As the battle over Critical Race Theory rages on between parents and Loudoun County Public Schools, it has been revealed that that school system diverted funds from low income students for “racial equity” training.
The school district paid The Equity Collaborative, a North Carolina-based consulting firm, $24,000 to teach six virtual training sessions on equality between February and April.
“Wayde Byard, the public information officer for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), did not say what services the group provided but said Title I Funds covered the contract,” Fox News reported. “Such funds must go towards helping low-income students meet state academic standards.”
It is unclear whether such a diversion of funds breaks state law.
According to Fox, the school district has a six million dollar budget for teaching “equity” through 2022.
As previously reported by The Virginia Star, LCPS has a contract with The Equity Collaborative $422,500, which has “assisted in developing a framework for culturally responsive instruction.”
The Equity Collaborative states that its sole purpose is to “create educational equity and social justice by addressing bias and oppression.” Additionally, the collaborative assisted in gathering resources for LCPS’s “Equity Overview” webpage as a means of advancing the school system’s dedication to equity, as verbalized by LCPS Superintendent Dr. Eric Williams.
“LCPS calls for all students, staff, families, and other members of our community to engage in the disruption and dismantling of white supremacy, systemic racism, and hateful language and actions based on race, religion, country of origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or ability.”
The battle over Critical Race Theory is heating up in Loudoun County. Parents recently made national news when they were hauled out of a school board meeting by police after speaking out in protest of the curriculum.
At least one teacher, Andrea Weiskopf, called the parents “racist” for their opposition to Critical Race Theory, which teaches that White Americans systemically oppress Black Americans, among other racially divisive material.
“Over the past few weeks, a small group of Loudoun residents have put their racism on display for the nation,” Weiskopf said at an April school board meeting. “They have been emboldened by the meekness and the silence of those on the School Board and in the community who, just one year ago, marched boldly through the streets of Leesburg to protest the pervasive use of violence against Black and brown bodies.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Loudoun Schools” by Loudoun County Schools.
