Editors’ note: The following statement was made this week by Upper Adams School Board Superintendent Wesley Doll:
“The recent decision by the school board to partner with the Independence Law Center (ILC) had an impact that I had not anticipated. After the decision by the school board to engage ILC I was contacted by a donor who withdrew support from the district.
The donor shared that the Independence Law Center’s approach and policies have raised concerns regarding their alignment with the values and educational goals the donor wanted to support. The donor believed that the direction ILC advocate may not fully serve the best interests of the Upper Adams School District (UASD) students and the community. Specifically. their methods and priorities appear to diverge from the commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive educational environment that the donor holds dear and has seen at UASD over recent years.
As a result, the donor shared. ‘…my planned seven-figure endowment of financial support to the district under the current circumstances would be inconsistent with my values and the vision I have for our educational system. My decision to withhold my donation is not made lightly. but reflects my concern for the potential long-term impact of this partnership on the quality and equity of education provided to our students.’
This decision will have an impact lasting decades.”
Earlier this year the political extremists at Pennridge School Board in Bucks County were largely replaced by moderates after they tried secretly banning books and paid extortionate fees for the “1776 Curriculum.” The latter is a reactionary response to the popular “1619 Project” and seeks to impose Christian Nationalist dogma into Social Studies education. Upper Adams has a chance to replace these zealots with members of the community who care about an equitable approach to education. I hope residents will look to Pennridge as an example of how their votes can effect change.
Decisions have consequences and putting politics into absolutely everything means those decisions will turn off roughly 50% of the population right now. I think about that every time I see a sign, t-shirt, or hat. For an individual, it’s merely supporting their views and if they don’t mind half the population thinking they are crazy, that’s their choice. They know the other half agrees. For a business or other entity, it means you turn off half of your potential clientele or donors. Will the other half make up for it? Who knows. At least for this donor there are several… Read more »
Can UASD afford a “free legal(?) business venture that costs them major funding by reliable, concerned and dedicated supporters?