School Board Member Says Reopening Schools Is “White Supremacist Ideology”
If somebody suggested that public schools needed to reopen prior to teachers being vaccinated, would you accuse her of promoting “slavery” and “white supremacist ideology”?
It sounds crazy, but this is exactly what happened in a San Diego public school district.
Earlier this month, the CDC recommended schools reopen for in-person learning, and said teachers did not need to be vaccinated prior to reopening.
Even Dr. Fauci, a man who has been notoriously inconsistent in his advice, said that waiting to reopen schools until all teachers are vaccinated is a “nonworkable situation.” He further recommended against making teacher vaccinations a prerequisite for opening schools.
This advice from the CDC and Dr. Fauci didn’t stop one San Diego school board member from playing the race card when somebody suggested schools open prior to teachers being vaccinated.
According to The Daily Caller:
Chardá Bell-Fontenot, the Vice President of La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools, told board members that “forcing” teachers to return to classrooms when they don’t want to was “slavery” after another board member said that the district’s plans shouldn’t solely revolve around vaccination.
“Without any teachers we don’t have the ability to teach the students so that’s where we have to start right now,” Bell-Fontenot said.
“We can’t just say kids can go back into the classrooms when there’s no vaccinated teachers there willing to do that, that’s the problem. So how are we forcing people . . . that seems like a very white supremacist ideology to force people to comply with, you know, and conform without thinking about all of their intersecting factors and barriers that exist for all families.”
“You’re thinking about one type of family when you’re speaking right now,” Bell-Fontenot continued. “Just letting you know. Privilege, check it you guys.”
Bell-Fontenot then told the board to “stop forcing people to do things they don’t want to do.”
“So I don’t want to be a part of forcing anybody to do anything they don’t want to do. That’s what slavery is, I’m not going to be a part of it.”
What Bell-Fontenot is missing is that teachers aren’t being forced to do anything. When schools reopen, teachers can choose to go back to school and teach, or they can choose to stay home. They might be suspended or fired, but that’s a decision each teacher will have to make.
It is not wrong to reopen schools at this point. In fact, surveys around San Diego suggest about 80% of parents want schools to reopen.
What is wrong is depriving children of education and social interaction for years because a handful of teachers don’t want to go back to school and teach in-person.
What do you think about schools reopening for in-person learning? Share your perspective by leaving a comment below.
