What is the student walkout for on 11/29 at Sherwood?

[Anonymous]

It is clear from all the discussion here that schools need to get back to teaching the basics. MCPS is great at promoting "justice" but it's not great at teaching kids how to read or do math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is clear from all the discussion here that schools need to get back to teaching the basics. MCPS is great at promoting "justice" but it's not great at teaching kids how to read or do math.

I think the First Amendment is pretty basic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Like this pp said, I’m concerned this will quickly go off the rails and needlessly become an antisemitic rally. Why? Because there are far too many recent videos of such situations online…particularly at schools.

Nobody is interested in videos of rallies where everything went well and nothing bad happened.

I think you are missing the point: it’s reasonable to worry about things going wrong..particularly given the issue, kids involved, AND recent events going off the rails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the school sanctioning this?

Sherwood Community, Prior to our Thankssiving Break, students approached administration to propose a student walkout during Advisory on November 29, 2023. The students were informed of MCPS BOE regulation which permits
students to demonstrate peacetully regarding social and political issues Please note this action is not approved or supported by Sherwood High School or MCPS and students walking out of class will receive an unexcused absence and the MCPS Code of Conduct and Student
Culture of Respect apply to student protests. I have also spoken with walkout organizers and they are well aware of the intensity of opinions on both sides of the current conflict in Gaza and Israel and are avoiding specific phrases and slogans which could be hurtful or derogatory against other members of our
community. It a walkout takes place, proper satety and security measures will be in place. There will not be an Advisory period on Wednesday, November 29th. Staff, students, and families are highly encouraged to have discussions based on our No Place for Hate messaging. This messaging
coincides with our "One Sherwood" Pillars of Civility. Accountability, Rigor, and Engagement.

I would just like to point out the following:
There has been enormous debate and activism regarding books within the curriculum that contain LGBTQ characters. Many community members, notably from various backgrounds but primarily Muslim, have requested the ability to opt their children out of reading these books because it is in conflict with their religious or personal values. It has been the position of MCPS Central office and the BOE that families may not opt their children out of reading these books, because the act of opting out is not neutral: it causes actual harm to the LGBTQ students who are made to feel “othered” or vulnerable if their fellow students opt out of reading books with characters that reflect who they are. Why, then, is it not the position of MCPS that a walk out on this topic might not leave certain students feeling very “othered” when their classmates walk out and take a particular position with regard to this conflict? Do we only protect certain students or groups based on a liberal hierarchy of perceived suffering? I hope that the school has support in place for the students who this walk out may harm or leave feeling unsafe.

Yes. It's called the pyramid of oppression, a concept born of intersectional critical theory. But relax everyone. I have it on good authority that cRt iS oNlY tAuGhT iN LaW sChOoL.

[Anonymous]

these are pro-terrorist demonstrations not a good idea

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the school sanctioning this?

Sherwood Community, Prior to our Thankssiving Break, students approached administration to propose a student walkout during Advisory on November 29, 2023. The students were informed of MCPS BOE regulation which permits
students to demonstrate peacetully regarding social and political issues Please note this action is not approved or supported by Sherwood High School or MCPS and students walking out of class will receive an unexcused absence and the MCPS Code of Conduct and Student
Culture of Respect apply to student protests. I have also spoken with walkout organizers and they are well aware of the intensity of opinions on both sides of the current conflict in Gaza and Israel and are avoiding specific phrases and slogans which could be hurtful or derogatory against other members of our
community. It a walkout takes place, proper satety and security measures will be in place. There will not be an Advisory period on Wednesday, November 29th. Staff, students, and families are highly encouraged to have discussions based on our No Place for Hate messaging. This messaging
coincides with our "One Sherwood" Pillars of Civility. Accountability, Rigor, and Engagement.

I would just like to point out the following:
There has been enormous debate and activism regarding books within the curriculum that contain LGBTQ characters. Many community members, notably from various backgrounds but primarily Muslim, have requested the ability to opt their children out of reading these books because it is in conflict with their religious or personal values. It has been the position of MCPS Central office and the BOE that families may not opt their children out of reading these books, because the act of opting out is not neutral: it causes actual harm to the LGBTQ students who are made to feel “othered” or vulnerable if their fellow students opt out of reading books with characters that reflect who they are. Why, then, is it not the position of MCPS that a walk out on this topic might not leave certain students feeling very “othered” when their classmates walk out and take a particular position with regard to this conflict? Do we only protect certain students or groups based on a liberal hierarchy of perceived suffering? I hope that the school has support in place for the students who this walk out may harm or leave feeling unsafe.

Yes. It's called the pyramid of oppression, a concept born of intersectional critical theory. But relax everyone. I have it on good authority that cRt iS oNlY tAuGhT iN LaW sChOoL.

I'd never heard of that at least not from MCPS. Did you learn this in law school? I also hear Fox news talks a lot about it so is a great place to learn CRT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Like this pp said, I’m concerned this will quickly go off the rails and needlessly become an antisemitic rally. Why? Because there are far too many recent videos of such situations online…particularly at schools.

Nobody is interested in videos of rallies where everything went well and nothing bad happened.

I think you are missing the point: it’s reasonable to worry about things going wrong..particularly given the issue, kids involved, AND recent events going off the rails.

If you're worried, then you're worried. There isn't anything you can do about it, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a call for a continued bilateral ceasefire. If you interpret that as "pro Palestine," that's not on the students.

For what it is worth, within Israel, calls for a ceasefire are seen as pro-hostage. It's only in the USA that asking for a ceasefire is seen as somehow uniquely pro Palestinian.

If you think the rally will be limited to a single message that reflects a thoughtful foreign policy take, good luck to you.

+1

I’m the pp who provided a summary of how our interfaith home feels about the ongoing/never ending conflict—not because I think my perspective should dictate a student walkout, but rather to preemptively state I’m not blindly pro-Israel and most certainly not anti-Palestine/islamaphobic.

Like this pp said, I’m concerned this will quickly go off the rails and needlessly become an antisemitic rally. Why? Because there are far too many recent videos of such situations online…particularly at schools.

If they just protest the war and promote peace, that would be fine. If they showcase Palestinian and Jewish students hand in hand calling for a ceasefire, awesome! But if they start chanting anything antisemitic, then that’s not okay.

Mcps wouldn’t tolerate anything remotely anti-fill in the blank with any other group.

You realize that students have first amendment rights to freedom of speech, assembly and expression and that MCPS has no right to suppress or prevent students from exercising those first amendment rights, right?

MCPS has no way of knowing or screening what may or may not be said at the protest or rally. All it can do is ensure the assembly is organized and done according to school protocols, and hold anyone accountable if the demonstration violates school protocols. It is inherently something where MCPS can only be reactive, not proactive.

Agreed but why are they canceling the advisory?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the school sanctioning this?

Sherwood Community, Prior to our Thankssiving Break, students approached administration to propose a student walkout during Advisory on November 29, 2023. The students were informed of MCPS BOE regulation which permits
students to demonstrate peacetully regarding social and political issues Please note this action is not approved or supported by Sherwood High School or MCPS and students walking out of class will receive an unexcused absence and the MCPS Code of Conduct and Student
Culture of Respect apply to student protests. I have also spoken with walkout organizers and they are well aware of the intensity of opinions on both sides of the current conflict in Gaza and Israel and are avoiding specific phrases and slogans which could be hurtful or derogatory against other members of our
community. It a walkout takes place, proper satety and security measures will be in place. There will not be an Advisory period on Wednesday, November 29th. Staff, students, and families are highly encouraged to have discussions based on our No Place for Hate messaging. This messaging
coincides with our "One Sherwood" Pillars of Civility. Accountability, Rigor, and Engagement.

I would just like to point out the following:
There has been enormous debate and activism regarding books within the curriculum that contain LGBTQ characters. Many community members, notably from various backgrounds but primarily Muslim, have requested the ability to opt their children out of reading these books because it is in conflict with their religious or personal values. It has been the position of MCPS Central office and the BOE that families may not opt their children out of reading these books, because the act of opting out is not neutral: it causes actual harm to the LGBTQ students who are made to feel “othered” or vulnerable if their fellow students opt out of reading books with characters that reflect who they are. Why, then, is it not the position of MCPS that a walk out on this topic might not leave certain students feeling very “othered” when their classmates walk out and take a particular position with regard to this conflict? Do we only protect certain students or groups based on a liberal hierarchy of perceived suffering? I hope that the school has support in place for the students who this walk out may harm or leave feeling unsafe.

To answer your question as though it was offered in good faith: The first example is about an actual curricular decision, which is under the purview of MCPS. The second example is about procedures for schools to deal with kids expressing their First Amendment rights.

These are not the same thing. For example, if Muslim students wanted to organize a walk-out in opposition to queer-inclusive literature, they would be fine to do so per MCPS guidelines. They might suffer socially, but such is the burden of exercising your rights sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the school sanctioning this?

Sherwood Community, Prior to our Thankssiving Break, students approached administration to propose a student walkout during Advisory on November 29, 2023. The students were informed of MCPS BOE regulation which permits
students to demonstrate peacetully regarding social and political issues Please note this action is not approved or supported by Sherwood High School or MCPS and students walking out of class will receive an unexcused absence and the MCPS Code of Conduct and Student
Culture of Respect apply to student protests. I have also spoken with walkout organizers and they are well aware of the intensity of opinions on both sides of the current conflict in Gaza and Israel and are avoiding specific phrases and slogans which could be hurtful or derogatory against other members of our
community. It a walkout takes place, proper satety and security measures will be in place. There will not be an Advisory period on Wednesday, November 29th. Staff, students, and families are highly encouraged to have discussions based on our No Place for Hate messaging. This messaging
coincides with our "One Sherwood" Pillars of Civility. Accountability, Rigor, and Engagement.

I would just like to point out the following:
There has been enormous debate and activism regarding books within the curriculum that contain LGBTQ characters. Many community members, notably from various backgrounds but primarily Muslim, have requested the ability to opt their children out of reading these books because it is in conflict with their religious or personal values. It has been the position of MCPS Central office and the BOE that families may not opt their children out of reading these books, because the act of opting out is not neutral: it causes actual harm to the LGBTQ students who are made to feel “othered” or vulnerable if their fellow students opt out of reading books with characters that reflect who they are. Why, then, is it not the position of MCPS that a walk out on this topic might not leave certain students feeling very “othered” when their classmates walk out and take a particular position with regard to this conflict? Do we only protect certain students or groups based on a liberal hierarchy of perceived suffering? I hope that the school has support in place for the students who this walk out may harm or leave feeling unsafe.

To answer your question as though it was offered in good faith: The first example is about an actual curricular decision, which is under the purview of MCPS. The second example is about procedures for schools to deal with kids expressing their First Amendment rights.

These are not the same thing. For example, if Muslim students wanted to organize a walk-out in opposition to queer-inclusive literature, they would be fine to do so per MCPS guidelines. They might suffer socially, but such is the burden of exercising your rights sometimes.

… except MCPS is apparently cancelling the advisory class so that students won’t be marked absent. that’s not neutral.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a call for a continued bilateral ceasefire. If you interpret that as "pro Palestine," that's not on the students.

For what it is worth, within Israel, calls for a ceasefire are seen as pro-hostage. It's only in the USA that asking for a ceasefire is seen as somehow uniquely pro Palestinian.

The Sherwood MSA Instagram account specifically says it is a pro Palestine: “ Sherwood MSA will be holding a walkout in support of Palestine. Bring posters, flags, wear Palestine colors, and keffivehs.” Can you point me to were it says this walk out is for continued bilateral cease fire?

Thankfully, the MSA does not have to follow your views. They are allowed to have their own opinions, and express them peacefully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is clear from all the discussion here that schools need to get back to teaching the basics. MCPS is great at promoting "justice" but it's not great at teaching kids how to read or do math.

I think the First Amendment is pretty basic.

The Second Amendment is as well. Using your argument, guns should be allowed in schools. Now do you see the absurdity of your statement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the school sanctioning this?

Sherwood Community, Prior to our Thankssiving Break, students approached administration to propose a student walkout during Advisory on November 29, 2023. The students were informed of MCPS BOE regulation which permits
students to demonstrate peacetully regarding social and political issues Please note this action is not approved or supported by Sherwood High School or MCPS and students walking out of class will receive an unexcused absence and the MCPS Code of Conduct and Student
Culture of Respect apply to student protests. I have also spoken with walkout organizers and they are well aware of the intensity of opinions on both sides of the current conflict in Gaza and Israel and are avoiding specific phrases and slogans which could be hurtful or derogatory against other members of our
community. It a walkout takes place, proper satety and security measures will be in place. There will not be an Advisory period on Wednesday, November 29th. Staff, students, and families are highly encouraged to have discussions based on our No Place for Hate messaging. This messaging
coincides with our "One Sherwood" Pillars of Civility. Accountability, Rigor, and Engagement.

I would just like to point out the following:
There has been enormous debate and activism regarding books within the curriculum that contain LGBTQ characters. Many community members, notably from various backgrounds but primarily Muslim, have requested the ability to opt their children out of reading these books because it is in conflict with their religious or personal values. It has been the position of MCPS Central office and the BOE that families may not opt their children out of reading these books, because the act of opting out is not neutral: it causes actual harm to the LGBTQ students who are made to feel “othered” or vulnerable if their fellow students opt out of reading books with characters that reflect who they are. Why, then, is it not the position of MCPS that a walk out on this topic might not leave certain students feeling very “othered” when their classmates walk out and take a particular position with regard to this conflict? Do we only protect certain students or groups based on a liberal hierarchy of perceived suffering? I hope that the school has support in place for the students who this walk out may harm or leave feeling unsafe.

Yes. It's called the pyramid of oppression, a concept born of intersectional critical theory. But relax everyone. I have it on good authority that cRt iS oNlY tAuGhT iN LaW sChOoL.

I'd never heard of that at least not from MCPS. Did you learn this in law school? I also hear Fox news talks a lot about it so is a great place to learn CRT.

I learned it from the MCPS equity unit. They also defined whiteness as a system of oppression.
MCPS classrooms are also a great place to learn about CRT. That's obvious from all the support for Hamas among students. And as a liberal Democrat I don't watch much Fox News.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is clear from all the discussion here that schools need to get back to teaching the basics. MCPS is great at promoting "justice" but it's not great at teaching kids how to read or do math.

I think the First Amendment is pretty basic.

The Second Amendment is as well. Using your argument, guns should be allowed in schools. Now do you see the absurdity of your statement?

Take it up with the Supreme Court, which disagrees with your interpretation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is clear from all the discussion here that schools need to get back to teaching the basics. MCPS is great at promoting "justice" but it's not great at teaching kids how to read or do math.

I think the First Amendment is pretty basic.

The Second Amendment is as well. Using your argument, guns should be allowed in schools. Now do you see the absurdity of your statement?

Take it up with the Supreme Court, which disagrees with your interpretation.

You believe the Supreme Court said kids can walk out of school whenever they like to protest? Come on man.