Anonymous wrote:Please don't use religion to support critical race theory. They aren't close to being the same thing. CRT is the exact opposite of "inclusivity." It's shrouded in buzzwords that sound good, but it divides people and teaches them that they're victims or that they're guilty based on the colour of their skin.

I bet you're a really nice person who is trying to do the right thing for everyone. But if you dug down into the details of what CRT is actually about, you might rethink your support of what SR is doing.

Maybe I'm missing something, because I thought they were required to attend ONE session during the multicultural festival.


Reasonable people could disagree on this, but theres not a CRT theme on the DEI commitment page.

For everyone here who is opposed to DEI/CRT, how exactly do you want SR and other schools to tackle our nation's historic and systemic racism? What will make you and your daughters "comfortable" in discussing racism and the role it has played in our nation's justice system, housing policies, insurance offerings, transportation systems, athletic opportunities, grocery locations, health care systems, academic opportunities, farming policies, and so on? is there a level of being "uncomfortable" that you can live with?

Any time our schools and other American institutions try to discuss race and discrimination there is always push back from people who are uncomfortable. There is push back almost every time, usually by white Americans, who claim that is is not appropriate, not the right time, not the right format, not seeing things from "all sides," etc. We just went through Colin Kapernick getting assailed for taking a non-violent stance to protest police brutality by kneeling at the national anthem. When other athletes started to join him, there was tremendous opposition, especially on the political right. And remember, when MLK was assassinated a majority of Americans thought he was too radical. So there never seems to be a right time, right format, right way to discuss racism in America.

So, what would you replace the DEI effort at Sr with?

Anonymous wrote:I support DEI work in general. What I don't support is the Upper School requiring all students to sign up for an affinity club. It made students uncomfortable, and although it could have been encouraged, the ideas of freedom of choice (as in choice not to join) should have encouraged as well. If the school stays on this trajectory, our current middle school daughter will be applying to Visi. Because we chose not to apply to Holton or NCS for just this reason -- too liberal. SR used to be a nice balance but.....

+100

We're looking into the SJC honors program as well.

Please don't use religion to support critical race theory. They aren't close to being the same thing. CRT is the exact opposite of "inclusivity." It's shrouded in buzzwords that sound good, but it divides people and teaches them that they're victims or that they're guilty based on the colour of their skin.

I bet you're a really nice person who is trying to do the right thing for everyone. But if you dug down into the details of what CRT is actually about, you might rethink your support of what SR is doing.

I support DEI work in general. What I don't support is the Upper School requiring all students to sign up for an affinity club. It made students uncomfortable, and although it could have been encouraged, the ideas of freedom of choice (as in choice not to join) should have encouraged as well. If the school stays on this trajectory, our current middle school daughter will be applying to Visi. Because we chose not to apply to Holton or NCS for just this reason -- too liberal. SR used to be a nice balance but.....

Anonymous wrote:There’s a good mix-maybe leaning conservative-in SR families but the HOS seems to be trying to push SR way to the left. She must know many parents are against it bc she’s trying to hide it. Her lame email tonight didn’t help. I hope enough parents speak out to save SR from becoming just another one of many ultraliberal DC private schools. I’m not criticizing liberal schools, but we should be able to have a few top schools that are conservative or at least politically neutral as well.

There’s much to love about SR. If we can get this one issue fixed I’d recommend it highly.

Are you familiar with the Mission, Goals and Criteria of the Sacred Heart Schools? Your posts read as though you may not be familiar with those values. If you are not, I would urge you to read the Sacred Heart Networks manual that's publicly available on the network website.

Goal 3: a social awareness which impels to action
Goal 4: the building of community as a Christian value

The networks statement explicitly says, "building a world reflective of the attitudes of Christ's Heart."

Directly from Jesus Christ himself Mark 12:30&31: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

I don't see the DEI work as being in conflict with the Sacred Heart goals nor the Gospels. More importantly, I personally think Jesus himself would be supportive of inclusivity as it brings more people into the christian community.

I've actually been directly involved in developing diversity training, diversity issues for a long time and am passionate about the issue. One can agree there are real diversity and inclusion issues, real racism. However, there can still be differences of opinions of how you approach it from a learning perspective, particularly at different development ages and for some, in the context of other issues / change going on in a person's environment and life. This approach is still very new.

I have some concerns how this is being approached with the younger kids right now and the volume of content, focus and some of the comments my young daughter has made. In addition, I found out my young MS daughter is hearing from kids with siblings the upper school piece and hard to parse what is happening. Some of these kids have had a challenging year with covid (SR has been in person less than many private schools) - so adding this on right now to very young kids at the volume SR is in their curriculum, its hard to say this is ideal timing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a senior who is about to graduate after an excellent experience in SR upper school. While I was initially skeptical of the increased focus on DEI issues and thought they should just stick to academics, my daughter has really loved these activities and has never felt targeted for being white. Over the past year as we've spent a lot of time researching top colleges and eventually getting some great acceptances I've also seen that this culture of diversity work is much stronger in top schools and I think my daughter would have had a much harder time fitting in with college if she hadn't already been exposed to this at SR.

Bottom line, it's an excellent school that prepared my daughter to get into several great colleges. Every top school seems to have some angry haters on this board.

Being unhappy with SR exposing our DD's to the tenets of critical race theory is not the same as being an angry hater. We love SR just as you do. I'm glad your DD had a good experience there, but she's leaving just as the CRT curriculum gears up. I agree DEI at SR hasn't been terrible before now, but those of us with younger children have to worry more about where SR is headed.

I'm sure there are SR parents who would love to see SR go far left and become more like Holton or GDS in how race and gender issues are treated, but I think there are many more who disagree with this and just want SR to get back to actually teaching our DD's instead of indoctrinating them. There needs to be an honest discussion between SR and parents about this in which everyone can speak freely and no one has to worry about being canceled or having some teachers hate their DD because of their non-progressive views (it happens).

My DD is a freshman at SR this year and we have had no problems with the DEI efforts at the school. For the PP, have you attend any of the Better Together parent discussions the past year or two where there have been opportunities to discuss race and DEI issues?

I'd be fine with a more wide open forum, but I think its also important to note that somebody disagreeing with your take on SR's DEI efforts does not mean you were cancelled. It's fine to speak freely, and I don't believe SR has not allowed people to share their views, but also be prepared for other parents supportign the school's efforts and wanting their voices to be heard as well.

Anonymous wrote:I have a senior who is about to graduate after an excellent experience in SR upper school. While I was initially skeptical of the increased focus on DEI issues and thought they should just stick to academics, my daughter has really loved these activities and has never felt targeted for being white. Over the past year as we've spent a lot of time researching top colleges and eventually getting some great acceptances I've also seen that this culture of diversity work is much stronger in top schools and I think my daughter would have had a much harder time fitting in with college if she hadn't already been exposed to this at SR.

Bottom line, it's an excellent school that prepared my daughter to get into several great colleges. Every top school seems to have some angry haters on this board.

Being unhappy with SR exposing our DD's to the tenets of critical race theory is not the same as being an angry hater. We love SR just as you do. I'm glad your DD had a good experience there, but she's leaving just as the CRT curriculum gears up. I agree DEI at SR hasn't been terrible before now, but those of us with younger children have to worry more about where SR is headed.

I'm sure there are SR parents who would love to see SR go far left and become more like Holton or GDS in how race and gender issues are treated, but I think there are many more who disagree with this and just want SR to get back to actually teaching our DD's instead of indoctrinating them. There needs to be an honest discussion between SR and parents about this in which everyone can speak freely and no one has to worry about being canceled or having some teachers hate their DD because of their non-progressive views (it happens).

I have a senior who is about to graduate after an excellent experience in SR upper school. While I was initially skeptical of the increased focus on DEI issues and thought they should just stick to academics, my daughter has really loved these activities and has never felt targeted for being white. Over the past year as we've spent a lot of time researching top colleges and eventually getting some great acceptances I've also seen that this culture of diversity work is much stronger in top schools and I think my daughter would have had a much harder time fitting in with college if she hadn't already been exposed to this at SR.

Bottom line, it's an excellent school that prepared my daughter to get into several great colleges. Every top school seems to have some angry haters on this board.

Anonymous wrote:SR LS parent here. Saw CRK message tonight and then saw LI clip from 4/16. If true, why is SR supporting an activity that asks kids born in this century to be accountable for...being white!? If this is how SR US operates, very concerned about daughter’s future. Was also concerned with survey sent around a while back asking about gender identity. Send daughter to GIRLS’ Catholic school so she can get a great education. With other kids who are biologically female.

Nothing in the message or the email asked anyone to be accountable for being white. Understanding attitudes toward LGBTQ issues including gender identity are basic DEI work. If there was anything offensive to you above the extremely sensitive and fair email from the school or basic survey questions about diversity, this is not the school for you. I'm not sure I could point to another school in the area where they don't discuss diversity but it sounds like you should find one.

SR LS parent here. Saw CRK message tonight and then saw LI clip from 4/16. If true, why is SR supporting an activity that asks kids born in this century to be accountable for...being white!? If this is how SR US operates, very concerned about daughter’s future. Was also concerned with survey sent around a while back asking about gender identity. Send daughter to GIRLS’ Catholic school so she can get a great education. With other kids who are biologically female.

KAC

Anonymous wrote:The commitment to critical race theory is strong, as it is with most of the independent schools in this area. The Fox News piece highlighted just one event at SR, but there have been many others and will continue to be. Obviously Laura Ingraham has a contact within the community that shared the information with her.

I guess time will tell how this all plays out.

Her info came from KOC I bet.

I will speak out — and support what they are doing. Many of us do.

Your daughter needs to hear and learn about these issues. They are out there. She may actually get something out of it and may even enjoy it — what a concept.