MEAD, Wash. — It was another packed Mead School Board meeting Monday night.
The board met for continued discussion of two agenda items from its August meeting. One would ban gender-inclusive books at the elementary level and another would restrict critical race theory district-wide.
After two hours of opposing opinions on why or why not the board should move forward with these policies, the board ultimately decided that both policies would not pass.
Mead School Board Director Michael Cannon proposed the two policies during the Aug. 15 board meeting. Nearly 200 parents, students and educators were in attendance to express their support or opposition to the proposed policies.
Monday night's meeting was no different, as hundreds sat in the Northwood Middle School cafeteria with something to say about the policies.
"On August 15, Michael Cannon stated that white kids are now the oppressed," one speaker and a Mead school district graduate said. "I'm sorry that you weren't able to graduate from the Mead school system to know how embarrassing and ridiculously wrong that statement was."
"CRT, at its base, hidden behind the false promise of being a higher level of thinking, is racism," a junior at Mount Spokane high school said. "It teaches that people with a white skin tone are guilty for being more privileged. It says that people with dark skin are deserving of preferential treatment."
"I would say trust our outstanding educators," a Mead school district mother of two said. "It's been lovely seeing so many people who inspired most of my girls tonight. They know how to navigate these difficult things to trust them and please vote no."
"If we parents didn't see a cause for alarm, we wouldn't be here," an opposing Mead mom said. "These policies would not be up for vote. If our teachers admin had no political agenda, regardless of whether or not they know it, then this truly would be a non-issue."
At times, one of the board members interrupted public comment to remind the room to remain civil, even threatening to end public comment if order was not maintained.
Cannon said at the meeting that regardless of the vote outcome, the people in the room would walk away still members of the Mead community.
Editor's Note: In the original publishing of this article, Michael Cannon was titled Mead school board president. That is incorrect. Cannon is the school board director for District #4.
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