Derby Board of Education

Some Derby High School teachers urged school board members to reconsider their vote against a proposed social studies curriculum. The board's conservative majority rejected the curriculum over concerns it was biased against Republican President-elect Donald Trump.

Some Derby school board members voiced concerns about anti-racism messages on the publisher's website, as well as company statements about diversity, equity and inclusion. They also said parts of a textbook and online materials do not fairly reflect Trump's first presidency.

The Derby debate mirrors controversies across the country, where library books, textbooks and other materials have become a target for conservative activists.

A Derby resident said she filed her challenge to illustrate the consequences of censorship. The Bible is used as a textbook in Derby High School’s “Bible as Literature” course, a one-semester elective.

"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie was challenged by the grandparent of a Derby ninth-grader. A district committee decided to no longer allow teachers to use the novel in lessons and to remove it from the library at Derby North Middle School.

Derby school board member Andy Watkins said he raised concerns about the video because he thinks terminology used in it “has a direct tie to critical race theory,” and he was concerned about “making this terminology … the norm.”

At an upcoming meeting, the Derby board of education will evaluate how to proceed with its current policy regarding bathroom access for transgender…

Derby Public Schools is holding two public forums on Wednesday night to gather the community's input on the district's next superintendent.The Kansas…