I've referenced political division a few times since I started by job here at Townsquare Media. Once when writing about a UNI professor's decision to require masks, Kim Reynolds' negligent COVID-19 spending, and even comedian Dave Chappelle and some of his jokes.

In America in 2021, we're divided in just about every way. To be quite frank, I think it's pretty damn stupid. But that's beside the point (although, silent majority, it may be time to tell both extremes to chill the f*** out).

Not-so-shockingly, this division has spread its seeds into our communities in the Hawkeye State as well -- even our school systems.

After the winners of school board elections were announced in Johnston, protests are now set to take place. Deb Davis, Clint Evans, and Derek Tidball all signed the 1776 Action Pledge, all three won a spot on the board during the November 2 election, and some of those in the area are livid.

Those that sign the pledge claim they will do the following in K-12 public schools, according to 1776action.org:

  1. Restore honest, patriotic education that cultivates in our children a profound love for our country.

  2. Promote a curriculum that teaches that all children are created equal, have equal moral value under God, our Constitution, and the law, and are members of a national community united by our founding principles.

  3. Prohibit any curriculum that pits students against one another on the basis of race or sex.

  4. Prevent schools from politicizing education by prohibiting any curriculum that requires students to protest and lobby during or after school.

Essentially, the Action Pledge was constructed to encourage school board administrators to fight against the teaching of Critical Race Theory.

According to reuters.com,

The theory rests on the premise that racial bias - intentional or not - is baked into U.S. laws and institutions.

Per kcci.com,

The Community of Racial Equity, March For Our Lives, and the Johnston Parents for Equity and Antiracism are leading a protest, asking them to re-evalutate their feelings on critical race theory.

In June of this year, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that banned critical race theory education in school curriculum as well as mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion training. The law went into affect in July, applying in governmental agencies, school districts, and public postsecondary educational institutions.

 

Regarding the law being signed, KCCI received this in a statement from Reynolds' office:

Critical Race Theory is about labels and stereotypes, not education. It teaches kids that we should judge others based on race, gender or sexual identity, rather than the content of someone's character.

KCCI also this:

Former Johnston school board president Justin Allen, who lost re-election, told KCCI before the election, 'If you sign a pledge to an outside organization, you're no longer thinking independently for what's best for the district.'

The protest will take place today at 5 p.m. at the Johnston Public Library.

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