Our public schools are emailing us incessantly about racism

June 7, 2020 | me

[karpov]

My children attend the public middle and high schools in a suburb of Boston. Since George Floyd's death, school officials have been emailing parents on almost a daily basis about racism. Their goal is to train children to be "anti-racists". Here are three recent emails they sent, with names changed. I bet lots of schools are doing this, especially in progressive areas.

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June 7, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope you are doing well. The work of Beverly Daniel Tatum, prominent psychologist, clearly indicates that children are aware of racial differences and the impact of racism at a very young age. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some resources that may help your middle school students (and maybe you) process and talk about complicated issues such as racism, activism, and social justice.

CNN/Sesame Street Racism Town Hall – This show was broadcasted yesterday, and it offered answers to complex questions related to racism and protest delivered in manners that are accessible to children. Although Sesame Street characters are at the center of the show, the intended audience is not just for young children. It featured prominent leaders and scholars (like the previously mentioned Beverly Tatum) who provided practical advice to parents and caregivers about how to guide children through the complicated events that occurred during the past two weeks. The information and content of the show is appropriate for middle school aged students as well. You may be able to get your teenagers to watch it if you frame it as a way for both of you to take a trip down memory lane to visit with Big Bird and Elmo.

Socialjusticebooks.org– This website offers a collection of both fiction and nonfiction books for children and young adults at various age levels on a variety of topics related to social justice.

I would also like to recommend to you two books I read during the past year that really challenged my thinking about racism and equality. The two titles are included below.

How to be an Antiracist by Ibram Kendi – This book really probed my thinking about what is a racist and what needs to be done to dismantle racism and push back against racist ideas. Dr. Kendi was featured in Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us podcast during which he talked about some of the main ideas featured in this book. I included the link to the show here. It is definitely worth a listen.

Raising White Kids by Jennifer Harvey – I am married to a white woman, and we are raising three biracial kids. This book really helped us think through the privileges my children possess by being able to assume a white identity as well as the responsibilities that come with those privileges to promote racial equality. Dr. Harvey was also featured in the aforementioned CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall. She touched on a few of the topics discussed in her book during the show.

I hope you will find these resources to be helpful. Thank you and I wish you all well.

John Doe
Principal
XYZ Middle School

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June 6, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this message finds you well. I, like many of you, are saddened and outraged by the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. However, I am also encouraged that these tragic events are causing more people in our community and across our country to want to have conversations about complicated matters such as racism, justice, and equity. I am particularly heartened by the number of students who have reached out to their teachers and to me in recent days to inquire what actions they can take to combat racism and all forms of bias. I know many of the students (and maybe you, as well) are struggling with the idea of protest and how to engage in protest in a manner that is safe for you physically and emotionally.

Given that the topics of racism, justice, and protest are complicated and will likely require follow up discussions, I am sending a letter that I crafted for our students with you as opposed to directly with the students. Please feel free to share it with them if it would be useful in your discussions about current events. I hope that it might be a useful tool to begin a conversation with your children about racism, or to help you think through actionable responses to counter all forms of bias. Our students are witnessing a critical time in history, and it is our responsibility to help them process these complex matters. Additionally, I have shared this article with you before, and I would like to do so again in case some of you missed it. It provides parents and guardians some food for thought regarding how to help students think through these complicated but important issues.

Thank you,

John Doe
Principal
XYZ Middle School

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June 3, 2020

Dear XYZ Families:

Response to Systemic Racism and Violence

District personnel, the town manager, school committee members, police chief and I have been speaking regularly about our great sorrow and grave concerns about systemic racism and have worked closely with the Network for Social Justice to jointly sign a statement that captures our shared beliefs and commitments. Please click here to read: Letter

Confronting the complex issues related to racial bias has been a district focus for several years, not in response to any single event, but as part of normal operations. For example, principals and teachers have been working regularly with Teaching Tolerance and other organizations to ensure that we engage in active anti-racist training. We trained all teachers this year on how to evaluate instructional materials for bias and have sought to increase the diversity of texts used by all K-12 students. We are reviewing our RULER social-emotional curriculum to ensure class charters address issues related to racial and ethnic bias directly. All principals have communicated with staff members this week to provide reminders about appropriate resources and activities they can use with our students. If we can do more to support you, please contact principals or teachers directly with suggestions or questions.

I am heartsick and angry at the turn of events in our country, but remain hopeful that change is coming and that it will be led by our students. Not being physically present with our school community in these difficult times hurts us deeply. While we might stumble in finding the right words, we are steadfast in our commitment to building strong, inclusive schools and preparing our students to be upstanders and active anti-racists.

Survey Link

We anxiously await further word from the state on options for our fall opening of schools and will share our plans as soon as we can. In the meantime, if you have not already completed a survey on your experience during distance learning, please do so here: Parent Survey.

I hope you and your family stay well in these difficult days.

Jane Doe
Superintendent of Schools

[freeandfreezing]

It seems like the leftists have all come to believe that wrapping their ideas in the banner or anti-racism will prevent them from criticism.

It is difficult to stand up to them publicly when they have your children as hostages, and your children have to navigate a social environment where even mentioning a relationship to someone who isn't a leftist may cause them to be shunned.

Thanks for sharing what the school is up to. I hope you can share a more balanced perspective with your children. Perhaps they should know the true history of racism in America as it was and is directed by the Democrat party.

From the days of reconstruction through today Democrats have stood in the way of equality. Recently they have adopted and are now supporting the radical left.

[Bommer]

Reply back “your job is to educate, not indoctrinate, and so far the only reason you exist, is to educate, at which you are failing at, mostly for black children. Is it that you hate blacks so much that they graduate illiterate? Maybe you woke dumbasses should focus on your actual goal, education instead of trying to looked concerned, in hopes some BLM parent pats whitie on the back! Do your dam job! Children tend not to be racist, but it looks like you are wanting to teach them to be. Treat everyone the same, do you job or I will home school!”

[Deaf Smith]

Why John Doe of XYZ schools and Jane Doe as the supertendant?

Can they not use their names to the emails, or did you adjust this for some reason?

If real names were given for a public distribution of the emails, then you should be able to post the full content.

[DoodleBob]

This is the end game

white parents — even anti-racist white parents — ...if they really want a less racist world, they may need to rethink how they approach parenting. "Everyone is trying to do the best for their kid," she says. "But I actually think that there are times when maybe the best interest of your own kid isn't actually the best choice. Ultimately, being a good citizen sometimes conflicts with being good parents. And sometimes maybe parents should decide to be good citizens over being good parents." (Emphasis added) That could mean voting to raise taxes so to better fund public schools. Maybe in our case it should have meant choosing a public school rather than a private one.

There it is...it takes village all over again. Being a good citizen means NOT going to Church (because, ya know...science is always right-ask Fauci), and surrendering your guns before that boating accident.

[karpov]

As I wrote in my message,

“Here are three recent emails they sent, with names changed.”

[cgbg]

Homeschooling bump.

The schools have been pushing this anti-white crap since the 1960s.

[cgbg]

Leftist statement: “We are all in this together.”

True Translation: “Some pigs are more equals than others. Get on your knees.”

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Public schools these days are indoctrination centers. Homeschool your kids if you can.

[moovova]

“Remove me from your email list.”

[cgbg]

The leftist intimidation game has been if full force for fifty years, particularly in education.

I am actually an optimist on this, because I think we will develop the tools for home schooling to become practical for all smart kids.

The dumb ones will have to have baby-sitters at the leftist indoctrination centers. :-(

[Deaf Smith]

Those were unsolocitited emails to the public.

You can thus use their names and schools given.

[EinNYC]

OMG. I'd say the school libtards-in-charge are turning the school into a SJ factory.

Just LISTEN to the bend-over-backward crap they are pulling out of ordinary life experiences. I'd say if you can afford it, get your kids out of the hands of these snowflake recruiters ASAP. No wonder we have seen so many white kids and young adults chanting "BLM! BLM!" and telling anyone stupid enough to listen how "ashamed" they are of their "white privilege". They have been brainwashed to be ashamed of who they are. Gee, I thought schools were supposed to tell kids that they should be PROUD of what they are, no matter what. I guess these screwed up days, that's only if they are gay, black, Hispanic---anything but white. Go pound sand, libtards!

[TChad]

Roger Kimball on "Racism, Inc."

https://amgreatness.com/2020/06/06/racism-inc/

Excellent.

[cgbg]

The schools are totally racist.

Many decades ago they were anti-black.

Now they are anti-white.

Hate is hate, no matter how they sugar coat it.

[Lurker]

Email them back. Better yet show up at the next Board meeting and voice your displeasure.

L

[freeandfreezing]

The dumb ones will have to have baby-sitters at the leftist indoctrination centers

Not true. Often the kids who don't fit the standard public school model and who would be seen as "dumb" there do very well with a different method of education. That's one of the great advantages of home schooling.

There are plentiful resources, and as a parent you can find what works for your kid. You don't need some standardized method you can apply to a thousand kids, just whatever works for your kids.

One of the keys to education is finding the right moment for a student to learn a concept. As a parent you have the ability to teach your home schooled students when they are in the right state of mind to learn. Sometimes that is at a desk, sometimes it is in Home Depot, or maybe outside as the moon rises.

Home schooling can work very well for students with all levels of ability.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I have no particular right to question you about your own family situation, but... are you going to send your kids back there to be bullied by those so-called educators? It’s hard enough for mature adults to withstand the constant pressure. It doesn’t send right to send kids into that total-immersion, soul-deforming environment.

[Zionist Conspirator]

You realize, do you not, that you’ve linked to a National Socialist, anti-Semitic web site???

[genghis]

I would write back there would be less racism if blacks behave like asians

[El Cid]

my health insurance company sent me their wa-wa story...bl—k lives matter.....I sent back “all lives matter”..

I think I'd reply: 'I agree, I am glad to hear that you are Pro-Life. All lives matter, but since a disproportionate number of black babies are aborted - I am glad to hear that you are coming out as strongly Pro-Life"