The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) is a failing institution that is based on white supremacy, according to comments Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland) made Monday at a Juneteenth event at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
Calling MDOE part of an “oppressive” and “supremacist” system and ideology, Speaker Talbot Ross then twice called on listeners to storm the Capitol.
Talbot Ross said that MDOE is complicit in making sure African-American history and culture are not taught in Maine schools as she delivered unprompted remarks at the Juneteenth “State of Black Maine Symposium” in Portland.
“The Department of Education has failed the State of Maine. The Department of Education is not doing its job,” Talbot Ross said. “You can quote me. The Department of Education has not done its job, and it has had plenty of time to do it.”
Talbot Ross criticized MDOE for relegating the history of African-Americans to MOOSE modules, part of the COVID-19-era “Maine Opportunities for Online Sustained Education” online learning initiative. She said that students could find comparable educational resources to MOOSE modules just by using a search engine on their own.
“For me to think that my history, in order for it to be taught, has to be put on a platform called MOOSE and not instructional in the classroom, is part of the oppressive, suppressive, supremist [sic] system and ideology that the Department of Education learned from,” she said.
“This is an atrocity, what the Department of Education has done,” she added.
She then called upon–twice–those present at Monday’s Juneteenth symposium to storm the Capitol out of anger.
“We should all storm the institution, out of anger that this is the attitude that they’ve taken about our history,” she said. “We should be storming the Capitol. Really, I’m serious.”
“What the Department of Education has done is it’s made excuses for not teaching our children the truth about this country, this soil that we’re on now, and the labor that made their economies possible,” she concluded to applause before returning to her seat.
Also speaking at Monday’s Juneteenth symposium was Ayesha Hall, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the MDOE.
Hall, in response to Talbot Ross’ criticisms, agreed, and repeatedly called MOOSE a “copout.”
“I need to be going to Rachel Talbot Ross’ office to figure out what we’re going to do,” Hall said.
“It’s obviously a copout that we need to address,” the MDOE official said.
Concerns about the performance of African-American students in Maine Schools were also raised by panelists during the “State of Black Education” portion of the Juneteenth event.
“87 percent of the kids who were in detention were black boys, when they were only 13 percent of the student body,” said Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed, the Interim Assistant Superintendent of Portland Public Schools.
Dr. Ahmed said that because of this disparity, he stopped issuing detentions and suspensions.
Ahmed also said he removed prerequisites for Advanced Placement (AP) classes in order to get more students of color into those higher level courses.
“We have to recognize that schools are designed for white, middle-class children,” said panelist Rosa C. Slack, a Portland Public Schools educator, at another point in the symposium.
“And if you’re trying to integrate someone who is not a white middle class child, then you’re going to have some issues, right?” Slack said.
Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland)
said:
“We should all storm the institution, out of anger that this is the attitude that they’ve taken about our history,” she said. “We should be storming the Capitol. Really, I’m serious.”.
Go for it. They didn’t stop you during the BLM riots. Its a win/win on this prospect. Dont expect corporate funding though, they’re still working out the immigration and rebuilding the Ukraine schemes. Never let a crisis go to waste though, great job.
Storm the Capital. Like a mini Jan 6th? What a dumbass.
“87 percent of the kids who were in detention were black boys, when they were only 13 percent of the student body,” said Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed, the Interim Assistant Superintendent of Portland Public Schools.
Dr. Ahmed said that because of this disparity, he stopped issuing detentions and suspensions.
Ok…so no punishment for that brawl we all saw where a blade was pulled? Or any future gang warfare in public schools? Common sense policy.
Ahmed also said he removed prerequisites for Advanced Placement (AP) classes in order to get more students of color into those higher level courses.
Racist and insulting towards students of color. The prerequisites are there to assure the teacher is not wasting time and resources on an overwhelmed and ill prepared student. There is no race/iq equivalency. What is this argument inferring?
“We have to recognize that schools are designed for white, middle-class children,” said panelist Rosa C. Slack, a Portland Public Schools educator.
Obscenely racist. Again insulting to every person of color. Grifting is an art form and students of color their favorite medium. We need more funding and DEI executive positions in government,schools,law enforcement and Non profits. $$ and power.
“Storm the Capitol” like over two thousand Mainers did on May 1st, regarding your extreme abortion Bill LD 1619? Did she look out her Statehouse window and see the throngs of Mainers standing in the rain to defeat that horrific Bill? Did she open the door of her high office and hear the throngs of Mainers testifying against the wicked Bill? Does she listen to We the People and what they want for their State? She will listen when she and all the other pro abortion, pro trans, and anti education, anti family, pro tax democrat politicians loose their jobs and make Maine Sane Again! I’m sick of them ruining our State…vote them out!
They will not stop, they got the whites on the run…so they think
—-> MAYNARD nailed it… The claims of RACISM in the schools — nothing but cover for their own FAILURES.
Meanwhile, RTR may need some INTERVENTION. Her violent rhetoric and inane projections are kinda ‘OFF THE CHAIN,’ lately.
Are we teaching the French kids their history, or the Italian kids their history? How about the Jewish kids? This is getting old.
There are quotes in this article that are misattributed — please get this correct — or remove quotes until you know who said them. This is libel. Thank you
This woman needs to be expelled. First she attacks the Maine State PD with her BS, now this. Grow a spine Maine Republicans, grow a friggin spine, call for her removal.
Hey Frank. Or is it Factchecker? Whick racist quote of their hate speech is libel? Im sure it would be best if we shut this conversation and article down. What did you think about their comments? Articulate and spot on?
History? Make sure that you ‘praise’ the State of Maine for sending more men to the war that would free the slaves than any other state.
As a percentage of men we were #1. The shedding of blood by the families of Maine should be honored.
People are made in the image of God, we need to value highly each and every one (not looking at skin color). May we love our fellowman as we love our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Also, may we never pass the penalty of sin (in this case slavery) on to the sons and descendants of the Fathers who committed those evils. Find out what truly is the meaning of “From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli.”
Not fond of MDOE but there is no question that we need to change the paradigm. I’d like to see a system of ‘badges’ that represent what skills have been mastered and then let parents and students decide which skills they want their kids to pursue. Free Choice. Not unlike scouting where you earn badges for each skill and the accumulation of core skills badges determines what doors are open to the scout.
So if people here are opposed to the speaker’s comments, do the right thing. Vote her out! If we can’t find reasonable people to fill theses seats, you get what you get. As a white American I take offense to that also. So is she saying my heritage doesn’t matter for the almost 400 yrs my family has been here. My family didn’t own slaves. That were productive working Americans. So I then will expect my heritage to be taught. No. Silly democrats. Throw a hissy fit to get your way. Storm the capital. Then we have the knowledge of what you socialist’s are trying to do to America.
R.T.R sees herself as a Winnie Mandella like figure when in reality she is an unaccomplished failure of a Portland Race Pimp . There is a world wide attempt to destroy the Western European Culture . her loyalty is to her Race not her oath of office . Lincoln solved the Slave problem but he created the Negro problem that remains unsolved.
This woman is crazy. All she does is blab about everyone being racist, yet she just held a meeting in Lewiston and said white people
Could not speak. The radical
Here is her and her mouth. The dept of Education is a mess but the are certainly more woke than anything. I hope people think about voting this fool out. Maybe we should have the FBI attack her like they have Trump. Is she asking for us to raid the state house? I would start with her office first!
This woman is crazy. All she does is blab about everyone being racist, yet she just held a meeting in Lewiston and said white people
Could not speak. The radical
Here is her and her mouth. The dept of Education is a mess but the are certainly more woke than anything. I hope people think about voting this fool out. Maybe we should have the FBI attack her like they have Trump. Is she asking for us to raid the state house? I would start with her office first!