|NUMBER 308||THE NEWSPAPER OF EDUCATION RIGHTS||SEPTEMBER 2011|
|Stimulating 'Social Justice'|
With the recent onslaught of budget cuts, you would think that schools would be spending money only on absolute necessities. But recently the school board in Omaha, Nebraska unanimously voted to spend taxpayer funds on teacher training that was not only unneccessary, but downright detrimental.
The book comes with a worksheet that teachers can use to find their cultural sensitivity score. The highest score goes to teachers who believe that "white privilege" exists in America and that a person's race defines their social and economic status. The book, which was written by Virginia education consultants, will be used in conjunction with a study guide produced by the school district. Study groups will meet each quarter to discuss the material.
In the book, homosexuality is treated as equivalent to race. Teachers are encouraged to embrace diversity wholeheartedly, whether sexual or racial. The "social justice" advocated in this book encourages teachers not to treat all children the same. Instead of being "color-blind," teachers are instructed to recognize and esteem each student according to differences.
"The purpose of providing this resource is to help staff see that people come from a multitude of different backgrounds which cause them to respond differently to the same set of facts, depending on their personal perspectives," said school board president Sandra Jensen. "Recognition that one might have a certain perspective is critical to treating all people equally."
The book asserts that "white supremacy" is promulgated by our government, and that wealth, power, and special privileges are still being given exclusively to white people. The authors of the book encourage teachers to "unshackle themselves from tradition and become facilitators for reconciliation of historical injustices."
The book study is part of an overall goal to decrease the difference in educational achievement between white and minority students. But becoming "culturally sensitive" will not fix those problems. Children should be treated equally no matter their background and be given true justice according to the rules of the school. This book is another example of how teachers and students are being indoctrinated in politically correct thinking. Apparently, the school board believes force-feeding an ideology of resentment is a better way to spend stimulus money than improving reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. (Omaha World-Herald, 7-10-11)