Christina School District: An Advertisement for School Choice
Here's the Proof That We Can Do Better!
Table of Contents
As if you ever needed an example of a failing school district, Christina school district has it all. Academic failure, anti-parent policy, school board dysfunction, restorative practices, Department of Justice investigations, & critical Marxism. The School board has been over-run by the election of political activists / self-identified socialists prioritizing political ’social justice’ causes over student safety & academic success.
The next Christina board of education meeting will be:
August 13th at 7:00pm
Glasgow High School
1901 South College Ave
Newark, DE 19702
Christina School Districts is comprised of:
3 early education centers
14 elementary schools
2 elementary/middle schools
3 middle schools
3 traditional comprehensive high schools.
In addition, the District is home to the Brennen School/Delaware Autism Program, Christina REACH Program, CSD Virtual Academy, Delaware School for the Deaf, Douglass School, Middle School Honors Academy at Christiana High School, Montessori Academies at Christina, Networks School for Employability Skills, and Sarah Pyle Academy.
Board Members with an Agenda
Three Terms Communists Redefined to Subvert Society1
This has been going on since the 1950’s. While reading the 1952 autobiography “I Led 3 Lives” by Herbert Philbrick2 I was surprised to see the mention of the school board. Now that I have read many more books on Marxism, Socialism, & Communism, I am no longer surprised.
At the end of the book was an appendix titled:
The Communist and the Liberal3
In the past two years, two self-proclaimed Socialists have been elected to the Christina school board.
Amy believes that “racism and ‘implicit bias’ affects school funding & how they operate; better known at Critical Theory.
Christina candidate talks testing, guns, LGBTQ, books, more
Amy answers a series of questions on education topics.
On the topic of “Book Banning" Amy says
“Exposing students to a variety of viewpoints, even those that may seem controversial or challenging, is essential for cultivating active participation,” she said. “In the democratic society, curriculum decisions in public education should be guided by educational experts who understand pedagogy and the developmental needs of students.”
First, do not call it “Book Banning". Call it what it actually is.
Keeping inappropriate & sexually explicit content out of the hands of minors!
All those "banned books" displays with the grossly misplaced innocuous titles such as Dr. Seuss' 'Hop on Pop' or 'A Light in the Attic', or 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear' - all of which I have read to my child, DO NOT include Harriet Beecher Stowe's posterchild of a banned book - 'UNCLE TOM'S CABIN'4
…why is that?
Not only is their "banned books" display disingenuous, if they are on display to purchase or borrow, then they clearly are NOT BANNED!
Take for example the historically banned book refenced above, Uncle Tom's Cabin. That book was banned by the Southern Democrat Ku Klux Klan to keep abolitionist views from spreading!! Do you know how you could tell if a southern book store carried Uncle Tom's Cabin?
The book store would be...
Please remember that distinction before repeating baseless claims of "banned books" when it is in reality keeping sexually explicit, anti-American, morally reprehensible content out of the hands of America's young, impressionable youth!
“Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison is found in nearly every Delaware middle school. I have highlighted some notable excerpts below. Do you feel this should be accessible to a 12 year-old to “expose them to various viewpoints"?
Apparently, Amy believes it shouldn't be up to you. “Curriculum decisions in public education should be guided by educational experts who understand pedagogy and the developmental needs of students.”
Personally, I believe that the parent is best to understand the developmental needs of their children!
See the excerpts above and decide for yourself if the content is appropriate for children under the age of 18. How much sex is too much sex in a school library book?
Doug is correct, books don’t magically appear inside “schools & libraries” (or rather should he have been contextual and have said “school libraries”, to not conflate wanting removing inappropriate books from “public libraries”, because that is not the case if that is what you have been led to believe) Somebody did in fact make that decision to put that book there, and more than likely it was not the parents of the students.
This is a “Banned Book” display in one of Delaware’s public libraries
As much as I dislike Doug's political views, once you get past his socialist undertones, his blog5 does do a good job of detailing the Christina school board meetings.
![Six Unsettling Features of DEI in K-12 [Abridged]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fafc00a86-c998-4704-a86a-9f9a19c61f7e_648x864.png)
Academic Failure
Many parents are unaware of just how bad the government school system is failing their children. Don’t worry, that is not to say that the parents are at fault. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Parents are the solution! The Parents have intentionally been deceived! Ask any honest teacher, and they will tell you the kids are not where they should be academically. Unfortunately, it is the administration that puts the policies in place that foster this environment of mediocrity.
Teachers are the pillars of our community, but when those pillars stand upon a precariously unstable foundation of ideology as opposed to core values, those pillars will fall.
According to the Reason Foundation, over the past 20 years in Delaware, the amount spent due to increased student attendance is 11%. The increase in teacher salaries is 11%, but the increase in “support spending” including local & district administrators has increased by 49%!
“Not many people have been unwilling to go on record to say it, I would like to publicly go on record as saying that we are in a state of emergency when it comes to Wilmington education.”
-Laura Burgos, executive director of the WLC
Hover over the footnote to see proficiency snapshot - it’s lower than you think
EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS
Christina Early Education Center
Pulaski Early Education Center
Stubbs Early Education Center
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy (Opening Fall 2024)
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
HIGH SCHOOLS
Social Emotional Learning – The Delivery Mechanism For Critical Race Theory28
March 3, 2022 | Center for Renewing America
Delaware schools must go back to basics!
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was one of the original greats (OG) of education. Douglass understood the monumental power of engaging in conversation and challenging people’s values. Douglass spoke on a platform of life experience, liberty & perseverance.
Frederick Douglass stands as a towering figure in American history, embodying the spirit of resilience and the pursuit of justice. Born into slavery, he defied oppressive chains to become a powerful orator, writer, and abolitionist. A man who spoke with passion & righteous indignation.
Discipline - Restorative Practices
Take note, now that Restorative Justice / Restorative Practices has been rolled out, they will now be ushering in Restorative Culture, a means to reshape society into a common United Nations derived global standard.
Building a global alliance of restorative practices, in our view, is an ongoing conversation that never ends.
Restorative Practices International Institute for Restorative Practices29
A globalist collaboration to mold discipline into a subordinate global citizen worldview
Mapping the Restorative Universe: A Plenary Process to Promote a Global Alliance
A Restorative Practices program modeled for the needs of Alexandria, Virginia - NOT DELAWARE
Teachers are now burdened with an absurd Discipline Matrix with sometimes trivial disciplinary action.
“Stealing - MAJOR”, “Destruction/Defacing of School Property”, “Defiance of School Authority”, or “Inappropriate Behavior” all do not require a CSD incident report to be made
A Kindergarten to 2nd grade student caught smoking maxes out at Step 6 - 1 day OSS, with no incident report required!
Look for yourself! I posted the CSD discipline matrix below.
Here are more pages I pulled from the 116 page student manual:
‘Restorative Justice’ Is Killing American Classrooms
There has been a steady rise in violence among our public schools. This goes beyond the mental harm & social anxiety caused by unjustified3, draconian lockdowns & social isolation.
It is the structured implementation of social behavioral programs.
Restorative Justice is Malarkey!!
Restorative Justice is bases upon the ancient Native American tribal tradition of the ‘Peacemaking Circle ' where all involved parties of a crime, tribal leaders, and others close to both the victim and criminal gather in a circle passing around a sacred item such as a ‘talking stick', taking turns talking about the incident. This method relies heavily on spirituality.
While this may work in a closed self-governing tribal community, it is not practical in a free & spiritually diverse community.
Sexuality & Gender Agenda
This is the teacher who runs Glasgow high school’s Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club. Students are removed during in-person learning time to attend this club. Glasgow proficiency has DECLINED into the teens for reading, and single digits for math, yet students are still removed from class.
This has been approved by the principal.
At a recent Brandywine School District board meeting it was announced that their Gender & Sexual Alliance club meeting would be having a special guest speaker to speak about “the science & the culture” behind transitioning
The socialist regime in Delaware is working hard in making Delaware a Trans-Trafficking state in the vein of California.
YOU WILL NOT CALIFORNICATE OUR DELAWARE!
Courage is a Habit: Transgender Facts30
Turmoil Within the District
WHYY reports on the investigation into the Christina school board due to the board’s lack of transparency. The attorney general’s office will be monitoring Christina school board meetings throughout the next year.
In a public meeting that lasted well past midnight superintendent Dan Shelton was removed at 2:45am, despite public backlash.
Dr. Shelton was honored as Delaware’s 2022 Superintendent of the Year in 2022 by The School Superintendents Association (AASA). Government school employees sure like to give out awards to each other, even when the students are failing academically!
The vote comes after a June ruling from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that the board has made repeated Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) violations, and the Delaware General Assembly voted to require a member of DOJ to monitor the board's meetings for the next year.31
2:46 a.m. Removal | Christina School Board votes to place superintendent on administrative leave32
July 10, 2024 | WDEL
Why Is The Christina Board Removing Board Minutes From Their Website?33
August 6, 2024 | Exceptional Delaware
Doug Manley sits down with Storm of DeTv34 to share his perspective on the latest board developments.
“The troubled Christina School District could soon be left leaderless and without legal counsel.”
The district’s longtime lawyer James McMackin has severed ties with Christina school district. His firm has been representing the district since it's formation in 1983. James McMackin represents(ed) 89% of all Delaware school districts.
You will ask for the reason(s)- I will not provide this. Disclosure of the reason(s) why I reach this conclusion, publicly or privately, could adversely affect the Board as it now standsor may in the future stand.
Now the job of Deputy Superintendent Deirdra Joyner could be in danger. The Public Integrity Commission, which issues advisory opinions on the state’s ethics code, released a report that said Joyner created an appearance of impropriety because she was employed by a company doing business with the school district.35
James McMackin, under Morris James Firm, represents 17 of the 19 school districts in Delaware. There are concerns that James McMackin's over three decades representing the districts may contain conflicts of interest, collusion & unethical legal practices.
Then there are the concerns being raised about board member Naveed Baqir’s residency, with some calling for his seat to be vacated. A letter has been sent to the DOJ earlier this month, asking them to investigate his residency.
DOJ reviewing allegation regarding Christina School Board member's residency36
Baqir would not speak on the record to WHYY News about his residency status. In a statement last week, Patton said Baqir remains a district resident because he has not been away from Delaware for 495 days or more in the past 18 months and maintains a house in the district, where his parents and children live.
Internal Struggle At School District Could Cost Taxpayers $750,00037
The Christina Education Association (CEA) has voiced strong opposition, emphasizing the significant financial cost of removing Dr. Shelton, estimated to exceed $750,000. These expenses would cover contract buyouts, interim superintendent appointments, and the search for a permanent replacement according to an email sent to CEA members. The CEA’s email urged teachers, parents, and community members to attend the meeting to voice their concerns and prevent what they see as a financially and educationally detrimental decision.
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funding
ESSER funding is a massive federal spending initiative giving money to the schools during the Covid. While some may argue that the funds were necessary during the pandemic to support schools, (although many schools recorded a surplus since the overhead cost of in-person school was not there) the large sums allocated have lead to wasteful spending, & a reliance on federal funds not sustainable long-term. There are concerns about the lack of oversight and accountability in how the funds are used by individual school districts.
Christina School District Board Member under federal scrutiny—nearly $11 million in pandemic funds under investigation.38
Naveed Baqir and the private school he co-founded is under scrutiny concerning invoices submitted to the school district.
ESSER I – Passed on March 27, 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Delaware received $43,492,753
ESSER II – Passed on Dec. 27, 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act. Delaware received $182,885,104 in ESSER II funds and $3,458,598 as part of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) II funding.
ESSER III – Passed on March 11, 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. Delaware received $410,861,389
In total, Delaware schools recieved $637,239,246 in federal ESSER funds.
You can see how your district spent federal Covid ESSER funding by using Delaware's ESSER Financial Transparency Tool39
Additional Information
Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Mark Holodick will be presenting to the Christina School Board on August 13th, along with Laura Burgos, head of the Wilmington Learning Collaborative.
The next Christina board of education meeting will be:
August 13th at 7:00pm Glasgow High School 1901 South College Avenue Newark, DE 19702 Google Maps
Please attend this next school board meeting to show that the community is involved & engaged!
☆☆☆Please mark your calendars for three upcoming events☆☆
Sold a Story: Thomas Sowell, McGuffey, and Eliminating Dogmas
Americans have become accustomed to the dogmas of the government public school apparatus. The preconceived notion that schools in impoverished communities are destined to fail. That the situation those students face at home will limit the success that can be achieved at school. The ill-conceived belief that academic standards must be lowered for those children to ‘succeed'.
Sold a Story: Misreading the Cues
There's an idea about how children learn to read that's held sway in schools for more than a generation — even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read. In this podcast, host Emily Hanford investigates the influential authors who promote this idea and the company that sells their work. It's an exposé of how educators came to believe in something that isn't true and are now reckoning with the consequences — children harmed, money wasted, an education system upended.
Civil Discourse is Vital to Preserve a Nation of Liberty
With school board elections just around the corner, [May 9, 2023] it is critical that we engage in meaningful civil discourse with our neighbors, co-workers, family & friends. This can be achieved by speaking of the values of which we share.
Christina School District
Relevant information specific to Christina school district such as Social Media links, policy, & School Board meeting dates
Herbert Philbrick was a civilian, Communist spy, and FBI informant. A TV series was later made loosely based off of his autobiography
1952; Herbert A. Philbrick; I Led 3 Lives: Citizen, Communist, Counterspy Appendix II
The Communist and the Liberal
Unfortunately some people confuse Communists and liberals when, in truth, they are worlds apart. While it is difficult to distinguish the skilled underground comrade from even a conservative Republican, if he wants to hide his identity, nevertheless I can offer certain guideposts from my own experience which may be of some aid:
A Communist believes the individual must be sacrificed for the good of the masses; a liberal has high regard for the value and integrity of the individual.
A Communist interprets and misinterprets history for his own purposes; a liberal studies history honestly and learns from it.
A Communist uses the ills and defects of the capitalist system to foment anger and class strife; a liberal points out those ills, but tries to cure them.
A Communist believes that the government is the master of the people; a liberal believes that the government is the servant of the people
A Communist will attack socialists and progressives even more violently than he attacks conservatives; a liberal tends to agree and compromise with people holding the same general point of view.
A Communist, to attain his seemingly bright idealistic goals, use any means at his disposal-lies, blackmail, bloodshed, murder; the liberal, although he may have some of the same ends in mind, uses honorable means
A Communist uses the arts-literature painting, music--in a strictly functional sense, to further the aims of world communism; a liberal appreciates the arts for their own sake.
A Communist is absolutely indefatigable in 'serving" an organize don he wishes- to control. He will do anything, even stay at a meeting until 3 a.m., by which time, unfortunately, the non-Communist liberals will have gone home.
A Communist, although he pretends to be independent, always takes his orders from above; a liberal makes up his own mind.
A Communist, because he takes orders from above, is sometimes trapped by an overnight change of party policy,; a liberal can change his mind but he does so slowly, painful- ly, and by his own volition.
A Communist participates in secret underground activity. He feels that he has something to conceal. A liberal works toward his goals above-ground and in the open.
A Communist is committed to violence although he seeks to hide it in every possible way; a liberal is just as dedicated to peaceful methods. One is revolutionary, the other evolutionary.
A Communist like any other totalitarian, is vitally interested in youth movements through which he can capture the minds of young people; a liberal is interested in educating but not controlling the minds of the young
A Communist is suspicious of everyone not only his enemies but his fellow comrades The party spies continually on on its its own mem- bers. A liberal has no reason to be suspicious, and for that very reason sometimes falls into Communist traps
A Communist believes that a small, tightly knit group (the vanguard) should lead; a liberal does not distinguish so clearly between leaders and followers.
A Communist tends to use Marxist jargon (see Appendix I); a liberal struggles along with our native vocabulary.
Uncle Tom's Cabin, the anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is often considered one of the most banned books in the United States. It is also the first example of a Book Ban (the most truest fashion)
Published in 1852, it was a bestseller and had a significant impact on public opinion, contributing to the abolitionist movement. However, it was also met with hostility in the South, where it was banned and even led to the arrest of individuals found with copies. Despite its controversial reception, Uncle Tom's Cabin remains a significant work in American literature and a powerful commentary on the evils of slavery.
