Anchorage School Board President Margo Bellamy has responded to parents who have protested the ban of Dr. Ben Carson from the campuses of Anchorage schools when he is in Alaska this coming week.
In a letter that responded to protests of the policy, Bellamy wrote that if students want to hear from Dr. Ben Carson, one of the most admired Americans in our generation, they can do so off campus.
“Families and students who wish to meet Dr. Carson can do so at the Mt. View Boys & Girls Club on Monday, August 21, 3:45-4:30pm,” Bellamy advised critics. Through the efforts of local leaders, Carson has agreed to do a separate event, since he is not being allowed to take part in a school assembly at Mountain View Elementary School.
“It is regretful that so much misinformation is surrounding the superintendent’s decision to not host Dr. Carson in an ASD school on the third day of a new school year and on the day that we are launching a new districtwide initiative. Timing and focus on our students were the only considerations,” Bellamy wrote to inquiring constituents.
“While not consistent with your views, the decision, puts the needs of our students first and gives them the time and focus needed to successfully settle into a new school year and new school routines,” Bellamy told parents in her response letter.
Dr. Carson had been scheduled to speak at the worst-performing elementary school in the district, a campus filled with children who have upbringings not that dissimilar to his, until the superintendent learned of the assembly and overrode the decision.
Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt told the board last week that he would answer the question as to why he was banning Dr. Carson from the schools, but he’d do so in a “Board Connect,” which is a written report to the board that is done periodically. However, in his subsequent “Board Connect,” issued on Friday, he failed to even bring up the topic.
Dr. Carson is coming to Anchorage at the invitation of the Anchorage Republican Women’s Club, which is hosting him at an evening speaking event, arranged through the efforts of Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Those who want to hear Dr. Carson speak can get more information at this link.
Like advection fog, knee-jerk liberalism seems to be covering the landscape of Southcentral Alaska. Just because the ASD superintendent may not be a member of the Republican party, trying to prevent an outstanding American like Dr. Carson from speaking to students speaks volumes. It is an embarrassing maneuver for the ASD and reflects poorly on Anchorage and Alaska.
Carson WAS a surgeon. As evidenced by his $100 & $300 entry fees to the event sponsored by the Alaska GOP, Carson, he IS NOW a politician. “Misinformation” is a Republican trademark.
I hope some Matsu student gets the chance to ask Ben, if it was up to him, why he wouldn’t let a 13 year old get an abortion? See the Time article from this month . . . “She Wasn’t Able to Get an Abortion. Now She’s a Mom. Soon She’ll Start 7th Grade.” Tears
Can’t one be both a politician and a speaker on other issues….. I guess our present senators and …oh YES! our Representative in the House are also banned? No… we understand it’s not “racist” to ban Carlson…. some other excuse is needed.
Oh… are his medical licenses in order? If so… he is STILL a surgeon.
Funny! Did you complain when Bill Clinton got $500,000 in fees for one speech? I bet not, because his charm and personality definitely make it worth it….or so they said.
It was my understanding that Dr. Carson is a nationally recognized figure and speaking at a fundraiser for THE ANCHORAGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S club, so they can support candidates for local office with the proceeds. Unlike Bill, who pocketed all his fee, I bet Dr. Carson only requests his travel and accommodations and most likely a modest amount for his time.
It is truly sad that you are using the misery of a 13y/o child to further your agenda. The better question you should ask, is is there a criminal investigation into the creep who abused her? As a minor, her parents have a say in this, as much as you want to deny that. Have sympathy for that infant. Hypotheticals are difficult to answer as the poser always presents a no-win scenario in for a gotcha moment.
Lies
I hope matsu students are allowed to be children and not think about adult issues like pro life/pro choice debates for a few more years instead of being used by people like you to push your political agendas
What’s a 13-year old doing preggers? Anyone in jail over it yet? Interesting that you go VFR direct to abortion as the kneejerk solution, demanding she kill the life inside her without a thought or a care. How many of these take place in Alaska every year? BTW, given 13 is a mere 5 years younger than the age of consent, I would think you ought to be speaking to her parents rather than trotting out a minor to make your smarmy political point. Cheers –
First of all, grow a set and use your real name. If you have opinions, at least own them.
Second of all, yeah, ask him. Guess what, it’s a HIPAA violation for him to talk about it, but not for the NYT or anyone else (like you) to speculate. So they can say anything they want, and he can’t respond. So, in a nutshell, you don’t know sh!t about the situation. It may be true, it may not, or most certainly there may be medical circumstances that you don’t know anything about.
The man has dealt with issue of abortion his whole career. He’s a physician and surgeon, and if he couldn’t separate cojoined twins in utero, abortion is the option. For professionals and thinking people, abortion is a tool in the medical toolbox, not an ideological point for some keyboard warrior (yeah, markymark, that’s you) to pontificate about.
Why should ASD support a political speakers? I’m pretty sure folks would be up in arms if Beto Orourke was coming to speak. And imagine how much readers here would lose their mind if the New York Times was coming to speak. Dr. Carson, who has a well-established professional record, is now a political figure head. I disagree with ASD–he shouldn’t be allowed to disrupt the first few weeks of school with a non-programmatic assembly and he shouldn’t be allowed to speak to political issues or religion if provided an audience with any school district.
hmmmm gotta wonder if it was ibraham x keneddy, robin deangeloe or tanaheesee cotes would the same decision have been made??? probably not. These are naked partisans from unscientific school closures and mask mandates, reporting parents who attend school board meeting to the DS 3 letter agencies to banning Ben Carson these are all purely political move in line with far left authoritarian ideologs
I can’t help but to see it this way as well. Sad days
So Carson wasn’t told not to come?
Not sure what disinformation she’s talking about. She accusing Ben Carson’s people of lying?
Bellamy, and others of her ilk, are racist in my opinion. They think blacks should only be heard if they are Democrats.
Is Bellamy going to tell us that if the speaker was Barack Obama, that he’d be refused? Please.
Typical ASD double speak… It’s always “all about/ for the kids”… even though it really isn’t. I’m glad my children are completely free of the ASD misinformation school system… and have grown up to be well-informed, intelligent, hard working young adults, in-spite of ASD influence…
Margo Bellamy is leading ASD down a dark and destructive path. She should be removed immediately.
In response to the School Board President, “If you expect us to believe your excuses, I have a bridge for sale…”
I guess calling this a field trip for kids would be out of order since it would require common sense to try to have these kids get the opportunity to hear Dr. Carson speak.
Margo and Jarrett are anti kid, anti parent, anti anchorage, and need to be voted out. Too bad soccer moms lost their common sense and all decency and kept the idiots, exception of Dave Donley, on the school board. Parents, get your kids to the community center, Dr. Carson is worth hearing with or without your kids.
What a load of bunk. I wrote to the entire School Board regarding this issue. Dave Donley was the only member to respond, and told me he was the only Board member to object to the soy supervisor ban of Dr. Carson. These people despise you.
Echoing and adding to a comment on essentially the same subject: Not to worry: Ms. Bellamy will fight to her last breath to get the predators, groomers and drag queens into the classrooms.
Her authority to exclude Dr. Carson and bring in the above-identified people? Her skin color?
“It is regretful that so much misinformation is surrounding the superintendent’s decision to not host Dr. Carson in an ASD school on the third day of a new school year and on the day that we are launching a new districtwide initiative. Timing and focus on our students were the only considerations,” Bellamy wrote to inquiring constituents.
Sorry Margo there is no “misinformation”. The superintendent dis-invited Dr. Carson and did not give a reason. Those are the facts, good lady (or can one no longer call her a lady??) It would be really nice to know what kind of “district wide initiative” is so important that an exception can not be made for a rare visit of an inspirational speaker.
It is interesting to note that the public pressure must have been immense for her to even address it and arrange for an alternate venue.
As a black American man who has known of Ben Carson for many decades, he lost all his credibility to me when he took a job in the Trump Administration. He became another liar and Trump a—kisser who agreed to do what he could to destroy the agency he was appointed for, the Federal Housing Administration, of which he was horribly underqualified for that’s what all Trump appointees were brought in to do. Suddenly he starts using the divisive language Trump does – “radical liberals, Democrats don’t care about the country”, and other Trump divisive garbage to make people hate each other. Carson stopped having anything relevant to say once he sold out his character to Trump, wouldn’t be welcome in my school either. Everything MAGA conservatives say to describe “radical leftists” and their behavior describes Trump and MAGA perfectly. They hate Democrats because they think we’re like they are, that’s all they know. Carson should know better but he’s proven he doesn’t.
Am glad you prefaced your response calling attention to your color. There’s many Trump haters of many colors, but you make a point of it. You are part of the problem, not the solution. Get over yourself and you may enjoy your own success instead of blaming others for your shortcomings.
Strange that there were more black people employed and at higher earnings under President Trump than at any time before or since his presidency!!
Keven must have been left out.
Oh, Kevin, do tell us how long you have known Dr. Carson, and how very disappointed you were when President Trump improved the economy so much that even the black population, who claims institutional racism at the drop of a hat, were mostly employed. Do explain that to us, because we couldn’t possibly understand how very downtrodden you were what with high employment, and the concerted effort to enrich all Americans, no matter their skin color or inherent personal racism. Do explain that to us, since we are such idiots to think that a good economy is good for everyone, even you, you poor dear.
Well said Kevin
Kevin: This comment obviously isn’t coming from you because you are a black man. It’s coming from you because you’re Democrat and really hate Trump and his supporters, same as Bellamy. I believe you speak sincerely and for many Democrats, and that is why we all know Bellamy and the superintendent are lying through their teeth, which you seem to only care about when it flatters you.
Please look up the word “projection”. This should also exclude Pres. Obama from speaking at any school.
I get it Kevin. You feel betrayed by Dr. Carson.
As long as he was a celebrated brain surgeon and son of a single mother, he was your poster boy and shining example. His credentials or character didn’t change when he decided to leave your fold and join a team he felt more aptly supported ALL Americans. You can not abide that he does not think like you and your democrat friends. You vilify Trump because he dared to oppose your party and actually won. Yet I bet you didn’t say anything when Biden told Charlemagne that “you are not black if you don’t vote democrat” I bet you let that racist and arrogant statement stand unchallenged, because it came from the party you prefer. Maybe you even thought it was the truth.
Freedom and tolerance comes in many forms, choosing a political philosophy should be one of them. I agree with you that Trump can be very abrasive, but so what. Clearly you have no real arguments and can not calmly debate (see your rant about Trump and his supporters). Silencing Dr. Carson because he is not playing for YOUR team, says more about you than him!
Mountain View Elementary. Oh yes, I have ‘fond’ memories.
Was put into an accelerated learning program by my parents from the late 70-80’s era. Was called ‘PACT’, no idea if it still exists.
The catch? You were bussed once a week to the worst schools in the district. Mountain View. Government Hill. At recess you were let out to ‘interact’ with the black kids and the encounters were miserable and usually violent.
Looking back, it was probably a Jewish funding requirement. Admittedly clever though. Appeal to young parents’ conceit when their kids test well, then force them to ‘integrate’ with minorities that have zero interest in education. Taught me a valuable lesson at 8 years old – “around blacks – never relax”.
Thank you Anchorage School District!
I was in and out of PACT because my standardized test scores were high, but I guess the people who ran the PACT program weren’t impressed by me and I’d be disinvited after a few weeks. But then I’d be back after the annual tests, then sent back. Rinse and repeat.
We were never bussed to other schools though.
From what I remember it was test scores, yes. The actual class time and teaching was fine, you got to dig into topics 3-4 years before you would ever see them in regular classes, if ever. The STEM probably helped smooth the path into engineering.
I remember getting bussed to Rogers Park at first, which wasn’t too bad, but then when it shifted to Mountain View, Fairview and Gov’t Hill it was much less enjoyable. Constantly having to fight with black kids and left having a pretty negative opinion of them as a group.
I don’t know, maybe they thought we could fix them by osmosis? Either way, PACT definitely helped harden my stances against the racial ‘social’ curriculum many of the teachers feed along with the lessons.
Let them spin it any way they want, but it’s wrong to deprive those students an opportunity to head Dr Carson I’m sorry that I cant hear him speak . Wish his speech was on UTube. With test scores as low as ASD are they should welcome this man this man could inspire those students more in thirty minutes than the superintendent could in a year
The Boys and Girls Club event is not a public event. It is for students in that program.
Please do not show up to this event. Everyone knew this was a private event but now want to use it to make themselves look good!
LOL the Anchorage school district is so focused on education! They sure spend a lot of time on woke ideology instead of academics and Margo Bellamy leads that charge.
People can go to ‘www.anchoragerepublicanwomensclub to purchase tickets and help us recover costs!
Drag queens: yes, brain surgeons: no.
Anybody wonder why ASD students are failing abysmally?
Wiccan “art”
Ms. Margo Bellamy is a liar is oh so many ways. Ms. Bellamy told me in writing that ASD does not support or teach Critical Race Theory at ASD.
When we all know they simply rename or rephrase the topic and bingo all is good.
Ms. Bellamy sole purpose other than 100% support of the teacher’s union is to make sure that fellow board member Dave Donley’s positions and agenda never see the light of day.
Ms. Bellamy and her fellow ASD Board lemmings are running head and head with the Anchorage Assembly to see which one can drive us in the toilet the fastest.
Other than that, she is a swell gal.
Why did it take so long to respond? Just an FYI. With the State Fair going on, most families take advantage of the Kids Day, so starting a new “program “ so close to the start of the school year, flimsy excuse. Dr. Carson is such a good person to show the students what it takes to be a successful leader in today’s world. Sad that ASD isn’t willing to help our leaders of tomorrow to a good send off for the new school year. Suggestion: Don’t vote for any bonds for the next four years.
Suggestion: Don’t vote for any bonds for ever!
If you succeeded in cutting off the fiscal flow by not approving school bonds, you would simply get a court-ordered one. From a corrupted, non-constitutional court system.
How do you figure that one? Court can’t approve bonds. The legislature can approve more money though….
I never vote for school bonds, especially since all funds go into the general fund and the same “repair projects” seem to get recycled every few years for more bond approval.
You’ve been missing the obvious … the legislature has refused for 10+ years to fund abortion, but the COURTS ordered it back in! Perhaps you were hard-welded to the MSM headlines, which studiously ignores Leftist anti-constitutional actions.
Toscano welcome to MRAK!
Don’t compare apples to oranges. School bonds are “requests to take out a loan in the city/taxpayers name” placed on the ballot by individual school districts and require voter approval. If denied the school districts have no recourse via the courts. As stated above the LEGISLATURE can appropriate more funds for schools, but it is tied to a formula and applies to ALL school districts. The courts have no say in this.
Abortion is a completely different kettle of fish, as a supposed individual “right” bumps up against public policy. The courts do adjudicate these issues.
Should public tax money via medicaid be used to end another citizen-in-the-making’s life? No, but the courts decided differently.
The planet I live on has demonstrated that the judiciary has no respect for constitutional law, because they believe “the constitution means whatever we say.” In Missouri, decades ago, there were judicial demands for funding of failed school bonds. Such actions are seen as “guiding precedents” for liberals, who admit that they go outside of their boundaries to justify their ideas. And read the Alaskan constitution. Public education is a requirement, and it would not take much magic for them to do what you are denying would ever happen.
Good Grief! You are all over the map here.
First you claim that the bond funding is comparable to abortion funding and now this Missouri court ruling. A Google search on that topic did not turn up any relevant results. You also don’t elaborate whether the Missouri court was successful in their “demands”.
Yes public education is an obligation for the state and if you really want to be technical, the incorporated areas like Anchorage or Fairbanks should not have to contribute to their schools, just like the unincorporated areas. ASD gets a set amount of funds from the state usually per student, then a chunk of change from the Feds, plus about 50% of our property taxes. Bonds are on top of that and last I checked the Muni can not sue each individual taxpayer for saying “NO” to a school bond. If a bond fails, will they try to get the money somewhere else? Sure, but justifying another school building or roof to the legislature is probably more difficult as the state expects the district to BUDGET for stuff like that instead of asking for special money. Could they sue the state for the amount of the bond? Again sure, but I am not certain that they have standing as the bond is a contract between the residents of that city and the school district. Besides if the state funded education as appropriated in the budget then, ASD doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
I generally try to avoid dealing in hypotheticals.
Lot of backtracking going on. ASD is so obviously racist and is getting called out, and trying to cover themselves. There’s nothing wrong with a person of color trying to encourage minority children that there are no barriers that cannot be overcome. That’s what our country is about. Whether you use your back or your brain, everyone can overcome. It is written into our constitution and only personal barriers exist, but not everywhere, certainly not Alaska.
The ASD’s clearly political reaction to a VIP role model like Dr. Carson visiting students is just embarrassing.
Margo Bellamy and Jharrett Bryantt continue doing a wonderful job with our schools
Last I checked we are ranked 45th out of 50. They are doing a great job huh.
What are they afraid of?
They’re afraid of minorities thinking they can succeed without Democrats and be high-level Republicans which destroys their narrative of Republicans being racist.
Thank you for clarifying that the Republican Party Women invited Dr Carson to speak and not ASD. It makes sense that Dr Carson would speak to the Republican Party at an evening event for the community as a whole and not to a select group of elementary children
The principal at Mountain View Elementary invited him to speak. Little Jharrett then said no. No good reason, except that if they let a successful black man speak to kids, then the school couldn’t teach those kids that they would be perpetual victims. Just that.
Ooooooo- MV principal may be the next one looking for another job after Family Partnership Charter principal found out what happens after having an issue with the current superintendent. Taking initiative to invite Dr. Carson only to find out the embarrassment it caused the superintendent he may decide this principal is risk to unity and mission cause the principal talks too much.
Mr. Contrarian, Frank: You are always doing the “knee jerk” routine here. Ben Carson was invited to speak by the principal, when she was made aware he would be in Anchorage. This speaking engagement did not go through the school superintendent. Carson is still speaking at the Republican club for their fundraiser, and now folks have arranged for him to go over to the Boys and Girls Club, where Jharrett Bryantt can’t stop him from having some quality time with at least some of the kids in the hood. Pull your kids out of Anchorage schools, parents. It will take a walk-away campaign to ever right this ship.
Oh “Frank”….
Stupider than usual.
And that is really saying something!
Air horns welcome at the next board meeting.
And here I thought Jharrett Bryantt would be spelled different…..nothing fancy you know…..
Had this been the other way around, with a conservative school board – the media would be calling the denial racist & for investigations.
I think its time to start acting like liberals and using the BLM & race card now.
“Hell is teeming with demons and the best way to defeat them, is to become them.”
No. Wrong tactic. We should not lose ourselves in order to save ourselves.
Yes, intellectual giant Margo Bellamy is the one who told me that the school district was not teaching sodomy to middle schoolers, and that no such books were in the libraries, and when I sent her clip of the library loan information where my son could, indeed, check out the book teaching him all about the joys of sodomy, told me I was wrong, and when I went to the school and had my son check out that book and sent her a photo of that encounter, blocked me from her email contact. THAT Margo Bellamy. Gaslighter extraordinaire.
I take it the current school board seats were won based on mail in voting. But, I’m certain there are enough mouth breathers in Los Anchorage to keep electing people like this.
“Liberals” once again showing that if you tell a lie in unison over and over again and double down and gaslight, it becomes fact and everything denying it is “misinformation”. And liberals like Frank Rast believe the bs right away, without comprehension of what happened or what is being said.
Now you know who else to email. Let her have it.
So she’s saying it wouldn’t have mattered if it was Smokey the Bear coming to talk to the kids, he would have still denied the principal’s authority and the work that went into it because it is such a severe misstep to have a school assembly within weeks of starting school that the superintendent felt compelled to cancel it all.
Liberal Progressive Communist’s love to lie. It causes their detractors to spend time trying to explain the Truth. One of their favorite tactics is to call everyone they don’t like a RACIST, and watch their victim struggle to prove their not. That is what Jharrets and the ASD want to do by saying their detractors are misinformed. Saul Alinsky wrote a book on it called Rules for Radicals. How to lie, confuse, and denigrate, the opposition by flooding the discussion with distraction. Jharrets needs to be fired, the School Board;—except for Donnaly—-needs to be. Charged with RACISIM against minority schoolchildren, and an emergency election called to replace them. They tied up Ted Stevens in court, they tied up Governor Palin in court. They are thying up Trump in court. Jharrets and the ASD need to be tied up in court under DELIBERATE RACISM against minority. Children. If you don’t fight, you will lose.
People learn by emulating others who are successful. Carson is one of the most successful blacks of a generation. Bellamy, her majority and her unqualified Superintendent want to ensure not a single student in ASD sees Carson, listens to him, and (gasp!) decides to emulate him. Cheers –
Is it misinformation, Margo? Would you block Michelle Obama from speaking on campus because it would interfere with students “settling in?”
I don’t think you would.
“It is regretful that so much misinformation is surrounding the superintendent’s decision to not host Dr. Carson in an ASD school on the third day of a new school year and on the day that we are launching a new districtwide initiative. Timing and focus on our students were the only considerations,” Bellamy wrote to inquiring constituents.”
THE BS QUOTE OF THE WEEK.
hi Suzanne was this in a public letter?
“It is regretful that so much misinformation is surrounding the superintendent’s decision to not host Dr. Carson in an ASD school on the third day of a new school year and on the day that we are launching a new districtwide initiative. Timing and focus on our students were the only considerations,” Bellamy wrote to inquiring constituents.
“While not consistent with your views, the decision, puts the needs of our students first and gives them the time and focus needed to successfully settle into a new school year and new school routines,”
This exact wording was sent to several parents who had written their objections to the school board president. Parents forwarded Bellamy’s response to Must Read Alaska. – sd
THX
Somewhere in MatSu, a bull just fell dead from an onset of sudden massive diarrhea.
Just be honest Bellamy. You don’t want an actual educated, intelligent, successful black man anywhere near black kids.
It’s most concerning that the superintendent is tells, dictates to the school board when & how he will respond to the body and then neglects to do so.
In the final analysis, this is Margo Bellamy and Mr. Bryantt’s version of “CRT”. Has really nothing to do with race, only the “correct” ideology. If they actually believed what they indoctrinate the kids with, then they would have begged Dr. Carson to come and speak and enlighten all. But his opinions and experiences don’t align with the victim mentality, so he had to be canned!
Liberal teachers in the Liberal Teacher’s Union plant their seeds EVERY day in these children’s head, thus promoting poverty & Government “help”
So of course we can’t have one independent, accomplished, conservative talk to them.
Just that one time exposure to Dr Carlson could ruin everything.
That’s how lame & weak the modern liberal message is.
God help these poor children.
Dr. Ben Carson shows up in Anchorage. What an outstanding opportunity to tap the wisdom of this man who overcame tremendous odds to become a world class brain surgeon and is now quite literally a living legend and mentor to so many underprivileged people. Dr. Carson is one of those rare individuals that has reached the pinnacle of success in his field but at the same time has a calm, common sense non condescending delivery that can be so effective to influence young people that have been convinced that they are victims and can’t make it. What an outstanding opportunity to address an elementary school that is struggling academically and has a large percentage of minority students. But no. The A.S.D. has a newly hired superintendent that is a woke liberal punk. Backed up by a woke liberal bozo that is the president of the Anchorage School Board. Dr. Ben Carson doesn’t fit the narrative, he is a Republican, a conservative and a Black man. We simply cannot tolerate such things in the A.S.D. Jharrett Bryantt and Margo Bellamy are the personification of hypocrisy, claiming to work in the best interest of our children when nothing could be further from the truth. Neither of them would make a pimple on Dr. Ben Carson’s butt!
Thank you for the excellent response! Well said.
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