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Some Fairfax County residents challenge school speaker’s 20K price tag
The Fairfax County school district is defending its decision to pay 20,000 dollars for an author who spoke to its administration and school leaders about racism for one hour.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - The Fairfax County school district is defending its decision to pay $20,000 for an author who spoke to its administration and school leaders about racism for one hour.
The speaker is Ibram X. Kendi – the author of How to be an Anti-Racist.
The $20,000 price tag means the district paid Kendi more than $300 a minute.
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Kendi discussed how racism impacts students’ learning.
The district says it was a timely topic selected by the staff – but it comes at a time when people are scrambling for funds to address how to navigate distance learning and in-person learning for students.
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They say Kendi is a scholar in the subject matter – and that he spoke virtually to Fairfax County Public Schools officials and the school board at a leadership conference in August.
He spoke about how to cultivate an anti-racist school community.
The criticism surfaced on Twitter, when several users questions Kendi’s bill amid the pandemic.
The virtual event included Kendi’s 45-minute speech, followed by a question and answer session.
The virtual event included a Kendi’s 45-minute speech followed by a Q&A session.
FOX 5 asked the district if the money could have been spent on something more germane to the current education climate – like technology training for teachers or more resources for transitioning back to in-person learning.
They say funds allocated for COVID-19 have specific uses beyond Kendi’s presentation.