Urges Unity to Fight Perceived Misinformation

I’m a GUSD parent concerned that our district, like many others, has recently been the site of attempts to suppress and censor free speech and accurate teaching of history. Under the guise of the well-documented manufactured “anti-CRT” panic, we’ve seen misinformation spread by non-district parents in public comment, later disseminated online, that threatens teachers and demands censorship of curriculum. This, despite the fact that our curriculum was unanimously approved by the board after a 10-month evaluation process by a working group of parents, educators and community members.

Many have watched with alarm as well-funded partisan groups make battlegrounds of school districts by exploiting existing prejudices. We’ve seen violent threats against teachers and school board members in communities nationwide, and watched texts by Black, Indigenous and LGBTQIA scholars be banned and suppressed. 

Some may be surprised these efforts are happening in Glendale –especially since our schools rank among the best in the country. It’s significant that Glendale has begun the difficult work of confronting and atoning for its own shameful, harmful history as a “sundown town.” It seems these efforts make it a target for regressive reactionary challenges. 

When our board is accused of lying, when teachers are publicly targeted and demands made to surveil and report on them, and when calls to ban books or specific academics are made, it is incumbent upon all of us to stand up against these undemocratic attacks. 

I encourage the community to stand together to vocally reject these specious attempts and the groups behind them in support of an inclusive, progressive education and environment for all our students and educators. 

Angie Vroom Givant
La Crescenta