Chatham Grad Says Teacher's 'Political Views' Driving Classes

CHATHAM, NJ — Though the School District of the Chathams recently answered questions during a public School Board meeting that it doesn’t advocate a curriculum with Critical Race Theory, a 2021 Chatham High School graduate approached the board at its last meeting with concerns that her AP English Language and Composition class was infused with the teacher’s political views.

Brenda Jaroker addressed past remarks made by Superintendent Dr. Michael LaSusa and Board President Jill Critchley Weber that Critical Race Theory wasn’t in the curriculum, but the district instead offered a balanced experience for students.

Sharing her perspectives, Jaroker described teachers she encountered within the district as “caring and talented, creating an overall positive experience.”

“I greatly respect them all and the subjects they teach,” she added.

On the other hand, she stated that it is clear what political parties and ideologies some teachers favor, pointing out that her AP teacher had “clear political views” shining through, based on the choice of books students were assigned to read during their senior year, plus the discussions that followed with her classmates.

“Students should not know the political views of any teachers,” she said.

Jaroker said she acknowledged LaSusa’s comments that the district doesn’t indoctrinate students, but she was uncertain “of the intent of certain, individual teachers.”

What was initially presented for the class as “analyses of rhetorical techniques,” Jaroker said morphed instead into “political discussions about capitalism, America or the role of our government,” without any opportunity to learn opposing views and to analyze or critique what had been presented to them.

Jaroker said though that some teachers, like her AP teacher, had encouraged or discouraged particular viewpoints during class discussions or through course materials either “selected or omitted for study.”

She classified the materials students used in this particular class as “anti-American, anti-capitalist or pro big government.”

“We had to accept the socialist assumptions made in these books,” Jaroker added.

Among the books students read, Jaroker said, were: “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich, Jaroker stating Ehrenreich is an “honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.”

“Savage Inequalities,” was another book she named, by Jonathan Kozol, with the author’s work “prominent on the reading blog” of a socialist worker website.

She also said “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal” by Eric Schlosser, was another students were assigned to read, which Jaroker said earned a “glowing review from the Socialist Workers Party in Britain.”

Jaroker said there was a pattern with the books and other works presented that students in the class were given, such as a work by John Kenneth Galbraith or David Foster Wallace “condemnation of business” in “Consider the Lobster.”

No alternate views were assigned in class that would have given students the opportunity to “analyze or critique the arguments; or determine whether the rhetoric was genuine.”

She said when discussing rhetorical techniques, students instead were told to accept “the socialist assumptions made in these books.”

“This is not how the AP website describes this course,” Jaroker commented, which instead she read the course description as one that focused on “reading, analyzing and writing about imaginative literature, fiction, poetry, drama, from various periods.”

“While claiming to only teach analysis and composition, the selected texts advocated only one point of view about our country,” Jaroker said.

As youth between the ages of 17 and 18, Jaroker said she and her classmates were charged with “debating the books I mentioned with no opportunity to learn about any opposing viewpoints.”

Though Jaroker said she attempted to express opposition, she found herself debating both the books and her classmates.

After being confused by the messages in Fast Food Nation, Jaroker said she contacted a college professor about counter-arguments who authored the book, “The Problem of Socialism,” who she said debunked the theses in Fast Food Nation and Nickel and Dimed, the professor telling Jaroker the works she was referring to were "uneducated, socialist frauds."

Jaroker suggested in order for the curriculum to be balanced, she said curricula from the English and Social Studies departments should be made public, with more detail including book sources and class materials.

“If I had known that the AP Language and Composition class was going to be text all skewed toward one point of view, I would have instead taken the honors class, where they read ‘Hamlet,’” Jaroker said.

By making the curriculum detail public, Jaroker said it will prove to the community that the district’s curriculum is designed to teach students “how to think and instead of what to think.”

RELATED: Critical Race Theory Discussion Sparked At Chatham School Meeting

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.