Before we get started, let me clearly state for the record that my wife is a public middle school teacher. The importance of that revelation will become clear as you read on.
I’d warn you that Critical Race Theory and Social Emotional Learning are coming the Tri-Cities, but they’re already here. And when you combine a school district’s insistence on teaching morality instead of math, an abundance of misinformation on both possibilities, a progressive posse who always know what’s best for us, with a COVID incited parental push to be more involved in their children’s education, to say an epic battle is brewing would be the mildest of understatements.
Whenever we’re dealing with nebulous constructs like CRT and SEL, that kind of pitched battle inevitably deteriorates into a war of attrition which kids always lose. To make matters worse yet, most parents apply Justice Potter Stewart’s “I can’t define CRT or SEL, but I know it when I see it,” methodology, which doesn’t bode well for a constructive dialog.
The truth is CRT has been around for 40 years, and at its core, it’s nothing more than someone’s keen perception of the obvious. What? The eminently tribal Homo Sapiens are prone to racism such that it can become embedded in all manner of societal institutions? No!
But while it may not be a groundbreaking theory, there is merit in the notion that institutionalized racism leads to a disproportionate number of minority traffic stops, longer prison sentences for minority offenders, and if I have to read one more story about a Texas high school forcing a black weightlifter to remove his hair beads before a competition, I’m going to scream.
Similarly, SEL’s original intent was to teach students how to better manage their emotions, to have a minimum of empathy for their peers, to set reasonable personal goals, and to apply basic conflict resolution skills. I know a number of adults who could benefit from a heavy dose of this training.
A local minority school district starts each morning with a short SEL lesson and the teachers love it because, “The kids aren’t getting it at home.” Isn’t teaching is difficult enough without it descending into glorified babysitter status because all you do is break up fights, deal with emotional meltdowns, and resolve a host of other student conflicts?
So, if CRT and SEL are actually that innocuous, what turned them into the conservative equivalent of a guard dog’s attack words?
That process started when CRT fell into the hands of progressive university professors who, with less grounding in reality than a “stop the steal” Trumper, turned it into “white original sin” by ignoring the theorist’s original claim that we’re all prone to the same kind of racism.
The vast irony there is, how is the concept of Caucasian original sin any different than white folks dismissing minorities outright based on color of their skin? I won’t keep you in suspense – it isn’t.
In his bestselling book, “How to be an Anti-Racist” author Ibram Kendi suggests that if a form discrimination “creates equity,” then it should be considered “anti-racist.” Oh reall! So, the solution to the problem has always been the problem itself?
There’s no bigotry quite like minority bigotry.
SEL similarly went off the rails when, instead of sticking to those basic self-improvement tenets, it veered into using teaching tolerance, morality, and LGBTQ issues. I’m not saying they aren’t important and I don’t disagree with any of them, but they’re clearly the purview of parent and not teachers.
What did D303 think would happen when a St. Charles North health teacher posted this class agenda:
- Understanding the genderbread person
- Learning about LBGTQ+ terminology
- Critical questions reflection
They’d get a hearty pat on the back? And what does any of that have to with student health?
No to be outdone, a Geneva High School health teacher showed this video covering gay issues and followed it up with quiz questions like these:
- At one point in the video, Kyla brings up the idea that nonacceptance of a lifestyle is not equal to hate. What do you think of that concept?
- Chris is visibly upset that his boyfriend wouldn’t write to him for fear of being outed on TV. Why might he be afraid of people knowing about his sexuality
As liberal as I am, this kind of propaganda makes me want to run out and join the Eagle Forum. What on god’s green earth does any of that have to do with preparing students for college or life in general? I’m all for tolerance, but why should any child be taught “LBGTQ+ terminology?” Are there well-paid gay-straight translator jobs that I haven’t heard about?
Exactly how would you grade that kind of quiz, too? I’m thinking a more conservative response probably wouldn’t get you an “A.”
Can anyone tell me why progressives are more obsessed with our sexuality than alt-right conservatives? Perhaps if teachers weren’t highlighting that issue every ten seconds, their gay and transgender students wouldn’t face nearly as much bullying. And why are D303 and D304 wasting their time and limited resources on these absurdities when we’re still facing a massive COVID remote learning gap?
I may not be able to answer those questions, but I can tell you that warping of CRT and SEL to their own agenda is the result of the far-left insistence that things are always “worse than they’ve ever been.” Improvement is never a possibility in this preposterous progressive proposition because that would render their sanctimonious and stilted lives utterly meaningless. How could they possibly feel better about themselves if they didn’t have something or someone else to rail against?
As comedian and political pundit Bill Maher so eloquently put it:
If you think America is more racist now than ever, more sexist than before women could vote, you have progressophobia. Look at the changes America has made on disputed issues like gay marriage and marijuana legislation. Even something like bullying. It still happens but being outwardly cruel to people who are different is no longer acceptable. That’s progress. Acknowledging progress isn’t saying, ‘We’re done,’ or, ‘We don’t need more.’ And being gloomier doesn’t mean you’re a better person.
Then progressives compound a problem by shoving their “morality” down our collective throats which only serves to create the requisite equal and opposite political reaction.
The best examples of this pendulum dynamic are Florida’s new “Don’t say gay” law and Texas requiring child welfare workers to open abuse claims against parents suspected of providing gender-affirming care to their transgender children.
It’s the worst kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Yes, it’s worse because you just made it worse!
It all comes down to the very basic fact that it’s MY job to teach my children tolerance and morality, not some random teacher’s. And the fact that any school district would be so willing to take on that perilous task on tells you everything you need to know about today’s educators’ martyr mindsets.
They also seem to forget that if you’re going to insist on teaching morality and tolerance, then you better set the standard first, and our school districts certainly can’t claim that high ground. If it was still up to them, their students would still be masked and not learning remotely.
What really frosts my flakes is, per Mr. Maher, our children are just fine. With rare exception, they no longer care about race or who loves who, which renders these co-opted versions of CRT and SEL as solutions in search of a problem. Who thinks these morality plays would even begin to undo the kind of bigotry that’s learned at home?
So, my first point is that we’d all be far better off if the folks on both sides of this debate would let go of Tail Gunner Joe’s contention that “there’s a commie behind every bush.” Not every Caucasian is a closet racist/homophobe and not all questionable curriculum is the result of CRT or SEL.
Our school districts are more than capable of screwing up on their own.
But the bigger point is, in an epic case of be careful what you wish for, I want to warn our school boards and districts that their needless COVID mitigations have awoken a slumbering parental giant, and for better or worse, they will be far more involved in their children’s education going forward. Considering all the potential fallout, I’d encourage administrators and teachers to avoid that progressive propaganda and get back to educating our children because to proceed with these pointless CRT and SEL battles is to wage a war they cannot, should not, and will not win.
