Posted on 06/07/2020 6:42:42 PM PDT by 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
It works, now I am starting to feel White Guilt.
Every frickin’ company is sending me these stupid emails.
Broadcasted? This principal needs a course in basic English.
I don’t get emails like this, thankfully. I don’t have kids and I don’t hand out my email address to most companies.
It makes me sick, really.
A trick democrats are utilizing early to attempt causing everyone to vote democrat. Imho
“Anti-racism” is code for “kill Whitey.”
This is more proof that “public education” needs to go bye-bye.
We used to think proper use of the English language was white speech. Now that BLM is in charge, we have been brought to understand that good grammar is racist.
No parent who cares for the mental well-being of their child should send them to a gubmint school.
I live in a more conservative area (in a blue state) and even though our teachers’ unions are powerful political entities, at least no one in our school district would dare send their propaganda to the parents.
One thing is clear - your school district’s ideologue teachers are pit-bulls off the leash. Telling them to go to hell may have consequences for you or your child (leftists are vicious like that) while doing nothing also seems unbearable.
my health insurance company sent me their wa-wa story...bl—k lives matter.....I sent back “all lives matter”..
Over the past several months children have learned that the government can tell you to stay inside, not go to church, close your families businesses - and if you do, you may be fined or arrested, but definitely shamed by your neighbors.
They are now telling your children that one group of people is different, and better, than another simply based on the color of their skin.
Keep your kids out of public schools.
My diocese sent out an email entitled, “America’s original sin” and how to pray to end racism.
I used to donate lots of my time, talent and treasure to the church.
Full stop. Done.
Good luck. You and others will be in the dwindling minority. The left is picking off people one by one to capitulate.
The principal is tripping over her own trite, shop worn, borrowed bromides. I’m sure ‘We’re all in this together!’ is mixed up somewhere in that word salad.
Meanwhile, next to nothing about the academic curriculum.
Feelings. Nothing more than feelings.
I believe in what I believe, but I won’t tolerate a communist posing as a pope to tell me how to live my life.
God, country, family. Always.
Government Indoctrination Camps need to be defunded.
Trump needs to unilaterally establish refundable tax credits for parents who send their daughters and sons to private schools.
Governors need to do that too.
Anglo ways ceased being the standard decades ago.
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