Watch A Teacher Say Her Classroom Is Built For Non-White Students
A Utah teacher has been suspended after posting a video to social media describing how her classroom is crafted for non-white students.
Public education is under more scrutiny than ever before. Much of the newfound push to reform schools throughout America is thanks to the world wide web and the rate at which educators are being exposed online for controversial matters. Recently, internet users have turned their attention to Penn Elementary School, where a Utah teacher has gone viral for posting a video where she discusses how her classroom is built for non-white students. See the video below.
The video finds the Utah teacher chattering on about the start of her first school year at the elementary school, saying that it will be the first time she’s teaching in a “majority-white school.” She exclaims that she is interested to see how parents and students react to her class, as it is built for “non-white students.” She states that her room is adorned with faces of minorities, and even her class library and coloring pages are filled with materials that are not about “straight, CIS white men.” The young teacher also notes that she predicts “posh white parents” – whom she has dealt with in the past – will disapprove of how she sets her classroom up.
Much to her prognosis, parents, and school leaders did have something to say about the Utah teacher’s announcement about her non-white classroom setup. Since posting the video to social media, Deseret reports that the district has suspended her with pay while they investigate the matter. Long-term subs will fill in during her absence, and it is unclear whether or not she will even return.
Confirming that her suspension was due to her testimony in the video, a spokesperson for the Granite School District made a statement asserting that the Utah teacher’s comments were “very disconcerting.” Additionally, the district insinuated that the educator may be in violation of district and state education policies regarding discrimination. The spokesperson also noted that the district strives to serve the best interest of both students and parents, adding that every student should feel welcome in their classroom.
This may have been alluding to a new state law in Utah that prohibits divisive concepts in the classroom, such as critical race theory (CRT). In June 2021, the state’s Board of Education passed strict measures to make sure that districts’ diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives did not single out certain groups of students. Furthermore, the state school board bans any Utah teacher from instructing anything that may be deemed harmful concepts, like CRT.
Critical race theory is opposed by many parents in school lessons because it is believed to take a stance that instills feelings of guilt in students because of alleged racial privileges. On the other hand, advocates for this concept say the methodology has nothing to do with guilt or shame and instead gives all students a deeper insight into the systemic, racial history of America. Whether or not this Utah teacher’s classroom confession was alluding that she taught CRT is up in the air, but given her apparent adversity to being inclusive in representing her white students, some fear this may have been the case.
