Kansas comes in for a lot of well-deserved derision for its reactionary politics. What with the battles over evolution, Operation Rescue, the Brownback regime, and more, it has provided a lot of fodder in these pages for snark and schadenfreude. But last night something happened that made me proud of the people I live amongst.
Last night the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) board met for its regularly scheduled meeting. The room was packed with critics of the board’s recent ban on teachers wearing safety pins...
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Anticipating the coming wave of criticism the board president Sara Goodburn read a statement that re-iterated Superintendent Jim Hinsin’s original ruling requesting teachers to refrain from wearing the pins, since, in the board’s characterization, the pins represented “overt political speech.” It was clear from this statement that the board was resolved to stubbornly resist any change in their wrong-headed and cowardly position. In fact the board doubled down on the misrepresentation of what the wearing of safety pins represents and declared that they would prohibit any “indoctrination” of SMSD students. The Superintendent has actually equated the prohibition on safety pins to the prohibition in class of the Confederate flag!
During the open question period more than twelve speakers, limited to three minutes apiece, rose to speak against this policy. In passionate, but respectful and eloquent terms these twelve fellow citizens put the lie to the board’s attempt to split the difference between hate and love.
Speaker after speaker took issue with the board’s hasty and ill-considered attempt to avoid classroom “disruptions,” by, as one speaker said, creating a real disruption and a complete politicization of this symbol of solidarity with marginalized students.
Many spoke of their own children’s reactions to the taunting of their classmates and how they had hoped that they could look for help from a teacher who chose to let them know that they were there to help stop the bullying.
Jim Passan quoted the words of Superintendent Hinsin himself from an earlier meeting where the Superintendent had asked what parents wanted for their children. Mr. Passan said,
I’ll tell you what I want. I want a Superintendent who understands something as fundamentally simple as right versus wrong.
Many speakers pointed out that the board had either adopted this position due to political expediency or from a warped view of reality. One mother, Jessica Gunkel, a self-described “conservative Christian,” spoke out in support of her adopted Guatemalan child, and how she had lost faith in the SMSD to offer that child protection.
Perhaps the most telling statement was from a former board member (1976-1984) and board President, Donald Culp, who gave the board a civics lesson, and then stated that
“I am reluctant to brag I’m a graduate of Shawnee Mission because of what’s going on with teachers,” he said. “Please rescind this obnoxious and unfortunate executive order.”
Speaker after speaker noted the irony that a school district that pretends to teach critical thinking could be led by a board this blind to logic. Many commented on the hollowness of the board’s professed policy against bullying, when they were willing to let themselves be so easily bullied.
I urge you to view this YouTube video of the event. It will fill you with pride for your fellow citizens, some of whom are Kansans: youtu.be/...
The board sat stone-faced throughout the exercise and then moved on to the discussion of a mascot for a new school. But the discussions in the hallway outside the board room showed an energized and motivated group of parents and taxpayers who will not let this stand. It looks like the school board members are going to have some competition for their seats in the future.
And that’s what’s right with Kansans!