West
California teacher who criticized 'Woke Kindergarten' program put on leave
A California teacher who publicly criticized his school district’s investment in a “Woke Kindergarten” program was placed on administrative leave Thursday, the teacher said.
Hayward Unified School District teacher Tiger Craven-Neeley told the San Francisco Chronicle he was asked to hand over his keys and laptop and not return to his classroom at Glassbrook Elementary until further notice.
School officials told the teacher he was being placed on paid leave over “allegations of unprofessional conduct,” but gave no other reason, Craven-Neeley told the paper.
“We don’t comment on private personnel matters,” district spokesman Michael Bazeley wrote in an email response to Fox News Digital’s questions. He denied that Craven-Neeley was put on leave for “retaliatory purposes” or that he was being punished for speaking to the press.
STUDENTS AT CALIFORNIA SCHOOL STRUGGLING AFTER $250K IN FEDERAL FUNDS SPENT ON ‘WOKE KINDERGARTEN’ PROGRAM
Glassbrook Elementary teacher Tiger Craven-Neeley says he was placed on administrative leave after publicly criticizing a “Woke Kindergarten” training program at his school. (Tiger Craven-Neeley/ Facebook)
Craven-Neeley was placed on leave days after he raised concerns about Woke Kindergarten, a for-profit company Glassbrook Elementary hired to train teachers.
The school spent $250,000 in federal funds provided by a program meant to help boost test scores for some of the country’s lowest-performing schools, according to the Chronicle, but after two years with Woke Kindergarten, students’ scores are reportedly worse.
In a 4% drop in both areas in the last two years, less than 12% of the students at Glassbrook Elementary in Hayward, Calif., can read at their grade level, and under 4% are proficient in math, according to the Chronicle.
Woke Kindergarten describes itself on its website as “supporting children, families, educators and organizations in their commitment to abolitionist early education and pro-black and queer and trans liberation.”
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A general view of Glassbrook Elementary School in Hayward, California. (Google Street View)
The organization also has “Woke” words of the day like “ceasefire“ “abolish” and “Woke Wonderings” about challenging the “legitimacy of the Supreme Court” and abolishing the police, money and the military.
Glassbrook is predominantly Latino/ Hispanic and more than 80% of students are English learners, the Chronicle reported. Some teachers complained anonymously about the funds spent on teaching children to be “abolitionists” while reading scores are low, but Craven-Neeley spoke out on the record.
He was quoted saying that Woke Kindergarten trainers told him he should try to “disrupt Whiteness” in the classroom.
“What does that mean?” Craven-Neeley said to the Chronicle. “I just want to know, what does that mean for a third-grade classroom?”
US DATA SHOWS 50,000 STUDENTS MISSING FROM EDUCATION SYSTEM SINCE PANDEMIC
Other teachers have defended the program, arguing that a new approach is needed since a strict focus on academics has not improved learning.
“We need to try something else,” kindergarten teacher Christina Aguilera told the Chronicle. “If we just focus on academics, it’s not working. There is no one magic pill that will raise test scores.”
Since the Chronicle report and subsequent national media coverage, Glassbrook has received dozens of “threatening and racist” messages, district spokesman Michael Bazely confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Craven-Neeley, who said he supports discussing racism in the classroom, told the Chronicle he attempted to voice his concerns at a staff meeting on Wednesday before going to the press.
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He described the meeting as tense and recounted one moment when another teacher allegedly stood up, pointed a finger in his face and said, “You are a danger to the school or the community,” and then left the room.
Another Glassbook teacher, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions from the school, confirmed that a teacher put a hand in Craven-Neeley’s face and called him a disgrace and threat to the school, the Chronicle reported. The teacher also said Craven-Neeley did not raise his voice even as others were arguing and talking loudly.
“There was so much anger toward me,” Craven-Neeley said. “I was explaining my point of view. They were talking over me.”
He said a district administrator eventually asked him to leave the meeting.
“I was shocked. This is my school. I didn’t do anything inappropriate,” he told the Chronicle. “I left. I was very shaky.”
“We are not commenting on what happened during the faculty meeting,” Bazeley told Fox News Digital when asked if the district disputed Craven-Neeley’s account of what happened.
After the meeting, Craven-Neeley said he received an email telling him not to report to school the next day and to attend a video conference with district officials. At the video meeting, he was informed he had been put on leave pending an investigation into the allegations of unprofessional conduct levied against him.
He expressed concerns to the Chronicle that officials were “going to twist things to try to justify retaliation or trying to appease the staff or they’re tired of me being a whistleblower or all the above.”
“I can say unequivocally that we do not place employees on leave for retaliatory purposes, nor have we ever attempted to limit any employee’s free speech rights,” Bazeley told Fox News Digital. “The leave was not in response to any of his contacts with news media.”
Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
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First team
Ty Ahlstrom, Centennial – The junior had 373 digs and was a first-team 5A all-state libero for the 5A state runner-up.
Evan Ditmar, Palo Verde – The senior first-team 5A all-state outside hitter had 187 kills with a .328 hitting percentage.
Luke Hashimoto, Arbor View – The senior had 302 digs and 37 aces for the 5A state champion.
Porter Hughes, Basic – The senior had 373 kills with 218 digs and 38 aces for the 5A state semifinalist.
Lincoln Larson, Centennial – The senior was the 5A state player of the year and was second in the state with 460 kills, on a .371 hitting percentage, and added 283 digs and 72 aces for the 5A state runner-up.
Jagger Mendenhall, Palo Verde – The senior first-team 5A all-state setter had 414 assists.
Risden Miller, Arbor View – The junior led the 5A state champion with 279 kills and added 173 digs.
RJ Regalado, Centennial – The senior had 723 assists and was a first-team 5A all-state.
Max Romzek, Shadow Ridge – The junior had 152 kills on a .437 hitting percentage with 66 blocks for the 5A state semifinalist.
Mateo Salomon, Shadow Ridge – The sophomore had 169 kills with a .374 hitting percentage for the 5A state semifinalist.
Keagan Sugden, Arbor View – The junior setter led the state with 1,129 assists for the 5A state champion.
Mau Tuiaana, Centennial – The senior had 162 kills on a .397 hitting percentage, 92 blocks and 147 digs for the 5A state runner-up.
Kenyon Wickliffe, Arbor View – The senior had a .477 hitting percentage with 176 kills and 46 blocks for the 5A state champion. He is committed to Cal State Northridge.
Jacob Wienke, Desert Oasis – The senior was the 4A Mountain League player of the year led the Diamondbacks with 290 kills and 154 digs on their way to the 4A state title.
Coach of the year
Nicole Adarme, Arbor View – Guided the Aggies to the Class 5A state title, the program’s first boys volleyball title.
Second team
Graham Blanchard, Arbor View – The senior had 179 kills, 32 aces and 136 digs for the 5A state champion.
Zelworth Chavis, Liberty – The 4A Lake League player of the year had 731 assists and 64 aces for the 4A state semifinalist.
Zavier Coleman, Shadow Ridge – The senior had 139 kills and 136 digs and was a first-team 5A all-state selection.
Andrew Gutierrez, Palo Verde – The junior had 153 kills 35 aces and was a first-team 5A all-state outside hitter.
Ty Hardy, Basic – The senior had 274 kills and 257 digs for the 5A state semifinalist.
Ty Harper, Shadow Ridge – The senior had 211 digs and was a first-team 5A all-state selection for the 5A state semifinalist.
Kaleb Law, Mojave – The senior was the 4A Sky League player of the year and was second in the state with 436 kills on a .457 hitting percentage with 69 blocks, 55 aces and 249 digs to help the Rattlers reach the 4A state semifinals.
Oakland Liugalua, Cadence — The freshman had 406 kills on a .396 hitting percentage with 154 digs and 57 aces.
Gavin McColl, Centennial – The senior had 154 kills on a .333 hitting percentage with 94 blocks for the 5A state runner-up.
Brad Rappleye, Sky Pointe – The junior was the 4A Desert League player of the year and had 187 kills and 78 blocks to help the Eagles reach the 4A state title game.
Levi Randall, Boulder City – The junior had 149 kills with a .477 hitting percentage and 92 blocks for the 3A state champion.
Yeheshua Ruiz, Foothill – The senior had 157 kills with a .426 hitting percentage with 70 blocks and was a first-team 5A all-state selection.
Preston Van Beveren, Boulder City – The senior had 137 kills on a .457 hitting percentage with 99 blocks, 27 aces and 141 digs for the 3A state champion.
David Zwahlen, Boulder City – The 3A state player of the year had 232 kills with a .364 hitting percentage, with 337 digs and 70 aces.
Honorable mention
Aaron Bagalawis, Mojave
Treyden Baltazar, Coronado
Kaden Co, Liberty
Jayden Elliazar-Keiki, Shadow Ridge
Ben Fife, Palo Verde
Dallas Hashimoto, Sky Pointe
Jacob Hutchings, SLAM! Nevada
Tucker Jenkins, Sky Pointe
Makai Kelley, Sky Pointe
Gibson Lamoreaux, Boulder City
Quintrell McGee, Mojave
Zion Moore, Shadow Ridge
Hunter Perkins, Cheyenne
Gunnar Robinson, Arbor View
Thomas Rowley, Coronado
Easton Smith, Desert Oasis
Spencer Stolworthy, Moapa Valley
Cooper Swenson, Centennial
Parker Teal, Centennial
Toller Trummell, Foothill
Jordan Valdez, Liberty
Owen Wenger, Arbor View
Luke Wilkinson, Coronado
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
The Seedlings for Reforestation program will prioritize ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and other high-demand seedlings for burned areas beginning this fall.
Organ Mountain News report
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Forestry Division plans to redirect high-demand tree seedlings to fire-damaged forests beginning this fall as the state works to restore areas that may not regenerate naturally after severe wildfires.
The division’s new Seedlings for Reforestation program will prioritize species such as ponderosa pine and Douglas fir for areas damaged by fire. The division said the program aims to reduce long-term erosion, flooding and watershed damage in high-severity burn areas.
The program will match seed sources to planting sites and offer technical support for planting and long-term monitoring. The division also will hold one annual seedling distribution event each fall, which it described as the optimal planting season.
“With limited seedlings and a changing climate, we need to prioritize getting the right tree to the right place at the right time,” State Forester Laura McCarthy said in a news release. “We need to think about how the landscape functions and act with urgency. Our new Seedlings for Reforestation program aims to do exactly that.”
The Conservation Seedling Program has distributed millions of trees since the 1960s for conservation projects including streambank restoration, erosion control and wildlife habitat improvement, according to the division. The agency said seedlings sell out quickly each year.
The Forestry Division said more than 7 million acres have burned across New Mexico this decade, leaving large high-severity burn scars where forests cannot naturally regenerate and flooding continues to threaten communities.
“In 2020, we set the goal of reforesting burned areas with trees that will thrive in the climate conditions a century from now,” Reforestation Program Manager Gwen Wion said in the release. “With this reconfigured program, we are directing seedlings to where they will have the greatest impact.”
More information about program updates and ordering is available through the Forestry Division’s Conservation Seedlings page.
Sometimes the next visit is just the best visit.
That was the case for four-star edge rusher K.J. Green, who visited the Oregon Ducks last weekend before making a trip to Baton Rouge to visit LSU this weekend. Green left Eugene with a positive visit, and the Ducks had every reason to feel like a contender and potentially a frontrunner in the race.
However, Green’s trip to LSU went so well that the pass rusher from Stone Mountain, Georgia, decided to lock in his commitment with the Tigers. Green wasn’t scheduled to commit until August 8, and it appeared that Green would take all of his visits before making a decision, so the early commitment was a surprise.
Green chose LSU over Oregon, South Carolina and Georgia. He is the No. 48 player and No. 8 edge rusher in the country, per the Rivals Industry Ranking. During his junior season in high school, Green racked up 129 tackles, 40 for a loss, 18 sacks and four forced fumbles. He was named a MaxPreps Junior All-American and was the Region 5-AAA Defensive Player of the Year.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Green profiles very similarly to Nasir Wyatt, who is expected to contribute in a big way for the Ducks this season. Oregon has the No. 9 class in the nation, per Rivals, which includes top-100 player and edge rusher Rashad Streets.
Missing out on Green is a tough loss for the Ducks, but the program could walk away from this weekend’s round of official visits with another edge rusher in tow. Keep an eye on three-star Achilles Reyna to potentially commit to the Ducks soon.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
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