I read and wept over the Oak Park Elementary story focusing on their social justice equity policy. The idea that elementary students must learn to recognize injustice, and to believe and declare that systemic racism and white supremacy is baked in the American cake affecting their lives at every turn was simply mind blowing and sad. Oddly, as a testimony that their teacher-training was working, they cited one K class that was able to identify their stuff animals by using "they" and "them" pronouns. What?
There was no mention of how to use research based best practices and strategies to teach and improve content area skills especially for those lagging behind. There is absolutely no data I am aware of that the use of a social justice curriculum closes achievement gaps.
Needless to say, this is an exercise in futility, and an unfortunate display of collective low self-esteem and infantilization being passed down from black elites and their white counterparts to our innocent and starry-eyed children. I hope that the Chicago, Oak Park parents raise hell.
I'm so happy to get these updates. The only thing I feel is lacking is some representation of any positive changes that are occurring. I know it's FAIR's main objective to identify injustices and help drive solutions, but there have to be "good news" items out there too. Being from Colorado, I started to get that feeling reading the piece about Colorado's social studies standards, but that turned out to be a negative too. Anyway, just a thought. Thanks.
I read and wept over the Oak Park Elementary story focusing on their social justice equity policy. The idea that elementary students must learn to recognize injustice, and to believe and declare that systemic racism and white supremacy is baked in the American cake affecting their lives at every turn was simply mind blowing and sad. Oddly, as a testimony that their teacher-training was working, they cited one K class that was able to identify their stuff animals by using "they" and "them" pronouns. What?
There was no mention of how to use research based best practices and strategies to teach and improve content area skills especially for those lagging behind. There is absolutely no data I am aware of that the use of a social justice curriculum closes achievement gaps.
Needless to say, this is an exercise in futility, and an unfortunate display of collective low self-esteem and infantilization being passed down from black elites and their white counterparts to our innocent and starry-eyed children. I hope that the Chicago, Oak Park parents raise hell.
I'm so happy to get these updates. The only thing I feel is lacking is some representation of any positive changes that are occurring. I know it's FAIR's main objective to identify injustices and help drive solutions, but there have to be "good news" items out there too. Being from Colorado, I started to get that feeling reading the piece about Colorado's social studies standards, but that turned out to be a negative too. Anyway, just a thought. Thanks.