Today, our schools are filled with indoctrination. 

 

Social Emotional Learning is only the latest cover for what is truly indoctrination of children into a self-defeating mindset that divides students, creates wedges with parents, suppresses freedom of thought and expression, and creates a perceived dependence on solutions to problems that do not exist in our Scottsdale schools. 

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In its inception, Social Emotional Learning was sold as a program to reach the 1% of children who needed extra support. It has become an entire industry spreading through America's schools by encouraging all students to think of themselves as victims, thus propagating the need for more Social Emotional Learning programs, and funding. The goal is to have all students classified into some group in need of “special support.” All of this is at the expense of the actual education of our children and relationships with their family. 

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This lack of educational seriousness is a top-down problem in the Scottsdale Unified School District. Superintendent Scott Menzel actively promotes these programs, while obfuscating their content from parents. Menzel seeks counsel from 1619 Project proponents from ASU and claims to value the information they provided, despite the fact that leading historians have exposed the projects’ factual inaccuracies. Menzel proudly claims to be an anti-racist, when a man of his education should have no excuse of ignorance that “anti-racist” ideology is the complete antithesis of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s message of a colorblind society. Scottsdale needs a restart from the top to refocus our schools on turning out the best and brightest students in Arizona and the nation. 

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The existing board recently voted 3-2 to remove their responsibility to parents and taxpayers, instead vesting their responsibility to be what is in the district’s best interest. This is not a serious Governing Board; this is not a serious District administration. I will fight against efforts to promote the will of the institution over the will of parents.

While the board is busy changing policies in their favor … only 8% of 10th-grade students at Coronado passed their math proficiency exams in 2021!  Even at Desert Mountain, our top high school, less than 48% tested as proficient!

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I will be a champion for parents. I will not stand by while children are funneled into victim groups based on SEL programming, or any other name that ideology is given to hide it from parents. I will be the adult in the room standing up for academic excellence and the belief that all children are created equal, all must have the same opportunities to thrive. 

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My name is Carine Werner and I ask for your support today and your vote on November 8th.

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