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Equity Taskforce requests diversity reform from Mason school district

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Image courtesy of Rhiannon Klein. The Equity Taskforce of Mason sent a letter to the Board of Education requesting diversity and inclusion improvements in the school curriculum. 

Rhiannon Klein and Katelyne Thomas, founders of the Equity Taskforce, appeared before the district’s Diversity Committee March 10. The taskforce was founded in February after Thomas, a fifth grade teacher, attempted to bring Black Lives Matter into her classroom curriculum for Black History Month. 

According to Klein, a superior told Thomas that Black Lives Matter falls under the “controversial issue” category of Board Policy 2240, which states controversial issues may not be taught in classrooms. 

After being taken to a reprimand meeting, Thomas resigned. She and Klein wrote the letter, which now has more than 70 signers, to the board. 

Klein said the letter has six main requests 

First, the letter asks to eliminate Board Policy 2240. 

Klein said the policy is applied “subjectively and loosely,” and the group is concerned that teachers have been unfairly reprimanded for violating the policy. During public comment, community member Anne Rauscher said she is “troubled” by the policy. 

“I would like to see a district where students have the opportunity to respectfully discuss current events,” Rauscher said.

Greater Lansing Community News
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Mason DDA gift cards makes a return

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They’re back. The Mason Downtown District Authority is bringing back DDA gift cards to spend at downtown businesses. Monday, the DDA announced the gift cards are coming back for purchase. The DDA office is issuing only 1,000 gift cards to the public to help small businesses within the area. Sales started March 19  and will go until they are sold out.

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High school class of 2020 misses an entire year of activities

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The high school class of 2020 missed out on many of spring activities including prom, graduation, honors assemblies, senior skip day, after schools transitioned to virtual learning.

The class of 2021 did not lose just half a semester but a year’s worth of activities.

In addition to missing staple senior year activities, virtual learning caused some students to struggle academically.

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Mason High School football field with snow on the ground

Mason parents share gratitude, grievances with school district’s handling of COVID-19

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Mason parents have a range of reactions to the district’s handling of learning through the coronavirus pandemic.

One mom said, “As long as the school district is continuing to explore options to meet the needs of all the learners, whether that’s different timing or different days of the week, I think we’re not stagnant,” Schafer said. “They’re continually trying to reach solutions.”

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Memory garden in the works to build fairgrounds grandstand

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People are trying to raise enough money to replace the former grandstand at the Ingham County Fairground in Mason.

The initiative and a memory brick garden fundraiser started in 2018. Carol Carlson, executive director of the foundation, explained that the initial goal was to raise $50,000, because the county said that if the foundation could raise that much, it would see what it could do.

However, when the foundation reached its goal, the county did not do much for it. So the next step was to get to $100,000, and the foundation is hoping the county will match that.