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Is This a Good Thing?

Evidence of Superintendent Dr. Paul Freeman’s and the Board of Education’s (BOE) prioritization of their Equity and Social Justice Initiative (ESJI) is everywhere on the Guilford Public Schools (GPS) website. For example, under “Employment,” you will see a video entitled “Top Six Reasons to Work in Guilford Public Schools,” in which Freeman states that “Guilford Public Schools (GPS) are focused on Equity.” A second video is entitled “Guilford Public Schools: Teaching in An Equity-Focused District.” Equity, then, is the top priority for our superintendent and our BOE. But is this a good thing? What are the consequences of prioritizing their ESJI, which they also call their “Portrait of a Graduate” (POG) vision of what Guilford High School graduates should look like?

We know that their POG vision requires our graduates be proficient in “woke” competencies like “critical thinking,” “global citizen,” and “responsible collaborator” rather than being proficient in reading, writing, math, science, technology, or civics.

We know that 32% of GPS students aren’t proficient in math, and 15% aren’t proficient in English.

We know that State law P.A. 10-220(e) requires that all curricula be approved by the “local school district curriculum committee” before being implemented. Since there is no district curriculum committee in Guilford, I believe their ESJI is illegal.

We know that State law P.A. 10-222(m)(n) requires that each BOE develop a “Safe School Climate Plan” for each school in the district and that these plans be updated annually. Since GPS has only one plan for all seven schools in the district, which has been updated only once since 2011, our entire Guilford School Community is in danger.

We know that State law P.A. 13-3 section 86 requires an “All Hazards School Security and Safety Plan to manage emergencies that could arise in District school systems. Guilford has no such plan.

David Holman

Guilford