If a third-grader competing in next spring’s Scripps Spelling Bee spells the word “women” as “womyn” they will advance to the next round of competition. Similarly, “bazar” will be adjudged as a correct spelling of “bazaar”.
Scripps would not respond to questions about accepting an inaccurate spelling of ‘women,’ but according to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘womyn’ is the “nonstandard spelling of “women” adopted by some feminists in order to avoid the word ending -men.
For USD 368 Paola School Board Member and State Representative Samantha Poetter-Parshall, the issue of approving incorrectly spelled words at any grade level is concerning:
“The only way for the students to compete in the county, state, and national spelling bee is to use this list, because it’s the only one they acknowledge to be eligible to move on to the next level.
“Randy Watson (Kansas Education Commissioner) said that the KPA (Kansas Principal’s Association) hosts the state spelling bee. As a school board member, I can possibly make it so no alternate spelling of words are used. Or at least attempt that.
“On the state level, since there is no funding directly going to KPA I am not sure what to do to stop this crazy indoctrination of our children.”
KPA did not respond to our request for comment.