Something has gone very wrong at Riverview intermediate school in the Sartell-St. Stephen School District in Minnesota, and likely in many other public schools around the nation. Earlier this year, a class of 4th-grade students was given an “equity survey” to complete by their teacher. The survey focused on issues of race (as in Critical Race Theory) and gender. The gender questions had nothing to do with medical science or human reproduction, instead, asking these children which gender they “identified” as. When at least two of the students pointed out that they were confused and wanted to ask their parents about these questions, the really alarming part of this story unfolded. They were told that they were not allowed to mention the survey to their parents or repeat the questions on the survey to anyone else. (Daily Mail)

A class of fourth graders in Minnesota were given an equity survey about race and gender, but were allegedly told by a teacher not to tell their parents about the questions that they were asked even if they didn’t understand them.

The survey was conducted at Riverview intermediate school in the Sartell-St. Stephen School District in Minnesota by the Equity Alliance of Minnesota, and comes amid a national debate on how to teach history and current events specifically focusing on matters of race.

Student Hayley Yasgar addressed a school board on July 19 and told them she felt ‘very nervous and uncomfortable’ when her teacher instructed her not to talk to her mother about the survey.

Here’s a video of Hayley Yasgar bavely taking the microphone in front of the school board and explaining how she felt when her teacher told her to keep a secret from her mother.

This survey wasn’t even generated by the school. It was created by Equity Alliance MN and somehow pushed into the school’s agenda with no discussion involving the families of the students. The slogan of Equity Alliance MN is “Leading culturally relevant learning since 1995.”

In addition to all of the Critical Race Theory nonsense, one question asked these children the following: “Do you currently identify yourself as female, male, transgender (transgender people have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their assigned sex. For example, they were born male but now identify as female), or something else?”

This is a group of fourth graders! What sort of theory of education leads a school to begin jamming confusing issues like that into their heads at that age?

None of that is as bad as the instructions to keep this secret from the students’ parents, however. Whenever you hear someone telling a child “don’t tell your mommy or daddy,” one thing comes to mind. This is what child abusers say. This is what criminals say. This is what you say to children when you know you are doing something wrong.

It’s bad enough that our public schools have already become cultural indoctrination centers where parental participation in setting the curriculum is limited. But now we’re seeing situations where the parents are being intentionally shut out of what’s going on in the classroom. Questions of sexuality and racism need to be addressed by the parents at whatever age they find appropriate to do so. These are not decisions for the teachers’ unions or some “equity alliance” to make in back rooms while hiding their activities from the families.

Is it any wonder that homeschooling more than doubled during the pandemic? Certainly part of that was driven by a lack of childcare options and parents who suddenly found themselves working remotely. But at the same time, stories such as this one offer an incentive to just keep on educating the kids yourself for those with the logistical ability to do so. The public school system is failing us and a way must be found to hold these people more accountable.