Davison MI- The Davison Board of Education is fighting back to the government mask mandates and critical race theory; abolishing both–in the same week. In a packed board meeting with no seats available, Davison Schools Trustee Matt Smith announced on July 14th that he brought up CRT in the curriculum committee meeting room and the committee agreed to squash the issue. The curriculum committee is made up of Matthew Smith, Stefaine Pickell and Diane Rhines.
The announcement came after Grand Blanc Schools Trustee Amy Fachinello spoke during public comments thanking Davison Schools for their stance on the issue.
“I want to thank Mr. Smith and the entire School Board for realizing how divisive CRT is…there are hidden agendas in this curriculum and I am glad to see you are not moving forward with it.” Fachinello said. Fachinello is currently working to replicate Davison’s efforts in Grand Blanc Schools while facing an uphill battle.
Davison Schools Trustee Nicholas Goyette shared at the board meeting that he took it upon himself to purchase a CRT backed history textbook to do his own research and to share with the board.
“The National Education Association has already said they back this, so it could be a matter of time in which it hits our local Davison educational association” Goyette said. Smith had mentioned that he viewed the job of Davison is to provide a well-rounded education and not to indoctrinate students.
Davison Schools Superintendent Kevin M. Brown supported the Board and their view and had mentioned that the district has a very involved, hands-on curriculum process. Multiple citizens of the community spoke during public comments including resident Jamie Gildner who asked “how we would know about potential hidden agendas of CRT.”
Supporting eliminating CRT, Board President Karen Conover had mentioned that it would be very difficult for CRT to sneak in the district’s curriculum process since the Curriculum Advisory board consists of teachers, board members, and administrators planning the curriculum.
In addition to CRT, the district had announced that they will not be following the mask mandate in the classrooms for the upcoming school year. Superintendent Kevin Brown stated that: “The latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommends that students and staff wear masks if they are not vaccinated. At this time, the Davison Community Schools will NOT require students or staff to wear masks while in school regardless of vaccination status.
However, if your student rides a bus, don’t throw away his/her mask yet. Current federal health orders require passengers using public transportation – which includes school buses – to wear a mask.”
Trustee Matthew Smith released a statement: “Our Administration and staff have done an excellent job handling this pandemic. The decision to allow in school masks to be optional puts the power into the parent’s hands, and quite frankly, that is where it should be. If parents’ prefer their child to wear a mask all day in the classroom, they still have that right. However, for those parents’ who prefer their child to not wear a mask, this grants them that freedom.
“To all of my Davison parents’ out there that I represent, this is YOUR childrens’ educational experience and you know what is best for them. As an elected school board member, I respect either route and prefer the parents’ to make that decision” Smith said. The entire school board supported the elimination of masks and critical race theory.
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