Newton Public Schools publishes report promoting gender ideology to students; district expands affinity groups for staff

Newton Public Schools has a report posted online titled “The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion End-of-Year Report” for the 2023-2024 school year. This report states that a goal of the district is to “Foster Joyful and Supportive Learning Environments” for students. This includes creating “Gender Affirming Guidance.” The district states: “Newton Public Schools is committed to upholding our values of inclusion and equity for all of our members by providing a learning environment in which transgender and gender expansive students, staff, and family members are welcomed and can engage in their full identities.”

The district explains in this report that a draft of the “NPS Guidance on the Basis of Gender Identity” is being created. The goal of this guidance is to “support and increase our ongoing efforts to provide educational and social opportunities that affirm, support, and/or acknowledge gender identity and gender diversity.”

The report also states that the district received a grant for $82,037 to hire staff based on their identities and grow the district’s affinity groups: “These funds were used for targeted licensure support; to expand affinity groups and resources, support supervisory staff through complex conversations about race and identity; support NPS training and professional development and to enhance teacher recruitment strategies.”

The district then promoted its expansion of affinity groups: “Affinity spaces offer a place for support and safety which will positively impact experiences in NPS and increase retention. With support from Newton Schools Foundation, we have launched district-wide affinity groups for all NPS staff who identify as BIPOC and meet throughout the year for social gatherings.” One goal for the district in the school year was to “support elementary affinity groups across the district.” The district provided “leadership stipends and a materials budget for schools” to accomplish this.

The district additionally explains in the report that “injustices” impact the schools. As a result, “the South Human Rights Council promotes a safe, supportive, and celebratory community at Newton South.” This group exists within the district and hosted “speakers for LGBTQ+ Day, Disability Awareness, Black Culture Day, and AAPI Heritage Day and participated in the Walk for Unity Rally.”

The district explicitly states that the curriculum for students was changed to include DEI initiatives: “This year our department has gone into several elementary schools to provide lessons to upper elementary students around understanding hate speech and becoming anti-racist, upstanders within their school communities.”

The district notably includes a quote with a claim that “babies use race to categorize faces before their first birthday” and that preschool children “have already learned and internalized racial stereotypes…associating Black faces with negative traits.”