Private Schools Wokeness Over the Top

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another foreigner here attempting to navigate the D.C. private school landscape.

Two terms that are tortured by U.S. progressives are "liberal" and "BIPOC." Liberal used to mean someone who was open to new ideas; based conclusions on empirical facts; rejected dogma; and was a humanist. Today, "liberal" is used as a pejorative by the right to mean anyone who is on the left politically, and is used a badge of honor for those on the left who accept "the agenda" (which is ever-shifting): today it's race essentialism, anti-male bias, and a post-gender world. True liberals who remain focused on shared humanity and accept biological science have been left out in the cold in the U.S. (and the U.K.--this might be an English speaking world phenomenon), and are now labeled with terms like "TERF" (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) and "Karen," (which is such a misogynistic term, it disgusts me, I guess I am a Karen.) The coalition behind this seems to be made up of mainly nasty super-online men and impressionable teenage girls. It's insane to me as a parent that we've all just accepted it.

"BIPOC" is another one that is mystifying to a non-U.S. liberal. It means "Black, Indigenous, People of Color". So, in the U.K., for example, I guess people with Celtic blood are BIPOC? But they're not, because the POC trumps the I, which any good progressive knows, LOL. What color qualifies as POC, btw? Are we bringing back color lines? To someone approaching this without context, it is simply insane, and wildly totalitarian... but Americans just can't seem to see this. It's this weird collective guilt / Kabuki theatre that America seems to have to perform continuously to make up for the fact that is a powerful, prosperous democracy that most people around the world would do anything to live in.

This is a really good post. I'm with you on use of the term Karen too, and the fact that it's been heavily adopted by men and teenagers in general. Interesting phenomenon.

[Anonymous]

I’m new to this thread, but thank you OP for starting a thoughtful thread.

I think your use of the term “wokeism” is not entirely accurate, because that is a Fox News term, and what you are really worried about is the rise of academic heterodoxy. Maybe I am wrong, but I don’t think you’d mind (for instance) CRT being taught if debate about CRT was simultaneously allowed. If I understood you correctly, you think CRT could be taught as a thought framework—it is an influential and important development in thinking—but not being able to have a discussion about CRT is wrong. In other words, if I’ve understood your posts correctly, you wouldn’t mind kids reading Kendi provided it’s okay for kids to debate what Kendi says without worrying about expulsion or other punishment.

That isn’t what I understand as being against wokeism. I think being against wokeism would mean you don’t want any discussion of CRT at all. But being against academic heterodoxy means you are okay with teaching progressive doctrines provided there is an opportunity to safely debate and challenge those ideas. But maybe I’ve misunderstood.

And yes, academic heterodoxy is a problem in these schools at this point, because they haven’t figured out how to enable debate of ideas that come out of the progressive left. As an example, if a girl track athlete in one of these elite schools stands up in (say) debate class and says that she doesn’t think that pre- medical transition trans girls should be able to compete against her in the 100 meter dash, there is a high likelihood she would face punishment and ostracism in a lot of these schools. Right now, there is rigid orthodoxy of thought on gender issues that many of the schools strictly enforce; a girl athlete expressing concerns about having to compete against pre-medical transition trans girls violates those rules, and she has a good chance of facing a quick administrative response. It is an issue, and you are correct about observing the issue.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone who has been pushing back in this discussion and elsewhere. I am not sure how to pierce through the insanity that has captures so much of the education establishment, but it needs to happen. A significant course correction is necessary for the sanity and education of today’s students and society generally.

The left seems to be suffering from some sort of mass psychosis. They need to wakeup or be removed from positions of influence.

Oh, think of the children!

Yes, actually. This is a school forum. Children are actually what the focus is here. The fact that you mock that idea says everything—you are more concerned with pushing some objectionable gender or racial ideology than you are with what is actually good for kids. You shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near kids, including own, if you even have any.

You want to take away people’s kids bc their political views are different from yours? But the progressives are the ones we need to fear.

Calling them “schools” is a joke. They have become slovenly, odiferous vomitoriums from the pit of hell.

Keep politics out of schools.

It IS this simple.

Keep politics and indoctrination out of schools, you Evangelists and Wokes and Scientologists and Communists.

Schools are for Education.

No one is forcing you to send your kids to elite private schools. Assuming they could even get in.

Go send your spawn to one of the handmaiden schools.

[Anonymous]

Calling them “schools” is a joke. They are slovenly, odiferous vomitoriums from the pit of hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly OP, I know you have a more thoughtful critique of progressive identity politics than the rest of the anti-woke posters on here. But you are landing in the same place as them: completely eliminate any DEI discussion from schools. Why? Does it not give you any pause that you are aligning yourself with the Ron DeSantises of the world?

Two options here.

A) you just wrote a very good parody of a typical wokester

B) you are truly unaware of the dangerous, anti-democratic nonsense you wrote. DeSantis just won his second election with 60% of the votes, including MANY in the center and even the left. Because he delivered "good fruits" for years and for the vast majority. But you ask OP to reconsider her points, which you admit make much sense, because otherwise she'd align herself with a popular and proven and just re-elected public official?

Either your school or the crazy US media has eaten your brain.

DeSantis is a human-trafficking POS.

I get why you worship him.

#CriticalThinking
#CivilDiscourse
#DebateTeamExampleNOT
#PersonalAttacksNameCallingCursingForTheWin

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone who has been pushing back in this discussion and elsewhere. I am not sure how to pierce through the insanity that has captures so much of the education establishment, but it needs to happen. A significant course correction is necessary for the sanity and education of today’s students and society generally.

The left seems to be suffering from some sort of mass psychosis. They need to wakeup or be removed from positions of influence.

Oh, think of the children!

Yes, actually. This is a school forum. Children are actually what the focus is here. The fact that you mock that idea says everything—you are more concerned with pushing some objectionable gender or racial ideology than you are with what is actually good for kids. You shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near kids, including own, if you even have any.

You want to take away people’s kids bc their political views are different from yours? But the progressives are the ones we need to fear.

Keep politics out of schools.

It IS this simple.

Keep politics and indoctrination out of schools, you Evangelists and Wokes and Scientologists and Communists.

Schools are for Education.

You don’t even know what any of what you said means. Just capitalizing random words like your orange god.

Views of history and society they agree with are “education”; views they disagree with are “politics”

Need more schooling on fact versus opinion. reporting vs OpEd.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:OP here. I believe in diversity and equity. The way it is pushed these days is more like a religion where other opinions are not allowed (look at the Hamline University debacle.. I am muslim and every muslim I know thinks what happens is insane). I am a person who is an admirer of Edward Said's book Orientalism as well as the People's History of the United States. I am Arab so am staunchly anti-imperialist. But I think schools have gone overboard. Also there is very little critique of class. I get it - they are private schools. But it is hypocritical to be pushing all of this and ignore the class aspect.

My kids are young - Kindergarten and first grade so they haven't been exposed to a lot of this yet. But I am worried that there is some indoctrination going on.

Sounds like you would be happy for your kids to be taught about the specific type of oppression that has affected people of your ethnicity/religion. But you chafe at having to think about any injustice that doesn't affect you personally (or a group you identify with).

Maybe think about why that is

Not really. The "People's History of the United States" talks about oppression of the various minority groups in the US. I also mentioned in a separate post that I am a big fan of Cornell West and Reverend Barbar who focus mostly on anti-black racism within the US and income inequality. Also really like James Baldwin. The problem is that you can't understand why a person who is against colonialism, racism etc. is also against this new progressive ideology. There is a huge difference between Cornell West and Kendi. The difference between the two is why I just can't stand this new DEI crap.

More power to you, OP! I’m African American and it drives me crazy that people think I must be alt right or something if I don’t like Kendi, as if he represents some sort of gospel of black intellectual thought. Plenty of black people have better takes on racism than Kendi. But their takes tend to me more complicated (as the truth often is) and less amenable to DEI buzz word reduction.

OP here. Thanks PP! Yes exactly! The problem with Kendi are that his takes are too simplistic and reductive. There are so many people with better takes out there that are just regular people who aren't making money off of their takes.

Not sure how this is possible as I'm not a Christian believer but I'm 100% convinced that Jesus had Kendi and fellow wokes in mind when, during the Sermon on the Mount, he (supposedly) said:

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

Actually he had the Evangelicals in mind, who claim to be Christians, but then support ideology diametrically opposed to Christianity

Actually Evangelicals and Wokes are very similar to each other in beliefs and attitudes, simply changing a few keywords here and there.

As opposed to actual Liberals and post-enlightenment thinkers.

Yep both are quite simplistic in their thinking and love painting the world as black and white.

bOtH sIdEs

Only one side has actually caused significant damage to our country. Exactly who is "woke" and how much miney are they raising? What is the organization or organizations? Who is part of their movement? I am all ears on this, particularly as compared to the Evangelicals, who have hijacked our country and sending it off a cliff.

Oh mean Soros money? Or the public schools buying curricula from LGBTQIA2+ activist groups circa 2020?

In 2023 we’re still going with OMG GEORGE SOROS! as a right-wing talking point?

You’re not oppressed, you’re just lazy.

It’s not like he ran out of money supporting illegal immigration buses, food and donations or local political races in 30 states.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone who has been pushing back in this discussion and elsewhere. I am not sure how to pierce through the insanity that has captures so much of the education establishment, but it needs to happen. A significant course correction is necessary for the sanity and education of today’s students and society generally.

The left seems to be suffering from some sort of mass psychosis. They need to wakeup or be removed from positions of influence.

Oh, think of the children!

Yes, actually. This is a school forum. Children are actually what the focus is here. The fact that you mock that idea says everything—you are more concerned with pushing some objectionable gender or racial ideology than you are with what is actually good for kids. You shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near kids, including own, if you even have any.

You want to take away people’s kids bc their political views are different from yours? But the progressives are the ones we need to fear.

Keep politics out of schools.

It IS this simple.

Keep politics and indoctrination out of schools, you Evangelists and Wokes and Scientologists and Communists.

Schools are for Education.

You don’t even know what any of what you said means. Just capitalizing random words like your orange god.

Views of history and society they agree with are “education”; views they disagree with are “politics”

Need more schooling on fact versus opinion. reporting vs OpEd.

Mmmhmm. For example, “opinions” like African American history, which Ron DeSantis has banned from Florida schools before it can brainwash anyone into thinking about slavery and its legacy. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/01/19/politics/ron-desantis-ap-african-american-studies/index.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Calling them “schools” is a joke. They are slovenly, odiferous vomitoriums from the pit of hell.

Look at you and your fancy thesaurus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone who has been pushing back in this discussion and elsewhere. I am not sure how to pierce through the insanity that has captures so much of the education establishment, but it needs to happen. A significant course correction is necessary for the sanity and education of today’s students and society generally.

The left seems to be suffering from some sort of mass psychosis. They need to wakeup or be removed from positions of influence.

Oh, think of the children!

Yes, actually. This is a school forum. Children are actually what the focus is here. The fact that you mock that idea says everything—you are more concerned with pushing some objectionable gender or racial ideology than you are with what is actually good for kids. You shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near kids, including own, if you even have any.

You want to take away people’s kids bc their political views are different from yours? But the progressives are the ones we need to fear.

Keep politics out of schools.

It IS this simple.

Keep politics and indoctrination out of schools, you Evangelists and Wokes and Scientologists and Communists.

Schools are for Education.

You don’t even know what any of what you said means. Just capitalizing random words like your orange god.

Views of history and society they agree with are “education”; views they disagree with are “politics”

Need more schooling on fact versus opinion. reporting vs OpEd.

Mmmhmm. For example, “opinions” like African American history, which Ron DeSantis has banned from Florida schools before it can brainwash anyone into thinking about slavery and its legacy. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/01/19/politics/ron-desantis-ap-african-american-studies/index.html

Right, DeSantis’ approach is stupid and frankly absurd. Kids should be able to confront uncomfortable opinions in school. But that also should hold true for ideas the progressives hold as orthodoxy. I do not understand how as a culture we seem to have collectively agreed that kids should go through life never encountering an idea that makes them the slightest bit uncomfortable. There is very little air between what DeSantis is doing and the “safe spaces” academic progressives demand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone who has been pushing back in this discussion and elsewhere. I am not sure how to pierce through the insanity that has captures so much of the education establishment, but it needs to happen. A significant course correction is necessary for the sanity and education of today’s students and society generally.

The left seems to be suffering from some sort of mass psychosis. They need to wakeup or be removed from positions of influence.

Oh, think of the children!

Yes, actually. This is a school forum. Children are actually what the focus is here. The fact that you mock that idea says everything—you are more concerned with pushing some objectionable gender or racial ideology than you are with what is actually good for kids. You shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near kids, including own, if you even have any.

You want to take away people’s kids bc their political views are different from yours? But the progressives are the ones we need to fear.

Keep politics out of schools.

It IS this simple.

Keep politics and indoctrination out of schools, you Evangelists and Wokes and Scientologists and Communists.

Schools are for Education.

kind of ironic given the Evangelicals are trying to take public money and degrade public education in the form of religious based charter schools.

Vouchers and charter schools are doing great in LA and DC. Families are very happy and didn’t flee. Most did but some didn’t if they got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone who has been pushing back in this discussion and elsewhere. I am not sure how to pierce through the insanity that has captures so much of the education establishment, but it needs to happen. A significant course correction is necessary for the sanity and education of today’s students and society generally.

The left seems to be suffering from some sort of mass psychosis. They need to wakeup or be removed from positions of influence.

Oh, think of the children!

Yes, actually. This is a school forum. Children are actually what the focus is here. The fact that you mock that idea says everything—you are more concerned with pushing some objectionable gender or racial ideology than you are with what is actually good for kids. You shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near kids, including own, if you even have any.

You want to take away people’s kids bc their political views are different from yours? But the progressives are the ones we need to fear.

Keep politics out of schools.

It IS this simple.

Keep politics and indoctrination out of schools, you Evangelists and Wokes and Scientologists and Communists.

Schools are for Education.

You don’t even know what any of what you said means. Just capitalizing random words like your orange god.

Views of history and society they agree with are “education”; views they disagree with are “politics”

Need more schooling on fact versus opinion. reporting vs OpEd.

Mmmhmm. For example, “opinions” like African American history, which Ron DeSantis has banned from Florida schools before it can brainwash anyone into thinking about slavery and its legacy. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/01/19/politics/ron-desantis-ap-african-american-studies/index.html

Right, DeSantis’ approach is stupid and frankly absurd. Kids should be able to confront uncomfortable opinions in school. But that also should hold true for ideas the progressives hold as orthodoxy. I do not understand how as a culture we seem to have collectively agreed that kids should go through life never encountering an idea that makes them the slightest bit uncomfortable. There is very little air between what DeSantis is doing and the “safe spaces” academic progressives demand.

What topics or issues are being rejected for conversation or debate by progressives?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you agree with this?

What’s the syllabus and materials? Is it like African through today history facts or is it all divisive kendi theory nonsense?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone who has been pushing back in this discussion and elsewhere. I am not sure how to pierce through the insanity that has captures so much of the education establishment, but it needs to happen. A significant course correction is necessary for the sanity and education of today’s students and society generally.

The left seems to be suffering from some sort of mass psychosis. They need to wakeup or be removed from positions of influence.

Oh, think of the children!

Yes, actually. This is a school forum. Children are actually what the focus is here. The fact that you mock that idea says everything—you are more concerned with pushing some objectionable gender or racial ideology than you are with what is actually good for kids. You shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near kids, including own, if you even have any.

You want to take away people’s kids bc their political views are different from yours? But the progressives are the ones we need to fear.

Keep politics out of schools.

It IS this simple.

Keep politics and indoctrination out of schools, you Evangelists and Wokes and Scientologists and Communists.

Schools are for Education.

You don’t even know what any of what you said means. Just capitalizing random words like your orange god.

Funny how you forget that it’s the loud left white elites who demand everyone capitalize the B in Blacks but not others.

And how evaluating people as individuals based on their behavior and character is somehow "racist" while discriminating them as a group based on their skin color is somehow "anti-racist."

Orwell would have a field day today. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't send his kids to any woke school.

Get your Identity Labels down pay kiddos! Round up if multi faith or multiracial like 40% of the country. We got this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone who has been pushing back in this discussion and elsewhere. I am not sure how to pierce through the insanity that has captures so much of the education establishment, but it needs to happen. A significant course correction is necessary for the sanity and education of today’s students and society generally.

The left seems to be suffering from some sort of mass psychosis. They need to wakeup or be removed from positions of influence.

Oh, think of the children!

Yes, actually. This is a school forum. Children are actually what the focus is here. The fact that you mock that idea says everything—you are more concerned with pushing some objectionable gender or racial ideology than you are with what is actually good for kids. You shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near kids, including own, if you even have any.

You want to take away people’s kids bc their political views are different from yours? But the progressives are the ones we need to fear.

Keep politics out of schools.

It IS this simple.

Keep politics and indoctrination out of schools, you Evangelists and Wokes and Scientologists and Communists.

Schools are for Education.

You don’t even know what any of what you said means. Just capitalizing random words like your orange god.

Views of history and society they agree with are “education”; views they disagree with are “politics”

Need more schooling on fact versus opinion. reporting vs OpEd.

Mmmhmm. For example, “opinions” like African American history, which Ron DeSantis has banned from Florida schools before it can brainwash anyone into thinking about slavery and its legacy. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/01/19/politics/ron-desantis-ap-african-american-studies/index.html

Right, DeSantis’ approach is stupid and frankly absurd. Kids should be able to confront uncomfortable opinions in school. But that also should hold true for ideas the progressives hold as orthodoxy. I do not understand how as a culture we seem to have collectively agreed that kids should go through life never encountering an idea that makes them the slightest bit uncomfortable. There is very little air between what DeSantis is doing and the “safe spaces” academic progressives demand.

What topics or issues are being rejected for conversation or debate by progressives?

Didn’t Fairfax public schools kick out parents even asking questions about the new k-8 CRT social studies curriculum? They illegally disallowed discussions on it with taxpayers and shut down the public meeting.