MORT'S MUSINGS

June 28, 2021 Liv Finne; WPC Education Director Additional Comments on June 23rd Posting As a follow up to yesterday’s comment, today I’d like to focus upon upon my experiences with a district and its policies on controversial material. You cited the authority in RCW 28A.150.230 (2) (g) as giving districts the local authority to reject teaching Critical Race Theory. How might this authority be exercised? In my experience, districts have followed state guideline and essential learnings and have used those as a foundation to develop their own, local, priorities. They also play a great part in textbook adoptions and purchase of support materials. Teachers are often empowered to create supporting materials from sources they have researched. I did so with Dr. Will Durant’s book, “Lessons of History”, which I used to provide higher level thinking and analytical skills in my “High Cap Freshman Social Studies classes” I wrote the unit and lesson plans and ran them by my immediate supervis

Commentary of Washington Policy Center's Education Blog posting of June 23, 2021, about Critical Race Theory. There are too many aspects of this issue to include them all here. Today, I will focus on what’s been done in the past, as it might relate to “Critical Race Theory”. 1] When I taught my WA State History class a unit on Japanese American Internment, was I teaching an event in history, or was I teaching Critical Race Theory? 2] When I taught my Comparative Cultures Class on Russian & the Soviet Union about the pograms, was I teaching a series of events in Imperial Russian History, or was I teaching Critical Race Theory? 3] When I taught my Comparative Cultures Class on the Middle East about the Holocaust, was I teaching about an example of events commonly directed at Jewish communities, or was I teaching Critical Race Theory? These may seem like rhetorical questions, but I do not intend them to be. Since WPC seems unalterably opposed to teaching Critical Race Theory,

Concerning the Washington Policy Center's Education Director's Posting on Critical Race Theory - June 23, 2021 I read your June 23rd posting with interest, as always. There are too many aspects of this issue to include them all here. Today, I will focus on what’s been done in the past, as it might relate to “Critical Race Theory”. 1] When I taught my WA State History class a unit on Japanese American Internment, was I teaching an event in history, or was I teaching Critical Race Theory? 2] When I taught my Comparative Cultures Class on Russian & the Soviet Union about the pograms, was I teaching a series of events in Imperial Russian History, or was I teaching Critical Race Theory? 3] When I taught my Comparative Cultures Class on the Middle East about the Holocaust, was I teaching about an example of events commonly directed at Jewish communities, or was I teaching Critical Race Theory? These may seem like rhetorical questions, but I do not intend them to be.

This message was sent to Liv Finne, Washington Policy Center's Education Director, today - May 24, 2021. Washington Policy Center’s 501C3 Status “Nothing here should be construed as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any legislation before any legislative body.” (*) https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/library/doclib/Finne-Governor-Inslee-Don-t-impose-divisive-and-harmful-CRT-on-our-schools.pdf Given that the Washington Policy Center has published extensive objections to one or more of the four bills that compose the Critical Race Theory legislation before the Legislature in the 2021 Session, the disclaimer statement that “Nothing here should be construed as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any legislation before any legislative body” (*) strains credibility. These appear on their face to be straight forward efforts to influence legislators’ votes and/or the governor’s signature. March 30, 2021 https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/sb-5044-

IMPORTANCE OF THE 'CHAIN OF CUSTODY". The futility of the hand audit/recount of Maricopa County’s ballots hinges upon two issues: 1] The Arizona State Senate’s order to turn over the ballots to an outside organization has terminated the “chain of custody”, making that audit’s outcomes impossible to verify. 2] Previous recounts and audits were done by trained personnel, who retained the “chain of custody” and those recounts/audits verified the initial results.

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE GENERAL ELECTION RECOUNT IN MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ? False claims, intraparty feuds and the need to potentially replace millions of dollars in equipment are among the issues that continue to plague a partisan election audit ordered by Arizona Republicans seeking to prove that the 2020 presidential race was stolen. After months of court battles, a review of the November election vote in Maricopa County — where the majority of Arizonans reside — was begun at the instruction of the GOP-controlled state Senate late last month. https://www.yahoo.com/news/arizona-election-republican-audit-maricopa-county-trump-cyber-ninja-180225955.html