Connecticut teacher's controversial worksheet enrages parents, school board members: 'Frustrating as hell'

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Several Connecticut parents spoke out against a worksheet provided by an English teacher in Southington High School on the first day of school that addressed political, gender, and racial issues.

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Vocabulary items that appeared on the worksheet included the terms "white privilege," "indigenous peoples," "transgender," "institutional racism," gender pronouns, the term "Latinx," as well as other controversial issues. The worksheet appears to show how those terms can be used in writing and includes definitions and proper ways to include a lot of those terms in their writing. WFSB - Channel 3 shared an image of the worksheet on Twitter. 

Under the category called, "Concepts we can always keep in mind when conversing," one line touches on "systemic racism."

"Racism is a systemic issue," it reads. "If you look the other way or deny that these systems exist, you are part of the problem. You can know in your heart that you don't hate anyone but still contribute to their oppression."

Parents, like Southington resident Jenny Cinquemani, called the lesson "divisive" at a recent school board meeting.

"To be honest, I'm not even angry," Cinquemani said, according to Patch.com. "I am sure that the teacher who put this together did not mean to be hurtful. But it is divisive." 

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Students board a school bus outside of Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington County which is one of several school districts which sued to stop the mask-optional order by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R), in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 25, 2022.  (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

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Resident Michael Kryzanski said the school should have better, more academic-focused priorities.

"I'm paying taxes, so my kids can learn how to read, write and communicate properly," he said. "I'm not paying taxes for them to learn stuff in this document."

At least one school board member likewise sounded off on the worksheet.

"It’s troubling to me," Joseph Baczewski, Board Vice Chairperson, said. "I read the worksheet. Do I agree with it? Absolutely not."

Opponents of the academic doctrine known as Critical Race Theory protest outside of the Loudoun County School Board headquarters, in Ashburn, Virginia, U.S.  June 22, 2021.  (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

"To hear about the white privilege thing again?" Baczewski added. "I'm tired of it. For this to be the talk? Out of all the crap that's going on and this is it?. It's frustrating as hell."

The school board is reportedly investigating the incident. 

Southington High School did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

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Fired up parents across the country have aired their grievances at school board meetings about critical race theory and other progressive curricula they believe to be in the classroom. In the case of last year's Virginia gubernatorial election, the parental momentum helped boost Republican Glenn Youngkin to victory over his Democratic opponent and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Voters said McAuliffe torpedoed his campaign when he said at a debate, "I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach." It was, voters agreed, an unfortunate statement at a time when parents were looking to become more involved in their kids' education.

Republican politicians like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, recently told Fox News Digital that he expects the parental uprising on education to continue into the midterm elections, calling it an "amazing" and "powerful" movement.