To the editor:

These remarks were presented to the school board at their Oct. 28 meeting:

We have been told that there is no need for concern that Critical Race Theory will be introduced into our schools, and you have given us the assurance that there is no equity policy in the works for our ISD-88 school district.

I attended a couple of your Longview study sessions on equity and inclusion, and I have seen you break into groups to see how to use what you have learned for strategic planning in our school district. Focusing on individual needs of students who may have fallen through the cracks is good. We all should want to work for equal opportunity for our children to receive a solid educational foundation for their future. However, our concern is that striving for equal outcomes is a socialist view and will create divisions and dependence on others. That has the potential to place roadblocks in our children’s pathway to becoming happy, productive adults who work together and respect one another.

The words justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion are currently loaded terms which mean much more than simply being fair to all. The newspaper article answering our concerns made a statement that Critical Theory and DEI(diversity, equity, and inclusion) are not the same thing. However, because I have researched Critical Theory and am aware of the fact that the NEA and teacher’s union suggest reframing CRT as diversity, equity, and inclusion I believe there is ample reason for concern. Minnesota’s proposed educational standards and benchmarks are also a major and legitimate red flag.

This ideology encompasses much more than race and will cause us to be divided into oppressed and non-oppressed groups rather than working together for the good of all. Can our school district be an island unto itself when so many in the nation, neighboring school districts, and even in our own community are buying into the CRT/equity and inclusion mindset? These dangerous influences are all around us, and to some extent they are among us here in New Ulm. We concerned citizens will join with those who want to stem this tide — for the good of our community, our nation, and our children’s future.

Mary Thom

New Ulm