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All Kids Matter
October 12, 2021
September 28, 2021
Gregory Stenstrom
Gregory Stenstrom
September 14, 2021
Antoine Gist
Antoine Gist
Our next speaker is Antoine Gist, a Philadelphia native, father of two, military veteran, founder of Run4PeaceClothing, and a member of Blexit.
Come and hear him share his experiences dealing with and surviving gun violence. Learn what Antoine thinks about “defunding the police” and why it is such a critical topic in today’s world.
Come and hear him share his experiences dealing with and surviving gun violence. Learn what Antoine thinks about “defunding the police” and why it is such a critical topic in today’s world.
September 4, 2021
Opinion
Eck: Find out where school board candidates stand on CRT
As the head of a political party in Chester County, one of my duties is to help candidates get elected. But as a Republican, the responsibilities go much further. Our stated mission is to “serve the community of Chester County by promoting and growing the Republican Party and the values upon which it was founded.” These values are crystalized in our vision statement, derived from the Declaration of Independence, “to make the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness a reality for all.”
It is rare that my responsibility to one of our candidates conflicts with our mission and vision. But when it does, principle takes priority over politics. Sadly, that has now happened. This past week Chris McCune, one of our candidates for school board in the West Chester Area School District (WCASD), submitted an op-ed to the DLN on behalf of the district categorically stating that they “do not teach Critical Race Theory (also known as CRT), and have no plans to do so.” I only wish that were true. The ideology of CRT, better known by its deceptive synonym Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is pervasive within the WCASD. It is so extensive that we have created a page with the various documents provided to us showing its involvement in teacher training and classroom resources, many of which are available through the WCASD website.
Mr. McCune has defended his claim by deliberately confusing the theoretical CRT, well-known to academia, with its practical application in K-12 schools. Clearly, WCASD teachers are not using the writings of Derrick Bell, Kimberle´ Crenshaw, or Richard Delgado and teaching the theoretical tenets of CRT in a course titled Critical Race Theory. Nor has anyone engaged in this important issue made such claims. Rather, it is teachers who are being trained in its theoretical tenets through professional development activities such as “Courageous Conversations: Beyond Diversity.”
For example, on a slide labeled “Systemic Equity Transformation Framework,” the “Knowledge” plank lists “Critical Race Theory: Tenets” and proceeds to describe it as “Developing racial literacy and consciousness.” If that isn’t evidence enough, the program seeks to carry this out by engaging teachers in exercises assessing “Racial Consciousness, White Privilege, and [White] Entitlement,” before later “Examining Whiteness.”
It is no stretch to suggest that once teachers are trained, they are expected to take the theoretical tenets and apply them practically within their classrooms across disciplines. After all, what is professional development for if not to shape instruction in the classroom? This application is often euphemistically referred to as “culturally responsive teaching” and/or “culturally relevant pedagogy” and is a hallmark of “culturally competent school leaders.”
When I became aware of this divisive, racist, anti-American ideology being taught in the school district, I met with Mr. McCune. He denied having knowledge of it being in the school system and expressed a lack of understanding of the ideology. He agreed to read materials I gave him and to meet with parents from the district that had evidence of CRT in the schools. He did neither. Now, in addition to denying its presence, Mr. McCune claims those who do are part of a “far-right faction of the Republican Party…disrupting and dividing local communities like our own.”
The only explanations for Mr. McCune’s statements are ignorance, indifference, or complicity. If ignorance, it is intentional. If indifference or complicity, it is inexcusable and an abdication of his responsibility as a school director. If Mr. McCune, on behalf of the school district, is committed to spending nearly half a million dollars on training their teachers and students in this racist and divisive ideology and then promoting it on their website, I can no longer support him.
Several weeks ago, after Mr. McCune sought to intimidate a mother of a student in his district, many called on him to resign. He did not. But that does not mean residents of the WCASD have no options. In only a few weeks you will have the opportunity to vote him out. I encourage those living in District 3 to write in a new candidate.
This issue is not isolated to the WCASD and thus to those who live elsewhere in the county, I urge you to find out where your school board candidates stand on this issue before casting your vote.
Gordon R. Eck, D.O., D.Min.
Chairman Republican Committee of Chester County
It is rare that my responsibility to one of our candidates conflicts with our mission and vision. But when it does, principle takes priority over politics. Sadly, that has now happened. This past week Chris McCune, one of our candidates for school board in the West Chester Area School District (WCASD), submitted an op-ed to the DLN on behalf of the district categorically stating that they “do not teach Critical Race Theory (also known as CRT), and have no plans to do so.” I only wish that were true. The ideology of CRT, better known by its deceptive synonym Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is pervasive within the WCASD. It is so extensive that we have created a page with the various documents provided to us showing its involvement in teacher training and classroom resources, many of which are available through the WCASD website.
Mr. McCune has defended his claim by deliberately confusing the theoretical CRT, well-known to academia, with its practical application in K-12 schools. Clearly, WCASD teachers are not using the writings of Derrick Bell, Kimberle´ Crenshaw, or Richard Delgado and teaching the theoretical tenets of CRT in a course titled Critical Race Theory. Nor has anyone engaged in this important issue made such claims. Rather, it is teachers who are being trained in its theoretical tenets through professional development activities such as “Courageous Conversations: Beyond Diversity.”
For example, on a slide labeled “Systemic Equity Transformation Framework,” the “Knowledge” plank lists “Critical Race Theory: Tenets” and proceeds to describe it as “Developing racial literacy and consciousness.” If that isn’t evidence enough, the program seeks to carry this out by engaging teachers in exercises assessing “Racial Consciousness, White Privilege, and [White] Entitlement,” before later “Examining Whiteness.”
It is no stretch to suggest that once teachers are trained, they are expected to take the theoretical tenets and apply them practically within their classrooms across disciplines. After all, what is professional development for if not to shape instruction in the classroom? This application is often euphemistically referred to as “culturally responsive teaching” and/or “culturally relevant pedagogy” and is a hallmark of “culturally competent school leaders.”
When I became aware of this divisive, racist, anti-American ideology being taught in the school district, I met with Mr. McCune. He denied having knowledge of it being in the school system and expressed a lack of understanding of the ideology. He agreed to read materials I gave him and to meet with parents from the district that had evidence of CRT in the schools. He did neither. Now, in addition to denying its presence, Mr. McCune claims those who do are part of a “far-right faction of the Republican Party…disrupting and dividing local communities like our own.”
The only explanations for Mr. McCune’s statements are ignorance, indifference, or complicity. If ignorance, it is intentional. If indifference or complicity, it is inexcusable and an abdication of his responsibility as a school director. If Mr. McCune, on behalf of the school district, is committed to spending nearly half a million dollars on training their teachers and students in this racist and divisive ideology and then promoting it on their website, I can no longer support him.
Several weeks ago, after Mr. McCune sought to intimidate a mother of a student in his district, many called on him to resign. He did not. But that does not mean residents of the WCASD have no options. In only a few weeks you will have the opportunity to vote him out. I encourage those living in District 3 to write in a new candidate.
This issue is not isolated to the WCASD and thus to those who live elsewhere in the county, I urge you to find out where your school board candidates stand on this issue before casting your vote.
Gordon R. Eck, D.O., D.Min.
Chairman Republican Committee of Chester County
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