Dear Poway parents, educators and concerned citizens,

This week, Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is unveiling its "Racial Equity & Inclusion" plan for its History Social Studies elementary school curriculum (K-5) through two community forums (Tuesday, March 16 and Thursday, March 18). CFER encourages you to attend the virtual forums and oppose this highly problematic curriculum designed to indoctrinate rather than educate PUSD students with a divisive and radical ideology.

Based upon "a comprehensive plan for prioritizing racial equity & inclusion", the proposed History Social Studies Elementary Curriculum is built on a critical pedagogy of fighting racism and correcting systemic inequity. Not only is every single reference of the prospective curriculum authored by controversial critical race theorists such as Ibram X Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, PUSD is but also advocating for student activism as central to designing social studies. Although PUSD students surpass the state average in academic achievement, the district is not immune to persistent achievement gaps by income and race. Rather than improving academic instruction, PUSD is engaging in divisive social engineering to stoke racial animosity and violating the constitutional principle of equal treatment under the law.

Instead of designing social or multicultural studies to prepare students "to be global citizens with an appreciation for the contributions of multiple cultures", as mandated by California law (AB-2016), PUSD is championing the inflammatory doctrine of anti-racism. Notably, the prospective K-5 History Social Studies curriculum will "create a code or pledge... to sign, acknowledging expectations and committing to be anti-racist". While the empirical evidence on systemic racism or inequity is at best inconclusive and frequently debunked as ahistorical and incorrect, PUSD is relying on this politicized claim to perpetuate hostile learning and work environments. Impressionable young minds would be affected and non-conforming teachers targeted.

In this urgent spirit, we call on you to take immediate actions to contact PUSD Board of Education and its appointed Racial Equity Committee to reject political indoctrination and ideological dogmas in K-5 classrooms.

1. You can register for this week's community forums (Tuesday and Thursday) to express your criticisms.

2. You can also contact PUSD officials with your written statement: email PUSD Superintendent at mkimphelps@powayusd.com, and PUSD Board of Education President at gcouvrette@powayusd.com.

Essentially, PUSD, as a public-school district subject to both federal and state anti-discrimination laws, is promoting race-based treatment toward its students and employees through the political lenses of radical progressivism. On one hand, PUSD claims that it has "hired top-quality educators of color" to "give stricter disciplinary measures towards those who perpetuate any form of hate, whether it be microaggressions or blatant acts of racism". On the other hand, PUSD aims to adopt "a Restorative Discipline Plan with specific language that reflects a restorative approach rather than a punitive/criminalizing approach". PUSD is then sending an open invitation for future lawsuits and civil rights complaints.

Please act now and defend our children's constitutional rights to equal treatment and a quality public education!

Thank you in advance!

Frank Xu, President

Californians for Equal Rights Foundation