School Board Survey Begins
by Susan C. Stratton
In recent years, we have seen the power and sway of school board members. In Orono, for example, the school board opted to keep a controversial book for the 9th grade curriculum titled: Girl Interrupted. This book became a concern of parents when they realized it included perverse graphical sexual scenes and glorified suicide. Despite the fears of parents, the board opted at the end of its investigation to keep the book in its classes.
Even after other parents protested this move and questioned the board again, the board remained steadfast in its decision. This is a prime example of how a school board can seriously affect the education of our children. While there are thousands of books that the school could have chosen instead to satisfy parents concerns and cover the subject requirement, they still opted to keep a crude piece of literature. Middle ground could have been reached but the board decided to ignore the parents and to claim higher judgment than the parents of those students.
In other cases around the state of Maine, we’ve seen schools opting to include the gay right agenda within their walls. There are incidents where hallways are marked with pink triangles, giving homosexual, bi-sexual and transgender children a place to socialize and group. Some schools hold a one-day event each year called, “Silence Day” which asks teachers and students to refrain from speaking all day long. They wear rainbow pins or homosexual-based messages on their shirts to show support of homosexual rights. The school thus becomes a place of moral war as practicing Christians, Jewish faithful and Muslims are ridiculed for not going along with the practice. And we hear of extreme gay activists, pro-abortion leaders or other inappropriate guests invited to read stories to our children at school.
Given the liberty that activist groups now have in our Maine schools because of school committees who do not listen to the concerns of parents, it’s time for all community citizens to become informed voters when school board elections run. They need to take an active role in the formation of the board, so that outsiders cannot manipulate the school. Since many parents don’t have time to attend board meetings, individuals around the state are working together to collect data on current board members and those hoping to run for a seat. The questionnaire (below) is a copy of the survey now being circulated. Answers from board members in all school districts will be filed and publicly listed so that parents and community members can see where each board member stands on serious issues affecting their children such as: homosexuality, abstinence programs, religion in the schools, etc.
If you wish to assist in this statewide survey, please contact Mrs. Stratton at: kaylancor@adelphia.net
Results of the survey will be made available in a few months. You can use the survey below to question your own district board members. You can contact the town office to get contact information for individuals running for future board elections. Please send any completed surveys to: PO Box 138, Corinna, ME 04928
SURVEY FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEBERS
Please help parents and supporters in the community make an informed vote when school board elections run by answering the following questions. All questions are in regards to public schools, not private. . All answers and comments will be made public so citizens can see the results of the statewide survey. When you complete the questionnaire, you agree to this disclaimer. If you decide not to fill out the questionnaire, you will be marked on the list as “refused”. This questionnaire was constructed by a parent and not part of any particular organization or group.
If you are in the middle on a subject, please pick the best answer to the question and add more to explain your position in detail. Questions will then be shared with voters in the proper school district. Thank you.
- Do you support or oppose abstinence programs over and above birth control programs in the schools?
- Do you support or oppose books, films, or other media in the school curriculum that include graphical displays of sexual behavior (rape, incest, sexual intercourse, etc.) and/or glorifies suicide or death?
- Do you have any specific changes you wish to make in the governance of our local schools? Any changes you hope to see in the curriculum or school board?
- When classes teach history or religion, do you feel that all major religions should be treated equally and fairly? For example, there was a case where the class was told to take on Muslim roles for an entire month. The children were told to dress in Muslim attire, take on Muslim names and partake in Muslim religious traditions. But the same class did not engage the same method of teaching regarding the other major religions of Judaism or Christianity, which seemed extremely one-sided to many parents in the community.
- Do you support or oppose Planned Parenthood programs in the classroom or becoming involved in health education?
- Do you feel that Christmas songs and traditions that include reference to Jesus should be banned from public school property during the holiday season?
- It only takes one incident to ruin a child’s life forever regarding sexual abuse. Given the seriousness of sexual crime, do you agree that schools need to step up security measures regarding volunteers at the school by asking parents and individuals who help at the school to undergo a simple background check?
- Do you support or oppose homosexuality, bisexuality and/or transgenderism in the school curriculum?
Susan C. Stratton is a Catholic wife and mother of 3 children in Corinna, Maine. She is a freelance writer and current chairperson of the Corinna Chapter, Maine Right to Life. You can reach Mrs. Stratton at: kaylancor@adelphia.net.