Showing Up for Racial Justice Des Moines is organizing efforts to support West Des Moines Valley teacher Petra Lange who voluntarily discussed on video circumventing state law banning teaching Critical Race Theory as fact.
The West Des Moines School District refused to comment on the incident. The district would not even confirm whether or not they have seen the video of Lange, who chuckled as she talked about violating the trust parents have put into her when it comes to following the spirit of state law in education.
SURJ DSM, which Lange is a member, put out a “call to action” that requires a “very timely response.”
“Many of you know Petra Lange,” the message states. She is a member of our SURJ Leadership Core who has recently come under attack by The Iowa Standard, Daily Mail and Fox News. A video clip from a webinar she was on is circulating the internet with wild accusations.”
STOP. Wait. What?
Accusations?
Iowa teacher proudly explains how she is circumventing the Critical Race Theory ban.
Instead of teaching CRT, she reviews the CRT concepts that are called out in the law, and encourages her kids to ask questions about the concepts.
This is her CRT ban workaround. pic.twitter.com/U7fzmJqDw2
— Mythinformed MKE (@MythinformedMKE) September 18, 2021
Those aren’t accusations. It is literally quoting what she said. Unless Lange was only making allegations against herself and what she does.
“It is extremely likely that followers of these social media/web pages are also reaching out to the school and/or school board,” DSM SURJ wrote. “We need to protect Petra, her family and her job by showing our support for the amazing work she does at Valley High School and within the community.
“Per Petra’s request, please only email the people listed below. Please email each person a separate email; do not CC.”
So Lange is using DSM SURJ to contact certain people. And those people are…
WDM School Board:
Please email Secretary Peggy Epstein and ask that she forward your message to the entire board: ([email protected])
Valley High School:
Principal: David Maxwell ([email protected])
Valley Associate Principal: Josh Griffith ([email protected])
There is a fancy Google Doc as well with “some sample language.”
Individuals are told to email by the end of the day Friday, Sept. 24 as there is a board meeting on Monday.
The following was also posted on DSM SURJ’s Facebook page.
