Anti-diversity trends.

[Anonymous]

I find it disappointing the amount of people that are truly opposed to “equity and inclusion”.

It seems like the ones bothered with that being a priority never knew what it feels like to not be at that table and now feel like their seat is being taken, verse making the table larger and adding another seat to it.

People that say that race shouldn’t be a factor, are part of the problem. It needs to be factored due to the reality that it is blatantly left out (not equitable or inclusive).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it disappointing the amount of people that are truly opposed to “equity and inclusion”.

It seems like the ones bothered with that being a priority never knew what it feels like to not be at that table and now feel like their seat is being taken, verse making the table larger and adding another seat to it.

People that say that race shouldn’t be a factor, are part of the problem. It needs to be factored due to the reality that it is blatantly left out (not equitable or inclusive).

If race is factored in as admissions criteria, whether you are favoring whites or blacks or blues, it creates the same problem. I hope you see that.

[Anonymous]

I’ll echo the points made by others. Nobody is opposed to diversity per se and nobody is looking for school to get “whiter”. The pushback is against schools embedding Kendi-style “anti-racism” principles into literally every class, including math and Chinese language (to take an example from one of our DC’s schools). How the Chinese language inequality reinforces US racial hierarchies, I leave as an exercise for the reader—never made much sense to me. The climate in DC area independent schools remains solidly pro diversity, so OP need not worry.

[Anonymous]

For every DEI administrator or consultant eliminated, each school can add one financial aid slot. I want the best and brightest admitted, regardless of melanin content or socioeconomic circumstances. The recent push for post-modern intersectionality at the primary and secondary school level has been a grift foisted on well-meaning liberal parents by charlatans. All it has done is radicalize white boys who are tired of being told they are terrible humans, and taken away slots for bright kids whose tuition is now paying for guilt-assuaging bureaucrats. DEI needs to die, permanently, and we need to get back to truly liberal principles.

[Anonymous]

If race is factored in as admissions criteria, whether you are favoring whites or blacks or blues, it creates the same problem. I hope you see that.


I definitely get your point. I wonder if there would be a way to eliminate it and make it not a factor at all. For example, blacking out the names (as that is sometimes, not always, an indicator), in co-ed I suppose you would need to leave gender to ensure a general mix, maybe a simple go or no gin financials, legacy, etc. I don’t know, I guess I’m genuinely trying to think of ways that you could eliminate race completely and make it solely on merit and being a fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm afraid, given the current social climate, that I'm going to send my daughter to a school that is trying to become whiter.

I've noticed that many families have become openly against diversity efforts. We are POC, and I've had parents casually express how DEI initiatives hurt the quality of the surrounding private schools. Although I'm disappointed in the lack of thoughtfulness, I'm not surprised.

I already pulled applications from a couple of schools that have suddenly committed to a less diverse path since I started my application process. I'm now nervous I will be stuck at a school where my child's presence diminishes its quality.

I would appreciate insights on the current climate of your current institution. I will not take it personally. I don't have the energy to be a part of a diversity struggle. I'm sure other POC parents will also agree.

I don’t think this means they want to become whiter. It just means they don’t want race to be a factor in admissions? Why would you want that?

Race absolutely SHOULD be a factor in admissions decisions to ensure a diverse cohort, which is better for learning. Most people value diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP — You need to distinguish between diversity and DEI programs.. they do not mean the same things. Although I’ve seen no evidence of privates backing off of either.

Diversity … Making an effort to have classes of different backgrounds .. does tend to be primarily race or Latino-based at most schools. If you really believe in this then it should include religion, view points, other ethnicities, languages, sexual orientation (for high school), gender presentation, and disabilities. Schools tend to have a narrow focus but have success within that too narrow range. Schools look at what the National Association of Independent Schools report. Of course, they can’t really build classes to maximize diversity ….there aren’t enough applicants, the schools need to ensure tuition dollars etc. And, of course, that’s part of the hypocrisy of pushing it.

Inclusion … consciously socially engineering to take steps that all kids fee included. Nice ideas but often School's in execution.

Equity .. this is the heart of DEI and where some families are starting to push back. It had no one definition. But many DEI consultants and “experts” promote the notion that equity means taking steps to ensure all groupings are racially diverse in proportion to the general population, even if those steps involve outright quotas or other discrimination against whites. This is equity preached byI. Kendi. Many DEI consultants teach that virtually all institutions are structurally racist, all white people are racist, and common standards are instruments if white supremacy. Homework, showing up to class on time, showing your work on a math problem … white supremacy. Ask any MCPS teacher who has had to sit through such mandatory trainings this year. This is what racist white people are pushing back against. And it isn’t just “right wing” conservatives.. some very liberal people have been pushed out jobs for questioning this or refusing to participate in “trainings” requiring them to “confess” their privilege. It is the not an interest in whitewashing history, but in rejecting that all of history should be taught as a struggle based on race-related oppressors and oppressed. DEI in its extreme is an absurd extension of CRT, which for years we have heard is not taught in schools.

Fixed your explanation for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For every DEI administrator or consultant eliminated, each school can add one financial aid slot. I want the best and brightest admitted, regardless of melanin content or socioeconomic circumstances. The recent push for post-modern intersectionality at the primary and secondary school level has been a grift foisted on well-meaning liberal parents by charlatans. All it has done is radicalize white boys who are tired of being told they are terrible humans, and taken away slots for bright kids whose tuition is now paying for guilt-assuaging bureaucrats. DEI needs to die, permanently, and we need to get back to truly liberal principles.

+1. I want the best and brightest students as my child's classmates. I value peer effects, I don't value the color of skin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it disappointing the amount of people that are truly opposed to “equity and inclusion”.

It seems like the ones bothered with that being a priority never knew what it feels like to not be at that table and now feel like their seat is being taken, verse making the table larger and adding another seat to it.

People that say that race shouldn’t be a factor, are part of the problem. It needs to be factored due to the reality that it is blatantly left out (not equitable or inclusive).

Well, you are bound for lots of disappointment. Because when people understand what this means in practice roughly 70% of Americans are against it with strong majorities even among POC. As are the courts. And to OP’s point, these schools aren’t “trying to be whiter” … ideally they are committed to race blind admissions (and education), but more likely than that they just don’t want to be sued.

We believe in equality of opportunity. Not manufactured “equity” of outcomes.

We believe in justice. Full stop. Not “social” justice, “economic” justice, “environmental” justice, or whatever your particular adjective may be. They all mean an outcome-driven agenda of one form or another—what we used to call prejudice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it disappointing the amount of people that are truly opposed to “equity and inclusion”.

It seems like the ones bothered with that being a priority never knew what it feels like to not be at that table and now feel like their seat is being taken, verse making the table larger and adding another seat to it.

People that say that race shouldn’t be a factor, are part of the problem. It needs to be factored due to the reality that it is blatantly left out (not equitable or inclusive).

Well, you are bound for lots of disappointment. Because when people understand what this means in practice roughly 70% of Americans are against it with strong majorities even among POC. As are the courts. And to OP’s point, these schools aren’t “trying to be whiter” … ideally they are committed to race blind admissions (and education), but more likely than that they just don’t want to be sued.

We believe in equality of opportunity. Not manufactured “equity” of outcomes.

We believe in justice. Full stop. Not “social” justice, “economic” justice, “environmental” justice, or whatever your particular adjective may be. They all mean an outcome-driven agenda of one form or another—what we used to call prejudice.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm afraid, given the current social climate, that I'm going to send my daughter to a school that is trying to become whiter.

I've noticed that many families have become openly against diversity efforts. We are POC, and I've had parents casually express how DEI initiatives hurt the quality of the surrounding private schools. Although I'm disappointed in the lack of thoughtfulness, I'm not surprised.

I already pulled applications from a couple of schools that have suddenly committed to a less diverse path since I started my application process. I'm now nervous I will be stuck at a school where my child's presence diminishes its quality.

I would appreciate insights on the current climate of your current institution. I will not take it personally. I don't have the energy to be a part of a diversity struggle. I'm sure other POC parents will also agree.

I don’t think this means they want to become whiter. It just means they don’t want race to be a factor in admissions? Why would you want that?

Race absolutely SHOULD be a factor in admissions decisions to ensure a diverse cohort, which is better for learning. Most people value diversity.

Absolutely! Our schools and leading institutions, public and private, should reflect the diversity of the American people.

All public boards of directors should be 35% Trump supporters; as should the incoming class at Harvard. And the faculty.

And I hope there are no Hmong, or Inuit, or rural Appalachians among you, because we’ve run the numbers and precisely ZERO of you belong anywhere. Maybe we can squeeze in a halsvie of some kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm afraid, given the current social climate, that I'm going to send my daughter to a school that is trying to become whiter.

I've noticed that many families have become openly against diversity efforts. We are POC, and I've had parents casually express how DEI initiatives hurt the quality of the surrounding private schools. Although I'm disappointed in the lack of thoughtfulness, I'm not surprised.

I already pulled applications from a couple of schools that have suddenly committed to a less diverse path since I started my application process. I'm now nervous I will be stuck at a school where my child's presence diminishes its quality.

I would appreciate insights on the current climate of your current institution. I will not take it personally. I don't have the energy to be a part of a diversity struggle. I'm sure other POC parents will also agree.

I don’t think this means they want to become whiter. It just means they don’t want race to be a factor in admissions? Why would you want that?

Race absolutely SHOULD be a factor in admissions decisions to ensure a diverse cohort, which is better for learning. Most people value diversity.

Where is your proof for this? What does this even mean? Better for whom? And why? What is the mechanism that would cause kids to learn… better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not white. I don't want our race/ethnicity to be a factor in admissions. We want to be accepted based on admissions criteria, which should be based on whether the child and family are a good fit for the school. First, we want merit to be a big part of admissions criteria. Second, as family we want to be seen beyond our race/ethnicity. Schools should look at our family values regarding how we approach our child's education.

Okay. There's a lot of flawed reasoning, but do what makes you happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For every DEI administrator or consultant eliminated, each school can add one financial aid slot. I want the best and brightest admitted, regardless of melanin content or socioeconomic circumstances. The recent push for post-modern intersectionality at the primary and secondary school level has been a grift foisted on well-meaning liberal parents by charlatans. All it has done is radicalize white boys who are tired of being told they are terrible humans, and taken away slots for bright kids whose tuition is now paying for guilt-assuaging bureaucrats. DEI needs to die, permanently, and we need to get back to truly liberal principles.

So how does one measure "best and brightest" in a kindergarten applicant?

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine any co-ed DC school moving away from DEI: Sidwell, GDS, Maret, Field, WIS, etc. Maybe consider coed?