Anti-Racism Assembly Today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Decent people do not accept racism. Op perhaps you need some time to reflect on this.

They don’t. It’s true. Racism is terrible and should end.

But your completely terse and cryptic response leaves little room for a discussion of something like this fist fight club is the appropriate tool to help combat it. So thanks for nothing other than an empty woke scold platitude post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It feels like any Tom, Dick and Harry can get a platform or speaking engagement today if they claim to further DEI efforts. Jesus fking Christ a fight club themed anti-racism class where they want 4 year olds to out racist family members? It seems like most parents are too polite, or scared, to question whether every self proclaimed “motivational speaker” that walks down the street claiming to fight for social justice is well qualified, or even temperamentally suited for young children, to propagate the message. It’s weird. No one seems to have the cojones to question anything anymore and if they do they’re immediately an anti-racist racist or some sht. Fking nutzo world and, even with abortion as the main focus in November, enough voters may have had enough of the recent mania to completely reengineer society, based on the teachings of Ibram X. Kendi and others who’s theories I don’t seem to remember having seen being codified into law or as having broad enough social consensus to be adopt as canonical fact.

I am fully against racism. I just think in their zest to immediately cure societies racial ills, you’re seeing some strange tactics to combat it.

THIS

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. Prek-4 to 3rd graders are expected to understand the concept if racism. Save it for high school and leave the innocent kids alone. Dissapointed.

+1

Part of the problem - if black/brown/poc kids in prek-4 to 3rd grade can experience racism and other micro aggressions, then your children are old enough to learn about racism.

Have we established what is developmentally appropriate? Part of what I hear people rejecting is that a lot of these trainings are in the hands of what is pretty much a self annointed industry of "experts". What exactly are their qualifications? I prefer the school counselor with one of the ten thousand glorious picture books/mentor texts about diversity in hand , followed by a guided but open ended conversation about what we have in common and being curious/appreciative/ respectful about differences- and how to show that.

+1 Reasonable people push back against what people are CRT when the methods of teaching about racism and uncomfortable aspects of our nation's history are done in a way that is not age-appropriate. This program provides one of the most extreme examples of a presentation that is not appropriate for the audience. Then, parents ascribe the rationale of random internet posters defending this and similar presentations to the adults in charge of their children's learning, leading parents to believe that the main objective is to make young children as uncomfortable and confused about themselves and their families as possible to combat racism. Anyone who asks questions is branded as a racist if they are not on board with these lessons.

Can't we agree that the Micheal Scott School of Racial Justice and Diversity should not be the inspiration for how kids are taught about racism?

[Anonymous]

The New York Post and the Daily Mail (UK) have withering coverage of the Janney wokeism curriculum. What a mess, and in one of DC's "best" elementary schools, no less. A distinction that is all relative.

[Anonymous]

This is a whole industry. As a Janney parent I wish they would have just properly vetted the material first…and then gone with another DEI consultant.

[Anonymous]

Are any of you parents at Janney actually doing anything about this?

I challenge one person to post how they are holding administrators at the school accountable.

Or has this entire city—an industry in and of itself created by protecting the status quo and holding on to power—completely neutered all of you and resigned you to posting anonymously on message boards instead of acting in defense of your babies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The New York Post and the Daily Mail (UK) have withering coverage of the Janney wokeism curriculum. What a mess, and in one of DC's "best" elementary schools, no less. A distinction that is all relative.

Sorry, no one here GAF what the New York Post or daily mail has to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The New York Post and the Daily Mail (UK) have withering coverage of the Janney wokeism curriculum. What a mess, and in one of DC's "best" elementary schools, no less. A distinction that is all relative.

Sorry, no one here GAF what the New York Post or daily mail has to say.

Unfortunate for you because they have the winning side of this argument.

[Anonymous]

Why is this even news now? It happened back in November. The articles are weirdly and poorly written and don’t have much point. Aren’t there more important things to put in the news right now? I am a Janney parent, had a kid who was a little confused from the assembly, forgot about it within a few hours, and moved on with the rest of the school year happily. There have always been occasional missteps with speakers/events there just like every other place (remember the ridiculous bee painting event when Karen Pence and all of the city administrators gave themselves photo opportunities while the kids had to sit there bored for like two hours?) Kids learn from layered experiences over time and one dumb assembly isn’t going to traumatize anyone.

[Anonymous]

Janney parent and my child has not mentioned this, and hasn’t come up in any parent conversation. Sounds like the right wing outrage machine was bored and decided to bump it back up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The New York Post and the Daily Mail (UK) have withering coverage of the Janney wokeism curriculum. What a mess, and in one of DC's "best" elementary schools, no less. A distinction that is all relative.

Stop the presses! NYP and DM are both using something to push a narrative? Are you somehow suggesting that people who believe in liberal policies should react, change course or otherwise care what those publications have to say about this? As if they are sources of reasoned policy discussion on such matters? That's the rough equivalent of Kevin McCarthy walking onto a CPAC stage and saying, "AOC is not happy with some of tour policy proposals and it is creating negative press with the liberal wing of the Democratic party so we should revisit our positions."

You seem, not that smart. And exactly the kind of person who thinks the NYP and DM are credible sources for policy discussion. Well done!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Janney parent and my child has not mentioned this, and hasn’t come up in any parent conversation. Sounds like the right wing outrage machine was bored and decided to bump it back up.

For sure this is what is happening. And I note with amusement the people who have chimed in to say "maybe in high school, but racism shouldn't be introduced before." Can someone please tell racism and racists and systemic racism to stand down till 9th grade?

Having said that, based on what has been reported the execution is bonkers. Based on what I have seen it undermines legitimate and sincere efforts to address these issues. If it is true that kids were handed paper and asked to identify individuals and family members who say racist things and turn those into the school then the instructional designers need to be fired. This is akin to people who wasted an opportunity at legitimate police reform by insisting that defunding and disbanding the police was the answer. It undermined legitimate police reform efforts and alienated potential allies in the fight.

[Anonymous]

Self-proclaimed experts at discussing difficult issues with children ages 4-9 should not be given a platform like this. The issue is too important to be handled in this manner. I’m an elementary teacher and the “fist book” (don’t get me started on how inappropriate that term is for kids) would be lost on all but the most sophisticated 3rd graders. If parents are asked to read it together some will do a good job leading a discussion and explaining what the book doesn’t. Other parents, unfortunately, may openly mock the poorly done contents, further confusing their children. Developmental psychologists in tandem with strong curriculum developers AND deliverers should tackle this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Janney parent and my child has not mentioned this, and hasn’t come up in any parent conversation. Sounds like the right wing outrage machine was bored and decided to bump it back up.

Yup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Self-proclaimed experts at discussing difficult issues with children ages 4-9 should not be given a platform like this. The issue is too important to be handled in this manner. I’m an elementary teacher and the “fist book” (don’t get me started on how inappropriate that term is for kids) would be lost on all but the most sophisticated 3rd graders. If parents are asked to read it together some will do a good job leading a discussion and explaining what the book doesn’t. Other parents, unfortunately, may openly mock the poorly done contents, further confusing their children. Developmental psychologists in tandem with strong curriculum developers AND deliverers should tackle this.

I could not agree more. I actually think some of the presentation would have been meaningful for my 9 year old but for K? No way. And my 9 year old would also probably have had the opposite intended reaction to some of it. Schools right now should focus on teaching history and facts, not this kind of evangelical stuff.