Clover Garden School’s board of directors has responded to numerous complaints lodged during the board’s latest meeting about an eighth-grade honors English class in which students were directed to use grammatically incorrect sentence structure that reflects contemporary beliefs about gender identity and so-called “preferred pronouns” (see separate story, this edition).
Members of the charter school’s board of directors didn’t comment during their meeting two weeks ago – similar to how their counterparts in traditional K-12 public schools handle claims made during monthly public comment periods at their meetings – but instead opted to respond in a letter emailed to parents last Thursday, October 23.
The board’s letter stated, in part: “…As a public charter school, we have flexibility in choosing our curriculum and instructional methods. This means we aren’t required to follow the exact same materials or teaching style as traditional public schools, though we do follow the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and teach modern English. Families coming to us from traditional public schools may notice some differences—and that’s okay. These differences are allowed by law and are part of what makes charter schools unique.
“Recently, an example sentence was shared in Teacher McDowell’s 8th Grade ELA Honors class to help students learn the root word ‘tele.’” The example offered, the board acknowledged in its response, was, “‘McDowell wishes they could teleport across the room.’
“This was simply a vocabulary example using the teacher’s name and the root word. It was not a grammar example. The use of ‘they’ as a singular pronoun is part of modern English usage, and while it may be different from traditional grammar rules, it’s increasingly common in many settings. There are countless instances in which the noun and verb do not agree. It often depends on the context of the sentence it is used in… While the sentence above won’t be used again, it was appropriate and consistent with Modern English.”
The board of directors also stated in its response that each teacher at Clover Garden School (CGS) has a right to choose how he or she wishes to be addressed, and though students won’t be punished for “honest mistakes,” repeated, intentional disrespect will be addressed as outlined in the code of conduct.
“Our community includes people of different races, ethnicities, beliefs, and identities—including LGBTQ+ individuals,” the board of directors’ response stated. “At CGS, we value respect, kindness, and tolerance. That applies to how students and parents interact with staff and with each other. Harassment, discrimination, or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated—from students or adults. Students may face disciplinary action up to and including permanent exclusion from CGS, and any parent who harasses staff may be permanently banned from campus and school events.”
The director of Clover Garden School, Heather Vereyken, board chairman Chad Huffines, and vice chairman Amy Murrell had not responded to an inquiry from The Alamance News, filed last week, by press time Wednesday night.
