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CCSA names Kaelin Swaney Teacher of the Year after reading I am Jazz to Kindergarteners.
Sacramento, CA -- Right now, the 25th annual California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) conference is underway. This conference is for teachers, administrators, and charter school advocates.
Each year at the conference, the California Charter Schools Association awards Hart Vision Awards in recognition of what the CCSA consider "outstanding achievements."
According to the California Charter Schools Association, "the awards recognize individuals and schools that have made significant contributions to the Association's mission to increase student achievement by supporting and expanding California's quality charter public school movement."
Many have anticipated the announcement of the Hart Vision Award for Teacher of the Year, which was just announced. Many more will be shocked to hear that the recipient of this award is Ms. Kaelin Swaney, kindergarten teacher at Rocklin Academy Charter School. Ms. Swaney is the Rocklin Academy teacher who read students the controversial book, "I am Jazz," and then explained to her kindergarten class that one of their fellow students who is a biological male would now be a girl, with a new girl name that students were to call the student by.
Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute, was shocked to find out that Ms. Swaney was awarded the Teacher of the Year Award. "I do agree with the CCSA, Ms. Swaney has impacted many lives. She has made 'significant contributions' to lives of many children and families, however those contributions have been negative.
After her reading of the book and transition ceremony, several students were confused, and traumatized by this situation.
I do not consider traumatizing
kindergartners
an 'outstanding achievement.'"
England went on to discuss how some students went home crying, afraid they were turning into the opposite sex, and the boy who was afraid to touch his sister's toys in fear of becoming a girl.
Charter Schools are
supposed
to present a more parent-involved type of education. Parents were upset with the situation at Rocklin Academy, because despite their promotion of parental involvement, they have shown to exclude parents, specifically those with alternative views, every step of the way. In addition, England notes that the information obtained in an open records request confirms how
disingenuous school's version of what happened in that kindergarten class is. "The fact that this teacher is being honored in the midst of unheard of controversy in the family-friendly town of Rocklin, CA is baffling. Teachers should be outraged as this is an offense to all of the teachers who work so hard to respect the values of all students and parents."
The CCSA has placed themselves squarely in the center of this controversial situation by taking a stance in support of the actions of this teacher. It's clear the CCSA does not stand with parents. The CCSA should be ashamed of themselves.
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