A handful of Hamilton County school districts, including Noblesville Schools, are among 14 in the state whose educational materials have been submitted for review on Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s “Eyes on Education” portal.
The portal contains submitted material that involves “objectionable curricula, policies or programs affecting children,” according to the attorney general’s office. A majority of the submitted materials so far have come directly from teachers and other school employees and are easily verifiable, according to the attorney general’s office.
The Hamilton County school districts that have had material submitted to the portal are Noblesville Schools, Carmel Clay Schools and Hamilton Southeastern Schools.
Marnie Cooke, executive director of marketing and communications for Noblesville Schools, stated that the three examples listed on the portal for Noblesville Schools are old and not in use. Those submissions are:
- A presentation and discussion on white privilege where students were split into three different groups (white, African American and other) and each group had its own presentation and discussion.
- An English assignment with examples of privilege, including celebrating Christian holidays; being white or looking like a white person and not worrying about being racially profiled; and being cisgender and not having to feel anxious or worried about being harassed in a public bathroom.
- A worksheet that listed dominant and subordinate groups. Some examples of dominant groups included: “American” Western European heritage; cisgender; white; Christian; and heterosexual.
In the first example, Cooke said the video featured a volunteer community speaker in 2018 whose content was not properly vetted, and Noblesville Schools apologized to the families at the time. In the second example, Cooke said the assignment was from an employee who no longer works with the school district. In the third example, the worksheet is no longer being used.
“We were not aware of the (portal) until it was released and were not given an opportunity to discuss any of the submissions with the AG’s office,” Cooke stated.
Instruction at Noblesville Schools is set by state academic standards and requirements, Cooke stated. The Department of Learning oversees curriculum based on state standards and requirements.
Cooke said Noblesville Schools encourages parents with questions about learning materials to speak with their teacher or principal. Curriculum information for all grade levels is available at noblesvilleschools.org/domain/90.
The attorney general’s office stated it will follow up on materials submitted to the portal that might violate state law using investigative tools, including public records requests, and publish findings on the portal.
Josh DeFonce, media director for the attorney general’s office, said the office will continue to post verified material on the site, and if schools respond, their responses will also be posted.
“Transparency is a good thing, and parents engaging in the upbringing of their children should be what everyone wants, including schools,” DeFonce stated.
To view the portal, visit in.gov/attorneygeneral/education-liberty/.
