SWS has jumped the shark

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Former sws parent here. There is a lot of organic kool-aid served at Foodprints.

Not sure why we're attacking the the Foodprints program now. I love that program - my kid is a picky eater, but loves Kale thanks to Foodprints.

+1 same

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus christ. The POC Affinity Group didn't bother me. I read your description and thought "so what."

And then. Then. Then I read the White Affinity Group. This is the exact kind of thing that keeps Trump a viable brand.

current parent of a mixed race kid there - COUNTING the days until my kids is outta there! thankfully in 5th - It takes every ounce of self control for me not to roll up at one of these "exclusionary" events and give them all piece of my mind - THEY are creating the racial tension if there even is any.

These schools claim to be so tolerant with trans flags and BLM all over - but will happily segregate groups its so moronic - these DEI "experts" are raking in the dough now by creating more division and fabricating problems where they do not exist. EQUITY is a sham and its so infuriating - why do elementary kids need a survey asking them if they are trans or bi-sexual - NONE OF THESE ISSUES ARE A SCHOOLS RESPONSIBILITY - they focus more on teaching activism and leftist ideologies that spelling and math.

but what Im most offended at is this poster using my Lord and Saviors name in vain.


But if whites aren't into this and blacks aren't into in and those of us with mixed kids aren't into it - WHO IS ATTENDING THIS???? what sane person thinks any of this is a good idea let alone necessary. We all have kids and we know our kids interact with all kids - no child is coming home saying I dont want to play with Billy cuz hes black and black people are inferior to whites - DOES NOT HAPPEN or I dont like Sally cuz she has all the privilege - NOPE these thoughts are created by these dumb groups ... ughhh im so over this I just needed to vent. It pains me that our children have to grow up in this era of wokeism/technology - let kids be kids.

I am SO glad I'm not the only one who hated that survey. I have NO IDEA if ny child is trans or bisexual at this young of an age and I hated that the school asked this and is making kids label themselves so early. I agree - let kids be kids!!!

The Panorama survey? That's DCPS not SWS specific and if you change the school, the questions are the same across all DCPS schools.l including highschools. The only question about this is the basic gender demographic question. Chill.

No, it wasn't the Panorama survey. It was a survey from the school itself.

Sws parent here and I can't find another survey

Family survey? No idea it's still just a demographic question and I've answered the same for doctors offices and summer camp programs

[Anonymous]

Not a SWS parent, but this did provoke the following thought:

One of the take-aways I've gotten (I'm white) from the last few years is that it is important for white people to talk about race and racism. Especially as parents. I don't mean to self-flagellate about our own privilege, but just to talk about it. I remember reading a study about how when white parents read books with race issues in them to their kids (like a book where characters are different races, or even a book where characters get treated differently because of their race) white parents will go out of their way to avoid addressing race. They'll say things like "yeah, it's not fair that the other kids made fun of Timmy -- we should treat everyone equally and with kindness." But without actually saying "Timmy is black" or "Yeah, when the white kids exclude Timmy because of the color of his skin, that's racism." Whereas POC reading the same books to their kids will absolutely just say those things. White people have a tendency to dance around these subjects, speak vaguely, and get uncomfortable.

So okay, white people need to talk about race. BUT if you are white person in your 30s and 40s with kids, you didn't grow up talking about race in this way. You might stumble through it a bit when talking to your own kids because you don't have a vocabulary or framework for it. You probably have your own issues to work through. You might go looking for organizations and resources that will help you figure this out.

But here's another problem you run into: organizations that address race and racism are usually created by and for POC, for obvious reasons. If you show up to these groups as a white person, one thing you risk is becoming the white person who is like "ok lets talk about MY problems now." We all know how that looks, and also how it would go. As a white person who has joined groups like this, one thing I've learned is that you need to listen more than you talk. Yes, there are conversations about "how to be an ally" but it's more unidirectional. You might get good ideas for how to be an ally to the POC in your life, but you won't necessarily get good advice for how to get over your own hangups about talking more directly about race, or what to do if your 3yo kid expresses a racist idea (which guess what, does happen, and it is very taboo to talk about because everyone assumes it means the parents are saying racist stuff, but consider that if kids will say stuff like "I don't want to play with boys, only girls like me" they will also say stuff like "I only want to play with light skinned kids, like me"). These environments are not always great practical resources for white parents because they are rightfully focused on the needs of POC.

So the question is: where do you go then? You need to talk about race, but as a white person, diverse spaces are not always very interested in talking about the issues and challenges you have around race. Thus: a white affinity group that will talk about race. Ideally a group like this would NOT be about self-flagellation and talking about how privileged we are and posturing about how woke we can be. It would be an actual support group where you could do things like discuss the challenge of learning to talk about race with your kids when race was rarely discussed in your home growing up. Or even to discuss your discomfort around race issues in diverse environments because of fears of stepping in it (a normal fear shared by lots of white people! worth discussing). To share practical tips on how to discuss race with your kids or how to handle situations unique to white parents, like when your white kid asks if they can get their hair braided and beaded, or how to talk about slavery in age appropriate ways so that your child understands the role it has played in history and in the country, but in a way they can understand for their developmental age.

I think there would be a lot of value in white affinity groups in DC schools. Part of me wishes my school, which is 90%+ black, had one because I often feel like a fish out of water and it would be useful to compare notes with other white parents to see if we can help each other do better.

But the optics of wanting to get together with other white parents to discuss the experience of parenting white kids in diverse schools... suck. And it's too bad, because I actually think this is something we need to do. If you are criticizing this idea, ask exactly why. I think there is value in it.

[Anonymous]

^^ This is very different than wanting a white affinity group at a school that’s 2/3rds white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a SWS parent, but this did provoke the following thought:

One of the take-aways I've gotten (I'm white) from the last few years is that it is important for white people to talk about race and racism. Especially as parents. I don't mean to self-flagellate about our own privilege, but just to talk about it. I remember reading a study about how when white parents read books with race issues in them to their kids (like a book where characters are different races, or even a book where characters get treated differently because of their race) white parents will go out of their way to avoid addressing race. They'll say things like "yeah, it's not fair that the other kids made fun of Timmy -- we should treat everyone equally and with kindness." But without actually saying "Timmy is black" or "Yeah, when the white kids exclude Timmy because of the color of his skin, that's racism." Whereas POC reading the same books to their kids will absolutely just say those things. White people have a tendency to dance around these subjects, speak vaguely, and get uncomfortable.

So okay, white people need to talk about race. BUT if you are white person in your 30s and 40s with kids, you didn't grow up talking about race in this way. You might stumble through it a bit when talking to your own kids because you don't have a vocabulary or framework for it. You probably have your own issues to work through. You might go looking for organizations and resources that will help you figure this out.

But here's another problem you run into: organizations that address race and racism are usually created by and for POC, for obvious reasons. If you show up to these groups as a white person, one thing you risk is becoming the white person who is like "ok lets talk about MY problems now." We all know how that looks, and also how it would go. As a white person who has joined groups like this, one thing I've learned is that you need to listen more than you talk. Yes, there are conversations about "how to be an ally" but it's more unidirectional. You might get good ideas for how to be an ally to the POC in your life, but you won't necessarily get good advice for how to get over your own hangups about talking more directly about race, or what to do if your 3yo kid expresses a racist idea (which guess what, does happen, and it is very taboo to talk about because everyone assumes it means the parents are saying racist stuff, but consider that if kids will say stuff like "I don't want to play with boys, only girls like me" they will also say stuff like "I only want to play with light skinned kids, like me"). These environments are not always great practical resources for white parents because they are rightfully focused on the needs of POC.

So the question is: where do you go then? You need to talk about race, but as a white person, diverse spaces are not always very interested in talking about the issues and challenges you have around race. Thus: a white affinity group that will talk about race. Ideally a group like this would NOT be about self-flagellation and talking about how privileged we are and posturing about how woke we can be. It would be an actual support group where you could do things like discuss the challenge of learning to talk about race with your kids when race was rarely discussed in your home growing up. Or even to discuss your discomfort around race issues in diverse environments because of fears of stepping in it (a normal fear shared by lots of white people! worth discussing). To share practical tips on how to discuss race with your kids or how to handle situations unique to white parents, like when your white kid asks if they can get their hair braided and beaded, or how to talk about slavery in age appropriate ways so that your child understands the role it has played in history and in the country, but in a way they can understand for their developmental age.

I think there would be a lot of value in white affinity groups in DC schools. Part of me wishes my school, which is 90%+ black, had one because I often feel like a fish out of water and it would be useful to compare notes with other white parents to see if we can help each other do better.

But the optics of wanting to get together with other white parents to discuss the experience of parenting white kids in diverse schools... suck. And it's too bad, because I actually think this is something we need to do. If you are criticizing this idea, ask exactly why. I think there is value in it.

This sounds very reasonable and well-said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a SWS parent, but this did provoke the following thought:

One of the take-aways I've gotten (I'm white) from the last few years is that it is important for white people to talk about race and racism. Especially as parents. I don't mean to self-flagellate about our own privilege, but just to talk about it. I remember reading a study about how when white parents read books with race issues in them to their kids (like a book where characters are different races, or even a book where characters get treated differently because of their race) white parents will go out of their way to avoid addressing race. They'll say things like "yeah, it's not fair that the other kids made fun of Timmy -- we should treat everyone equally and with kindness." But without actually saying "Timmy is black" or "Yeah, when the white kids exclude Timmy because of the color of his skin, that's racism." Whereas POC reading the same books to their kids will absolutely just say those things. White people have a tendency to dance around these subjects, speak vaguely, and get uncomfortable.

So okay, white people need to talk about race. BUT if you are white person in your 30s and 40s with kids, you didn't grow up talking about race in this way. You might stumble through it a bit when talking to your own kids because you don't have a vocabulary or framework for it. You probably have your own issues to work through. You might go looking for organizations and resources that will help you figure this out.

But here's another problem you run into: organizations that address race and racism are usually created by and for POC, for obvious reasons. If you show up to these groups as a white person, one thing you risk is becoming the white person who is like "ok lets talk about MY problems now." We all know how that looks, and also how it would go. As a white person who has joined groups like this, one thing I've learned is that you need to listen more than you talk. Yes, there are conversations about "how to be an ally" but it's more unidirectional. You might get good ideas for how to be an ally to the POC in your life, but you won't necessarily get good advice for how to get over your own hangups about talking more directly about race, or what to do if your 3yo kid expresses a racist idea (which guess what, does happen, and it is very taboo to talk about because everyone assumes it means the parents are saying racist stuff, but consider that if kids will say stuff like "I don't want to play with boys, only girls like me" they will also say stuff like "I only want to play with light skinned kids, like me"). These environments are not always great practical resources for white parents because they are rightfully focused on the needs of POC.

So the question is: where do you go then? You need to talk about race, but as a white person, diverse spaces are not always very interested in talking about the issues and challenges you have around race. Thus: a white affinity group that will talk about race. Ideally a group like this would NOT be about self-flagellation and talking about how privileged we are and posturing about how woke we can be. It would be an actual support group where you could do things like discuss the challenge of learning to talk about race with your kids when race was rarely discussed in your home growing up. Or even to discuss your discomfort around race issues in diverse environments because of fears of stepping in it (a normal fear shared by lots of white people! worth discussing). To share practical tips on how to discuss race with your kids or how to handle situations unique to white parents, like when your white kid asks if they can get their hair braided and beaded, or how to talk about slavery in age appropriate ways so that your child understands the role it has played in history and in the country, but in a way they can understand for their developmental age.

I think there would be a lot of value in white affinity groups in DC schools. Part of me wishes my school, which is 90%+ black, had one because I often feel like a fish out of water and it would be useful to compare notes with other white parents to see if we can help each other do better.

But the optics of wanting to get together with other white parents to discuss the experience of parenting white kids in diverse schools... suck. And it's too bad, because I actually think this is something we need to do. If you are criticizing this idea, ask exactly why. I think there is value in it.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ This is very different than wanting a white affinity group at a school that’s 2/3rds white.

Why? You could argue it's even more important for SWS to create spaces for white parents to discuss race and address issues they are having, because they are the dominant race at SWS and the question of inclusivity has been raised repeatedly at the school. It's more delicate there, but the need for a venue in which white people actually talk about race with each other is still strong.

I mean I guess the fear here is that white affinity groups will naturally morph into some kind of exclusionary, racist organization. But why? I get that some people's knee jerk reaction is going to be "oh look, white people excluding everyone else." But if there's a need for a space for white parents to talk through these issues and maybe even share ideas, or even just to talk through discomfort they might be having with an eye towards dispelling it, why would that be bad?

Also, I would assume a white affinity group focused on race issues would sometimes invite POC to come share or provide feedback. So it wouldn't actually be a "whites only" space, but it's just a venue designated for talking about the problems white people face in creating inclusive, diverse communities, which are different than the issues POC face in those same communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ This is very different than wanting a white affinity group at a school that’s 2/3rds white.

No - it's not, and the fact that you think so suggests that you could in fact benefit from these types of conversations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ This is very different than wanting a white affinity group at a school that’s 2/3rds white.

Why? You could argue it's even more important for SWS to create spaces for white parents to discuss race and address issues they are having, because they are the dominant race at SWS and the question of inclusivity has been raised repeatedly at the school. It's more delicate there, but the need for a venue in which white people actually talk about race with each other is still strong.

I mean I guess the fear here is that white affinity groups will naturally morph into some kind of exclusionary, racist organization. But why? I get that some people's knee jerk reaction is going to be "oh look, white people excluding everyone else." But if there's a need for a space for white parents to talk through these issues and maybe even share ideas, or even just to talk through discomfort they might be having with an eye towards dispelling it, why would that be bad?

Also, I would assume a white affinity group focused on race issues would sometimes invite POC to come share or provide feedback. So it wouldn't actually be a "whites only" space, but it's just a venue designated for talking about the problems white people face in creating inclusive, diverse communities, which are different than the issues POC face in those same communities.

Because a public school has no business creating racially exclusionary groups. Parents can organize it on their own if they want to.

Also I feel like this kind of stuff just creates echo-chambers where white people assume that there is only one way to be black or some kind of uniform black agenda. And these groups tend also to create the idea that there are some perfect words or books we can give our kids so that they display the appropriate anti-racist attributes. The really hard conversations never happen.

But mainly I think “affinity groups” fail to actually connect to the issues directly related to the actual school. Like, do you need to direct more resources to acceleration? Should more homework be required? What should PTA money go for? For those conversations you need everyone in the room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ This is very different than wanting a white affinity group at a school that’s 2/3rds white.

Why? You could argue it's even more important for SWS to create spaces for white parents to discuss race and address issues they are having, because they are the dominant race at SWS and the question of inclusivity has been raised repeatedly at the school. It's more delicate there, but the need for a venue in which white people actually talk about race with each other is still strong.

I mean I guess the fear here is that white affinity groups will naturally morph into some kind of exclusionary, racist organization. But why? I get that some people's knee jerk reaction is going to be "oh look, white people excluding everyone else." But if there's a need for a space for white parents to talk through these issues and maybe even share ideas, or even just to talk through discomfort they might be having with an eye towards dispelling it, why would that be bad?

Also, I would assume a white affinity group focused on race issues would sometimes invite POC to come share or provide feedback. So it wouldn't actually be a "whites only" space, but it's just a venue designated for talking about the problems white people face in creating inclusive, diverse communities, which are different than the issues POC face in those same communities.

Because a public school has no business creating racially exclusionary groups. Parents can organize it on their own if they want to.

Also I feel like this kind of stuff just creates echo-chambers where white people assume that there is only one way to be black or some kind of uniform black agenda. And these groups tend also to create the idea that there are some perfect words or books we can give our kids so that they display the appropriate anti-racist attributes. The really hard conversations never happen.

But mainly I think “affinity groups” fail to actually connect to the issues directly related to the actual school. Like, do you need to direct more resources to acceleration? Should more homework be required? What should PTA money go for? For those conversations you need everyone in the room.

1) Obviously an affinity group should not be deciding what PTA money goes to. That's what the PTA is for! In fact, everything you say should be discussed is stuff that the PTA or LPA groups already do. That's not what affinity groups do.

2) Black parents at the school explicitly asked for affinity groups so they could connect to other black parents and discuss issues that are specific to their experience. Do you also oppose that? I'm guessing the black affinity group is not advocating for a "uniform black agenda" nor do I think it is suggesting there is some perfect word or book that will fix their issues. Rather, I think these groups are formed on the premise that peopel need a place to talk things out and to provide that place. The goal is not solve racism, but to address racism by creating a venue to discuss it. The talking is the point, it's not a means to an end.

3) If a black or POC affinity group makes sense (and is being demanded by families) why wouldn't a white affinity group also be useful for the same reason. Again, there is no reason that such a group would need to advocate for a "uniform white agenda" or to identify the one book or word that would fix racism, but to provide a venue for white parents to discuss challenges they are encountering, as questions and share experiences, etc. It's like a support group.

[Anonymous]

There are lots of things we can debate about this and anyone who lives or works in even a moderately progressive place has seen some form of this or another. SWS has become super woke over the years. It is not something they try to hide. So anyone playing the lottery for this school should do so with eyes wide open. Current families who aren’t comfortable with this likely have no other options unless they happen to live in bounds for one of the 3 desirable in-bounds schools (which most SWS families don’t, with the possible exception of LT).

So anyone deciding on the lottery should think about:
- whether this approach to talking about issues is consistent with your parenting values
- whether your kid will feel comfortable in this environment, given the way you approach these issues at home
- whether, given the limited time and resources that any school has, you want to be at a place where resources are dedicated to this over other things
- even though SWS culture has changed from pretty blind on race issues to ultra-woke, one thing that seems to be constant is is cult-ish culture. It helps to be bought in to whatever the issues du jour are. Otherwise you just feel like a real outsider.
- relatedly, there was almost no point to the pages of debate above this thread. See it, accept it, and decide whether it is the place for your kid. Have the confidence that if it is not, there are many many other options in the DMV that do not take this extreme approach where your family will likely be very happy and your child will leave well prepared for middie school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ This is very different than wanting a white affinity group at a school that’s 2/3rds white.

Why? You could argue it's even more important for SWS to create spaces for white parents to discuss race and address issues they are having, because they are the dominant race at SWS and the question of inclusivity has been raised repeatedly at the school. It's more delicate there, but the need for a venue in which white people actually talk about race with each other is still strong.

I mean I guess the fear here is that white affinity groups will naturally morph into some kind of exclusionary, racist organization. But why? I get that some people's knee jerk reaction is going to be "oh look, white people excluding everyone else." But if there's a need for a space for white parents to talk through these issues and maybe even share ideas, or even just to talk through discomfort they might be having with an eye towards dispelling it, why would that be bad?

Also, I would assume a white affinity group focused on race issues would sometimes invite POC to come share or provide feedback. So it wouldn't actually be a "whites only" space, but it's just a venue designated for talking about the problems white people face in creating inclusive, diverse communities, which are different than the issues POC face in those same communities.

Because a public school has no business creating racially exclusionary groups. Parents can organize it on their own if they want to.

Also I feel like this kind of stuff just creates echo-chambers where white people assume that there is only one way to be black or some kind of uniform black agenda. And these groups tend also to create the idea that there are some perfect words or books we can give our kids so that they display the appropriate anti-racist attributes. The really hard conversations never happen.

But mainly I think “affinity groups” fail to actually connect to the issues directly related to the actual school. Like, do you need to direct more resources to acceleration? Should more homework be required? What should PTA money go for? For those conversations you need everyone in the room.

1) Obviously an affinity group should not be deciding what PTA money goes to. That's what the PTA is for! In fact, everything you say should be discussed is stuff that the PTA or LPA groups already do. That's not what affinity groups do.

2) Black parents at the school explicitly asked for affinity groups so they could connect to other black parents and discuss issues that are specific to their experience. Do you also oppose that? I'm guessing the black affinity group is not advocating for a "uniform black agenda" nor do I think it is suggesting there is some perfect word or book that will fix their issues. Rather, I think these groups are formed on the premise that peopel need a place to talk things out and to provide that place. The goal is not solve racism, but to address racism by creating a venue to discuss it. The talking is the point, it's not a means to an end.

3) If a black or POC affinity group makes sense (and is being demanded by families) why wouldn't a white affinity group also be useful for the same reason. Again, there is no reason that such a group would need to advocate for a "uniform white agenda" or to identify the one book or word that would fix racism, but to provide a venue for white parents to discuss challenges they are encountering, as questions and share experiences, etc. It's like a support group.

I’m not opposed to affinity groups, but they should *not* be organized or sponsored by the school if they are exclusionary. If a bunch of white moms want to navel gaze about being anti-racist while the test scores for black kids in the school continue to plummet, fine by me. But the actual, hard work of inclusion indeed comes down to the actual material power, like how the PTA decides to use its money and influence on the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ This is very different than wanting a white affinity group at a school that’s 2/3rds white.

Why? You could argue it's even more important for SWS to create spaces for white parents to discuss race and address issues they are having, because they are the dominant race at SWS and the question of inclusivity has been raised repeatedly at the school. It's more delicate there, but the need for a venue in which white people actually talk about race with each other is still strong.

I mean I guess the fear here is that white affinity groups will naturally morph into some kind of exclusionary, racist organization. But why? I get that some people's knee jerk reaction is going to be "oh look, white people excluding everyone else." But if there's a need for a space for white parents to talk through these issues and maybe even share ideas, or even just to talk through discomfort they might be having with an eye towards dispelling it, why would that be bad?

Also, I would assume a white affinity group focused on race issues would sometimes invite POC to come share or provide feedback. So it wouldn't actually be a "whites only" space, but it's just a venue designated for talking about the problems white people face in creating inclusive, diverse communities, which are different than the issues POC face in those same communities.

Because a public school has no business creating racially exclusionary groups. Parents can organize it on their own if they want to.

Also I feel like this kind of stuff just creates echo-chambers where white people assume that there is only one way to be black or some kind of uniform black agenda. And these groups tend also to create the idea that there are some perfect words or books we can give our kids so that they display the appropriate anti-racist attributes. The really hard conversations never happen.

But mainly I think “affinity groups” fail to actually connect to the issues directly related to the actual school. Like, do you need to direct more resources to acceleration? Should more homework be required? What should PTA money go for? For those conversations you need everyone in the room.

1) Obviously an affinity group should not be deciding what PTA money goes to. That's what the PTA is for! In fact, everything you say should be discussed is stuff that the PTA or LPA groups already do. That's not what affinity groups do.

2) Black parents at the school explicitly asked for affinity groups so they could connect to other black parents and discuss issues that are specific to their experience. Do you also oppose that? I'm guessing the black affinity group is not advocating for a "uniform black agenda" nor do I think it is suggesting there is some perfect word or book that will fix their issues. Rather, I think these groups are formed on the premise that peopel need a place to talk things out and to provide that place. The goal is not solve racism, but to address racism by creating a venue to discuss it. The talking is the point, it's not a means to an end.

3) If a black or POC affinity group makes sense (and is being demanded by families) why wouldn't a white affinity group also be useful for the same reason. Again, there is no reason that such a group would need to advocate for a "uniform white agenda" or to identify the one book or word that would fix racism, but to provide a venue for white parents to discuss challenges they are encountering, as questions and share experiences, etc. It's like a support group.

I’m not opposed to affinity groups, but they should *not* be organized or sponsored by the school if they are exclusionary. If a bunch of white moms want to navel gaze about being anti-racist while the test scores for black kids in the school continue to plummet, fine by me. But the actual, hard work of inclusion indeed comes down to the actual material power, like how the PTA decides to use its money and influence on the school.

I agree with your sentiment with one correction - these affinity groups/focus on race is not the work of a "bunch of white moms." This is the work of a few, very vocal community members (staff and parents (both white and black)).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ This is very different than wanting a white affinity group at a school that’s 2/3rds white.

Why? You could argue it's even more important for SWS to create spaces for white parents to discuss race and address issues they are having, because they are the dominant race at SWS and the question of inclusivity has been raised repeatedly at the school. It's more delicate there, but the need for a venue in which white people actually talk about race with each other is still strong.

I mean I guess the fear here is that white affinity groups will naturally morph into some kind of exclusionary, racist organization. But why? I get that some people's knee jerk reaction is going to be "oh look, white people excluding everyone else." But if there's a need for a space for white parents to talk through these issues and maybe even share ideas, or even just to talk through discomfort they might be having with an eye towards dispelling it, why would that be bad?

Also, I would assume a white affinity group focused on race issues would sometimes invite POC to come share or provide feedback. So it wouldn't actually be a "whites only" space, but it's just a venue designated for talking about the problems white people face in creating inclusive, diverse communities, which are different than the issues POC face in those same communities.

Because a public school has no business creating racially exclusionary groups. Parents can organize it on their own if they want to.

Also I feel like this kind of stuff just creates echo-chambers where white people assume that there is only one way to be black or some kind of uniform black agenda. And these groups tend also to create the idea that there are some perfect words or books we can give our kids so that they display the appropriate anti-racist attributes. The really hard conversations never happen.

But mainly I think “affinity groups” fail to actually connect to the issues directly related to the actual school. Like, do you need to direct more resources to acceleration? Should more homework be required? What should PTA money go for? For those conversations you need everyone in the room.

2) Black parents at the school explicitly asked for affinity groups so they could connect to other black parents and discuss issues that are specific to their experience. Do you also oppose that? I'm guessing the black affinity group is not advocating for a "uniform black agenda" nor do I think it is suggesting there is some perfect word or book that will fix their issues. Rather, I think these groups are formed on the premise that peopel need a place to talk things out and to provide that place. The goal is not solve racism, but to address racism by creating a venue to discuss it. The talking is the point, it's not a means to an end.

3) If a black or POC affinity group makes sense (and is being demanded by families) why wouldn't a white affinity group also be useful for the same reason. Again, there is no reason that such a group would need to advocate for a "uniform white agenda" or to identify the one book or word that would fix racism, but to provide a venue for white parents to discuss challenges they are encountering, as questions and share experiences, etc. It's like a support group.

I'm white and I think you miss the point here. While there are some people who object writ large to any "affinity group" my issue is the absurdity of the description of what the white group is to do. That appears to be mostly sitting around talking about how much white folks suck and how being an "ally" means agreeing with whatever a black person says about race. That's not being an "ally", it is condescending to people. I don't have to agree with everything a black person says. I don't have to agree that high standards in a classroom are inherently racist. I can be in favor of longer sentences for violent crime and not be a racist. White people who have actual relationships and friendships with black families have these discussions. They also know enough POC to know there is no one way or thought process that represents "black people". The idea that one vocal group of black folks/think tank want to impose not just definitions of blackness, it also the "right way" to support "black people" is cringeworthy.

The woke-police that drive this kind of garbage are the same people who have chimed in here to tell anyone who objects or has issues with this setup that it is proof they are secret racists and need to participate in the white group. Which is evidence that the white group is set up not as a discussion space where people can discuss the idea(s), but rather a place for them to be told how to behave in the manner that the people purporting to speak for "all black people" think "all white people" should behave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are lots of things we can debate about this and anyone who lives or works in even a moderately progressive place has seen some form of this or another. SWS has become super woke over the years. It is not something they try to hide. So anyone playing the lottery for this school should do so with eyes wide open. Current families who aren’t comfortable with this likely have no other options unless they happen to live in bounds for one of the 3 desirable in-bounds schools (which most SWS families don’t, with the possible exception of LT).

100% The problem, however, is that this is not new. We excluded SWS from our list 9 years ago because of this. What has this "superwoke" agenda brought? Look at the feedback being provided by black families. It would seem the white ally talk track is nothing but performative garbage. It is strictly lip service. It is white folks suffering liberal guilt whose commitment extends exactly as far as a bake sale.