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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Just came across this thread and look forward to reading the whole thing this evening but, as a parent of kids in a hard-left elite DC private school, I have been growing more and more concerned about what my kids have been taught. For example, all or almost all books in an English class are by black authors (rather than what you might expect - a mix from various backgrounds and ethnicities). Also, I’ve gleaned that my kids seem to think being gay or transgender is not merely to be respected and not criticized; rather, being gay or going trans apparently is taught as something that is … normal. Books read by middle schoolers (novels?!) include soft porn kissing and petting pre-teens; transgender activists are celebrated speakers at school assemblies. A sign outside the college counseling office says, with rainbows and butterflies around, something like “gender is who you are and what you believe.” Gee, that’s great for the @90% of kids who have a hard time in middle and upper school who feel awkward, anxious, and/or are having a hard time making friends (and trying to figure out why they aren’t one of the popular kids). Anyway - big sigh. Glad others are frustrated with the extreme left indoctrination that seems to be the rule at some of DC’s private schools.[/quote]

I sincerely want to thank this poster for articulating what exactly is "woke" that is bothering them at their school.

That being said - I'm wondering if you can verify that all of the books being read in English class for the entire year were written by black authors? Could you share the list here?  Are you sure you weren't just looking at a list for this month, black history month, and maybe they were focusing on specific authors for the month?  Did you look up every author to confirm their race?

I'm also wondering if you can clarify what "soft porn" is?  How did these passages come to your attention? Did your child bring them to you? Do you read the books assigned to your kids? Would you prefer no books with kissing at all? Where would you consider a line that is less "extreme"

In your opinion are trans speakers more "celebrated" than other speakers at the school. Or are you upset that a trans person spoke at your school at all. Could you share a list of all the speakers at your school this year and would that list show a specific agenda?  Were there many trans speakers or one in a long list of speakers on a variety of topics? Or are you just mad about this one speaker coming at all.

Would you prefer - or consider it less of an "agenda" - if your school just ignored the existence of trans kids? One sign by the counsellors office targeting support for a particularly at risk group doesn't seem extreme. What would your reaction be if there was sign targeting a different at risk group outside that office?  Were there any other signs outside the office or just one solitary sign of support for trans kids?

What I'm trying to get at here is that there is a narrative being driven by politicians and political operatives that "Woke Schools have gone to far."  These articles and speeches and news stories are often low on facts or context. They are just meant to create a gut feeling. That reading black authors has gone too far! That supporting trans kids has gone too far! ect. Some support would be fine but what schools are doing right now is too much support!!! This is done so that whenever you as a parent see anything about a black author or speaker or trans author or speaker your first thought is "TOO FAR" not to think about the context of that only being a small percentage of what your child is exposed to.  The ultimate goal, by bad actors, being to ban all books by black authors and all support for trans kids.  So I would ask anyone whose reading this to really consider what their own definition is of TOO FAR and what they would consider an acceptable amount of school support for these groups/ideas before freaking out. 
  
[/quote]

NP to this thread; I am NOT the PP to whom you are addressing your questions and comments. But I'd like to jump in with my opinion, as a parent of kids in DC area privates who are expressing the same situations.  (Same school? Possibly.)

The reason that I am paying the exorbitant price that I am for my kids' MS and US-level education is that I expect them to get exactly that - an education. I am not interested in them being preached at, indoctrinated with or introduced to concepts that are controversial and personal at best, and wrong and destructive at worst. School is not the place to discuss one's own or others' sexuality, gender identity, etc. That is something that we handle at home, as a family and within the parameters of our religious, moral and family cultural beliefs.

I understand that there are kids in the school who are not being brought up in the way that mine are, and who have parents who feel differently about the desire to have their kids affirmed by the school in whatever it is they are currently struggling with. However, that should not come at the expense of everyone else's desire for a solid, science-based, well-rounded liberal arts education. How about this - you insist that the curriculum include books on and by trans kids and alternatively structured families; I insist that the curriculum include books on the value of and need to pursue religious truth. Now is everyone happy?[/quote]

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