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10/28/2021 12:00 AMAs the Nov. 2 election draws near, board of education races across the country have become a center of attention due to controversy surrounding teachings on race and identity. The Harbor News reached out to Clinton’s Board of Education (BOE) candidates to get their thoughts on the matter.
On election day, Clinton voters will get to elect four candidates who will serve on the BOE. No more than two from one party will be elected. The candidates are Republicans Mike Hornyak and Peter Nye; Democrats Erica Gelven and Jack Scherban, and Green Party candidate Jason Feeney.
Over the last year there has been a tremendous amount of interest across the nation on the subject matter that children will be taught in school. School curricula have updated to reflect perspectives from other cultures besides White people. Sometimes this is more broadly referred to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and often erroneously as Critical Race Theory, which is a graduate- and post-graduate academic legal framework.
Given the high profile and controversial discussion this subject has generated both locally and nationally, the Harbor News reached out to each BOE candidate to get their thoughts on this question: “What is your stance on teaching diversity equity, an dinclusion (DEI) or Critical Race Theory in schools?”
To accommodate space requirements, each candidate was asked to submit a statement of no more than 200 words and given a deadline to submit their statement. Below are the statements submitted to the Harbor News.
Jason Feeney, the Green Party nominee for the Board of Education, did not meet the deadline for this forum.
Erica Gelven (D) (Gelven is the current chair of the BOE and as such clarified to the Harbor News that her thoughts represent herself only and are not the official opinion of the rest of the current BOE or the school system.)
“The goal as a district and within our schools is to ensure that our climate is focused on supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and that our students develop the ability to grow, live, and contribute to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive world/society. CRT is a college level curriculum. As such, it is not taught in Clinton Public Schools. School districts have a responsibility to provide the opportunity for balanced, fact-based, non-directed instruction and discussion about controversial topics such as racism in our society. Such responsibility blends well with the Clinton Public Schools’ focus on DEI.”
Michael Hornyak (R) “I am addressing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), in the following way.
“My goal, as a member of the Clinton Board of Education, has been and will always be to ensure, within my power, that all of our students regardless of their culture and backgrounds are provided the academic achievement and learning in all disciplines.”
Peter Nye (R) (Nye’s response was limited to the same 200 words as his fellow candidates.) “My hope is that our Clinton community can reach a cool-headed consensus on the value of making students aware of modern America’s need for celebrating diversity, equity, equality of opportunity and inclusion as well as being conversant in critical theory, both historically and as it has been more recently applied to race in contemporary America. No member of our community should fear these topics being discussed in schools. I have great trust in our educators and the manner in which they present topics to our students. Student exposure to liberal studies and their wide range of ideas diffuse the threats that our overly biased, narrative based media outlets have on a well-functioning democracy. I have four children of my own who have, or are attending, The Morgan School. The education provided to a Morgan School graduate serves as an academic filter for these hyperbolic narratives. They also prevent our students from falling into a self-validating echo chamber created by our highly charged social media and Internet news formats.
“Discussions in our classrooms surrounding the issues outlined in your prompt, if done appropriately, can serve to provoke our students’ thinking.”
Jack Scherban (D) “CRT is a controversial academic framework that originated in law schools and is sometimes explored in post-graduate courses in college. CRT is not being taught in Clinton.
“I am confident that the Clinton Public Schools will continue to teach the facts of U.S. History; and that our teachers will continue to reinforce the skills that allow students to respect different points of view, recognize bias, and distinguish fact from opinion.
“The Board of Education provides fact-based learning, supports and encourages diversity, promotes equality, and delivers a safe, inclusive learning environment in every classroom, every day.”