Welcome back to Education Insanity, a weekly column updating you on the most insane events taking place in our nation’s schools. Here, we’ll delve into the growing presence of Critical Race Theory, the ideology that claims that America is irredeemably rooted in racism, and “woke” culture.
Let’s get started.
10. American University Offers Segregated Classrooms, Saying It’s A ‘Safe Space For Black Students’ – Campus Reform
American University, located in Washington, D.C., created a black-only course section for a class on racism that freshmen at the university are required to take. The “Black affinity course” is a single section for a class where students learn about “race, social identity, and structures of power.” Students will also “evaluate how racism intersects with other systems of oppression.”
9. Iowa State Prof: Trigger Warning Are Needed Now More Than Ever – The College Fix
Iowa State University liberal arts and sciences Professor Michael Bugeja encouraged the school to update its policies on trigger warnings because “times have changed.” In an op-ed for the publication Inside HigherEd, Bugeja argued that campus crimes alerts at Iowa State, which notify students of on-campus or nearby crime, might be triggering and deserve a trigger warning.
8. Stanford Prof Says ‘Whiteness’ Explain Parents’ Opposition To School Mask Mandates – Campus Reform
Stanford University political science professor Hakeem Jefferson posted a series of tweets claiming that “whiteness” is to blame for pushback on school mask mandates. “Make no mistake, this crazy opposition to mask wearing that is leading folks (read white [people]) to act violently at school board meetings [and] council meetings [and] everywhere else — yeah, you can’t disconnect it from whiteness. And discussions that don’t acknowledge this are incomplete.”
7. Over 400 UNC Instructors Tried To Delay On-Campus Classes – Campus Reform
Over 400 faculty and staff at the University of North Carolina penned a petition calling on the university to delay the start date of in-person learning by at least one month. The petition came after the university announced that students who return to campus must either get vaccinated against the coronavirus or participate in weekly COVID-19 testing.
6. Duke Researcher Who Wrote A Book About Dishonesty Accused Of Faking Data In Landmark Study – BuzzFeed News
Duke University psychologist and behavioral economist researcher Dan Ariely is facing accusations that he used fake research in a landmark study about truth-telling. Ariely is best-known for his New York Times bestselling book about dishonesty. A group of researchers at the blog Data Colada contested Ariely’s conclusions, writing that they believe one of his primary experiments was faked.
5. Stanford Law Students Publish Guide For ‘Radical’ 1Ls – Washington Free Beacon
Students at Stanford Law School compiled a “guide” on “anti-racist, anti-capitalist” beliefs for “incoming progressive/radical students.” The guide warns incoming freshmen that “you may find yourself feeling outraged at the blatant racism/homophobia/xenophobia, etc. perpetuated by the law,” and offered tips for working through the outrage.
4. Philadelphia Public School Training Bullies White Teachers Into Admitting They’re Born Racist – The Chalkboard Review
Philadelphia public schools’ Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion asked teachers to watch a video detailing the district’s “anti-racist” mission and the eight “equity professional learning guiding principles.” One of the principles, “ownership,” attempts to “bully” white teachers into admitting that they are racist by dint of their skin color.
3. Woman Arrested At School Board Meeting After ‘Improperly’ Wearing Mask – The Daily Wire
A New York woman was arrested and detained after refusing to fully cover her nose when she was wearing her mask at a local school board meeting. “Yup. I was handcuffed [and] detained by Monroe County Sheriff tonight for inappropriately wearing my mask at the Fairport School District board meeting,” the mother posted on social media.
2. High School Forced Student-Athletes To Wear Taxpayer-Funded Ankle Monitors To Track Covid Outbreaks – The Daily Wire
Eatonville High School, a public school in Washington state, allegedly forced student-athletes to wear taxpayer-funded ankle monitors to help track coronavirus outbreaks, or be barred from participating in sports. The school required student-athletes to wear the ankle monitors for high-contact and medium-contact sports such as volleyball, football, basketball, wrestling, and soccer.
1. New School’s Redesigned Mascot Is A Gender-Neutral, Climate Change Protesting Social Justice Warrior – Campus Reform
The New School, located in New York City, unveiled its updated gender-neutral mascot named Gnarls. The Narwhal mascot has a backstory that aims to combat climate change. Gnarls had an “unconventional” upbringing due to “distressing levels of ice loss” that forced its family out of Antarctica.
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