s of Liberty ” , our founding Fathers , their Sacrifice’s , Our U.S. Constitution , and Declaration of Independence again ; In ALL of our Schools !
Good for you MRAK! Thank you for keeping watch and we must never let them get away with this crap!
Instead of omitting Veterans Day how about we eliminate Pride month?
“Limited space”? Which words take up more space, Veterans Day or Students released, professional development?
Of course it was meant to diminish the Holiday.
Considering the issue of “harmful language alert” by NARA on the same documents, I don’t feel it’s a coincidence or harmless mistake. It appears to be the same attack and agenda being continued.
I dunno, this story struck me as a nothing burger from the get-go.
The founding documents happen to be in pamphlet form. You put a disclaimer on a pamphlet. Could it be misleading? Sure. Maybe the person who put the stickers on should’ve thought twice about it and asked his boss.
The real question behind this story is: who’s responsible for getting ANY material published by Hillsdale into the ASD? Is there a rational mole scurrying about among the Commies, or what?
“……..who’s responsible for getting ANY material published by Hillsdale into the ASD? Is there a rational mole scurrying about among the Commies, or what?………”
I doubt that mole isn’t known by the Leftists. He/she is just burrowed in well and won’t leave.
Good on ’em………..
Both g mistake in the article, calling Dermot an ” independent journalist ” . hrs a leftist hack wannabe gadfly
I don’t trust those ASD administrators as far as I could throw them. Never heard back from a phone message I left with the superintendent. Typical government employees that think they are above us all.
This reminds me of the “apologies” that my daughter used to give when she was a teenager. Half “I’m not really sorry; you’re the problem” and half “You’re so stupid, Mom and Dad, you don’t know how the world really works.” Corey Young is a weak-sauce public info officer to think that we can’t see through his statements. And yet ASD Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt seems to skate right by on this.
Lies, damn lies.
Absolutely NO EXCUSES! Why are thrid graders talking about sexuality? Where are they learning it? Have that from a friend whose children attend an ASD school. Time to go to private/charter or homeschool. So sad.
Accident my ass. Keep f—- around and find out ASD. There is a bunch of red blooded Americans still left that don’t like your left wind bull.
Absolutely NO employee of ANY school has the legal or moral authority to counsel children, K thru 12 on their sexuality!!!! Also, “they” have no right or obligation to keep any type of these counseling sessions from the child’s parent’s!!! Parents, please take the time to talk with your children and ask them what is actually going on in their school! Take notice of any drastic personality changes!
Well said Doug Glenn, WELL SAID!
I’d like to suggest a,proper apology. They should follow an ancient Asian tradition. Atonement, Japanese style.. Seppuku