NORTH OGDEN, Utah – A charter school in northern Utah that allows parents to drop students from the Black History Month curriculum has sparked a debate about whether parents should have the option.
Director of the Maria Montessori Academy, Micah Hirokawa, said on the school’s Facebook page on Friday that he “reluctantly” sent a letter explaining that families “are allowed to exercise their civil rights not to participate in Black History Month at school. “the Standard Examiner reported. .
Hirokawa said “few families” asked not to participate in instructions related to Black History Month. But he declined to say how many parents or their reasons for making the decision.
“We must not protect our children from the history of our nation, the mistreatment of African American citizens and the courage of civil rights leaders, but inform them about this,” Hirokawa said, adding that the request of the parents is sad and disappointing. him.
The school board declined to comment further on the decision.
The Maria Montessori Academy, which serves elementary and secondary school students, is incorporating Black History Month into its regular social studies and history classes throughout the month of February, Hirokawa said.
Hirokawa, who is of Asian descent, said his post goes against his personal beliefs. As one whose great-grandparents were sent to a Japanese internment camp, he said he finds it valuable to educate children about the abuse, challenges and obstacles that people of color have endured in the United States.
Data from the Utah State Board of Education shows that the academy has 322 students and only three are black, while about 70 percent are white.
Some parents have argued that it makes racism possible by giving parents the right to opt out.
The Ogden chapter of the NAACP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.