An Arizona school board was on the brink of pushing through a major change leaders hoped would overhaul school culture and improve life for students of color when, suddenly, everything came crashing down.
The five-member board and administration of Litchfield Elementary School District in the Southwest Valley gathered information, analyzed data and brainstormed changes for months to try to fix disparities in discipline and achievement between white and non-white students.
The Nov. 3 election uprooted everything.
A newly elected board member's incendiary opposition to the proposals set off a group of parents who now believe the district is setting out to stack the odds against white and Asian children and teach new curriculum that falsely rewrites history.
An all-out culture war has broken out in the once quiet and cohesive school district serving 12,000 students. "Leftist," "lunatic," and "misogynist" are some of the vituperative jabs being traded by parents and school officials who disagree on how to address issues of inclusion.
Litchfield is the most recent instance in Arizona of school districts dividing over issues of race, equity and inclusion, but it's not alone.
Chandler experienced similar hurdles last year. Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson highlighted the fallout on his show, blasting the Chandler district for forcing teachers to become "racial activists."
Frustrations boiled over in Litchfield at a March 16 board meeting at which more than 50 area parents sat in the audience chiding and cheering the district's equity proposals.
Combative parents broke into partisan factions and left determined to come back "more organized." Some have initiated efforts to recall board members.
The proposed changes, which would include teacher training and set goals for student discipline and achievement, staff diversity and more inclusive curriculum, remain on the table.
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