I am curious to know has the infection reached the Charter Schools too? Anyone know anything? We are UK based and our 4 grandkids are being homeschooled thank god! And looking at the pathetic souls coming out of our universities I am strongly in favour of zero tertiary education. I believe the charter schools (free schools) here in the UK are holding fast and not bending to political correctness which was why they were formed in the first place. I live in hope!
My daughter is about to graduate from Stanford University’s Online High School, which she has attended for 6 years (junior and high school). My son graduated there in 2019 and attends a woke university in D.C. (a description that doesn’t exactly help narrow it down, does it?). While it certainly has in some ways succumbed to the woke virus that infects most elite institutions (an entire semester of Foucault in AP English, canceling Twain, etc.) we have managed to inoculate her reasonably well against this lunatic ideology with robust, candid discussions around the family table over the thousands of dinners of her youth. She was just accepted to a host of elite universities, Ivy leagues included, but is choosing to defer to pursue her dream of a career in professional ballet. She leaves this fall to dance at an equally elite European ballet school, and she hopes to land a job dancing with the company, or its equivalent. Watching her brother navigate the straits of cancel culture-obsessed academia has had a chilling effect on her. She realizes too well that, in the age of the internet, no one is prevented from learning anything; all it takes is a network connection and desire. Ours is a high net worth, education-focused family (my husband and I have post-graduate degrees; our son interviewed years ago at H-W but turned them down)—yet we fully endorse her decision to delay and perhaps, if her dance dream is realized, totally forego a college education. What colleges—and now, sadly, high schools—offer isn’t the liberal education my husband and I received. As far as I can tell, “critical thinking” at these institutions is all about criticism: tearing down anything and anyone not adherent to woke, anti-racist orthodoxy. It’s regressive, and I believe it will reveal itself as a woefully inadequate preparation for living life in an adult world.
When my kid entered grade 9, as was the routine in this private school, parents were invited to meet the teachers. I was particularly struck with the English teacher, a very conservative looking man of about 50, and an unkempt woman of 24 who was the socials teacher. They both lectured parents in length on how Canada committed atrocities on the indigenous population, and how this topic will be central in their education of our children. At that time, as odd as this struck me, I was at a loss to understand what was going on, and did not raise an objection. How much I wish now that I was again in the same situation, so I may stand up to them.
The irony is that the people who can withdraw financial underpinnings — tuition, alumni, capital campaigns -allow themselves to be intimidated for the supposed sake of their children. Students subjected to obsessive emphasis on race will likely be suited to employment in the race, or “diversity” industry, which is now substantial, and little else. Dalton was once an imaginative school that coerced no one. How sad, and how dangerous.
Just stumbled on Bari's writing and coverage through the Manhattan Inst. What a great write she is now that she is unshackled by the NYT. BTW, I live in Singapore and a pal who has kids at United World College (a private high school) said the kids were being taught about their privilege and about oppression. Privilege...here in Singapore! How ridiculous. So yes, that 'soft power' does still have force. Wokeism in Asia.
So much fear and tension over getting into the “right” school. Parents, you are the ultimate teacher of your kids. If you live a life of faith and love, the rest of it will take care of itself. Your kids can be happy regardless of the name of the school on a diploma nobody cares about after their first job. Our lives are so short it’s a shame to fill kids with the fear that goes hand in hand with this kind of status seeking. This fear filled way of life is the reason you’re afraid to stand up to what is plainly a message of hatred. And btw if you’re living a life of cowardice over getting the right name on your kids school what good has that status and income done for you?
I still have no pity for those spoiled brats. Those parents would be fine once those crabby little kids of theirs graduate from the eventual school they were hoping for only to event more nonsense for us peasants endure. Ms. Clark fights because she's got balls and unlike these pathetic little rats. Maybe Carmilita or Carmen (most likely an Hispanic Valley girl) should spend the day with Ms. Clark and grow some cojonas. During WWII many men that came from great wealth including Hollywood actors jumped at the opportunity to serve including as officers facing extreme danger. Isa one lawsuit too much to ask from this bunch. Stop wasting your time with this bunch Bari.
You and Chris Rufo deserve kudos for bringing these issues to light.
My take from your article is that if it's happening at the most elite prep schools in the country -- where parents are engaged, and children actually perform at or above grade level -- then those of us, and our children, in the 99% have no way out.
Meaning, this is not a rich people problem. It's a fucking problem for everyone. The more it's cast as a joke for wealthy people to be up in arms the more shiny objects pull attention away from the real problem, which is that America's kids are being fed toxic garbage from everyone involved in their education. It's a total travesty.
I would like to take a different approach to the discussion. Parents are more important than any school. It is admirable in a very small way that these parents would speak to you at all. But - they should accept responsibility of parenting. As in Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it", this is the premise that should be applied to child rearing. When my children were young I removed them from the catechism instruction because I discovered that what they were teaching and believed that this would harm my children. Their mother and I choose then to teach them the truth of the scripture.
My children went to public schools many years ago, but they can perceive hypocrisy on their own, if you guide them. They need to learn how to approach life and to learn what was meant when I used to quote, "Everyone needs to learn to be as smart as an old Cow, learn to eat the hay and leave the sticks." It you have ever been on a farm with cattle you would know what that means.
The point being, I hate as much as you the problem we're facing today. But ultimately the reason we're in this place is because baby boomers (that would be me) gave too much authority to the schools and in some cases the churches to teach their children how to be adults, instead of showing them by example how important it is to learn the true virtues of life on their own.
"In the meantime, the people with the least insulation generally roar the loudest."
Bari, I don't think this is a paradox. Those with the least insulation actually have everything to lose (contra the Dylan lyric you quoted), in part because as you point out they don't have the money or social capital to pick up stakes and try something else. The elites know they'll always be able to afford alternatives, and (at least for now) their professed political party/ideology will protect them.
The people who refuse to fight are go-along-to-get-along by nature. They can be manipulated at will because they're so fearful of what their peers think. Being publicly denounced as a racist (or some other -ist) is the worst thing that could ever happen to them. The manipulators know this, of course. It's not coincidence that cancel culture is a tool of the left. This has been going on a LONG time.
Critical thinking is not possible without building blocks of facts. You can't think critically about World War II if you don't know when, where, how and by whom it was fought. Teaching this is difficult, so schools promote Marxist nonsense (CRT) instead. It's much easier to "teach" and it promotes their political ideology and it produces abject compliance (which in turn helps promote their political ideology). Win-win-win.
History is typically (re)written by the victors. Hence, somehow, the CRT cultists are the victors. I'm not entirely sure how it happened. But this is the reality. It's important to look at many historical texts and accounts to find the truth because of this phenomenon. And sometimes there can be multiple truths. And sometimes, people really do be just lying and making crap up out of perceived victimhood or boredom. Sometimes there can be multiple truths but one truth can be more valid than the other (for example: yes it's true Germany was depressed from WW1. But it's more true that their response was horrific.) It takes critical thinking and a basic set of moral standards to evaluate that. In fact I'd say critical thinking NECESSETATES a basic set of moral standards. If we didn't have that, we would fail at critical thinking. We'd just twist the facts as we see it. Hence, what we are seeing now with the CRT cultists.
Humans are complicated. If we really knew and understood the entirety of human history, we would stop falling into these destructive power struggles we find ourselves in, like what's happening today. If we really knew our history though, we'd be gods. So we're doomed to suffer. Not in an oh we're doomed forever way. Just that throughout history, we haven't changed much - our impulses, our tendencies towards mob rule, no matter how noble our ideas may be at some point in time. But again, it's necessary to write down the facts now, so that in the future, what's happening here may be evaluated with accuracy. Because America and the west in general might just be on a runaway train
"Call it Status-Testicles Disequilibrium, or STD for short."
Awesome!!!
I am curious to know has the infection reached the Charter Schools too? Anyone know anything? We are UK based and our 4 grandkids are being homeschooled thank god! And looking at the pathetic souls coming out of our universities I am strongly in favour of zero tertiary education. I believe the charter schools (free schools) here in the UK are holding fast and not bending to political correctness which was why they were formed in the first place. I live in hope!
My daughter is about to graduate from Stanford University’s Online High School, which she has attended for 6 years (junior and high school). My son graduated there in 2019 and attends a woke university in D.C. (a description that doesn’t exactly help narrow it down, does it?). While it certainly has in some ways succumbed to the woke virus that infects most elite institutions (an entire semester of Foucault in AP English, canceling Twain, etc.) we have managed to inoculate her reasonably well against this lunatic ideology with robust, candid discussions around the family table over the thousands of dinners of her youth. She was just accepted to a host of elite universities, Ivy leagues included, but is choosing to defer to pursue her dream of a career in professional ballet. She leaves this fall to dance at an equally elite European ballet school, and she hopes to land a job dancing with the company, or its equivalent. Watching her brother navigate the straits of cancel culture-obsessed academia has had a chilling effect on her. She realizes too well that, in the age of the internet, no one is prevented from learning anything; all it takes is a network connection and desire. Ours is a high net worth, education-focused family (my husband and I have post-graduate degrees; our son interviewed years ago at H-W but turned them down)—yet we fully endorse her decision to delay and perhaps, if her dance dream is realized, totally forego a college education. What colleges—and now, sadly, high schools—offer isn’t the liberal education my husband and I received. As far as I can tell, “critical thinking” at these institutions is all about criticism: tearing down anything and anyone not adherent to woke, anti-racist orthodoxy. It’s regressive, and I believe it will reveal itself as a woefully inadequate preparation for living life in an adult world.
When my kid entered grade 9, as was the routine in this private school, parents were invited to meet the teachers. I was particularly struck with the English teacher, a very conservative looking man of about 50, and an unkempt woman of 24 who was the socials teacher. They both lectured parents in length on how Canada committed atrocities on the indigenous population, and how this topic will be central in their education of our children. At that time, as odd as this struck me, I was at a loss to understand what was going on, and did not raise an objection. How much I wish now that I was again in the same situation, so I may stand up to them.
The irony is that the people who can withdraw financial underpinnings — tuition, alumni, capital campaigns -allow themselves to be intimidated for the supposed sake of their children. Students subjected to obsessive emphasis on race will likely be suited to employment in the race, or “diversity” industry, which is now substantial, and little else. Dalton was once an imaginative school that coerced no one. How sad, and how dangerous.
Just stumbled on Bari's writing and coverage through the Manhattan Inst. What a great write she is now that she is unshackled by the NYT. BTW, I live in Singapore and a pal who has kids at United World College (a private high school) said the kids were being taught about their privilege and about oppression. Privilege...here in Singapore! How ridiculous. So yes, that 'soft power' does still have force. Wokeism in Asia.
So much fear and tension over getting into the “right” school. Parents, you are the ultimate teacher of your kids. If you live a life of faith and love, the rest of it will take care of itself. Your kids can be happy regardless of the name of the school on a diploma nobody cares about after their first job. Our lives are so short it’s a shame to fill kids with the fear that goes hand in hand with this kind of status seeking. This fear filled way of life is the reason you’re afraid to stand up to what is plainly a message of hatred. And btw if you’re living a life of cowardice over getting the right name on your kids school what good has that status and income done for you?
I still have no pity for those spoiled brats. Those parents would be fine once those crabby little kids of theirs graduate from the eventual school they were hoping for only to event more nonsense for us peasants endure. Ms. Clark fights because she's got balls and unlike these pathetic little rats. Maybe Carmilita or Carmen (most likely an Hispanic Valley girl) should spend the day with Ms. Clark and grow some cojonas. During WWII many men that came from great wealth including Hollywood actors jumped at the opportunity to serve including as officers facing extreme danger. Isa one lawsuit too much to ask from this bunch. Stop wasting your time with this bunch Bari.
The three decades of the post-Tsarist USSR, had "rich people problems" too.
“We didn’t love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation. ”
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - The Gulag Archipelago
You and Chris Rufo deserve kudos for bringing these issues to light.
My take from your article is that if it's happening at the most elite prep schools in the country -- where parents are engaged, and children actually perform at or above grade level -- then those of us, and our children, in the 99% have no way out.
Meaning, this is not a rich people problem. It's a fucking problem for everyone. The more it's cast as a joke for wealthy people to be up in arms the more shiny objects pull attention away from the real problem, which is that America's kids are being fed toxic garbage from everyone involved in their education. It's a total travesty.
When my kids ask me who by heroes are, I’m gonna pull up photos of the FAIR board. And, of course, of Gabrielle Clark.
I really hope the court case gets to SCOTUS. And, that SCOTUS has the balls to take it on.
Bari
I would like to take a different approach to the discussion. Parents are more important than any school. It is admirable in a very small way that these parents would speak to you at all. But - they should accept responsibility of parenting. As in Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it", this is the premise that should be applied to child rearing. When my children were young I removed them from the catechism instruction because I discovered that what they were teaching and believed that this would harm my children. Their mother and I choose then to teach them the truth of the scripture.
My children went to public schools many years ago, but they can perceive hypocrisy on their own, if you guide them. They need to learn how to approach life and to learn what was meant when I used to quote, "Everyone needs to learn to be as smart as an old Cow, learn to eat the hay and leave the sticks." It you have ever been on a farm with cattle you would know what that means.
The point being, I hate as much as you the problem we're facing today. But ultimately the reason we're in this place is because baby boomers (that would be me) gave too much authority to the schools and in some cases the churches to teach their children how to be adults, instead of showing them by example how important it is to learn the true virtues of life on their own.
"In the meantime, the people with the least insulation generally roar the loudest."
Bari, I don't think this is a paradox. Those with the least insulation actually have everything to lose (contra the Dylan lyric you quoted), in part because as you point out they don't have the money or social capital to pick up stakes and try something else. The elites know they'll always be able to afford alternatives, and (at least for now) their professed political party/ideology will protect them.
The people who refuse to fight are go-along-to-get-along by nature. They can be manipulated at will because they're so fearful of what their peers think. Being publicly denounced as a racist (or some other -ist) is the worst thing that could ever happen to them. The manipulators know this, of course. It's not coincidence that cancel culture is a tool of the left. This has been going on a LONG time.
Critical Theory is promoted over critical thinking.
Critical thinking is not possible without building blocks of facts. You can't think critically about World War II if you don't know when, where, how and by whom it was fought. Teaching this is difficult, so schools promote Marxist nonsense (CRT) instead. It's much easier to "teach" and it promotes their political ideology and it produces abject compliance (which in turn helps promote their political ideology). Win-win-win.
History is typically (re)written by the victors. Hence, somehow, the CRT cultists are the victors. I'm not entirely sure how it happened. But this is the reality. It's important to look at many historical texts and accounts to find the truth because of this phenomenon. And sometimes there can be multiple truths. And sometimes, people really do be just lying and making crap up out of perceived victimhood or boredom. Sometimes there can be multiple truths but one truth can be more valid than the other (for example: yes it's true Germany was depressed from WW1. But it's more true that their response was horrific.) It takes critical thinking and a basic set of moral standards to evaluate that. In fact I'd say critical thinking NECESSETATES a basic set of moral standards. If we didn't have that, we would fail at critical thinking. We'd just twist the facts as we see it. Hence, what we are seeing now with the CRT cultists.
Humans are complicated. If we really knew and understood the entirety of human history, we would stop falling into these destructive power struggles we find ourselves in, like what's happening today. If we really knew our history though, we'd be gods. So we're doomed to suffer. Not in an oh we're doomed forever way. Just that throughout history, we haven't changed much - our impulses, our tendencies towards mob rule, no matter how noble our ideas may be at some point in time. But again, it's necessary to write down the facts now, so that in the future, what's happening here may be evaluated with accuracy. Because America and the west in general might just be on a runaway train
I made this article the focus of my show today: https://jennyhatchshow.locals.com/upost/511493/education-issues