Per a hs teacher,
@Carrollisd
is no longer teaching To Kill a Mockingbird & The House on Mango Street bc of discomfort with race. Although there are arguably better/diff books on those topics, cisd seems to have chosen to just ignore tough topics altogether. That’s not education.
I was a candidate in 2 of those sch bd elections- Morris endorsed my opponent. I wasn’t asked about my faith-nor should that have been an issue in a pub ed campaign. Morris was part of the group who implied I was a groomer/pornographer & shouldn’t be near kids. Hmmm, projection?
Robert morris was literally going into public schools targeting & likely grooming young girls under the guise of “evangelistic crusades.” And now he spends his sermons claiming Satan is in our schools. he meddles in our school board elections- telling his church who to vote for.
@JHockenbrough
Thank you for working so hard. Beto didn’t lose bc he (and his myriad of supporters like you) didn’t work hard enough. There’s just no fighting the hatred in this state.
@WilliamJoy
I don't believe the law states there's a limit. Turning away these signs that are far more inclusive and welcoming with the same message-"In God We Trust"- demonstrates the board's focus is on division, not inclusivity.
@Carrollisd
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
This is all thanks to a vocal few who don’t just want to make decisions about what books their children read but what books ALL children read. Our students’ rights will continue to be eroded until we say enough is enough.
Our current
@Carrollisd
board ran on a platform of transparency & yet all district committee participants are being required to sign confidentiality agreements. Committees that have operated to yrs w/no such requirement. What gives?
When I ran for
@Carrollisd
school board in
#Southlake
a pol pac sent a flyer implying I was a pornographer & pedophile despite my having spent 1000s of hours volunteering in my 4 kids’ public schools. All bc I believe public schools-& libraries-should be a welcoming place for all
This morning in
@AirMailWeekly
: An essay about the time some moms in Katy, Texas, threatened to report me to the police as a child sexual predator—and what it told me on the widespread attacks on LGBTQ authors, teachers and librarians.
Read it here:
@MollyJongFast
I was a candidate in 2 of those sch bd elections-Morris endorsed my opponent. I wasn’t asked about my faith-nor should that have been an issue in a pub ed campaign. Morris was part of the group who implied I was a groomer/pornographer & shouldn’t be near kids. Hmmm, projection?
This is my town & school district. Just when I (naively) thought it couldn’t get much worse, this thread lays it all out there.
@Carrollisd
has the chance to begin to change the narrative by working with the DOE to address the recent OCR findings.
It’s time to do the right thing.
My book "They Came for the Schools" is out today.
It tries to make sense of America's school board wars by showing how & why that fight exploded in one Texas suburb.
To really understand the anti-DEI backlash, I needed to uncover a much longer history.
Here's what I found🧵
This is alarming, albeit not surprising. How will
@Carrollisd
maintain the excellence
#southlake
parents & students have come to expect? The best teachers are not typically available in late July. The board’s behavior certainly played into this & the entire community will suffer.
With school now less than a month away, the number of job openings has *increased* to 105, including 18 open positions at the high school.
As is the trend across most of Southlake Carroll (and perhaps all of public education in Texas), things are getting worse, not better.
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
I played a lead in “Oklahoma” in my public high school’s production back in 1988. And now it’s potentially being banned bc if its adult themes, profane language, and sexual content? Good grief. Not to mention denying a student the right to play the role they best fit 🤦🏼♀️.
@Carrollisd
is this the type of attitude you want to be leading your business academy? That Ivy League schools aren’t worth striving for-in fact 90% of colleges are not? He definitely doesn’t value or
#expectexcellence
.
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
I sincerely hope the Dept of Ed’s Office of Civil Rights is watching this. Five (5!) active investigations are underway in
@Carrollisd
.
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
Given
@Carrollisd
is under investigation by the DOE in 8 separate cases, has multiple open positions incl AP classes, & has a budget shortfall, perhaps the
#Southlake
community would be better served if the board focused on those issues rather than political stunts like this.
It’s not about any one book per se; it’s about our district’s (and frankly Texas’) unwillingness to have the tough conversations necessary to prepare our students for the world as it is today.
I ran for school board in 2 elections during the most contentious time highlighted in Mike’s book. The book paints an accurate picture of the animus & vitriol many in the majority leveled against those of us who simply wanted the city/schools to be a safe/welcoming place for all.
Southlake’s former mayor suggests that the current and former residents whose experiences I document in “They Came for the Schools” are untrue or not real.
I stand by the reporting.
@JohnRHuffman
@iamdima24
@WiseGuyTalks
As a Christian, perhaps you should pause & listen to those whose exps are diff than yours. Discounting others’ feelings bc they are diff is not Christ-like. Those of us who disagree w/you are not trying to tear down Slk. We are trying to make it safe for all. But you know that.
@megynkelly
Pls get your facts straight. I am part of a group
@DignityforTX
working for a diversity & inclusion plan in Southlake. We have stated repeatedly that the proposed plan-the CCAP-or any plan we’d put forth is NOT based on CRT nor is CRT any part of it. You are spreading a lie.
Board makes a motion to designate the football stadium and fine arts center as facilities that may be reserved for sponsorship at this time. Motion carries 6-0. Board makes a motion to open up naming opportunities for any further facilities beginning 10/3. Motion carries 6-0.
@EliMcCann
There’s a 6 yr gap between the 2 oldest kids & the 4 youngest kids in our family. As one of the oldest, we told the younger ones there was a sister in that gap but we killed her. My parents didn’t confirm-or deny-the story for years. It sounds twisted now but was all in good fun.
@Southlake4All
This is beyond disturbing. A pol pac is telling community members who can/cannot run for school board, a non-partisan position. The process has nothing to do with what skills/exp an individual has that would make them an effective board member only their allegiance to the pac.
So it looks like our taxpayer dollars will now pay for partisanship and politics. And don’t overlook the fact that the board hand picked Danny Batsalkin to help oversee it all. He continues to regularly post racist/bigoted material.
I, along w/many other community members, applied for these committees but weren’t selected. Now we can’t even know what’s happening in them? Why the subterfuge?
@Southlake4All
@WilliamJoy
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
This thread nails the ridiculousness we’ve been watching happen in Texas and
#southlake
in particular. No more talk of ping pong cancer-let’s get back to the real work of protecting all CISD students
@Carrollisd
@DignityforTX
When did being inclusive and making all feel welcome become a bad thing
@Carrollisd
? Thank you for doing the right thing
@sravan_kri
for the kids and our
#southlake
community.
My latest:
A new Texas law says public schools should display signs of the national motto "In God We Trust" as long as they are donated.
Southlake tudents made 'In God We Trust' signs repping LGBTQ and They tried to donate them.
A hot mess ensued.
Interestingly enough, the DDC meetings that led to the CCAP were open mtgs and their agendas and minutes were published online. Yet the folks now in charge said there wasn’t enough transparency in that process. Now the same people have locked down all committees. 🤔
#Southlake
and
@Carrollisd
wouldn’t it be easier & better for the entire community to admit we have a problem & work together to remedy it? The “ignore it til it goes away” approach doesn’t seem to be working. Stop protecting the tradition & instead actually expect excellence.
Texas board rejects science textbooks over climate change messaging.
Scientists, including the state climatologist, say several types of extreme weather in Texas—including more intense heat, droughts and hurricanes—have been made worse by climate change.
@jgault13
The recent US Olympic swimming trials boasted crowds upwards of 20,000 & it was held in a city that was easier and cheaper to get to/from and stay in. A slightly less than optimal track stadium than Hayward might be preferable to allow more people to experience the track trials.
@frankstrong
So
@Carrollisd
you are running the risk of losing AP status - and at the very least, limiting your students’ success on the AP test, with your book removal (which we all know is book banning without the transparency).
@DrJamesWhit
@Carrollisd
@sravan_kri
Sravan was brave to try to convince a board in the pocket of a Christian cell phone company that student designed signs showcasing inclusivity should be accepted if not celebrated. We unquestionably know where this board’s priorities lie, and it isn’t with the kids.
Christian Nat'l groups like Patriot Mobile have worked to restrict the teaching of real history in TX. College Board (which oversees AP programs) warned that districts limiting access to books & not teaching accurate history will lose their AP status.
@Carrollisd
looking at you.
@BillKristol
Charlie Kirk dropped out of community college. Why would anyone listen to his drivel about anything education related? Well, anything really.
There is a middle school in Southlake named after George Dawson. The grandson of a slave, he learned to read at 98 and co-wrote a book about his life’s journey when he was 103 years old.
That book has now been banned from the middle school that bears his name.
This hate is alive and well in North Texas. From
@Carrollisd
trying to remove protections for lgbtq students to the faux outrage over teachers/librarians as groomers to banning books w/lgbtq characters/themes, we have to call it out and actively work to stop it.
I have looked at nearly every book ban with info in public records. I have read the challenge info. I have also documented over 200 groups at different levels of org. They are working to erase LGBTQ identities. Colorado is an outcome of this hate.
Hello
#southlake
this is how an elected official treats a community member who just put herself out there for said community. Last week he was outed for letting politicians edit their own articles (& attacking the journalist who stopped him) and now this. We ALL deserve better.
With all due respect, the PAC is not omnipotent. You were simply not a strong candidate. You admitted to having no vision, appeared combative in the one forum you agreed to, made the race about EVERYTHING but the candidate—YOU—and tethered yourself to the book-banning fallacy.
@cjtackett
Just outright lies. You have no recourse as a parent? Really? If you believe that, shame on you bc that clearly shows you have not been engaged in your child’s education.
Scott will protect the public schools at the center of communities here in North Texas and across the state. Don’t let bought and paid for legislators decimate public schools. Vote for Scott White and other pro-public ed candidates.
Gov. Abbott now has 78 Republican candidates who support vouchers heading to the November election. This gives him a simple majority to pass this unpopular program. The ONLY option for voucher-free school funding is to support candidates who oppose them, like myself. Carroll,
This is NOT acceptable for a sitting trustee in a PUBLIC school district. Public schools must be welcoming, safe spaces for ALL students. If you don’t believe that, you have no business in public ed. (FD: Yeager was my opponent for
@Carrollisd
school board.)
Southlake
@Carrollisd
trustee Andrew Yeager was a panel member for Protect Texas Kids, an extremist anti-LGBTQ group. If you are a LGBTQ+ student, imagine the fear seeing your school board trustee help train others to “round up” people like you.
More from
@stevanzetti
👇
@jonfreadom
@Salon
@FLFreedomRead
This happened in
@Carrollisd
last yr & this yr, teachers had to provide an inventory of their classroom libraries. Many have chosen to close their libraries to their students. This is counter to all research that emphasizes the importance of access to lit for students.
If you live in
#Southlake
and/or care about public schools, read this 🧵 to get a picture of what’s been going on-far too long-in
@Carrollisd
. Enough is enough.
According to the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights website, eight investigations are currently pending involving
@Carrollisd
(Look here: ) The oldest were opened in November 2021.
Excellent thread 🧵 from someone in the thick of it all that paints a far more accurate picture of Southlake than our (fortunately) former mayor did in his incomplete and inaccurate editorial.
This opinion piece by former Mayor and failed Congressional candidate John Huffman needs to be corrected. The fantasy story is filled with inaccuracies and selective history.
Rather than focusing on sustaining the programs & community that has made
@Carrollisd
excellent, once again CISD decides to play politics by hiring a hate group to defend their stance against additions to Title IX. Meanwhile the caliber of ed continues to deteriorate.
In a move that did not appear as an agenda item or discussed publicly, the Southlake
@Carrollisd
school board tonight voted unanimously to “retain the services of Alliance Defending Freedom.”
They recently filed a federal lawsuit opposing Title IX.
@FortWorthReport
The folks who voted against funding Girls, Inc. don’t have a clue (nor give a damn) about all the good this org does. A real loss to our community.
@TaliRichman
@SouthlakeARC
These posters were designed by current and past CISD students (SARC) and they were turned away while the posters donated by a Christian cell company were accepted & hung. When will
@Carrollisd
center the students and their voices?
Kudos to Brady for standing up for all students - not to mention standing up for what is right. As someone who also did this in
#Southlake
, I can tell you firsthand it’s not easy to do.
@Carrollisd
@McKaleDavis
Did you listen to Clayton’s post race interview? That man lifted up as many people as he could. That was genuine respect for Mantz in the moment.
@Southlake4All
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
@Carrollisd
& their board don’t get to pick & choose which students they protect & educate. They are legally obligated to protect & educate them all. There is no place for people w/such hate, like Yeager, in public schools. (FD: Yeager was my opponent for school board.)
I can vouch for this. In just 2 yrs, my district went from debating a (much needed) diversity plan to a board that endorses a racist woman to state school board, accepts gifts from a partisan pac, removes books with differing viewpoints, & can’t fill open positions.
The time to worry abt the far-right Christian nationalism stealing democracy is now, not tomorrow. By the time you see they’ve won elections or been placed in decision-making roles, it’s too late. You can’t sit around thinking someone else will fix it. Show up, speak up, and vote
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
Why should anyone care what a conservative Christian cell company thinks about ed-related issues? Want the best cell plan? Ask a cell company. Want the best social studies curriculum? Leave it to the professional educators. Don’t like what they decide? Choose private school.
@amandacarpenter
@BillKristol
Pls stop giving Tr*mp a platform to spread lies about the election. It only serves to further undermine our democracy. We must move forward.
Just as I’m quoted in this article, Patriot Mobile & the candidates they supported are fighting made-up boogeymen while they make public schools less welcoming & safe for any students who don’t identify as Christian conservatives. There are already private schools for that.
@BisforBerkshire
Rufo isn’t shy about how his intent is to simply wreak havoc, not actually illuminate real issues. All at the expense of students and communities.
#Southlake
, remind me again who “brings the press” to our town? If you haven’t already, go
#vote
for leaders who understand how elections (and democracy) work.
@Southlake4All
And that doesn’t even begin to address the harassment and slander they exact on those who dare go up against them—thus no one is this round. Not great for democracy and even worse for our students.
@stevanzetti
@MatthewSitman
This is the group that recently hosted a panel with a current
@Carrollisd
school board member, Andrew Yeager. His affiliation with this hate group is dangerous for the lgbtq community in CISD and
#Southlake
aside from being inappropriate for any trustee of a public school dist.
@mentack
I’ve lived all over the country but living in Texas the last 7 years has turned me off on organized religion-particularly Christianity-in a way I never thought possible. The ones who proclaim their faith the loudest are the antithesis of Christianity.
What kind of a leader takes an exorbitant salary/benefits (esp compared to his peers) while the teachers & students in his district bear the brunt of financial situations brought on by him, the board, & the TX legislature? Is he trying to fill his coffers before it all crumbles?
Don’t overlook the fact that Superintendent Ledbetter had managed to secure repeated contract extensions, including a $1,500 per month car allowance, when he should have been looking at ways to save the jobs of his teachers and staff.
“So it’s not the right of any parents to decide what’s best for their kids; it’s the right of parents to decide what’s best for their kids in alignment with his understanding of biblical law.” What we’re fighting in North Texas today.
@mentack
@cjtackett
I talked yesterday w/
@politico
's
@KatelynFossett
on how deeply rooted Speaker Mike Johnson is in conservative evangelicalism. Also, "edited for clarity & length" is an understatement. This really just scratches the surface. via
@politico
@coachcott
We are sorry to see you go, but wish you all the best. You, your fellow teachers, and our students deserve better than what’s being done in and by
@Carrollisd
.
@michaeldamianw
Incredibly disappointing
@Carrollisd
but not surprising. When it takes months to approve the donation of dictionaries, you know the board’s focus is on all the wrong things, certainly not education and protecting all students.
It appears that while under 5 diff investigations by the DOE, CISD is about to remove protections for marginalized groups in our district. Looking at the makeup of the committee, I wouldn’t expect anything different. Take note of the admin on the comm who should protect ALL kids.
I was there and it was the most unsettling experience I’ve ever had. I’ve never seen such callousness coupled with disgusting behavior by people in front of their own children. What happened to empathy? To treating others the way you want to be treated? It was despicable.
School board meeting in my hometown last night.After many families of color spoke up about racism in the district, this crowd showed up in full-force, carrying anti-mask signs that misappropriate George Floyd’s last words &speaking out against anti-racist efforts in the community
@Southlake4All
@Carrollisd
And this is the board who chastised previous leaders for poor fiscal management and promised to be fiscally conservative. Kinda hard when you’re spending big $$ on legal fees and your focus is on everything but actually leading the district.
@IAmAmnaNawaz
We have been fighting the same falsehood in
#southlake
for almost a year now. CRT is not taught in k-12 schools and yet they continue to beat that drum. All bc we want all students to feel safe and welcome at school.
@Carrollisd
@DignityforTX
@FLFreedomRead
@FReadomFighters
My district
@Carrollisd
has restricted brain pop’s use to teachers-one of the first acts of censorship, along with getting rid of Scholastic News, that our conservative school board did. The same board also (illegally) reprimanded a teacher re an incident w/an anti-racist book.
@JohnRHuffman
@Scottwhitetx
I’m not an anonymous twitter troll. I’m a Southlake resident who is sickened by the tweets/retweets of a community member you have given a spot on a community committee. This is about how all women, including your wife, should be respected. Pls address the initial issue/concern.
@GBBranstetter
Unfortunately charter schools, although they receive public funds, are often allowed to do things like create their own curriculum, not accept all students, and hire teachers without proper teaching credentials.
PSA Twitter friends- elected officials CAN’T block constituents on official social media accounts. Had to remind my extremist school board Pres. of this yesterday when he blocked me & deleted my comments for criticizing his new book banning policies.
Ignoring the fact that
@Carrollisd
’s supt is speaking at a Christian school at a seminar on servant leadership, read this thread to better understand why he shouldn’t be speaking at any seminar related to leadership.
The way Southlake
@Carrollisd
has been “transformed” under the leadership of Superintendent Lane Ledbetter is probably not something anyone should aspire to replicate.
Under his watch, he’s… 🧵
@Smith4Southlake
Yep they bought and lied their way to victory. And as a resident of this city who put myself in the PAC’s line of fire, I find it appalling that a councilman would tweet something as juvenile and divisive as this. Do better. Our kids deserve it.
If I could speak bluntly to every
@katyisd
parent who has expressed shock, sadness & anger over our district's decision to cancel an author visit here's what I would say... 🧵
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
As you know, here in
#Southlake
@Carrollisd
has canceled all Scholastic book fairs and our subscription to Scholastic News-two rights of passage for young readers/learners.
@Carrollisd
Why is there always room in the “balanced” budget for things like this, but not for district swim coaches, custodians, or even teachers (the recent raise didn’t bring them in line with neighboring districts)? How does this benefit the students not just the board?
So here’s what happens next. Your school board hires a Republican operative to run “communications.” What were once your local schools are now their political tools. What does that make our children?
@WilliamJoy
@wfaa
These signs were created by current and past
@Carrollisd
students - not by a cell company - and they were turned away. Again, CISD fails to listen to the kids.
@Southlake4All
I have verified it for both the policy committee and DAC (district advisory committee). DAC used to have open meetings; now committee members can’t even report on the goings on. We can’t get on the committees and now we can’t even know what happens in them?
@ScottUhlTX
@mentack
@pastors4txkids
@TexasAFT
I suspect it will be higher than that when it’s all said & done.
@Carrollisd
has new principals at more than half its schools. But when you’re on constant guard from parental attacks & your board does things like add a constitutionally questionable non-disparaging clause, well…
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
This article illustrates how the “arguments” against SEL are not based in fact but part of a false narrative pushed by conservative PACs. The focus is not on student health & success but politics. And students are teachers are the losers in it all.
@Southlake4All
What is the reasoning behind this
@Carrollisd
? Teachers and administrators are leaving at alarming rates but this is what you’re focused on? What happened to following your stated policy-parents can decide what their child reads not what my child reads? Did that change too?