Private Schools that Emphasize Critical and Independent Thinking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

Having a solid foundation in science, especially natural science and statistics, is good for critical thinking (e.g. navigating the horrible mis information age) and distinguish truth from false in critical times.

I strongly disagree and would argue that overemphasizing STEM is part of the problem. The humanities are where independent thought is developed and have traditionally been the edge that American education had over China, India et al.

That is your opinion. Both are highly important.

We can outsource science and engineering to Chinese! And other immigrants. Let Americans be managers and lawyers. Who is gonna be the doctors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

Do you ever voice your concerns or do anything besides be unhappy and bothered? Do you ever say anything to your children?

Of course. This is one advantage of having a parent who is a professor. We have good conversations at home where my kids are free to ask all the questions they want and to test ideas that they are afraid to at school, where they very well may be "cancelled" by classmates and teachers.

"cancel" code for racist white Christian. You were never "liberal," only MAGA/Republicans call it "cancel".
Your word salad changes nothing we all know who you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any school based on a progressive model is going to teach kids to think independently.

Burke
Field
GDS

They also have to know some basic math, science, literacy and history to think critically, which I believe most of American schools are lacking.

No they are not "lacking"

The problem is parents.

No kid. graduates from any public school in this country without knowing the basics unless they are an athlete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

We had a bite of that when last year any criticism of Israeli government is viewed as anti semitism even when one voicing it is Jewish.

+1. GDS is particularly bad at this. The suggestion of the Gaza war as genocide is quickly shot down. Not surprisingly, DS is hearing a lot of accusations (parroting of parents) of Mamdani as antisemitic. It's unfortunate. We stay because of other aspects of the school, but the school definitely discourages critical thinking on certain topics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

Do you ever voice your concerns or do anything besides be unhappy and bothered? Do you ever say anything to your children?

Of course. This is one advantage of having a parent who is a professor. We have good conversations at home where my kids are free to ask all the questions they want and to test ideas that they are afraid to at school, where they very well may be "cancelled" by classmates and teachers.

"cancel" code for racist white Christian. You were never "liberal," only MAGA/Republicans call it "cancel".
Your word salad changes nothing we all know who you are.

Yikes. You are exactly the kind of liberal who stupidly and hypocritically has accelerated the demise of academic freedom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

Do you ever voice your concerns or do anything besides be unhappy and bothered? Do you ever say anything to your children?

Of course. This is one advantage of having a parent who is a professor. We have good conversations at home where my kids are free to ask all the questions they want and to test ideas that they are afraid to at school, where they very well may be "cancelled" by classmates and teachers.

"cancel" code for racist white Christian. You were never "liberal," only MAGA/Republicans call it "cancel".
Your word salad changes nothing we all know who you are.

Hmmm. I am not white or Christian, and I wouldn't consider myself to be racist (though, as a person of color, I know that racism exists across different ethnic and racial groups). I put "cancelled" in quote marks for a reason. We all know what "cancel culture" refers to, and it can be found in both very liberal and very conservative groups. Don't be naive.

[Anonymous]

The Heights. Our kid attended as a non-Catholic. Rigorous classic education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

We had a bite of that when last year any criticism of Israeli government is viewed as anti semitism even when one voicing it is Jewish.

+1. GDS is particularly bad at this. The suggestion of the Gaza war as genocide is quickly shot down. Not surprisingly, DS is hearing a lot of accusations (parroting of parents) of Mamdani as antisemitic. It's unfortunate. We stay because of other aspects of the school, but the school definitely discourages critical thinking on certain topics.

So, how does this fit in the social justice? Social justice for the one group?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

Do you ever voice your concerns or do anything besides be unhappy and bothered? Do you ever say anything to your children?

Of course. This is one advantage of having a parent who is a professor. We have good conversations at home where my kids are free to ask all the questions they want and to test ideas that they are afraid to at school, where they very well may be "cancelled" by classmates and teachers.

No, do you ever speak up at the school about what bothers you about the atmosphere there? Do you ever acknowledge to your kids that their school is not a safe place to speak their minds? Do you ask them how they feel about being in that environment every day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

We had a bite of that when last year any criticism of Israeli government is viewed as anti semitism even when one voicing it is Jewish.

+1. GDS is particularly bad at this. The suggestion of the Gaza war as genocide is quickly shot down. Not surprisingly, DS is hearing a lot of accusations (parroting of parents) of Mamdani as antisemitic. It's unfortunate. We stay because of other aspects of the school, but the school definitely discourages critical thinking on certain topics.

So, how does this fit in the social justice? Social justice for the one group?

No school charging well over $50k/yr has any real interest in social justice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

We had a bite of that when last year any criticism of Israeli government is viewed as anti semitism even when one voicing it is Jewish.

+1. GDS is particularly bad at this. The suggestion of the Gaza war as genocide is quickly shot down. Not surprisingly, DS is hearing a lot of accusations (parroting of parents) of Mamdani as antisemitic. It's unfortunate. We stay because of other aspects of the school, but the school definitely discourages critical thinking on certain topics.

So, how does this fit in the social justice? Social justice for the one group?

No school charging well over $50k/yr has any real interest in social justice.

So that is all for show? Hypocritical?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Progressive schools do not invite debate acknowledging that both sides of many political issues have valid points, and encourage students to think critically and be able to appreciate, articulate, and argue from multiple perspectives. Instead, any dissent is “hate.” Backward and the opposite of critical thinking.

Isn't there a difference between schools that practice progressive education and schools that have progressive politics? Or is there not?

There tends to be an overlap in part because progressive schools are inherently open to challenging the status quo with regard to pedagogical techniques. Children become active participants in their own learning, as opposed to vessels to be filled by higher-status adult teachers, which complicates (but does not eliminate) hierarchical relationships. Not surprisingly, people who are open to this model of education tend to be more liberal politically.
I consider myself to be very liberal politically, but as a long-time professor in the humanities, it really bothers me when I see the policing of ideas from both the left and the right, but more from the left because it is so blindly hypocritical. I send my own children to a well-known liberal and progressive independent school, but I am unhappy knowing that there is definitely an atmosphere where students are afraid to ask or test out controversial ideas--and quick assumptions that clumsy language is ill-intended--because of fear or reprisal from students and faculty.

Do you ever voice your concerns or do anything besides be unhappy and bothered? Do you ever say anything to your children?

Of course. This is one advantage of having a parent who is a professor. We have good conversations at home where my kids are free to ask all the questions they want and to test ideas that they are afraid to at school, where they very well may be "cancelled" by classmates and teachers.

No, do you ever speak up at the school about what bothers you about the atmosphere there? Do you ever acknowledge to your kids that their school is not a safe place to speak their minds? Do you ask them how they feel about being in that environment every day?

You are really pushy. Are you this exhausting IRL?