MERIDIAN — West Ada School District has recently come under fire after a KTVB story highlighted Lewis and Clark Middle School teacher Sarah Inama, who was asked to remove signs and posters promoting inclusivity from her classroom.
The signs share the message that all students are welcome and feature hands of different skin colors and a series of words highlighted in a rainbow of colors, including “welcome,” “important,” “valued” and “equal.”
West Ada cited a district policy that “ensures that classrooms remain neutral” as justification for asking Inama to remove the signs, the district said in a statement.
In the days since KTVB’s story was published, a group of West Ada students held a walkout; local resident Chris Stewart created t-shirts that bear the posters’ message and design, according to KTVB; a parent of two West Ada students has called for the resignations of district officials; and Idaho native Aaron Paul, a graduate of Centennial High School in Boise and star of the hit series Breaking Bad, took to social media to criticize the district and support Inama, also reported by KTVB.
A West Ada spokesperson told Idaho Education News that the district “has received a range of feedback from staff, parents, and community members regarding this matter.”
West Ada Superintendent Derek Bub declined to be interviewed by or provide comment to the Idaho Press. Inama has not responded to requests for comment.
In a statement, the West Ada School District said it “has been and always will be committed to fostering a welcoming and supportive learning environment for all students while upholding district policies.”
“While classroom decorations can contribute to the atmosphere, a truly welcoming and supportive environment is built through meaningful relationships and positive interactions between staff and students, not posters on the walls,” the statement continued. “Our focus is on fostering kindness, respect, and academic achievement so that every student can thrive in a distraction-free learning environment.”{!--EndFragment--}
According to the statement, the school’s principal met with Inama in January to discuss the posters in her classroom and go over West Ada School District Policy 401.20, which details the Idaho Dignity and Nondiscrimination in Public Education Act the Idaho Legislature enacted in 2021 banning critical race theory in K-12 and higher-education classrooms.
The district’s policy encourages staff to display the American flag in their classrooms, and says other flags, banners, posters, signs or photos should be “content neutral and conducive to a positive learning environment.” The policy then provides a lengthy list of appropriate displays, such as the periodic table, mathematical equations, motivational posters or student artwork.
“School property shall not be used by personnel for the advancement of individual beliefs,” policy 401.20 reads. “It is the desire of the District that the physical environment of District facilities be content neutral, conducive to a positive learning environment and not a distraction to the educational environment.”
After discussing her posters, Inama removed them from the walls of her classroom but later hung them back up. After they were rehung, the school’s principal, who is listed on the Lewis and Clark website as Monty Hyde, along with the district’s chief academic officer and a West Ada Education Association representative met with Inama to discuss their concerns about the posters and how they violate district policy, according to the district’s statement.
Inama has been given until the end of the school year to explore “alternative options” and is expected to choose a new poster to display for the next school year, the statement said.
“This situation is not about limiting speech or expression but about ensuring consistency in our classrooms and maintaining a learning environment free from distraction,” the statement said.
Finn Angelopolos, a senior at Renaissance High in Meridian, told Boise Weekly that students held a walkout just before 2 p.m. Thursday in support of Inama and other teachers who are promoting inclusion. Dozens participated, Idaho Education News reported.
“Kindness isn’t political and teachers shouldn’t be (reprimanded) ... for trying to make their students feel safe and welcome at school,” Angelopolos told Boise Weekly. “If the rules prohibit teachers and students from posting messages of welcoming and kindness, then the rules need to be changed.”
In an email sent to Bub, West Ada’s Board of Trustees, the Idaho Press and other local media outlets, Nicholas Fisk, a parent of two West Ada students, chided the district for its handling of the situation, saying it “speaks volumes about this administration’s misguided priorities.”
“ ...if any elected official on this board is incapable of taking a non-political stance that all students are welcome in West Ada schools, I will campaign tirelessly to ensure they are replaced by someone who will,” Fisk’s email says.
Some of the information in this article was written by Idaho Education News.
(2) comments
Your thoughts of what a modern classroom should look like are amazingly skewed. Even in Boise, Idaho, this is not 1938 Germany. We are as educator ambassador to students and their families that come from all economic levels, different backgrounds of culture, religion, race, skin color, ethic group, sexual orientation, nuclear families, mixed families, blended families, divorced parents ... So when students enter our classroom, we as teachers, must find common ground that welcomes all. All is ALL students no matter said differences. I understand my attempt at explanation of this practice will fall on deaf ears. It's is more directed at undercutting your uneducated and uninformed rambling of a person who is moving backward and not forward. I hope this rebuttal completely infuriates you. To the point of writing something attacks an entire system of educational pedagogy. To add fuel to your fire, I am an educator of 34 years, a native of Southern California - with ties to the Boise area, straight, white, married(to a female) and male. Two final comments: These posters are currently hanging in thousands of classrooms across America. If you do not believe me, take a poll. Second, please read below. Your witch hunt probably needs to take a deeper dive across the Idaho school system. The Mission and Vision of Lewis and Clark Middle School are very much similar to all schools across Idaho and the rest of the United States - take a look. I am sure you will be terribly disappointed.
The Mission & Vision of Lewis and Clark Middle School - Boise, Idaho:
Our Mission, Vision, and Commitments are what guide our purpose and direction.
This is the lens through which our decisions are made.
Mission
Lewis and Clark Middle School exists to guide the unique academic, physical, social, cultural, and emotional needs of students in order to achieve success.
Vision
Lewis and Clark Middle School is a community where:
Students are life-long learners, problem solvers, critical thinkers, collaborators, and leaders.
Staff is an innovative, flexible, and interdependent professional learning community committed to nurturing our students.
Curriculum is viable, challenging, and meaningful.
Facilities are safe, welcoming, and maximize opportunities to learn and grow.
Someone please explain after reading the Mission & Vision of Lewis and Clark Middle School why placing said poster would warrant removal from said classroom.
So, what needs to go? This school's founding pillars and principles or the antiquated bigoted mindset of the people in leadership positions in this school and district?
Now more than ever, we as Americans, need to take a stand on this type of political nonsense. Here's the reality - if people choose to sit this one out the 248 year experiment of a democratic society is over. You are either "fighting" for democracy or "fighting" to end it. Choose wisely...
Why is it, I ask, that this teacher wants to create a controversy? Is she enjoying the momentary "lime light"? She is pointing out differences to say we are all the same... Does that make any sense? She needs to dedicate her time in the classroom to educating students and not making statements. I have had enough to do with education in the recent past to know that we have way to may students that will not conform to set standards. Do we want a teacher to act the same way? People love to jump on board and support controversial issues. Mrs. Inama needs to teach history and stop trying to make history. Set the proper example for all students and conform to set standards. If she, or anyone else, disagrees with that standard there are proper ways to change it without non-compliance. It is not her place to set or define the standard. I hope that she, and others who are supporting this improper action, sees what an awful example she is setting especially for the "non-complying" students that make educating all the students much more difficult. If she will really think it through, she will know her present actions of disobedience is simply wrong.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In