Public commenters question DEI materials; teachers urge 20-student cap for kindergarten

Public comment at the March 11 Haslett Board meeting featured two distinct themes: objections to staff diversity, equity and inclusion materials and a collective plea from kindergarten teachers to cap class sizes at 20.

Jeff Kessner, a Haslett resident, read handouts he said were distributed during a school "Viking Time" session and contrasted those with language he said was present in staff DEI professional-development materials. Kessner told the board he believed the district was applying a double standard if students face consequences for certain words while staff trainings include what he described as racially charged language; he asked the board for a written response by email and said he planned to read that response at the next meeting.

Former teacher and resident Terry Geyersbach argued the list of student words and resulting consequences infringed on constitutional free-speech rights and asked whether teachers had been consulted before the student materials were printed.

Separately, a team of Wilkshire kindergarten teachers led by Kieran Amokri delivered a letter signed by the kindergarten team (which the teachers said represents more than 100 combined years of experience) requesting that the district limit kindergarten class sizes to a maximum of 20 students. The teachers detailed classroom and behavioral challenges they said have increased in recent years — examples they listed included running off playgrounds, hitting, biting, spitting, indecent exposure, destruction of property, and frequent emotional meltdowns — and described how large class sizes make responding to such incidents while maintaining instruction difficult.

The teachers cited recommended adult–child ratios from early-childhood authorities (they referenced the Great Start Readiness Program best practices and the National Association for the Education of Young Children) and noted that some neighboring districts use contractual caps. They urged the board to consider class-size limits as a measure to support instruction and teacher retention.

Board members acknowledged the comments and thanked speakers; no formal board decision or vote on DEI practices or a kindergarten class-size cap occurred at the March 11 meeting. District staff said that parents have the right to preview lessons and that advisory committees will continue to review curriculum and recommendations for board action at a future meeting.