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What Can I Do?

Citizens of Hollis and Brookline

If you do not demand that these kinds of teachings stop, then activist teachers in our schools will continue to indoctrinate and intimidate the students.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO!

Additional documentation of CRT indoctrination through lessons taught to our children will be posted soon.

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Image Source: https://townhall.com/political-cartoons/chipbok/2021/03/03/180866

Have you or your child experienced political discrimination, bullying or indoctrination in SAU 41 schools?

If you are a student, parent, teacher, or employee in the Hollis Brookline school district and you have witnessed or experienced political discrimination, indoctrination or intimidation at school, we can help your voice be heard.  You are not alone! 

We understand that you may feel afraid to come forward but we encourage you to do so because your story matters and you can make a big difference by sharing it.  Your information will be handled in confidence.

AND

Click the button below to send an email to all of the SAU administrators and school board members:

  1. We encourage you to politely but firmly let all of our SAU 41 school officials know that you do not want Critical Race Theory, or other radical political ideologies, teacher’s opinions and personal agendas forced upon the students  in any of our schools. Let them know that all political discrimination, indoctrination or intimidation existing within our Hollis/Brookline schools must stop.

    Teacher Academic Freedom Policy Proposal
  2. We ask you to support the proposed revision of the Teacher Academic Freedom policy which would strengthen and clarify proper practices to prevent further teacher bias and indoctrination in our classrooms. Please let school officials know if you support this policy revision.

Here is the Proposed ACADEMIC FREEDOM Policy for Hollis School District (COOP HB):

Proposed ACADEMIC FREEDOM Policy for Hollis School District (COOP HB)

Instructors of Hollis Schools are granted academic freedom to execute their duties in compliance with the curriculum and policies of the Hollis School district. The term instructor includes teachers, assistant teachers, substitute teachers, coaches and paraeducators. Academic Freedom includes an individual instructor’s right to select course materials, participate in and guide discussions and to select topics and content in accordance with approved curriculum and in accordance with this and other school policies.  It also includes the right to make assignments relevant to approved curriculum and assess student performance in approved curriculum and to act in accordance with this and other school policies.

It is the policy of the Hollis School Board that an instructor shall avoid discussions or expressions in regard to political, social and religious values or issues unless they relate directly to the approved curriculum and are in compliance with this and other school policies.  Discussions or presentations related to the previously described values or issues shall be permitted provided that the total presentation is balanced and that they pertain to the approved curriculum. Statements related to political social and religious values or issues or current events should be avoided unless they relate to approved curriculum in which case instructors should at all times be  factual, exercise appropriate restraint, show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that the teacher, administrator or other employee is not an institutional spokesperson.

An Instructor is limited to the academic freedom afforded by this policy whenever discharging their duties, including in the classroom while discussing his/her assigned subject matter An instructor or employee shall limit him/herself to comments that are directly related to the curriculum established by the  School Board. This limitation applies to speech and the components of academic freedom that is ordinarily within the scope of the instructor’s duty.

District employees do not have privileged status by virtue of their positions to make statements that are libelous, slanderous, or that violate the civil rights of others. The academic freedom granted by this policy extends only to speech that is ordinarily within the scope of the employee’s duty.  District employees shall not use their professional contacts with students to further their own political aims or those of any individual or group. They shall not use district resources to advocate or promote for political or social values or issues and they shall not advocate or promote for political or social values during the discharge of their duties. District employees shall not encourage or direct student advocacy for any particular issue or position. 

Each teacher, administrator, or other employee recognizes and accepts his/her obligation to support the goals of education and to foster respect for the heritage of democratic values. 

References:

Supreme Court cases 

Garcetti v. Ceballos

On appeal, the Supreme Court reversed the circuit court and held that “when public employees make statements pursuant to their official duties, the employees are not speaking as citizens for First Amendment purposes, and the Constitution does not insulate their communications from employer discipline.”  

Lane v. Franks

Garcetti does not transform citizen speech into employee speech simply because the speech involves subject matter acquired in the course of employment. The crucial component of Garcetti then, is, whether the speech “is itself ordinarily within the scope of an employee’s duties, not whether it merely concerns those duties.” 

Academic Freedom best practice:

https://www.oah.org/about/governance/policies/academic-freedom-guidelines-and-best-practices/

Academic freedom includes the individual instructor’s right to select course materials and content, pedagogy, make assignments and assess student performance. These should be germane to the subject matter.