Georgia faculty principal talks about censorship, CRT, labor shortages

Georgia Department of Education Superintendent Dr. Richard Woods, who was visiting schools in the Columbia County School District in the city on Thursday, spoke about a number of sensitive issues, including parent complaints about reading materials in school libraries and classrooms.

“We want to make sure what they’re presented with is decent, we want to make sure it’s appropriate for their age and that it will benefit their academic progress, and that’s what we’re ultimately about,” Woods said.

In June, Katie Allen of Harlem spoke to the Columbia County Board of Education about her daughter’s middle school book entitled “Drama,” which she felt was unsuitable for children because of its sexual, gay, and transgender themes. She later discovered that the book was also available in some elementary schools. The school district responded that there is a media committee that oversees the selection of reading materials, and parents can contact their children’s schools to let them know they don’t want them to borrow certain materials.

Allen continued her quest to pull inappropriate reading material, even reading a sexually explicit passage from one of the books during a public session. Parents, including Allen, continue to express concerns about reading materials at board meetings.

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But school and school district control over what is placed in media centers and classrooms could grind to a halt if Senate Bill 226 is passed. The bill, aimed at limiting the sale and distribution of reading materials in school libraries to minors, has already passed the Senate and is awaiting hearing by a House committee, according to the Atlanta Journal constitution.

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Woods said the law may not go into effect this school year. It depends on when the governor signs the law. For now, it’s up to each school district to decide what’s allowed in school media. Woods said possible options include restricting what students can check out by putting it on their student ID cards.

The superintendent made stops at Martinez Elementary School, Stallings Island Middle School and Lakeside High School, where he spoke to students and staff to ask how things were going and how the state can help them. While in elementary school, Woods answered other questions about critical race theory and job openings.

Critical Race Theory

Another topic raised at school board meetings is the critical race theory that is reportedly being promoted in Columbia County schools. Over the summer, Flynt said CRT is not part of the Department of Education curriculum and is not taught. When asked Thursday how the state is handling this, Woods said it’s about what they could control.

“We looked at our standards and made sure we didn’t have divisive content out there,” he said. “We’re also looking at Department of Education training… Any teacher can follow our standards and should have no problem leading up in your classroom.”

Georgia Republicans are working on House Bill 888, which would ban curricula that are deemed discriminatory on the basis of race. If a school or district breaks the law, it can lose 20% of its funding from the GaDOE.

Gov. Brian Kemp has vowed to “protect our students from divisive ideologies like critical race theory that pit children against each other,” according to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

staff shortage

Since the start of the school year, Columbia County schools have faced uncertified staff, including bus drivers, which has caused delays in school bus pickup and drop-off. The district has considered the possibility of salary increases for these positions in the future.

Woods said he and Superintendent Steven Flynt discussed the challenges of job opportunities like Amazon’s new distribution center, where workers start at $15 an hour.

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“We’re in a competitive market and our school districts are adapting,” he said.

Woods said the state’s contribution to workers’ salaries is budget-limited.

“We can only give what is given to us by the General Assembly and the Governor,” he said. “We definitely make inquiries. We’re looking at the areas of shortage, particularly the bus drivers and cafeteria workers, who are at the lower end of the pay scale, so if we can increase our formula and funding a bit with that, it will definitely help.”

The Department of Education and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are also working on an initiative that could address the bus driver shortage by allowing states to waive the requirement for applicants to identify the vehicle’s engine components, a common reason for this Bus drivers failing the test to be scheduled.