The preschool teacher reportedly used unapproved transgender-gay flash cards to teach 3- and 4-year-old children colors. According to the school officials, the flash cards reportedly include images of a pregnant man. The flash cards were reportedly made by ‘ByUs Box’, which also made sets of flash cards showcasing non-binary and transgender animals, gender neutral nursery rhymes and a ‘Blackness Collection.’ School officials said they were concerned to learn of the inappropriate instructional resource found in a preschool classroom. The school principal claims that she was unaware that the flash cards were being used and also said that the teacher, who was not identified, had been using the cards outside the approved curriculum.
According to the New York Post, the lesson involved controversial “Rainbow Families” flashcards at Ballentine Elementary School in North Carolina. State Representative Erin Paré said someone emailed her saying a flash card depicting a pregnant man that was being used in a preschool classroom. Paré then contacted the school’s principal about this and said the principal took action to investigate the issue.
State Representative Erin Pare then contacted the principal of the school to see if the school officials were aware of the use of the cards, which showcase transgender-gay relationships and also go through what each of the colors in the Pride Flag mean, WRAL reports. The flash cards were reportedly made by ‘ByUs Box’, which also made sets of flash cards showcasing non-binary and transgender animals, gender neutral nursery rhymes and a ‘Blackness Collection.’
The flashcards used in the preschool classroom were intended to be a way to teach diverse races, ages, s–ualities, genders and abilities to young minds, according to the manufacturer.
According to Daily Mail, the school principal Lutashia Dove claims that she was unaware that the flash cards were being used and also said that the teacher had been using the cards outside the approved curriculum. The school principal reportedly took possession of the cards and contacted the local superintendent and human resources.
State Representative Erin Pare released the following statement:
“I am grateful that a concerned constituent reached out and that this issue is being addressed in a swift and professional manner by Ballentine Elementary School. Schools should only be using age-appropriate materials, and these flashcards clearly do not meet that standard for a pre-school classroom”
According to the News & Observer, the school district released the following statement:
‘The district is concerned to learn of the inappropriate instructional resource found in a preschool classroom,. An initial review determined that flash cards were not tied to the district’s Pre-K curriculum, did not complement, enrich, or extend the curriculum and were used without the principal’s review, knowledge, and/or approval.”
North Carolina’s superintendent of Public Instruction, Catherine Truitt shared on her social media account:
“I can think of a hundred other ways to teach colors to pre-school children. Classroom materials need be age appropriate, and this certainly doesn’t meet the mark.”