Palm Beach County School Board discusses 'white advantage' controversy

More than 100 members of the public on Wednesday are sharing their passionate opinions on a controversial new Equity Statement from the School District of Palm Beach County.

COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD IS HEARINGANOTHER ROUND OF PASSIONATEOPINIONS FOLLOWING A NEWLYINSTITUTED AND CONTROVERSIAL*EQUITY STATEMEN*.IT'S A STATEMENT THAT'SINTENDED TO ENSURE CHILDRENHAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO LEARNINGRESOURCES.

MANY MEMBERS OF THEPUBLIC HAVE TAKEN OFFENSE WITHA PLEDGE TO DISMANTLE“STRUCTURES ROOTED IN WHITEADVANTAG*.

W-P-T-VNEWSCHANNEL FIVE'S ARTHURMONDALE REPORTS WHERE THEFRUSTRATION AND THE BOARDSTAND TODAY.THE PASSION WAS THE SAME&BUTTHE RESPONSES TO THE BOARD WASDIFFERENT.

YOU HAVE A LOT OFPARENTS WHO WANT TO KEEP THEEQUITY STATEMENT THE SAME -AND THOSE WHO WANT IT THROWNOUT ALL TOGETHER.

JENNIFERSHOWALTER, PARENT OF THREESCHOOL CHILDREN CLIP 2669(12:18:42”I AM DRIVING ABILLBOARD” YOU COULD SEEJENNIFER SHOW- WALTERFRUSTRATION ON HER VEHICLE -LONG BEFORE SHE GAVE HER TAKEON PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOLSEQUITY STATEMENT IN PERSON.JENNIFER SHOWALTER, PARENT OFTHREE SCHOOL CHILDREN CLIP2669 (12:20:38”I THINKEVERYBODY SHOULD BE OFFENDEDTHAT SCHOOL BOARD IS DENYING60- YEARS OF SUBSTANTIALPROGRESS IN RACIALEQUALITY”(12:20:46) ANDJOINED A SIGNIFICANT SEGMENTOF PARENTS WHO ON WEDNESDAYSAID THEY WANTED THE EQUITYSTATEMENT COMPLETELY THROWNOUT.

CLIP 2684 (13:27:21”YOUWANT TO TALK ABOUT SKIN COLOR.YOU DONKIDS THAT THEY CAN DO ANYTHINGTHAT THEY CAN DO.

AND THAT THESYSTEM ISNTHEM.

ITEFFORTS AND HARDWORK”(13:27:30) CLIP 2685(13:29:05”THEY THINK THEY CANFOOL YOU WITH NICE WORDS AND APLAY ON WORDS LIKE EQUITY SOYOU ASSOCIATE IT WITHEQUALITY.

BUT ITS NOTHING LIKEEQUALITY” ON THE OTHER SIDEYOU HAVE PARENTS LIKE BLAKEHANLEY.

BLAKE HANLEY,ORGANIZING AGAINST RACISM PALMBEACH COUNTY ALLIANCE MEMBERAND PARENT (12:47:34”WE GOTKEEPING THE PHRASE WHITEADVANTAGE IN THE EQUITYSTATEMENT” HANLEY IS PART OFA COALITION OF PARENTS ANDCOMMUNITY LEADERS WHO SAY THETERM“WHITE ADVANTAGE" SHOULDREMAIN BECAUSE IT FORCES THEPUBLIC TO CONFRONT THE CURRENTSTATE OF EDUCATION ANDSOCIETY.

JORDAN SMITH,ORGANIZING AGAINST RACISM PALMBEACH COUNTY ALLIANCE CO-CHAIR CLIP (12:51:24”ITDOWN THE HISTORY OF RACIALPOLICIES.

PREVENTING BLACK ANDBROWN PEOPLE FROM LIVING INCERTAIN AREAS” AND YOU HAD ALOT OF PARENTS IN THE MIDDLEWHO WANT LESS STATEMENTS,POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND PLANSSHOULD BE IN SCHOOL AND MOREFOCUS ON ACADEMICS.

CLIP 2686(13:33:02”WHY ARE WE GIVINGEQUITY BASED ON SEXUALORIENTATION TO CHILDREN AGES 3TO 18 WHO ARE IN SCHOOL TOLEARN HOW TO READ, WRITE ANDDO ARITHMETIC”(13:33:11 )SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS APPROVEDTHE EQUITY STATEMENT ON MAY 5THAT OUTLINES THE DISTRICT'SGOAL OF "ELEVATING UNDER-REPRESENTED VOICES, SHARINGPOWER, RECOGNIZING ANDELIMINATING BIAS, ANDREDISTRIBUTING RESOURCES TOPROVIDE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES."OFFICIALS SAY THE NEWSTATEMENT WAS CREATED, INPART, BECAUSE OF "GLARINGDISPARITIES" IN STUDENTPERFORMANCE, SUSPENSION RATES,ATTENDANCE, AND MORE.

BUT THERECEPTION IS STILL SPLIT.

CLIP2688 (13:39:09”WE THE PEOPLEALLOW YOU TO SERVE WITH OURCONSENTWE CAN WITHDRAW IT ATANYTIME” ARTGUR MONDALE ITSTILL UNKNOWN IF THE BOARDWILL AMEND OR APPEAL THEEQUITY STATEMENT.

THATDECISION COULD BE MADE AFTTHIS WORKSHOP.STAY ON TOP OF A