Students in St. Paul’s public school system are taught to “avoid binary speech,” view social media as “amplification platforms” for “hate speech” and “disinformation,” support illegal immigration, and more.
Alpha News obtained dozens of images from the classrooms and hallways of Harding High School, providing a glimpse into the education of a Minnesota public school student.
The images show students are bombarded with left-wing messaging throughout the day, what one parent recently described as “ambient propaganda” that is “plastered on the walls” in schools across the state.
One of the posters tells students to respect other people’s preferred pronouns because “it is the right thing to do.”
“Assuming someone’s gender leaves them with the impression that you think you know them better than they know themselves. Someone’s outward appearance DOES NOT determine their gender identity. If you do assume wrong, apologize, correct yourself and move on,” the poster says.
Another poster directs students to “make spaces gender-inclusive” by “avoiding binary speech” such as “boys and girls” and “you guys.”
“Not one more deportation,” says one poster.
“This my America: All people are equal; love wins; black lives matter; immigrants and refugees are welcome; celebrate diversity and respect disability; women control their own bodies,” adds another.
Images obtained from a Harding history classroom state that police came from slave patrols, a claim some experts have described as “ahistorical.”
One poster says that vigilante slave patrols “grew into organizations like the KKK, our modern police, and the general practices of our modern police: pursue, capture, and punish.”
The history classroom display attempts to connect a “history of racist acts and policies” in America, starting with slavery and ending with the death of George Floyd.
The St. Paul Public Schools Board of Education removed police from schools after Floyd’s death. Officers were temporarily returned to school grounds last week following a fatal stabbing at Harding.
A district spokesperson said some of the images were displayed in a history classroom as part of a U.S. history lesson. The spokesperson referred Alpha News to a district policy, which states:
“Saint Paul Public Schools strives to teach multicultural, intercultural, non-racist, non-sex-biased, gender and disability-fair curriculum in all subject areas. This curriculum shall integrate the existing course content of all disciplines’ learning experiences, which include the history, culture, heritage, contributions, and perspectives of all peoples in an equitable and accurate manner. Instruction shall prepare students to live productively in a pluralistic society by engaging them in multicultural, gender and disability-fair activities that respect human dignity and enhance the development of self-worth of students and staff.”
Another set of posters focus exclusively on the negative traits of some of America’s Founding Fathers and first presidents.
“Examples like these evocative images from Harding High School are not uncommon. Minnesota Parents Alliance receives reports from parents across the state who have discovered that a very specific brand of socio-political messaging is being foisted on their students throughout the course of the school day,” said Cristine Trooien of the Minnesota Parents Alliance.
Another display teaches students about “misinformation” and suggests that social media needs to be regulated or it will lead to violent insurrections.
“People in a belief-based community tend to favor authoritarian leaders and be more nationalistic; people in a reality-based community tend to favor facts, truth and democratic leadership and decision-making. Social media, exploitative media, polarized media, and state-drive disinformation campaigns have made for conditions in which far-right militias attempted to nullify the 2020 election and overrun the US Capitol,” the display states.
The misinformation display also claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin manipulated social media to influence the Brexit campaign. It goes on to say that “Brexit was a nationalist movement sparked by misinformation and disinformation campaigns by Russia over social media.”
Other images in the school depict George Floyd with angel wings or next to a caption of “justice for George Floyd.”
“Parents are upset to find that while they have the legal right to review curriculum and opt their student out of objectionable content, there is no way to opt their child out of the constant ambient distractions they experience from posters, flags, items worn by staff, and other one-sided ideological displays,” Trooien said.
She said that teachers unions and special interest groups are primarily responsible for the controversial materials in schools.
“It is not surprising that students who are immersed in this type of distracting, divisive learning environment are suffering from dramatic increases in mental health issues and disruptive and violent behavior and declines in literacy and academic proficiency,” she continued. “It will take engaged, persistent parents confronting district and state leadership on this issue in order to refocus our schools on student achievement as opposed to activism.”
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
