A petition to remove Chilliwack School District (SD33) chair Willow Reichelt has accrued over [5014] signatures [since April 18th] after it was started on the platform change.org.
Willow Reichelt, SD33 School Trustee/Chair, must resign or be removed
SIGN THE PETITION HERE. PLEASE SHARE
Read What The Signatories Are Saying
This interview can be viewed in full at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWO3w7CZLxo
During the beginning of the show, it’s explained that Action4Canada is not the author, or behind Cindy Carpenter’s petition.
ChillTV interviews Cindy Carpenter, concerned parent and author of online petition to remove Willow Reichelt as Chilliwack School Board Chair.
Reichelt has been at the centre of recent controversy at SD33 after a flood of parents complained that the school board was making sexually explicit material available to children.
The petition accuses Reichelt of censoring voices that don’t align with her progressive woke goals and belittling those who oppose her.
“As seen many times in public School Board meetings, Willow does not listen when parents, guardians and other residents of the Chilliwack community, attempt to voice their concerns. She will turn off their mic before they’ve finished speaking,” wrote Cindy Carpenter, who began the petition. (Story continues below)
The book, Identical, that the woman is reading from is available in Chilliwack, currently at the following schools:
- Chilliwack Secondary
- G.W. Graham
How much corruption is in Chilliwack?
https://fraservalleytoday.ca/2023/02/03/chilliwack-mla-dan-coulter-contributed-1800-to-school-board-candidates-in-2022-election
Chilliwack MLA Dan Coulter gave $1,000 to Willow Reichelt, who works in his constituency office and previously served with him on the school board, as well as $500 to David Swankey, $200 to Margaret Reid, and $100 to Teri Westerby
(According to campaign disclosure forms released Thursday (Feb. 2) by Elections B.C.)
Seen Enough? Sign NOW… or read on…
“She will also shut off the mic of fellow trustees, if their opinion doesn’t align with hers. She has also raised her voice, scoffed, laughed at and belittled, the ones trying to speak.”
The board recently censured Trustee Heather Maahs for claiming that parents belonged to their children after she raised issues with the district’s decision to put up obstacles in front of parents such as providing photo ID to attend public meetings.
The petition cites several comments from the public which include a former student who alleges that as a teacher, Reichelt “never allowed room for anyone’s thoughts or beliefs except her own.” (Story continues below)
4 min clip. Listen to Trustee Reichelt’s thoughts on Parent’s rights & (timestamp 1:40-ish she scoffs out loud when Trustee Maahs explains that the children belong to their parents.
“I highly believe it’s crucial to leave space for kids to discover their own opinions rather than being told what’s right and wrong – she would openly tell certain students she wished they were the only ones in the class etc. worst teacher I’ve ever had. honestly thought she got fired,” wrote the anonymous former student.
Shared from https://tnc.news/2023/04/20/petition-chilliwack-school-board/
EMAIL SD33 SCHOOL TRUSTIES HERE
SD33 parent launches petition to oust trustee, but board chair says online campaign isn’t true
Chilliwack Board of Education chair Willow Reichelt says an online petition meant to pressure her into resigning from public office is based on lies.
But the proponent of the petition found on change.org, Cindy Carpenter, says Reichelt has overstepped her authority as board chair and acted improperly and should resign or be removed. Carpenter says she is a parent of children enrolled in SD33.
“School Trustees, are put in place to engage their communities in building and maintaining a school system that reflects local priorities, values and expectations,” Carpenter wrote on the petition. “They are to listen to their communities, guide the work of their school district and set plans, policies and the annual budget. As seen many times in public School Board meetings, Willow does not listen when parents, guardians and other residents of the Chilliwack community, attempt to voice their concerns. She will turn off their mic before they’ve finished speaking. She will also shut off the mic of fellow trustees, if their opinion doesn’t align with hers.”
Reichelt argues the online campaign is grounded in falsehoods.
Some of the lies Willow quotes
Shuts off mic of Dr Ferguson
“This petition is rooted in lies,” Reichelt said. “It is demonstrably false to suggest that I do not allow comments I disagree with. What I don’t allow is comments about topics not on the agenda (the chair is required to ensure we follow our board meeting bylaw), comments that are discriminatory or defamatory, or comments that spread deliberate misinformation. Respectful disagreement is always allowed and encouraged. The people of Chilliwack had their chance to weigh in on this topic in the October municipal election and overwhelmingly selected candidates who support diversity and inclusion. I will continue to work hard to ensure that SD33 is a safe and welcoming place for all students, parents and staff.”
The online petition is reminiscent of multiple petitions that sought to shame then-trustee Barry Neufeld on the Chilliwack Board of Education. Neufeld never resigned but was not reelected in the October 2022 municipal election. One of the petitions against him generated over 20,000 signatures.
Meanwhile, Carpenter suggests that parents and concerned Chilliwack residents are not having their input received or valued at all. For example, she insists that parents and stakeholders have followed other procedures to try and be heard, but don’t have a venue to voice those concerns.
“How are the parents and concerned residents, supposed to get their valued opinions heard? After all, they encompass the first and final responsibility of their children and have every right not only to know what is happening in schools but have a say, if they are in disagreement,” Carpenter wrote on the petition. “Emails go unanswered or are replied with a generic response without addressing the initial concern. These residents have even requested a private meeting with each board member and the Superintendent and again, no acknowledgement. They’ve also spoken with teachers and principals who tell you, to take your concerns up with the Board. In turn, the Chair will tell you to take your concerns to your teachers and principals. A game of chasing one’s tail without resolution.”
In her emailed statement, Reichelt says there are people in Chilliwack who harbor anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment when it comes to learning resources.
“There is a tiny but loud minority in our city who don’t believe LGBTQ+ people [*Webmaster note: We’re referring to ‘children here*] have equal rights and who want LGBTQ+ representation excluded from learning resources,” Reichelt said. “They are working with like-minded people from across Canada and even outside the country to bully and harass me in an attempt to get me to resign.”
Carpenter claims Reichelt undermined the integrity of the teaching profession and teachers in SD33 by stating that “no one advocating book banning in 2022, has any business being involved in public education.”
As it pertains to removing Reichelt from office, only voters can do that at the ballot box every four years. Concerning the selection of board chair, Reichelt says that process occurs every year.
“The board chair is elected by the board each year and serves at the pleasure of the board,” Reichelt said. “If trustees want a change in leadership, they have the opportunity to make that choice every December. In addition, if at any point the board loses confidence in the chair, they can move to hold a new board election. There is no mechanism to remove an individual trustee from office. A previous trustee was asked to resign by every education partner and the Minister of Education, yet he remained until he was defeated in our recent municipal election.”
Carpenter argues that if Reichelt continues as chair or trustee, parents will have no choice but to take their kids elsewhere.
“If she does not resign or is not removed, you will see a countless amount of our children removed from public schools,” Carpenter wrote in her petition.
Petition circulating to dethrone woke Chilliwack school board chair
A petition was started on April 18, 2023 to oust Willow Reichelt from her position as Chilliwack School District (SD33) chair. The petition on change.org has collected over 3,000 signatures in three days.
The spotlight landed on Reichelt after a wave of parents expressed concerns that SD33 has sexually explicit materials available for chindren in the schools.
According to the petition, Reichelt censored voices that don’t support her progressive, woke ideals and disparages those who do.
“As seen many times in public School Board meetings, Willow does not listen when parents, guardians and other residents of the Chilliwack community, attempt to voice their concerns. She will turn off their mic before they’ve finished speaking,” wrote Cindy Carpenter, who began the petition.
“She will also shut off the mic of fellow trustees, if their opinion doesn’t align with hers. She has also raised her voice, scoffed, laughed at and belittled, the ones trying to speak.”
Trustee Heather Maahs was recently censured by the board for siding with parents and that their children belong to them not the school, Maahs attempted to ‘enshrine’ parental rights within the schools policy. The board is now demanding parents to provide photo ID to attend public meetings. It’s unclear if the collection of personal data will lead to proactive banning of some parents that don’t share the same views as the chair Willow Reichelt.
The petition cites several comments from the public which include a former student who alleges that as a teacher, Reichelt “never allowed room for anyone’s thoughts or beliefs except her own.”
“I highly believe it’s crucial to leave space for kids to discover their own opinions rather than being told what’s right and wrong – she would openly tell certain students she wished they were the only ones in the class etc. worst teacher I’ve ever had. honestly thought she got fired,” wrote the anonymous former student.
Shared from https://www.bcrise.com/local-news/petition-circulating-to-dethrone-woke-chilliwack-school-board-chair/
Read What The Signatories Are Saying
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