Plano ISD parents, community members air concerns about textbooks they say contain racist information
The district said materials support the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills but don’t encompass the entire curriculum.
Rajesh Versa, a parent of two kids in the district, holds a sign up to board members as he voices his concerns during a heated debate about diversity and inclusion at Plano ISD s board meeting at Plano Independent School District Administration Building in Plano, Texas, Tuesday, May 4, 2021.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
2:04 PM on May 11, 2021 CDT
Plano ISD parents and residents are airing concerns over textbooks and education theories they say are divisive, derogatory and inaccurate.
While the specifics of the incident were not discussed during the teleconference, school leadership answered questions about racial disparity and proper protocol for reporting cases of bullying. In her first open-forum appearance since the bullying allegation, Superintendent Sara Bonser said the district was working to build relationships with Black students and other students of color as well as their families.
“It’s been an ongoing goal and priority to hire staff that resemble the students that we serve,” said Bonser.
The Political Action Chair for the Collin County NAACP challenged the district to become better allies for the Black and Brown community.
DALLAS
A third party will be hired to investigate allegations of racist bullying and abuse against a Black 13-year-old boy during a sleepover after claims that he was only invited to entertain his white classmates, Texas school leaders and officials said.
During a news conference Tuesday, Superintendent Sara Bonser, alongside Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere and Police Chief Ed Drain addressed the incident that quickly went viral after the boy’s mother, Summer Smith, posted the videos and images on Facebook.
Smith said she made the videos public because she wasn’t getting the help she needed from the Plano district and officials at Haggard Middle School, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Third party joins Plano police to investigate racist claims go.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from go.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.