Letter: Response to Letter from Board of Ed Candidate
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To the Editor,
I am writing in response to the recent letter by Board of Education candidate, Miriam Bleich.
I agree that WHPS needs to be more transparent when it comes to special education. It was extremely difficult to find out which programs were available for my daughter and how to access them. This needs to change.
However, I disagree with Bleich’s assertion that WHPS focuses on ideology at the expense of education. In my view, teaching about diversity, equity and inclusion is an integral part of the education our children deserve to receive. Students are required to take traditional American history for three years – in elementary, middle, and high school – and yet classes covering the experiences of under-represented groups, such as Indigenous Americans, African Americans, immigrants, or LGBTQ+ communities, to mention but a few, are available only as electives, if at all. This is a disservice to the students in our public schools.
I urge West Hartford Public Schools to increase funding for, and support of, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom and beyond.
Signed,
Judy Wyman
West Hartford
What a wonderful letter. In the age of revanchist Republican resegregation DEI is more important than ever.
So well put and thank you.
Agreed!
In her recent letter to the editor, Judy Wyman, made excellent points—teaching the history of all groups, including those underrepresented, is essential for a well-rounded education. I believe most in West Hartford would agree.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an admirable goal in principle. My concern is that, in practice, DEI programs sometimes take on an “oppressor vs. oppressed” ideology that can unintentionally leave some groups feeling excluded, regardless of individual experiences.
When that dynamic enters the system, it can also influence hiring and promotions, with demographic goals sometimes outweighing qualifications. We should be careful to value both representation and merit.
Given the substantial funds allocated to WHPS’s DEI department, I believe we should ensure the benefits reach all students. Integrating the histories of underrepresented groups into core required classes could accomplish much of DEI’s intent while freeing resources for other urgent needs—such as special education, which is known to be underfunded.