3.
“As a foster parent and substitute teacher, I have experience working and parenting children in blue and red school districts right next to each other. I also had a child in my care attend the middle school, which is currently in national headlines for not allowing a poster that states, ‘Everyone is Welcome Here.’ The differences between the districts are dramatic.”
“In the red district, there is more focus on being popular and flashing wealth. There is judgment of others and constant efforts to ‘keep up with the Joneses.’ Feelings and empathy are seen as weaknesses and racist and anti-LGBTQ remarks are accepted and swept under the rug. The ‘father knows best’ mentality runs deep, and anything that isn’t straight, white, and Christian is considered ‘not right.’
In the blue district, which is a few blocks away, there’s more focus on emotional intelligence and acceptance of others. Students are taught more accurate versions of history and, for example, celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day. School programs consist of a diverse set of music, often sung in multiple languages (in the red district, school music is patriotic and religious).
—Anonymous, 47, Boise, Idaho
