Bravo, Scarborough High School students. Your courageous and insightful stand on Monique Culbertson’s elections reminder letter (telling teachers to avoid “controversial” phrases in pre-election displays of their personal views) is a civics lesson for your administration. Interesting that Culbertson had no response to an email and a message left by the Press Herald.
Our polarized and tribal political environment is precisely why open discussion of issues, however painful, is so important. The point of Black Lives Matter is, as the students pointed out, about human decency. It has been demonized for purely political purposes. That, too, is a valid discussion that should occur freely in an educational institution.
Lumping Black Lives Matter with White Lives Matter is a false equivalency – one into which the letter’s author fell.
As an educator I learned long ago to never underestimate the insight, intelligence and true caring of kids. In this case, the students are right and the letter writer dead wrong.
In his promised evaluations, perhaps Superintendent Sanford Prince should include the advisability of Culbertson, the curriculum director for Scarborough Public Schools, staying in her current role. She certainly has given Scarborough schools a black eye.
Tom Lizotte
Biddeford
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