Re: The new Maine Republican Party platform amendment banning critical race theory in Maine public schools (April 29):
I’d like to reassure amendment author Shawn McBreairty that he can put his mind at ease.
He stated, “The majority of Maine has no idea what is happening in these cult-like, government-run K-12 schools. It’s time for accountability. Morals and family values have been stripped away from schools and been replaced by identity politics and kiddie porn.”
Having proudly put five children and stepchildren through Maine public schools (Regional School Unit 21) — and having taken an active, engaged, front-row seat to their education – I can happily report that our fantastic and dedicated public school teachers delivered an education that was full of strong, civic-minded morals and, yes, family values that encouraged them to be kind and caring friends and informed global citizens.
I’m so sorry to have to inform him that there was no cultish behavior, identity politics indoctrination or kiddie porn in sight.
Do our public schools have some areas in which they can improve? Of course.
But the term “government-run” schools is often a pretext used by those on the far right to justify privatization of our public schools — a well-documented desire of those, like the Koch brothers and others, who recognize the billions they can reap if only they can get enough Americans dissatisfied and disillusioned with our public school system.
Gaby Grekin
Kennebunkport
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