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Public commenters urge trustees to reconsider land acknowledgment and question Alder GSE program's DEI focus
Summary
Two public speakers criticized the district’s land acknowledgement and raised concerns about the proposed Alder GSE (Graduate School of Education) partnership, saying the program fast-tracks teachers and centers diversity-equity-inclusion learning objectives; speakers urged trustees to review curriculum and federal compliance.
Two members of the public used the board’s comment period Wednesday to press trustees on the district’s land acknowledgment and to raise objections to a proposed partnership with the Alder Graduate School of Education (Alder GSE), saying the program emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) language and shortens traditional training timelines.
At the start of public comment, Dori O’Toole criticized the district’s land acknowledgment — read earlier in the meeting — and said she wanted an explanation for how the practice was adopted. “I as a citizen of The United States take free defense to it,” O’Toole said, asking the board to explain the policy and why it appears before the Pledge of Allegiance in meetings.
Later, another speaker, identified in the transcript as a commenter who provided materials and earlier warnings, raised concerns about a proposed Alder GSE partnership the district was preparing to vote on. The speaker said the program’s admission materials and exhibits require applicants to “demonstrate a commitment to DEI tenants” and said course objectives include directing trainees to “identify, locate problems” and “bring students and families to activism.” The commenter said the 34-unit, one-year program they reviewed differed from traditional multi-year teacher-preparation programs and expressed concern it could “fast track” educators and include home visits and sensitive family questions.
The speakers urged trustees to read the program curriculum and supporting exhibits before taking action and said they would file complaints with outside agencies if they believed federal rules or executive orders might be violated.
Board members did not take immediate action in response to the two public comments. Trustees acknowledged the comments and allowed their statements into the record; staff and the board did not debate or vote on the Alder GSE item during the public-comment period. The board’s bylaws governing public comment and timing were read into the record earlier in the meeting (Bylaw 9323 and Bylaw 9232.2 were cited as the rules governing public comments and agenda limitations).
