Associated Press
Florida school district officials apologized Thursday for an elementary school assembly in which Black students were singled out for a presentation on low test scores.
Officials at Flagler County’s school district in northeastern Florida said at a news conference that the assembly at Bunnell Elementary School was a “horrible, horrific mistake” that shouldn’t have happened, and that the school’s principal has been put on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
“The Flagler School Board does not support segregation,” said Cheryl Massaro, the school board’s chair.
Bunnell Elementary staff members last Friday pulled Black fourth- and fifth-graders out of their regularly scheduled activities to attend a PowerPoint presentation about low standardized test scores. The presentation led by two Black teachers noted that Black students had underperformed on standardized tests for the past three years. They also discussed how students with higher grades had a better chance of going to college, while those with lower grades had a higher chance of going to jail, getting shot or getting killed, parents told The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Although there was no intended malice involved, the assembly was carried out in a way that doesn’t reflect the district’s values, Lashakia Moore, the interim superintendent, said in a video posted to the district’s website.
Moore said a community forum will be held next week to address what happened.
3 comments
Richard Russell
August 27, 2023 at 1:55 pm
Are you saying the only metric was if the group chosen was the color of their skin and not their scores?? If people do not achieve a basic standard, how is that racist if teachers assemble the underperforming group to help them excel. If they assembled everyone with a score below a certain number, regardless of their gender, color, nationality or religion would that still be racist/sexist if all or most were of a particular group? If they are trying to help under performers, what difference does it make. The goal is to help the under performers! This is America, do we not desire excellence or are we satisfied to become and remain a third world nation???
Kathryn
August 29, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Are you kidding me? There are white children who are underperforming at Bunnell and every other elementary school in Florida. Conversely, there are Black children who excel at their studies at Bunnell and every elementary school in Florida. There is absolutely no justification nor legitimate purpose for singling out and targeting all Black students at any Florida elementary school. However, these actions are blatant proof that racism IS institutionalized and presents itself in every facet of our society. Before you say otherwise, think again.
Sonja Fitch
August 30, 2023 at 1:41 pm
. separation by race was just atrocious decision by any educators or any other group. This decision is just another example of Desantis bs.
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