Anchorage School Board member Dave Donley has been beating the drum for months: The Critical Race Theory reading list from the Anchorage School District’s Equity Office is partisan, racist, and Marxist.
Now, the reading list has mysteriously disappeared. Those books may still be on a recommended list that the district’s Equity Office may make available to those who call, but the district website has been scrubbed of the worst offenders, including:
- Antiracist Baby by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
- How to be an Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
- Stamped from The Beginning by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
- The New Jim Crow by Michele Alexander
- An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz
- White Fragility by Dr. Robin DiAngelo
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Now, there are only a couple of tame podcasts and other resources listed.
BACKGROUND
Last year the Anchorage School District’s director of “Equity and Compliance” announced the intent to use Critical Race Theory to develop new training and policies.
In the Fall of 2020, the suggested reading list appeared on the ASD website of the Office of Equity and Compliance. “White Fragility” and “How to be an Anti-Racist” were among other CRT publications listed as recommended reading for “Self Understanding.”
The books, based on Marxist philosophy, contain radical racist propaganda and bias partisan attacks on Republicans, critics said. Donley, the only Republican on the Anchorage School Board, objected to these publications as inappropriate for a taxpayer-funded government website to identify as “recommended,” without any disclaimer and counter opinion being provided under Anchorage Municipal Code Section 1.15.110, prohibiting partisan use of public funds.
District lawyers disagreed and said the potentially ordinance prohibited parts of the books “are not explicitly supporting or opposing a political party, candidate or ballot issue” so they were ok.
But Donley cited specific examples of attacks only on Republicans in these books and continued to object to the District Superintendent that endorsing these books on a taxpayer funded website without any listing or recognition of opposing thought literature was unfair and inappropriate. Donley submitted a list of books that presented opposing opinions, but the Superintendent refused to list them.
In late 2020, under public pressure, the ASD added the following disclaimer to the website: “These books have been recommended by staff as self and facilitated study resources on equity and race. The authors represent prominent voices in the ongoing national discussion about equity and race. These resources are not part of the ASD student curriculum, nor are the authors endorsed by ASD.”
That was a start. But Donley continued to object at school board meetings to the unfairness and bias of listing only pro-Critical Race Theory books on the ASD website. In early July, without prior notice, the list of “recommended” books was removed from the ASD website and replaced with: “For additional resources on equity please contact the Office of Equity and Compliance at 742-4132.” A request from Donley for list of recommended resources was not responded to.
The ASD continues to provide classes in Critical Race Theory to its employees. So far over 130 ASD employees have taken these classes based on “White Fragility” and “How to be an Anti-Racist.”
Read: Anchorage School District plunges into Critical Race Theory with reading list
Everyone call your legislator to support the anti-CRT bill in Juneau!!!
Those books are racist and have no place in today’s classroom.
The school teachers who teach this doctrine should themselves be required to spend six months in Cuba or Venezuela and obtain a certificate of completion for a continuing education credit to be qualified to present the subject matter in any classroom. This without any pre trip funds upon arrival, finding a job, and not be paid more than the average monthly income, in local currency. If need be, they can moonlight by scrounging in the refuse dumps for which many professionals, including teachers have been forced to do and discuss the merits and importance of CRT with people expert on what it entails in real life.
“White fragility” my foot. The only fragile whites are the ones on the left who are so very racist, (democrats), that they appear to think people “of color” are too stupid to figure out how to vote or how to read between the lines. Talk about trying to keep people down! I have news for those folks…all the black people I know and most I’ve heard of, are sick of your leftist woke stuff that tries to make folk of color as being “less than”. They are insulted and I don’t blame them one little bit.
Karen Kirkpatrick’s comment is a breath of fresh air.
Thank you Dave Donley for your determination and for staying the course. The ASD superintendent is another individual that really need to be replaced. The Matsu borough collectively were definitely not saddened when she headed off to Anchorage. CRT is equivalent to Nazism. Similar tactics and brainwashing, similar use of division, stirring up of illogical ‘mass hysteria’, and purely racist. More racism will not eliminate racism.
Thank you Dave Donley for standing up for parents everywhere. More importantly, Thank You for standing up for our kids. Your work has awaken many that have not been paying attention!
Keep the pressure on, Anchorage folks!
Where’s “How I Became Successful by Living 150 Years in the Past.
Also,, “Shucks, Now I Must Teach Math, English, Reading and Writing”
Dave Donley has courage. Thanks Dave.
They still have it, just not advertising it.
They know they are flying again public opinion and don’t care. But they will cover themselves
Thank you, Dave Donley, for your perseverance in purging this plague on our most vulnerable and precious future, our children and our cultures, demanding accountability and fairness for alternative views to the Leftist/Socialist/MARXIST hogwash with which we are increasingly awash.
The teachers will still keep pushing it.
We need body cameras on the teachers like the liberals demand we put on the cops.
Many, many thanks to Dave Donley.
Eventually, some and perhaps many of the people involved will come to the point where they realize it is impossible to reconcile CRT with the views of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They must eventually choose between the Kendi/deAngelo approach or the King approach; they cannot have it both ways. The views of MLK stand on the higher moral and philosophical ground. It will take time but King’s vision will prevail and the lesser minds embracing Kendi and deAngelo will fall silent. It is not pleasant right now but we will get there.
You mean the same Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. who was called a “communist,” hounded and surveilled by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI? The same MLK who until — (very, very conveniently, I might add) — recent history was considered a socialist for being pro-union, anti-American for being against the Vietnam War, and a threat to the American way of life for seeking full citizenship for African Americans through their guaranteed voting rights? THAT MLK?
That MLK would say the time for education about the true history of the United States of America is past due:
“It is obvious if a man is entered at the starting line of a race 300 years after another man, the first would have to perform some impossible feat to catch up with his fellow runner.”
Oh, J. Edgar, what a fine example to hold up, the vengeful blackmailing little man. Comparing him to MLK, a registered republican? How about judging people by the content of their character rather than the shade of their skin? Remember, Sophie, the FBI and J. Edgar were democrat apparatchiks to keep control on those of whom they disapproved. Democrat, remember, the party of the KKK.
Not only J. Edgar: “The FBI began wiretapping King’s home and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference office in Atlanta on Nov. 8, 1963, with Robert Kennedy’s written approval.” Kennedy was Attorney General at the time.
I assure you CRT is alive and well in ASD. They may deny they are teaching CRT but the recent passing of anti-racist and equity instruction policies are right out of CRT. This will all be taken underground so as parents be vigilant. Thank Dave Donley by attending board meetings and support him as he fights for parents and students in ASD. I assure you the other side shows up every week.
Rooting out the Woke from the schools is going to be worse than rooting out metastized cancer. The woke defenders are correct when they say CRT isn’t in the curriculum, there is not CRT text book to point at. It’s shoved in sideways, through the walls and the air which makes it extraordinarily difficult to pin down let alone excise.
ASD needs to eliminate the office and position of Equity and apply the funds to improving the low scores in traditional subjects like math, reading and writing. The obviously have to much money if they can fund this racist theory. Don’t just prohibit the books but stop the indoctrination of employees and teachers. Nothing will cause the public to stop supporting education bonds and funding if they continue wasting money on this trash.
Suzanne, are those “courses” you mentioned to employees, mandatory?
The left will not stop teaching Critical Race Theory and will continue teaching it even if they have to hide it. Thanks to Dave Donley,(it is an uphill battle). When is Governor Dunleavy going to join other Governors to mandate it not be taught in Alaska.? Oh,however , there are teachers who stated they will teach it anyway not matter the law. They need to be fired.All I can say is Bless all of these children no matter what color, they are innocent. Children need to be Educated and not Indoctrinated.
Thank you Dave Donley! Although it’s just one voice, it’s good to have someone sticking up for conservative principles.
No reading list would be fair without books be writers/thinkers like Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Robert Woodson, John Mcwhorter, and numerous other black leaders who do not share the same vision of America as do many on the original recommended list.
Fire Anchorage School District’s director of “Equity and Compliance”
Dump Anchorage School District’s Stuperintendent
You mean, the Anchorage School District’s “Director of (equity) and COMPLIANCE”.
.
Fixed it for you.
This proves the teachers have an agenda, and it’s not about education, it’s about Marxist indoctrination.
It points out why every revolution terminated the academics. They think they know so much more than us Deplorables.
Traitors, all.
Public schools get their funding by the number of students in the school during October.
How about this- Everyone take your kids out of school for October, take early vacations. They won’t get any money.
The Alaska Legislation has got to change the laws that the money goes with the child not to the schools.
Teachers unions have showed their evil face over the last 18 months. They must be disbanded. Defund the teachers unions!
Who does not agree that the Federal Government should not be pushing political curriculum in schools without parental input or even knowledge. Parents should have the major say in what their children are taught.
Sophie….. hahahahahaha. Martin Luther king? Guy was a scumbag.. do your research.
Calling someone privileged because they are white, is judging someone by the color of their skin.
Superintendent Bishop testified at the last State Board of Education that the ASD did not teach Critical Race Theory. She may be correct but she is really, really good at parsing. Probably took lessons from President Bill Clinton. However, ASD is implementing CRT in its curriculum.
Hey ASD, how about just teaching kids how to READ!!!!! Is that too, too difficult?
I agree Dave Donley did a great job of sticking with it and it is appreciated. Thanks Dave
Where is the governor? Seriously? Where is he? He needs to stop cowering to these communist leftists and ban this curriculum throughout all of Alaska like other governors in other states. Where is our governor besides crying over the PFD and economic issues. He is responsible for way more than just the economy. Why isn’t he protecting Alaskans from these communists and their eugenic kill shots either? How is he protecting Alaskans from having these communist vaccine enforcers knocking on our door doxing our vaccine status. How is he protecting our children from being forced to be injected with a shot that is now killed more people (according to CDC database) in the last two weeks than Covid! How is protecting our children from communist indoctrination and mass extermination? Where is the governor? I don’t see him standing tall for anything but the pocket book. And quite frankly we need more. Is there anyone out there willing to stand up against these communists? Anyone? Because our current governor is dropping the ball big time and needs to step up or sit down and let someone with courage stand tall against these Pinkos. Grow a pair Dunleavy!
I was going to leave a comment on this but you pretty well covered everything I would have said, thank you! Everyone needs to call the Governors office! We need to wipe these evil books from our kids curriculum or pull the kids out of school to make a point. No communist or racist teaching to our children, period! These people know what they are doing and they are doing it without telling parents. Devious and EVIL! Fire them and replace them with patriots that love freedom!
The only take-away for these Marxist, CRT pushers is this:
To create and breed chaos, discension and hatred for White people (especially White men) and to see a fullblown collapse of our Capitalist system as the end result.
Watership Down banned for placing animals as like humans in a nation called China, Rudyard Kipling banned racist for using the river Niger in his poem. Flannery O conner not PC because of a ode to a lawn ornament.
Maybe the whole point is critical thinking and learn that your ego is not important in last impressions of life or your forced to walk around with your id hanging out.
Dulcie…. speak English
ASD Equity office??? Is this part of education?
If they bought into ‘Critical Race Theory’, what else is part of the package?
It’s time to look closer,,,
Can’t have it both ways, although in your case I guess your followers don’t have the capacity to recognize the hilariously obvious hypocrisy and bad faith.
Comments are closed.