Taxpayers in the Rose Hill USD 394 school district voiced concerns at a recent school board meeting about curriculum content in a “dual credit” course offered to Rose Hill students at Butler Community College (BCC).
A recent story in The Sentinel highlighted an incident in an Introduction to Psychology class in which the instructor declared as “fact” that there are five genders, and students would be penalized on exams if they answered any other number.
That course content, along with concerns about a writing assignment stressing gay themes in an English Composition 101 class, were among those on the minds of nearly a dozen speakers who addressed board members on the Butler-Rose Hill program in which 10th-12th graders can earn college credit, up to an associate’s degree, in a variety of academic areas.
Pastor Deuce Stevens is with the Lighthouse Church of Rose Hill:
“My issue is when students are being told that they will not receive an A on an assignment if they do not answer a question correctly on an assignment based on a professor’s opinion. It doesn’t make any difference if it’s elementary, middle, high school, or college. They should be tested based on facts that they are learning based on verifiable data. Whether it’s math, reading, history, science, or any other subject. “
Pastor Stevens adds his community must remain vigilant:
“As far as where the protest goes from here. I think it’s important for us as a community to make sure that the school board is aware these things are going on. To hold people accountable to teach based on facts, not based on opinion or political stance.”
Several BCC faculty attended the board meeting and spoke of their curriculum content and teaching methods. Rose Hill Superintendent Randal Chickadonz praised their contribution:
“(BCC representatives) did a very good job of explaining the rigorous process they must adhere to in their curriculum development. They also addressed the other options that high school students could have in their course selections.”
Julie Winslow is a Board Trustee of BCC, and she sees both the high school and college due criticism in this content controversy:
“I think the real contention from the originating parent (in The Sentinel story) is that as Christians, students should be offered alternative material if they object to being taught there are 5 genders, etc. And, no teacher should be telling students non-facts, such as that there are 5 genders, i.e., or more than two sexes. I also believe that parents as a whole would rather their students be learning facts, not ideologies, in high school courses. Of course, I feel the college is hiding behind KBOR (Kansas Board of Regents), the KASB (Kansas Association of School Boards), etc. The college uses them to insist ‘they’ are the reason they cannot deviate.”
The Rose Hill School Board took no action on the citizens’ complaints.
