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Supporting the Approach

In his May 26 letter “The True Colors,” Dave Holman encouraged “every parent, taxpayer, and concerned citizen” to watch a portion of the May 9 Board of Education (BOE) meeting to get a sense of the “true colors” of Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Freeman and the BOE. Since these categories apply to me, and I’ve wondered if I were missing something about the ongoing dispute, I did just that.

Contrary to what Holman alleges, I saw no “cowardly” efforts or behavior and no “stunning attempt to paint” opponents in some fashion. Instead, I saw an articulate and apparently concerned and thoughtful man and group of involved citizens trying to do their jobs in these charged times.

I also read the No Left Turn documents that Holman cited. Surely, as Freeman noted on May 9, there can and likely will be disagreements about what to teach and how and when to teach it. But these documents affix a label (“Critical Race Theory”) to the efforts in Guilford to broaden and diversify the schools and curriculum, and then assert that such efforts are radical, Marxist, and anti-American. In days gone by, such an assertion would be almost laughable; today, it seems intended to rile, sow division, and foreclose discussion.

Because I don’t doubt that Holman and No Left Turn believe what they say and claim, this local dispute, like so many in these fragile times, is likely beyond reconciliation. I do concur with Holman in one sense: Parents, taxpayers, and concerned citizens, who, like me, have little direct involvement in the ongoing debate, should watch or attend BOE meetings and read the position papers. I trust that most will come away supporting the approach and principles of Freeman and Guilford’s BOE over those of No Left Turn.

Clinton Fisher

Guilford