THREE RIVERS SCHOOL BOARD STANDS UP TO OVERZEALOUS SUPERINTENDENT
By
Marcy Young
August 7, 2014
NewsWithViews.com
As a mother of three children, all of whom are in the Three Rivers School District, I am disturbed by the news of the Three Rivers School Superintendent, Patricia Adams, filing a tort claim against the School Board. There are three aspects of this timely and suspicious claim that make me wonder “what is the real story here?” In her claim, Adams accuses school board member, Ron Crume, of harassing her over his opposition to the controversial Common Core national education standards. Isn’t the job of the school board to bring up and discuss subjects that could adversely affect the values and standards that our children are taught in school?
I came face to face with the corporate agenda behind Common Core when my six-yearold daughter came home one day with flash cards. The first few weeks of cards were innocent enough and my daughter and I used them regularly to improve her spelling, reading, and writing skills. We really enjoyed using them and always looked forward to getting more. Then one week we received flash cards which included the following words: we, like, went, to, go, slide, jump rope, school, and house. Those words were fine but what disturbed me were the corporate logos that were included with them. So my daughter would make sentences like, “I went to McDonalds.” Or “We like Toys R Us.” or “I like Target.” It wasn’t just business names in there but actual logos. This has really stepped over the boundary from teaching to brainwashing. This corporate propaganda being issued out to 5-6 year old kindergarteners has got to stop. We are not raising our children to grow up to be mere consumers. How is it that we can have separation of church and state but corporations can have free reign over our children’s impressionable minds?
I know many of us are taught from a young age “not to rock the boat”, but in this day and age of lies and deceit as a norm I am appreciative of someone who stands up and says “no, this isn’t right.” I am appreciative of the school board members for bringing up such controversial topics such as Common Core and saying let’s take a closer look at this. Is this really what’s in the best interest of the children?
The closed-minded approach that Adams displays towards an open discussion of core values in our school system disturbs me. On one hand she doesn’t want to discuss the Common Core national standards yet she openly retaliates against a simple prayer. The Three Rivers School Board started their meeting with a prayer for guidance and Adams objected to that stating that it was “not proper to conduct Christian prayers prior to school board meetings.” Instead of simply not participating, she banned it for all.
And lastly I am concerned with the proposal by Patricia Adams of adding unisex bathrooms in our schools. And apparently so was a majority of the school board. They did not approve of her suggestion for unisex bathrooms and I can understand why. Adams claims that having unisex bathrooms would reduce bullying to transgender students. That may be true. But it may not. As school board member, Ron Crume, pointed out in a hypothetical scenario in which a transgender student may be teased and called, “faggot”. Mrs. Adams took this statement out of context and is using it against Mr. Crume to make him out to be homophobic. Crume’s scenario is a very real one and so is the fact that only less than 1% of all students are considered trans-gender. By incorporating unisex bathrooms we are catering to the minority while putting the majority at risk. What risk would the majority be up against, you might ask? Imagine the discomfort and embarrassment a boy would feel when sitting on the pot while a group of teenaged girls stroll into the bathroom. What if it was turned around and a young girl was by herself in a stall when a group of teenaged boys entered? The hormone filled sexual bullying and teenage tears to come would be unbearable for most children.
Every student should have a safe and supportive learning environment without the fear of being bullied. If transgender students have concerns then it should be addressed. But I am not comfortable with my 12-year-old daughter sharing the same bathroom facilities with teenaged boys as well as my 15-year-old son sharing the same bathroom facilities with teenaged girls. I think it is a recipe for disaster. We must vigilantly fight against the use of our children as pawns to further an agenda wrapped in a cloak of political correctness.
What I find interesting is the fact that in her tort claims, Adams cites no specific examples and no exact dates of ways in which any board members allegedly harassed or retaliated against her. And yet she is claiming mental distress in which she is demanding $100,000 for medical bills. If the school district does not pay this exuberant demand then she will seek further legal action.
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If a student were to display the same aggressive and manipulative actions as Mrs. Adams with such high claims of mental distress wouldn’t that student be looked at more closely or even removed from the school? Why such a double standard? If Adams cannot handle open discussions about Common Core and being in the same room with Christians during a prayer without a mental breakdown how can we expect her to do her job as a school superintendent?
Why would a school superintendent want to gag free speech, stifle freedom of religion, and cater to the needs of the minority at great risk to the majority? This is the question we should all be asking.
© 2014 Marcy Young - All Rights Reserved
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This ArticleMarcy Young is a wife and mother of three children. Marcy and her husband, Ben, currently own Southern Oregon Survival, an emergency preparedness and self-sustainable living store located in Grants Pass, Oregon. Marcy teaches classes and hands-on workshops to the general public, businesses, schools, churches, and community events about the importance of preparing for emergencies and living a self-sustainable lifestyle. Marcy and her husband also provide one-on-one training opportunities for more advanced skills.
E-Mail: sosgear@gmail.com
Website:
SouthernOregonSurvival
