Good evening- my name is Paul Brewers and my wife and I have raised two children that have graduated from Jefferson HS.
I am here tonight to voice my frustration over how the board has handled the concerns of local citizens over material that is available in the public school system.
Over the recent year many voices have stepped up and stated there is inappropriate material being made available to young impressionable minds, plus a lack of material offering different viewpoints. I have been surprised to the reaction of the school board and the school district that have accepted the concern but have taken steps to avoid addressing the concern and even now looking to change the policy which will make it more difficult for parents in the future to voice concern.
This will also put content management into the hands of a few – and their personal bias. I have no doubt the board is going to pass this measure, but take note the district has been losing students as parents are choosing not to fight to make change, but to seek other educational options.
As I said, others have been speaking up with no sight of seeing any change. We have seen student achievement decline and now moral decay with the material being made available, so if we don’t reverse course and start to make a difference, there will be more parents looking for options away from public schools.
