Officials with Southington Public Schools say they support a high school English teacher who used a vocabulary list featuring language highlighting inclusivity 鈥� a list that鈥檚 generated concern from some parents.
The vocabulary list included terms like cisgender, transgender and white privilege.
Some parents who gathered at a rally Thursday night say those terms shouldn鈥檛 be taught in the classroom.
鈥淲e should be taught math, and English and social studies,鈥� said Mary Barbagallo, a Southington resident. 鈥淏ut in a regular English room, teaching English, this teacher had no right to bring in her own material.鈥�
Superintendent Steven Madancy said that while the materials the teacher used were not approved by the district, the teacher had no ill intent.
鈥淎ll of our teachers and this teacher do their best to put their best foot forward for our students every day,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 committed to supporting this teacher moving forward and all our teachers.鈥�
Madancy is recommending that educators teaching content about complex issues be given additional professional development.
In a letter, Madancy said issues surrounding the vocabulary list were causing stress, 鈥渆specially our teachers, staff and students.鈥�
鈥淭his has been an unfortunate distraction for all of us and we will not debate this in the media, or on social media,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淲e want parents to know that their children are in a safe and inclusive learning environment, and we must not rush to judgment. We should support and respect our teachers and their dedication to our students.鈥�
The English teacher received support earlier this week from professors at Southern 黑料吃瓜网 State University. They sent a letter to Southington school leaders, saying that the teacher's worksheet "provides simple straightforward characterizations of concepts" and that concerns about the worksheet amounted to a "politically motivated attack on free speech."
Some community members have said that the vocabulary sheet is a part of teaching critical race theory. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund defines critical race theory as 鈥渁n academic framework that examines the impact of systemic racism on American society.鈥� It's used in professional and academic research.
Madancy said the district has maintained all along that it does not teach critical race theory.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a part of our curriculum or anywhere within it,鈥� Madancy said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a higher academic framework that鈥檚 used by institutions like universities that鈥檚 well beyond K-12 public education. There鈥檚 absolutely no relevance to CRT whatsoever with the materials in these documents.鈥�
