BUZZ
ANALYSIS: School counselor says ‘they’re definitely trying to not allow us to have a conversation about diversity’ despite ‘Your story matters,’ ‘It’s okay to be different,’ and ‘We value all voices’ being on list of phrases.
In a move to “keep non-curricular ideologies and partisan politics out of the classroom,” a conservative school district in Michigan implemented a policy whereby teachers can “only” decorate their classrooms with words from a list of 32 approved phrases.
According to The Washington Post, critics say the policy “limits expression and bans phrases associated with supporting the LGBTQ+ community,” such as “All are welcome.”
Oddly enough, “Everyone is welcome” is on the list of approved phrases.
Other approved poster/placard terminology includes “Your story matters,” “It’s okay to be different,” “We value all voices,” “You matter,” and “There’s a place for you in this school.”
Although the policy took effect last school year, teachers and staff received the list of approved phrases just last month. Last year, a few staff members allegedly were told to remove posters “that promoted inclusion,” flags of other nations, and “banners with rainbow letters.”
The policy was created (in a 6-1 vote) in response to various complaints from district staff and administration, according to the report. School Board President Rachel Eichhorst said the gist of the complaints was “the desire to make sure we’re focusing on curriculum and not people’s personal beliefs.”
The policy states in part that school employees cannot display “ideological or political materials as part of the educational program, unless they are relevant to the subject matter and presented in a balanced manner.”
The district and local teachers union, the Romeo Education Association, worked together to create the list following a grievance filed by the latter. The two parties also agreed to “a four-level process that includes legal review for approving” new terms and phrases for the list.
Middle school counselor Shelley Bjorkstrand complained she had been told to remove a “safe space” sign in her office, saying “I believe that they’re definitely trying to not allow us to have a conversation about diversity.”
“As a counselor, I was pretty offended that I had to take that down,” Bjorkstrand added. “Especially in middle school, our students, they need adults that they can trust, and they need to feel that they can be themselves.”
MORE: School district employee sues after being ordered to remove ‘transphobic’ kids books from desk
Former Detroit public school teacher Cara Lougheed said of the list “This was insane to me. It’s just going too far.” She said when she taught she had hung a rainbow flag in her class with the word “Human” on it.
Equality Michigan Executive Director Erin Knott noted she understood that schools and districts are dealing “an increasingly difficult political landscape,” but said policies “that restrict educators’ ability to acknowledge or affirm LGBTQ+ students risk sending a very different message than intended.”
The Post’s Lauren Lumpkin points out the Romeo district policy “follows a nationwide trend of increased regulation of what is allowed in public school classrooms — decisions that have traditionally been left to teachers or local districts.”
Yet, according to her article, that’s precisely what happened in this case.
Lumpkin also quotes the Heritage Foundation’s Corey DeAngelis as saying “The preapproved list is well-intentioned and aims to keep political propaganda out of the classroom, yet it can also cause unnecessary bureaucracy for nonpolitical messages that aren’t yet on the list.”
However, DeAngelis told The College Fix via X that was only the first sentence of the full quote he provided. The remainder reads “The problem is that the one-size-fits-all public school system is not going to fit every family’s preferences for their children’s education. School choice allows families to vote with their feet and sort into schools that align with their values.”
MORE: Canadian university pulls LGBTQ poster after Muslim community complains
