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United Teachers of Wichita defends district educators, criticizes DOE reporting form
Summary
A United Teachers of Wichita representative criticized a new Department of Education online form that asks parents to report districts for teaching vague concepts, saying Wichita teachers follow state standards and warrant board support.
Katie, speaking for United Teachers of Wichita, told the school board the U.S. Department of Education's new web form asking parents to report districts for teaching "critical theory, rogue ___ education and divisive ideologies" fuels fear and mischaracterizes local classrooms.
"I've been in Wichita Public Schools for 20 years, and I can say with absolute certainty that our teachers in USD 259 are not betraying our students," Katie said. "Our educators dedicate their time, energy, and passion to ensuring that every single child receives a high quality education." She called phrases such as "critical theory" and "divisive ideologies" vague, politically charged and unhelpful.
Katie asked the board to support teachers and to trust that classrooms follow state standards. She said programs such as Second Step and Human Growth and Development remain part of district curriculum and reiterated that teachers deserve respect rather than "baseless accusations."
Why it matters: The speaker framed the Department of Education's form as a national policy development affecting local teacher morale and parent-school relations. The comment is an advocacy position from the local teachers' union.
What the board heard: Katie urged the board to publicly and privately support teachers and to defend instruction aligned with state standards. The board did not take formal action during that segment; the remarks were part of the public communications portion of the meeting.
