Board schedules review after parents raise balance concerns about high school curriculum materials

Several parents and community members asked the Dallas Center-Grimes board March 31 to revisit the process used by the district’s reconsideration committee after a parent filed complaints about classroom materials and unit assignments in high-school English courses.

Why it matters: Speakers said existing procedures limited the scope of material review and excluded supplemental items (worksheets, excerpts, assignments) that they believed shaped classroom viewpoints. The board voted to set a meeting to review whether the reconsideration committee and superintendent followed the district process.

Public comments and concerns

One resident (identified in the meeting as Shelley) said two English II units she reviewed included supplemental materials that, in her view, guided students toward predetermined conclusions about race and privilege. She told the board, “This commentary ladder … appears that students were being guided toward a predetermined conclusion, namely that having white skin makes you privileged.”

Angie Whannell, a Dallas Center resident who attended the reconsideration committee meetings, said the committee process limited its review to one or two books and excluded supplemental materials and classroom assignments. “There is no way to test the balance of curriculum if all the materials cannot be included together,” she said.

Whannell also read a statement she said was from Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante emphasizing local law-enforcement experience and urging balanced classroom perspectives on policing. She summarized his remarks for the board: “Portraying law enforcement as inherently unjust could create unnecessary distrust … We believe it is important that schools present a balanced perspective when discussing the justice system and law enforcement.”

Board action and next steps

After hearing public comment and administrative updates, the board voted to “set a meeting to consider the appeal of the decisions of the reconsideration committee.” Legal counsel advised the board that the scope of the board review should focus on whether the committee and superintendent followed the board’s reconsideration process rather than relitigating curricular content. The board instructed staff to schedule a special meeting to review the process and notify involved parties.

Clarifying details

- District policy cited by speakers: policy 603.09 R1 (materials/controversial issues). (Source: public commenters.) - Reconsideration timeline described by speakers: parent filed reconsideration in October; committee review limited to 1–2 books in February and subsequent committee composition changes were disputed by some parents. (Source: public commenters.)

Ending

The board set a special meeting to review the reconsideration committee process and asked staff to provide counsel’s guidance and the record of committee materials for that review. The board did not, at the March 31 meeting, reverse or remove classroom materials.