A Texas school district superintendent apologized after an administrator was recorded suggesting that teachers should offer students acces...
A Texas school district superintendent apologized after an administrator was recorded suggesting that teachers should offer students access to an 'opposing' perspective when teaching the Holocaust, in order to comply with the state's new laws banning critical race theory.
On Thursday night, Carroll Independent School District (ISD) superintendent Lane Ledbetter issued an apology 'I express my sincere apology regarding the online article and news story released today.'
He apologized after a school administrator was recorded saying that teachers needed to offer opposing views to lessons, specifically naming the Holocaust.
'During the conversations with teachers during last week's meeting, the comments made were in no way to convey that the Holocaust was anything less than a terrible event in history. Additionally, we recognize there are not two sides of the Holocaust,' the statement from Ledbetter read.
'As we continue to work through implementation of HB 3979, we also understand this bill does not require an opposing viewpoint on historical facts. As a district we will work to add clarity to our expectations for teachers and once again apologize for any hurt or confusion this has caused.'
The secret recording by a staff member captured Carroll ISD Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Gina Peddy. Carroll is located in the suburbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
An administrator at a Texas school district, Carroll Independent School District Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Gina Peddy, responding to new laws banning critical race theory, was heard on tape suggesting that teachers should now offer students access to an 'opposing' perspective when teaching the Holocaust
An email sent a rubric asking Carroll ISD teachers to grade books based on whether they provide multiple perspectives and to set aside any that present one-sided narratives that may be considered offensive
The session was just four days after the local school board voted to reprimand a fourth grade teacher who kept an anti-racism book in her classroom after a parent complained
Peddy, who has been with the school district for over 30 years, made the comments last Friday at a training session that provides information on which books teachers can keep in classroom libraries.
Several parents have called for Peddy to be fired. Amy Smith tweeted: 'I am a parent in this district. Gina Peddy must resign or be fired immediately. And anyone above her who is advising teachers with this nonsense needs to go as well.'
The session was just four days after the local school board voted to reprimand a fourth grade teacher who kept 'This Book Is Anti-Racist' by Tiffany Jewell in her classroom after a parent complained.
Peddy was referencing House Bill 3979, which requires teachers to present many perspectives when discussing 'widely debated and controversial' subjects.
'Just try to remember the concepts of (Texas House Bill) 3979,'
'And make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust,' Peddy continued, 'that you have one that has an opposing, that has other perspectives.'
'How do you oppose the Holocaust?' one teacher asked.
'Believe me,' Peddy responded. 'That's come up.'
The subject continued, with one teacher asking if she would have to get rid of her copy of Lois Lowry's Number the Stars, which tells the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of victims.
HB 3979 was signed by Governor Greg Abbott and took effect on September 1. It states that a teacher may not be compelled to discuss 'a particular current event or widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs.'
If a teacher chooses to discuss a sensitive subject, the teacher is required to 'explore such issues from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective.'
Abbott noted that the bill was passed to counteract Critical Race Theory, which teaches that racism is a social construct used to oppress people of color, and that it is present in almost all aspects of everyday life.
Critics argue CRT reduces people to the categories of 'privileged' or 'oppressed' based on their skin color.
'House Bill 3979 is a strong move to abolish critical race theory in Texas, but more must be done,' Abbott said in the statement. 'The issue will be added to a special session agenda.'
On October 7, administrators sent an email to teachers telling them to close classroom libraries until they can be vetted by the teacher. Another email sent a rubric asking teachers to grade books based on whether they provide multiple perspectives and to set aside any that present one-sided narratives that may be considered offensive.
But many teachers found it confusing, a source told CNN.
Ledbetter sent an email to parents denying the district was telling teachers to remove books.
'I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight,' he wrote. 'The district has not mandated that any book be removed from teachers' classroom libraries. Additionally, the district has not provided any training on removing books.'
Peddy was referencing House Bill 3979, which requires teachers to present many perspectives when discussing 'widely debated and controversial' subjects
Carroll ISD spokeswoman Karen Fitzgerald said the district is trying to help teachers comply with the new state law and an updated law that will go into law in December.
One teacher asked Peddy if she would have to get rid of her copy of Lois Lowry's Number the Stars, which tells the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of victims
'Our district recognizes that all Texas teachers are in a precarious position with the latest legal requirements,' Fitzgerald wrote, noting that the district's interpretation of the new Texas law requires teachers to provide balanced perspectives not just during classroom instruction, but in the books that are available to students in class during free time.
'Our purpose is to support our teachers in ensuring they have all of the professional development, resources and materials needed,' she added. 'Our district has not and will not mandate books be removed nor will we mandate that classroom libraries be unavailable.'
Fitzgerald advised educators unsure about book selection to speak to principals and curriculum coordinators.
The Texas State Teachers Association, which represents educators in the Lone Star State, says that the new law has nothing that explicitly governs classroom libraries.
Spokesman Clay Robison added that what was heard on the recording is overreacting and misinterpreting the law.
'We find it reprehensible for an educator to require a Holocaust denier to get equal treatment with the facts of history,' Robison said. 'That's absurd. It's worse than absurd. And this law does not require it.'
State Senator Bryan Hughes, who wrote the senate bill that's going to go into effect in December, also believes the law is being misread.
'That's not what the bill says,' Hughes said Wednesday. 'I'm glad we can have this discussion to help elucidate what the bill says, because that's not what the bill says.'
Six teachers in the school district told NBC News anonymously that they were worried about retribution for discussing their concerns and claimed district leaders have not been clear on what they should be doing.
'Teachers are literally afraid that we're going to be punished for having books in our classes,' one educator said.
'There are no children's books that show the 'opposing perspective' of the Holocaust or the 'opposing perspective' of slavery. Are we supposed to get rid of all of the books on those subjects?'
Teachers were vocal about their concerns, according to a source who was in the room.
'The teachers were so angry,' the source said. 'They stood up and yelled and fought back in a way that was frightening but also empowering.'
The source said teachers asked multiple questions about the new vetting guidelines after receiving mixed messages from the district over whether to keep their classroom libraries open during the vetting process.
Clay Robison, spokesperson for the Texas State Teachers Association said 'I was angry. But, also, I wasn't terribly surprised.'
Robison commented that while the new law does not exclusively deal with books in teachers' classrooms or require a teacher to highlight perspectives that deny the Holocaust, he said the law has enough ambiguity to 'encourage that kind of reaction.'
Robison said the Texas State Teachers Association has strongly opposed the bill as it is easily open to misinterpretation and cause confusion for educators. He noted that teachers across the state are 'angry' and fear consequences over the books they include in their classrooms.
'It doesn't require these teachers to pull these books off their shelves, but it certainly encourages parents who don't like those books — who feel uncomfortable with those books — to put pressure on their school boards and their school administrations to…pull the books off.'
'Number the Stars' author Lois Lowry said that Peddy's comment was 'ignorant' noting that 'ignorance so easily morphs into evil.'
The debate at the Carroll district mirrors one being held nationally, where opponents of critical race theory and others opposed to lessons on LGBTQ issues are unhappy.
A group of local parents have been fighting for over a year to stop new diversity and inclusion programs at Carroll.
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