Incumbent Tara Battaglia expected to vote in favor of the policies, while left-leaning commissioner Dennis Frazier and board member Patricia Dorsey expected to oppose.
The Carroll County Board of Education plans to vote tonight on a new flag policy that bans political and social justice symbols from classrooms. As reported on Fox 45 Baltimore, the policy would prohibit all flags except:
- The Maryland flag;
- The Carroll County flag;
- Flags that are used as a part of a temporary unit of study within the approved curriculum;
- Flags or banners that denote a recognition of achievement and are approved by the Superintendent;.
- Sport tournament banners recognizing the participation of a school team; and
- Banners from colleges or universities or professional sports teams
The revised sex education framework passed by the Family Life Council is also up for board vote. The community-led council has recommended changes to the framework intended to bring more focus to healthy relationships and sexual health and removes the controversial race and gender identity political topics.
The measures come as PLAG and Kids for Equity, a suspected adult-led organization, push for LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and other identifies) flags and symbols to be displayed in classrooms to create an “inclusive environment”.
Parents and teachers across Carroll County claim the LGBTQIA+ flag introduces inappropriate sexual topics to the classroom such as gender ideology. Gender ideology claims there are more than two genders, normalizes the use of preferred pronouns, and supports gender affirmation (sex change) surgery for young children. Posters were recently found in a CCPS high school that promoted these concepts.
An elementary school parent felt that the policy wasn’t about banning the LGBTQIA+ flag specifically but ensuring that classrooms don’t become a billboard for all special interest groups. “It would be like me demanding a Muslim flag be displayed in my children’s classrooms, so they feel included. It’s not appropriate.”
Vice President Tara Battaglia, who’s running for re-election as part of the BMW parent slate, is expected to vote in favor of the measures along with board members Donna Sivigny, Ken Kiler and Marsha Herbert.
The board was set to vote in favor of the policies in last month’s meeting until left-leaning commissioner Dennis Frazier, along with board member Patricia Dorsey, a union favorite also up for re-election, stalled the vote. It’s expected that they will attempt other procedural measures in tonight’s meeting to block the policies from being implemented.
Commissioner Frazier is a private school instructor who advocated for public schools to remain closed during COVID while his employer remained open. Dorsey, the self-proclaimed “agent of the state” who also voted to keep schools closed, has a record that favors union interests over student needs.
