Shame game: Albemarle schools subject all employees to secret, $15k one-hour “equity” seminar

At the direction of Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) superintendent, Dr. Matt Haas, all school division employees are instructed to participate in a compulsory one-hour race-intensive Zoom seminar on Friday, March 26.

ACPS has hired controversial author, Glenn Singleton, of the Pacific Educational Group, to appear virtually, at a cost of $15,000 (plus additional technology expenses of approximately $1,000). A schools’ spokesperson was unable to ascertain the division’s productivity cost of employees who will be diverted from standard duties—or the cost to pay employees not otherwise working at the time of the presentation.

In a division-wide email, Haas noted the attendance mandate and ACPS’ equity goals in conducting the seminar:

Save the date and time! Attention all school division employees: Please make plans to join me for a Zoom conversation at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, March 26. All employees are invited and expected to attend this one-hour professional development session with Glenn Singleton, the author of the very important book, Courageous Conversations About Race, a book that many of you have read, studied and discussed with one another. We have made plans to temporarily expand our license with Zoom to allow up to 3,000 participants to attend this brief meeting.  

This will be the first time in the 21^st century that all ACPS employees will be gathered together in one space to hear a common message. I am looking forward to speaking with all of you live on the 26^th, and I am super excited to be working with Bernard Hairston to provide this opportunity for you to share time with Glenn Singleton. I know we will all learn a lot and take away new—even challenging—ideas for actions we can take to advance our equity mission:

The shared mission of ACPS is high-quality teaching and learning for all. We will end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities on student success by working together with families and communities to ensure each individual student’s success.

Attorney Hans Bader warns of Singleton’s previous racial misleading of the Seattle Schools—which had engaged Singleton’s firm—as delineated in a case decided by the United States Supreme Court:

Singleton, a diversity trainer, peddles offensive racial stereotypes, claiming that “white talk” is “verbal, impersonal, intellectual” and “task-oriented,” while minority talk is “emotional.” That stereotypes minorities as being simpleminded and irrational.

Singleton embarrassed the Seattle Schools in a landmark discrimination case, which the district lost in a 5-to-4 decision by the Supreme Court. Under the guidance of Singleton’s diversity-training firm, the Seattle Schools adopted a bizarre definition of racism that depicted planning ahead and individualism as racist or white traits.

ACPS employees privately have expressed concern over this event and other recent division “equity” initiatives such as schools’ “Diversity Resource Teams,” which according to internal sources have become de facto “ideological enforcers” of Haas’ dangerously adrift “Anti-Racist” agenda.  

Singleton’s $15,000 one-hour visit to Albemarle County Public Schools is not accessible to the public or the media—and it will not be recorded by the division.