An Open Letter to the RIH School District

On August 28, 2023, the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education (RIH BOE) will vote on the 2023-24 Curriculum. A concerned parent sent the email below to the Board of Education and gave us permission to share it with you. They highlight the lack of transparency with the curriculum the District shared with the public which neglects to provide “resource links,” critical to understanding how subjects are being presented to students. What the District provided mirrors the general standards posted on the NJDOE website. This begs the question, why? Why did the District supply the resource link for the 2021-22 curriculum but not 2022-23 or the 2023-24?

We encourage you to email the RIH BOE: rihboemembers@rih.org
Review the current Curriculum
Use the Curriculum Feedback Form
AND check out the 2021-22 curriculum

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Dear Dr. Dionisio, 

I hope this email finds you well. I’m requesting access to the 2023-24 curriculum, including; curriculum guide, any/all drafts, updates, changes, and additions with complete and functional unit resource links according to district policies 2230 and 2210. 

I have concerns based on the access provided to the 2021-22 curriculum, which you may need help understanding, given that we have such different beliefs and values. The preponderance of ideological views in every aspect and experience at RIH affects a child in many ways, especially when they conflict with their family’s personal beliefs, values, and or religion. The Bergen County Superintendent’s Office verified that the application of “required” mandates specifically stipulates that they appear “at an appropriate place” – which they defined as “can be in as little as one class or even one lesson.” The sheer abundance and sometimes unusual placement of left-leaning political ideology and beliefs throughout the RIH curriculum is what concerned parents wish to identify to you and the Board. 

There are some on the RIH board and, more recently, local activists making incendiary and untrue claims that not mindlessly supporting the curriculum makes one anti-LGBTQ, a racist and other defamatory attributions. 

Interestingly, based on Policy 3310 – Academic Freedom, adopted in 2013, our curriculum must present ALL points of view and “take into account the sensibilities of the community.” *See policy excerpt below. 

This is exactly what many in our community have been asking for. Suppose when the District teaches students concepts like “systemic racism” and new history theories like the “1619 project” or “gender ideology,” it should then also instruct students with the same depth, degree, and passion for the other point of view. 

Reviewing the curriculum is time-consuming, and access should have already been provided based on district policies, precedence set in past years, and out of respect for parents and the community. It must be released as soon as possible, given we need to catch up compared to previous years. *See additional information below.

Lastly, can you also provide the District’s process and procedure for public review and how we can submit areas of concern for reconsideration before the Board approves the upcoming curriculum?

The RIH community is blessed with diverse thoughts, beliefs, and family values. It’s these exact differences that make our community and our country strong. Thank you in advance for your time, support and for helping to provide our students with a balanced and thoughtful curriculum and educational experience. 

Respectfully, 

Parent and Community Member from Wyckoff

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Additional Notes and Information: 

2022-23 School Year: 

By this time last year, parents and the community were provided with a fair amount of access. Below is the schedule of events and I have been able to verify:

• On May 10, 2022, Dr. Dionisio sent an email advising parents, “Social Studies department is collecting feedback about the current Social Studies curriculum before revisions take place.” 
• On July 22, 2022, Dr. Dionisio announced that the RIH draft curriculum was available for review. 
• On August 8, 2022, Dr. Dionisio sent another email advising Parents that the curriculum was available for review. 

2021-22 School Year: 

On August 16, 2021, the 2021-22 RIH curriculum was posted for the public to view with less than six days prior to the BOE vote with 1000+ new pages of curriculum/material. This resulted in a local petition that gathered 645 signatures in just a few days.

RIH District Policy: 3310 – ACADEMIC FREEDOM
Exposure to a wide range of ideas encourages the spirit of inquiry that is essential to the learning process; the thorough examination of those ideas aids students in developing powers of reasoning and in acquiring habits of academic discipline.

The Board directs that the discussion of any issue not specifically covered by the course guide be conducted in an unprejudiced and dispassionate manner. The Board will not condone classroom discussion that is unrelated to the educational goals of this District or to the subject of the course of study, disrupts the educational process, does not match the maturity level of the students, neglects to inform students of various responsible points of view on the subject under discussion, or fails to take into account the sensibilities of the community.

Examples: