Banned books at Jackson-Reed?

[Anonymous]

You don’t think teachers were nervous discussing “blue lives matter”—or issues of gender? Consent? Please. The victims of Nazi genocide deserve better than these weak “educators”, and so do the teens in their classes. It’s like some sort of reverse brainwashing.

If we were in NYC teachers would be resigning. But DC is a sanctuary city for anti-Semitism. And, yes, removing Jewish narratives from the curriculum even temporarily is ultimately an anti-Semitic move. Even if that wasn’t the intention, that is the result. And haven’t we learned this lesson from anti-racism advocates? What we intend doesn’t matter. If it contributes to prejudiced outcomes, it’s prejudiced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:JR did the right thing. You all are freaking out about nothing. And the title of this thread is deliberately misleading which is disgusting to me. I agree that JR can handle sensitive discussions between students and teachers but parents often suck and cause problems where none exist

The parents aren’t freaking out. The teachers freaked out unnecessarily and therein lies the problem and implicit bias here. What parents would have freaked out or caused a fuss if they went ahead with the lesson on time about the Holocaust as planned? What would the objection have been?No one has yet to tell me what the Holocaust has to do with the current situation in Gaza. Go ahead - I’ll wait.

Are you kidding me! If I was a teacher I would be nervous that if I said one small thing that someone took the wrong way, all hell could break loose. And teachers can’t control what kids say. What if a kid brings up the present Israel Hamas war? It is a minefield and English teachers may not feel they have enough expertise to manage wild card situations

Again why is it only teaching the Holocaust that somehow imperils teachers, and none of the other difficult material presented regularly in DCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:JR did the right thing. You all are freaking out about nothing. And the title of this thread is deliberately misleading which is disgusting to me. I agree that JR can handle sensitive discussions between students and teachers but parents often suck and cause problems where none exist

The parents aren’t freaking out. The teachers freaked out unnecessarily and therein lies the problem and implicit bias here. What parents would have freaked out or caused a fuss if they went ahead with the lesson on time about the Holocaust as planned? What would the objection have been?No one has yet to tell me what the Holocaust has to do with the current situation in Gaza. Go ahead - I’ll wait.

Disingenuous assertions like this are precisely why people are scared of the topic.

You, of course, know that the issues are directly linked--the post-WWII creation of Israel, the high alert that Jewish people remain on to this day for any potential of anti-semitic violence, and the Palestinians' grievances about relocation and lack of self-determination.

A long chain of history plays into both the context of Hamas's terrorist attacks and Israel's fierce response. Unsurprisingly, people coming from different perspectives see the facts differently.

If it is not possible to acknowledge the above, then no wonder teachers want to steer clear right now.

[Anonymous]

Teachers don’t get to “steer clear” only when it’s about Jews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:JR did the right thing. You all are freaking out about nothing. And the title of this thread is deliberately misleading which is disgusting to me. I agree that JR can handle sensitive discussions between students and teachers but parents often suck and cause problems where none exist

The parents aren’t freaking out. The teachers freaked out unnecessarily and therein lies the problem and implicit bias here. What parents would have freaked out or caused a fuss if they went ahead with the lesson on time about the Holocaust as planned? What would the objection have been?No one has yet to tell me what the Holocaust has to do with the current situation in Gaza. Go ahead - I’ll wait.

Disingenuous assertions like this are precisely why people are scared of the topic.

You, of course, know that the issues are directly linked--the post-WWII creation of Israel, the high alert that Jewish people remain on to this day for any potential of anti-semitic violence, and the Palestinians' grievances about relocation and lack of self-determination.

A long chain of history plays into both the context of Hamas's terrorist attacks and Israel's fierce response. Unsurprisingly, people coming from different perspectives see the facts differently.

If it is not possible to acknowledge the above, then no wonder teachers want to steer clear right now.

The books are about the Holocaust. Not Israel. Not Gaza. Not Hamas. And of course Israel and Gaza existed last year too. It sounds like what you are saying is that the Holocaust cannot be taught unless it is “both sided” with additional “context” about Israel in the 21st century.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers don’t get to “steer clear” only when it’s about Jews.

+1000.

[Anonymous]

The slow but steady societal creep toward holocaust denialism is terrifying. Please tell me *someone* at this school is pushing back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The slow but steady societal creep toward holocaust denialism is terrifying. Please tell me *someone* at this school is pushing back?

Are you serious? How is this holocaust denial?

[Anonymous]

Why does the holocaust have to be discussed in English class? There are a million topics that could be covered instead. Why not just study Jane Austin and Shakespeare along with some modern writers like Margaret Atwood and Zadie Smith. Why politicize English class at all?

[Anonymous]

How convenient to start the de-politicization of high school English curricula with Jewish voices!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does the holocaust have to be discussed in English class? There are a million topics that could be covered instead. Why not just study Jane Austin and Shakespeare along with some modern writers like Margaret Atwood and Zadie Smith. Why politicize English class at all?

How is the Holocaust political?

[Anonymous]

Obviously this isn’t holocaust denial in itself. But treating the topic as though it can be extracted from a reading list while other divisive topics are sacrosanct provides fuel for the conspiracy theorists.

It yet again tells Jews they must be set apart. It yet again marks them as dangerous and other, and this time by institutions focused on spotlighting minority voices!

What’s going on in the JR history classes? Skipping WWII?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does the holocaust have to be discussed in English class? There are a million topics that could be covered instead. Why not just study Jane Austin and Shakespeare along with some modern writers like Margaret Atwood and Zadie Smith. Why politicize English class at all?

Wait, you mean Zadie Smith who is known for books about race, religion, and cultural identity?
And Margaret Atwood, who is know most for the Handmaid's Tale a dystopian novel set in New England in the near future, which posits a Christian fundamentalist theocratic regime horribly abusive of women?

Come on. Have you ever taught an english class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t think teachers were nervous discussing “blue lives matter”—or issues of gender? Consent? Please. The victims of Nazi genocide deserve better than these weak “educators”, and so do the teens in their classes. It’s like some sort of reverse brainwashing.

If we were in NYC teachers would be resigning. But DC is a sanctuary city for anti-Semitism. And, yes, removing Jewish narratives from the curriculum even temporarily is ultimately an anti-Semitic move. Even if that wasn’t the intention, that is the result. And haven’t we learned this lesson from anti-racism advocates? What we intend doesn’t matter. If it contributes to prejudiced outcomes, it’s prejudiced.

I think, giving the benefit of the doubt, what we are seeing here is that in fact there was no controversy in discussion BLM or me-too or gender because there is only one acceptable side and kids and parents will self-censor any points of view that depart from the orthodoxy. Now that they are facing an issue where there is no one right way to think, no “social justice” orthodoxy, they are freaking out. So it’s the fruits of years of suppressing free discussion.

That said, it’s disturbing that this is being triggered by Holocaust literature as that clearly implies that there is “another side” to the Holocaust that kids may take. Given the recent stats on how many young people think the Holocaust never happened, that’s really upsetting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does the holocaust have to be discussed in English class? There are a million topics that could be covered instead. Why not just study Jane Austin and Shakespeare along with some modern writers like Margaret Atwood and Zadie Smith. Why politicize English class at all?

Well, people write about historical events in fiction, so it’s hard to avoid. I mean, Margaret Atwood does. Maus is also a pioneering example of a new form of serious literary expression (graphic novel). But overall I do tend to agree that DCPS could take a big dose of political neutrality.