White Privilege survey (Photo courtesy Jason Schmidt).
ALOHA, Ore. —
Some parents in Aloha are concerned about a “white privilege” survey their children received as homework.
Jason Schmidt’s son, a senior at Aloha High School, was given the survey as homework. Schmidt said he’s not too happy about the form.
“I think he should be learning actual education and not be a part of some social experiment or some teacher’s political agenda,” Schmidt said.
Confronting implicit bias, the effects of stereotypical tropes, and learning how to be aware and think critically are actual education, Mr. Schmidt, a very good education. Your child’s teachers are providing a profound and valuable experience, one which will foster openness, acceptance, mindfulness, and empathy. And yet, you complain. I’d say your child’s school got to him just in time.
But Schmidt sees it differently.
“With the amount of money we pay for schools, they should be educating not indoctrinating our students about the latest political fad or political agenda a teacher wants to get across,” Schmidt said.
:snortchoke: Schools are not swimming in money, sir, and teachers are most seriously underpaid. The school in question is one of high diversity:
The school, located in the suburb of Beaverton, is ethnically diverse, according to statistics published byU.S. News& World Report. The student body comprises 34 percent Hispanic students, and 45 percent white students. Native Americans, blacks, and Asians and Pacific Islanders also attend the school, where approximately half of the students are listed as “economically disadvantaged.”
So it’s significant, teaching about privilege, and how that privilege affects all facets of life for people. As for “latest political fad”, FFS, Mr. Schmidt. I think you need to take your child’s class, you’re in need of an education. This country is founded on colonial racism, the whole infrastructure of this country is racist. The very least white people could do is confront their own privilege.
According to the Beaverton School District, this class deals with a number of topics affecting our country today including race, sexuality and religion. The hope is to get students talking civilly with one another about challenging topics.
All the cheers for the school, and the teachers, you’re doing a great job! As for Mr. Schmidt, I won’t place money on his getting a clue or three, but there’s hope for his child.
Via KATU.
Ah, racism the fad! Been a centuries-long fad, but still a fad nevertheless!
Yes, the never-ending fad! If I had kids, I’d be pretty thrilled by that class.
Same. I mean, I have kids, but this country’s so white, I doubt they’d ever have something like that in class.
Hmmm, indoctrinating or just putting a concept and accompanying reality check out there. Incidentally, I scored 25 from the 5 questions on display. That doesn’t make me feel bad (I can’t change being white and I’m not going to change the society I live in), however it does make me feel very, well, privileged.
I wonder, though, if it would be more productive to just call it a “privilege survey” as that seems to be what the questions are really about. Then I would hope the teacher actually goes over everyone’s results in class, making it known what everyone thinks their privilege level is. Or, provide an average score based on the “race” the students think they belong to so that it can be seen which groups score higher.
Cuz, frankly, if this is not done and the main point is to slap “white privilege” on the survey name, there are going to be those who just completely ignore it, writing it off, as Mr. Schmidt has, as a political agenda. Worse, those are the people in most need of the lesson!
But I recognize this is a tough balancing act where one needs to be provocative enough to raise awareness, yet not so provocative to where people become totally defensive* about it and close their minds. (And, to make this more complicated, each individual will react differently, so it will then be finding the balance that reaches the most students in need of the lesson.)
With that, I would not rush to proclaim that the teachers are doing a great job. Their intent is probably in the right place, at least, but I cannot tell from the article if their methods would be effective or not. That, in short, is the point of my comment: intent doesn’t do much good if it doesn’t produce the desired results.
* I will note, though, that children may not have developed as firm of political views as their parents and will thus not get as defensive. So there is, I agree, hope that the children can still learn. And the balancing act in teaching the children may not be as challenging vs. teaching an adult.
@ 5:
Oh, for fuck’s sake, this checklist is what now, at least 30 years old, and very well known. Let’s see, yes, 1989.
Given recent events, I’ve fucking had it with white people. They all need to shut the fuck up, and deal with the fact that they are walking around with 10 tonnes of arrogant privilege. I do not care if some white man gets his feelings bruised, deal with it.
Everywhere, in every way, every. single. thing. is made better, easier, softer, kinder for white people. Screw that. You can learn to deal just like the rest of us.
Well, it’s as you say -- kids don’t have the carved-in-rock attitude that their parents might, and even if their parents vehemently disagree, have a chance of forming a different sort of opinion about these types of survey. °This is a tool for them to think about their place in society, and childhood is the perfect time to at least plant the seed of awareness in them, never mind the home environment.
Well, if this is ridiculous then there shouldn’t be a problem, right? If white privilege doesn’t exist the all kids in the class should score about the same, right?
Reminds me of the conservative uproar here about a “straight” checklist. To demonstrate how ridiculous and insulting questions usually asked of gay people are, they were turned around, asking students “when they noticed they were straight” and “Are you sure heterosexuality isn’t just a phase”. They didn’t get it. They didn’t get that those questions weren’t serious questions and claimed teachers were trying to make students gay…
Giliell:
Oh for pity’s sake. Being the default leads to being seriously dim too much of the time. How can people be that insulated?
I’m a cis-het-white guy…and I totally agree.
Look at the fucking white cracker racist whiny crybabies complaining that the new (fantastic series, BTW) Luke Cage is ‘too black’. Let’s see, it’s about a black man with superpowers in Harlem. Harlem forfucksake, what the hell would they expect? I actually was digging the fact that the one character in the show who is white…is a crooked cop on the take.
I’ll have my cup of conservative tears now. :)