Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Woke-World Watch

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,


Asians should be seen and not heard.

The Virginia Parent Teachers Association is threatening to abolish the PTA of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology after it elected a slate of candidates opposed to the implementation of Critical Race Theory-inspired policies.

Fairfax County public school officials engineered a new demographic profile — fewer Asians and more Blacks and Hispanics — at the elite public high school by scrapping the admissions test and explicitly using race/ethnicity as a criterion. TJ parents opposed to discrimination against Asians took over the school’s PTA organization in elections earlier this month, and an argument promptly broke out over whether Principal Ann Bonitatus should be allowed to vote in PTA meetings — something previous principals had not done.

The Virginia PTA weighed in, declaring that as a member of the executive committee, the principal does have voting rights. “The inclusion of the principal as a voting member of the EC is, in fact, an organizational standard across Virginia in our local unit bylaws,” said president-elect Jenna Alexander, according to the Daily Wire.

Asra Nomani, a leader of the opposition, struck back: “The fact that a white woman is actively working to install another white woman into a position of additional authority over the will of a majority of minority parents is shocking and disturbing and a reflection once more of the unwelcome and hostile environment in FCPS against minority parents who dare to speak up.”

The other CRT (Culturally Responsive Training, not Critical Race Theory. Meanwhile, over at Berkeley East, school teachers in Albemarle County have expanded its “culturally responsive training” program. Budgeting $360,000 in the coming fiscal year, the school system will hire three additional “equity” specialists. Since training began in 2015, nearly 15% of the district’s instructional staff have completed the training.

For once, school officials are setting concrete goals. According to the Daily Progress, district officials are aiming for a gradual improvement in student achievement data starting in the 2023-24 school year.

My prediction: Culturally Responsive Training does not address a real issue. There will be zero improvement in SOL scores. There even may be backsliding. Time will tell.

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22 responses to “Woke-World Watch”

  1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    PTAs, in Loudoun Couuty at least, have long been an arm of the administration.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      They are up/down Spotsylvania way also. They usually deal with stuff like playground equipment, other facilities and services the kids use or need – as opposed to instruction and curriculum. Not just “parents” – Parents and Teachers.

      The CRT thing is the culture war plain and simple and activists are now infiltrating groups like the PTA.

      I’m skeptical they really represent most parents. and especially parents of people of color, immigrants, economically disadvantaged, etc.

      There is nothing fundamentally wrong with teaching he truth about our own history especially after we spent a century or more telling lies about it that some kids grew up actually believing and now can’t accept the real truth.

      We are, no question, the best country ever to exist on the face of the earth. That said, we have some ugly parts of our history and all kids should know them and understand we don’t exist in a comic-book world of good and evil and even in our own country – we actually still do have White Supremacists and White Nationalists that make no bones about their hatred of people of color, immigrants, and others

      The more – we know about this – the more we can work to a more equitable society,

      Some of this stuff reminds me of McCarthy and the early years of de-segregation in Virginia and across the country.
      https://citizen.education/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/egerton-010-communists.jpg

      The above picture is real. It was widespread. And to not teach it and instead only teach the “good” history because ostensibly it will make kids feel bad about their own ancestry and place in today’s society is really what “cancel culture” actually is. Hide our history, pretend it never happened… we are the “greatest” and all who question our greatest are not real Americans…… blah blah blah.

      And, no, I will not respond to the usual suspects Ad Hominems. If you want to discuss/debate, will do – but the usual response here from more than a few who self-indentify as Conservatives is to personally attack those they disagree with.

  2. emjak Avatar
    emjak

    Question: Has Virginia PTA ever threatened to abolish a local PTA before?

    Question: Even if a principal has voting rights under the by-laws, what has been the Virginia PTA’s response to earlier cases of any by-law violations?

    The Virginia PTA seems to be embracing a form of Critical Race Theory. See, e.g., Virginia PTA “Diversity” at at https://www.vapta.org/diversity and Virginia PTA “A Deeper D.I.V.E. Webinar Series” at https://vapta.org/diversity/a-deeper-d-i-v-e-webinar-series

    Question: Is that trend a factor in Virginia PTA’s action in this case?

    Question: Will that trend guide the Virginia PTA ‘s actions toward the conduct of local PTA’s?

    Question: How much intellectual diversity will Virginia PTA tolerate?

  3. emjak Avatar
    emjak

    There are some parents who think Albemarle County Public Schools are using Critical Race Theory. See, Citizens Advocating for Responsible Education at https://care-acps.org

  4. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    K-12 American History, white tested, white approved.

    1. kls Avatar
      kls

      True, just like the systemically racist Democratic Party. Obama wasn’t acceptable until Uncle Joe ‘Jim Crow’ Biden commented on Obama in February 2007 by saying, “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,”

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Uh yep. Biden has, has had, and will always have foot-in-mouth disease. Kinda like GW, it’s refreshingly humorous. If only the extremes weren’t so damned mean about their gaffs, we’d all be better off for the laughs.

        Ya know what I always wondered? I wonder if in 1850 (random) a slave was financially more expensive to his owner than a minimum wage employee is to his employer today?

  5. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    The Virginia PTA. What in the world? This is the sort of nonsense Lord Dunmore pulled in 1775 when he dissolved the House of Burgesses. Message for Va PTA President Pamela Croom, “I wouldn’t do that if I was you.” Go ahead and kick the hornet’s nest. See what happens next. TJ PTA President Harry Jackson should be ready, this is a fight in the making. I recommend St. John’s Church in Richmond as alternative meeting site. They could draw on the spirit of rebellion that came forth from this place on March 20th, 1775.

  6. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    It is one thing to be opposed to the new TJ admissions policy; it is quite another thing to misrepresent those standards.

    From the Fairfax County School Board website, here is the new admissions policy:

    Minimum standards for eligibility:

    1. Enrolled in both math and science honors courses

    2. Enrolled in one additional honors course or identified as Young Scholar

    3. Minimum GPA of 3.5

    Of those meeting the minimum standards, the top 1.5 percent of each public school will be eligible to apply.

    Of that group, 550 will be offered places in the incoming class.

    That 550 will be chosen based on an evaluation of the following:

    1. Demonstration of following characteristics:

    a. Collaborator

    b. Communicator

    c. Creative and Critical Thinker

    d. Ethical/Global Citizen

    e. Goal-Directed & Resilient Individual

    f. Innovator

    g. Leader

    h. Problem Solver

    2. Submission of problem-solving essay

    3. Experience factors, including economically disadvantaged, English language learner, special education, enrollment at underrepresented middle school.

    Please explain to me how this policy is a “Critical Race Theory-inspired” one or “explicitly” uses race or ethnicity as criteria. It looks a lot like the process used by most institutions of higher education in their admissions process.
    https://www.fcps.edu/registration/thomas-jefferson-admissions/eligibility-requirements
    https://www.fcps.edu/news/school-board-chooses-holistic-review-new-admissions-policy-tjhsst

    1. tmtfairfax Avatar
      tmtfairfax

      Allocating a limited number of select positions from a larger pool of qualified applicants can be done fairly through geographic-based plans. Texas, for example, guarantees admission to its elite colleges to the top-ten-percent from every high school in the state. On the surface, the FCPS minimum standards look reasonable. I do question, however, the use of honors courses as part of the criteria. It should be the tougher Advance Placement or International Baccalaureate courses.

      The second section’s evaluation factors are plain subjective crap designed to allow for total discretion on the part of staff members. For this to be fair, every applicant should be scored on these factors and the results available to the public (with redaction of the individual’s applicant’s name and other identifying information for privacy reasons).

      Based on my experience with FCPS over decades, I honestly believe the the review process will not include a substantive review of 1a through 1h. Any analysis will be superficial. Applicants will be selected based on race and ethnic factors and the analysis will not be available for review.

      I’ve practiced law for more than 40 years and have run across quite a few rouge companies, institutions and individuals. Fairfax County Public Schools is by far the most dishonest entity/person with which I’ve ever dealt. Staff and leadership will say or do anything to enable it to do what they want to do and avoid public oversight.

      Factor 2, the problem-solving paper could be an excellent screening tool. But given FCPS’s culture of dishonesty, I seriously doubt they will be reviewed and “graded” fairly. There should be outside review of the grading process, including review by some people that the staff does not want to be involved.

      Factor 3 could be potentially useful. But the factors should be described in sufficient detail so that subjectivity is minimized. Once again, we are dealing with an institution that has a decades-long history of dishonesty.

      1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
        Dick Hall-Sizemore

        The Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses are high school courses. The requirement to have been enrolled in honors courses is applicable to the 8th graders who wish to apply for admission to TJ high school. Thus, AP and IB requirements would not be applicable.

        Based on your comments, it seems that you agree that the requirements, on their face, are not, as Jim claims, “explicitly” based on race or ethnicity. Your argument is that FCPS cannot be trusted to administer the process fairly or honestly. How the subjective measures are administered is a valid concern. Due to my lack of experience with FCPS, however, I can’t comment on that.

        1. tmtfairfax Avatar
          tmtfairfax

          Dick – point well taken on the AP & IB. Clearly, those classes are taken in high school.

          The plan adopted by FCPS is, on its face, reasonably designed in theory. But it will not be administered fairly. FCPS is populated by many dishonest people who will do and say anything to achieve a desired result.

    2. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      Heck, with that list of “characteristics” I COULD have made the varsity basketball team!!

      But yes, PTA’s have been tools of the administration in most places for a long time.

      Larry, the problem is not being honest about our history. The problem is being honest about our progress and our humanity. This is not even the same country as the one I grew up in, and with its flaws I was hardly ashamed of that. They are become (your team) the America Sucks Party. If you do not believe America sucks, time to stand up and push back. Time to jam it back down their throats.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Nope. We KNOW we’ve made progress when we see where we were before.

        Right now, the “American is Great” crowd refuses to acknowledge that we have comes a way – AND have a ways to go still.

        We’ve seen this before and we’re repeating it, in part because some never learned our real history and others are still truly white nationalist who support candidates who are that. Right now.

        The irony is some folks were actually taught the Happy Slave myth and never were taught about Tulsa or the Red Summer, or much else.

        We teach the truth about other countries – as we should, but we LIE about our own history because we say it will make kids “feel bad”. What hypocrisy!

      2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
        Dick Hall-Sizemore

        I am not a member of the “America Sucks Party”, but neither am I a member of the “America is Perfect” party.

        The United States has developed a system of government based on the consent of the government and individual freedom that has served as model and hope for the world. A truly great nation, however, recognizes and acknowledges its shortcomings and tries to learn from them and rectify them, rather than glossing over them, ignoring them, or denying them altogether.

        1. vicnicholls Avatar
          vicnicholls

          The reason why China has so many engineers that are high quality, turning out STEM-H people is because qualifications is on merit alone.

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            So, are you suggesting an ethnic cleanse?

      3. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
        Dick Hall-Sizemore

        Could you make 25 percent of your contested shots? Could you sink more than 70 percent of your free throws? Could you dribble well? All those would have been minimum criteria, akin to taking math and science honors classes, while maintaining a 3.5 GPA.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          They don’t take ONLY the highest scoring doctors and engineers – they take the ones that pass the boards and yep, a whole bunch of them are “well qualified” but did not pass at the top of the classes by a long shot.

          In fact, if you went looking for the “best
          doctor or engineers, good luck. A good part of it becomes not your score or college QCA but your accomplishments and yes, word of mouth.

          But EDUCATION is not about the BEST to start with – never was. It’s always been about helping kids achieve their potential – not who is best.

          The ignorati are rampant on these issues these days.

    3. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      They can’t. To the Right, sadly, CRT is a dog whistle.

  7. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    “Time will tell.”

    Shoulda been the lead. At least it wasn’t a full-throated rant against buzzwords and a hit job on an historian with easily demonstrated falsehoods. I’m assuming Dick had to do some work.

  8. Fred Costello Avatar
    Fred Costello

    Racial “balancing” comes from accepting the top students from each middle school. There is no inter-school competition. Middle schools have the racial demographics of their neighborhoods.
    I hope that the principal has not more power in the PTA than one vote. I also hope that the PTA is not under the power of school administrators.

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