An Open Letter To New HSE Superintendent Yvonne Stokes
She begins her new position on July 1, 2021.
Dear Superintendent Stokes,
Welcome to HSE. I’m a parent in the district, and I’m looking forward to having a new Superintendent. I’ve heard good things about you, and I’m hoping and praying for your success and excited for your official start date on July 1.
I’m emailing to tell you that I’ve had an alarming experience with the district in recent months. District administrators have made it clear to me that they do not want to work with me or the many parents like me who are concerned about issues related to political activism in the schools. It has been stunning and unbelievable.
To get a sense of what I’m talking about, I recommend that you have a look at the blog I started on these topics:
I intend to post this letter on the blog.
I would like to note that I have tried very hard to be factual on my blog, and if there’s a factual error anywhere, please inform me, as I am glad to correct the record.
As I see things, the situation is escalating, and the escalation is not going to stop unless some changes are made. I believe that there is an easy way to de-escalate the situation, and that’s for you to take the following actions when you begin as Superintendent:
Publicly renounce the inappropriate content in the “Allyship” event that was held on 22 April 2021 and state clearly that HSE employees are not authorized to discuss mature sexual topics such as anal sex with school-aged children, and also clearly state that HSE is not interested in “rewiring” the brains of our children by manipulating their use of language.
Require relevant parties in the district to apologize for their obstruction and false statements (see here, for example).
Publicly renounce the district’s current biased advocacy of the various principles of Critical Race Theory (see here) and recommit to Martin Luther King’s dream of a world in which our children will be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.
Provide the SEEL and SEL lessons to me that I was told I could see. I mean all of them, for grades K-12, and I’m talking about PowerPoints and other similar materials from the 20-21 year, and also any that are ready for 21-22.
Convene a committee of concerned parents to provide feedback on how to revise the SEEL and SEL lessons for the upcoming year after we have had a chance to actually review them in detail.
Stop recommending controversial books to kindergarteners on the district Equity and Inclusion page—books that are at odds with the religious values of many parents.
Take steps to ensure that our children will not be repeatedly asked for their preferred pronouns—either verbally or on informational forms—by district employees. Instead, simply ask each student whether there is anything that teachers and administrators should know about the way that the student prefers to be addressed.
I think that taking these actions would produce a lot of good will from parents like me, and would give us a sense that you are interested in working with us and not against us.
We do not expect perfect agreement on all points, and we understand that people make mistakes. Forgiveness is of paramount importance, and I deeply want to work together constructively and find compromise where we can. But some public action is required at this point to begin the process of rebuilding trust.
I’d welcome an email announcing which of these actions you are prepared to take; any response to me will be on the record, and you should expect me to post it on my blog. I’d be willing to talk if you have any questions for me, but the focus must be on action, as I am no longer interested in merely “being heard”: you will either act to demonstrate that you wish to work with us or you will not. As I have said, I am praying for your success and hoping to work together.
Sincerely,
Chad Carmichael
[I sent this letter to Dr. Stokes on 1 June 2021. Send your own email to her at ystokes@hse.k12.in.us.]