Elite NYC school publishes anti-racism manifesto

[laughing dog]

So, let me get this straight. The very first demand I quoted:



You find "innocuous"?

Aren't you an academic, laughing dog? Do you think it would be reasonable for your course to be shut down if the grades between black and non-black students differed?

That is non-responsive. You claimed the policies were poisonous. In standard English that suggests all of the policies. I presented some of them as innocuous. In standard English means those and only those proposals. Your response ignores all of them.

Your response suggests
1)a lack of reading comprehension, or
2)a tacit recognization that some of the proposals are not poisonous, or
3) a lack of humanity.

To address your non-responsive question, my answer would depend on the source(s) of that difference. If it was due to my racial bias, I’d expect me to be shutdown. If not, then no I wouldn’t.

How about addressing his point rather than evading?

He asked a simple question: Is point #1 reasonable or not?

Learn to read - I answered his direct question.

Even if some of the proposals are reasonable it doesn't matter--one bad one spoils the whole thing.

That is utter nonsense - whatever that proposal means, it has nothing whatsoever to do with keeping on the staff while the school is closed.

 

[laughing dog]

Since you are now expressing particular interest in my opinions, I'll run through some of the policies and I will provide my reaction to them.



Poison. Mentions nothing about examining the course content for bias. Mentions nothing about examining the teacher for bias. Not suprising, as this is in line with boilerplate CRT reasoning about inequitable outcomes meaning racism.

Dalton’s student body, faculty, staff, administration, and trustees should be representative of New York City in terms of gender, race, socioeconomic background, and immigration status by 2025. Dalton should publish yearly updates regarding the demographics of each of these groups.

Either meaningless, virtue-signalling fluff (since they propose no enforcement and they use that word you so delightfully drew my attention to - "should" and not shall), or, actual, idiotic, poisonous policy that assumes that there is some reason that Dalton should reflect NYC in this way, and that Dalton is doing something wrong if it does not.

As “an intentionally diverse community,” “an inclusive, democratic community,” and to ensure access and equity in the institution, Dalton should reflect the city in which it is located.

Idiotic. Is it going to reflect the number of people in NYC with criminal convictions? The age profile of NYC?

Anti-Racist Pedagogy

Adopt a two-pronged approach to course-related content changes: 1) Institute a divisional requirement for courses that explicitly center Black liberation and challenges to white supremacy.
The requirement should be equivalent to or greater than the smallest requirement for any other department.

Idiotic.

2) All other existing course content and departmental work via Dalton by Design should undergo an audit to ensure that content is guided by Dalton’s commitment to anti-racist education and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Could be innocuous if you trust 'Dalton by Design'.

In the same way that subjects such as English, art, physical education, and mathematics have been embedded within the Dalton experience, so too should coursework that is explicitly anti-racist. No Dalton student should graduate without taking classes that center race, identity, difference, and social justice.

Why? Has the Dalton staff heard overwhelming demand from parents to institute this and make it compulsory? To turn Dalton from an ostensibly secular school into a religious one?

All faculty, staff, administration, Parent Association volunteers, and trustees should undergo yearly anti-racist training.

No requirement to measure the effect of the anti-racist training, if any. Just a compulsory requirement foisted on everyone including volunteers.

Administrators, faculty, and staff should produce individual public anti-racism statements.

Fucking deeply poisonous. It is not enough to be silent. You will publically confess your sins and your heartfelt desire not to sin again.

Expand the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to include at least 12 full-time positions: one Director, one Office Assistant, three full-time staff members per division, and one full-time staff member for PE/Athletics.

No idea how big this Office is right now, but how can a school take on so many staff not dedicated to teaching any course content without fees going up significantly?

Implement name-, school-, and salary history-blind recruitment and hiring practices for faculty, staff, and administrative roles;

Really good idea.

require diversity statements as part of every application;

Poison.

Implementing explicitly anti-racist safeguards for recruitment, hiring, and promotion can be effective ways to reduce bias in recruitment and hiring. Research suggests the use of diversity statements early in a hiring process can be an effective strategy to improve equity in faculty hiring.

I'm certain research suggests it because despite the 'blind' recruiting suggested above, diversity statements allow for applicants to divulge their race and other details and for recruiters to pick favoured categories (women, people of colour).

Dalton should commit to publicly explaining the mechanisms that it employs to prevent discrimination in recruitment, hiring, and promotion.

Sounds okay.

Review and audit all vendor and third-party contracts to ensure that Dalton is partnering with Black-owned businesses wherever possible. Publish yearly reports detailing Dalton’s vendors and third-party contracts.

Discriminate against businesses by race of the owners. Poison.

Retain all security/maintenance/dining/other contracted staff without reduction in salary or benefits, regardless of whether Dalton is able to physically re-open facilities.

"We are going to wish away the financial repercussions of our hiring frenzy".

Delusional.

Black workers have suffered record job losses since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they are disproportionately represented among essential workers who must risk their health in order to continue working. Dalton must prioritize the health and security of its staff—no one is disposable. Our staff are beloved members of the Dalton community, and they should be supported in the same way that we are supporting administration and faculty.

Not really a policy, just virtue-signalling fluff.

Provide child and elder care support for faculty and staff, and any families who qualify for financial aid, especially if Dalton remains primarily online due to COVID-19. Dalton should also restructure its parental leave policies for employees; rather than 6 weeks of paid leave and 6 weeks of unpaid leave, Dalton should follow the lead of companies like Netflix and offer a full year of paid leave for new parents.

Favours reproducers over the childless, younger staff over older staff, and introduces financial pressure (and work pressure) that will be paid by either staff members or parents or both.

Commit to paying all Dalton employees—especially staff and independent contractors—at minimum a living wage for New York, as calculated by MIT’s Living Wage Calculator. Ensure racial equity in the proportion of full- and part-time workers; independent contractors; faculty, staff, administration, and associate teachers; and publish information regarding the racial makeup of each of these categories every year.

Deeply delusional.

First, the MIT tool calculate living wages according to household composition, so is Dalton going to pay a single teacher differently to a married one with two household earners? Is it going to pay more to people with children?

Second, the living wage of a single earner is US$34,195 in NY. Have the signatories examined what this would mean for the ongoing Dalton budget? Is everyone already getting more than this, in which case, what's the point?

Double individual faculty and staff professional development (PD) allotment if it is used to service student debt.

Seems stupid but not necessarily poison.

Publish the endowment investment portfolio and immediately divest from private prisons and detention centers; companies that manufacture technology, equipment or weapons for police;

Idiotic and childish, 'all cops are bastards' mentality.

Going forward, any Black student or student of color who appears in Dalton’s promotional materials should receive reduced tuition, or be retroactively compensated the equivalent amount if they graduate before their likeness is used.

Discrimination by race. Poison.

I was expecting something a more intelligent, well-reasoned, less bilious and more humane that might have started a more fruitful discussion, but thank you for actually answering my question.

 

[Metaphor]

Since you are now expressing particular interest in my opinions, I'll run through some of the policies and I will provide my reaction to them.



Poison. Mentions nothing about examining the course content for bias. Mentions nothing about examining the teacher for bias. Not suprising, as this is in line with boilerplate CRT reasoning about inequitable outcomes meaning racism.



Either meaningless, virtue-signalling fluff (since they propose no enforcement and they use that word you so delightfully drew my attention to - "should" and not shall), or, actual, idiotic, poisonous policy that assumes that there is some reason that Dalton should reflect NYC in this way, and that Dalton is doing something wrong if it does not.



Idiotic. Is it going to reflect the number of people in NYC with criminal convictions? The age profile of NYC?

Anti-Racist Pedagogy

Adopt a two-pronged approach to course-related content changes: 1) Institute a divisional requirement for courses that explicitly center Black liberation and challenges to white supremacy.
The requirement should be equivalent to or greater than the smallest requirement for any other department.

Idiotic.

2) All other existing course content and departmental work via Dalton by Design should undergo an audit to ensure that content is guided by Dalton’s commitment to anti-racist education and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Could be innocuous if you trust 'Dalton by Design'.

In the same way that subjects such as English, art, physical education, and mathematics have been embedded within the Dalton experience, so too should coursework that is explicitly anti-racist. No Dalton student should graduate without taking classes that center race, identity, difference, and social justice.

Why? Has the Dalton staff heard overwhelming demand from parents to institute this and make it compulsory? To turn Dalton from an ostensibly secular school into a religious one?

All faculty, staff, administration, Parent Association volunteers, and trustees should undergo yearly anti-racist training.

No requirement to measure the effect of the anti-racist training, if any. Just a compulsory requirement foisted on everyone including volunteers.

Administrators, faculty, and staff should produce individual public anti-racism statements.

Fucking deeply poisonous. It is not enough to be silent. You will publically confess your sins and your heartfelt desire not to sin again.

Expand the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to include at least 12 full-time positions: one Director, one Office Assistant, three full-time staff members per division, and one full-time staff member for PE/Athletics.

No idea how big this Office is right now, but how can a school take on so many staff not dedicated to teaching any course content without fees going up significantly?

Implement name-, school-, and salary history-blind recruitment and hiring practices for faculty, staff, and administrative roles;

Really good idea.

require diversity statements as part of every application;

Poison.

Implementing explicitly anti-racist safeguards for recruitment, hiring, and promotion can be effective ways to reduce bias in recruitment and hiring. Research suggests the use of diversity statements early in a hiring process can be an effective strategy to improve equity in faculty hiring.

I'm certain research suggests it because despite the 'blind' recruiting suggested above, diversity statements allow for applicants to divulge their race and other details and for recruiters to pick favoured categories (women, people of colour).

Dalton should commit to publicly explaining the mechanisms that it employs to prevent discrimination in recruitment, hiring, and promotion.

Sounds okay.

Review and audit all vendor and third-party contracts to ensure that Dalton is partnering with Black-owned businesses wherever possible. Publish yearly reports detailing Dalton’s vendors and third-party contracts.

Discriminate against businesses by race of the owners. Poison.

Retain all security/maintenance/dining/other contracted staff without reduction in salary or benefits, regardless of whether Dalton is able to physically re-open facilities.

"We are going to wish away the financial repercussions of our hiring frenzy".

Delusional.

Black workers have suffered record job losses since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they are disproportionately represented among essential workers who must risk their health in order to continue working. Dalton must prioritize the health and security of its staff—no one is disposable. Our staff are beloved members of the Dalton community, and they should be supported in the same way that we are supporting administration and faculty.

Not really a policy, just virtue-signalling fluff.

Provide child and elder care support for faculty and staff, and any families who qualify for financial aid, especially if Dalton remains primarily online due to COVID-19. Dalton should also restructure its parental leave policies for employees; rather than 6 weeks of paid leave and 6 weeks of unpaid leave, Dalton should follow the lead of companies like Netflix and offer a full year of paid leave for new parents.

Favours reproducers over the childless, younger staff over older staff, and introduces financial pressure (and work pressure) that will be paid by either staff members or parents or both.

Commit to paying all Dalton employees—especially staff and independent contractors—at minimum a living wage for New York, as calculated by MIT’s Living Wage Calculator. Ensure racial equity in the proportion of full- and part-time workers; independent contractors; faculty, staff, administration, and associate teachers; and publish information regarding the racial makeup of each of these categories every year.

Deeply delusional.

First, the MIT tool calculate living wages according to household composition, so is Dalton going to pay a single teacher differently to a married one with two household earners? Is it going to pay more to people with children?

Second, the living wage of a single earner is US$34,195 in NY. Have the signatories examined what this would mean for the ongoing Dalton budget? Is everyone already getting more than this, in which case, what's the point?

Double individual faculty and staff professional development (PD) allotment if it is used to service student debt.

Seems stupid but not necessarily poison.

Publish the endowment investment portfolio and immediately divest from private prisons and detention centers; companies that manufacture technology, equipment or weapons for police;

Idiotic and childish, 'all cops are bastards' mentality.

Going forward, any Black student or student of color who appears in Dalton’s promotional materials should receive reduced tuition, or be retroactively compensated the equivalent amount if they graduate before their likeness is used.

Discrimination by race. Poison.

I was expecting something a more intelligent, well-reasoned, less bilious and more humane that might have started a more fruitful discussion, but thank you for actually answering my question.

You're welcome, laughing dog.

 

[ronburgundy]

I said I didn't say I was concerned, because I did not want the thread to devolve into people calling me a snowflake or the thread to be about my psychological state, which apparently it's turned into anyway.

IOW, you obscured reality to avoid objectively accurate assessments of your position.

I'm not sure what your issue with Dalton is?
I did not say I had one.

I didn't say I had one. But of course, Toni would know what my issue is, as, according to you, my interest in starting the thread was obvious to everyone. It should have been obvious to Toni, so I assume she is being deliberately obtuse.

What is clear and evidence based is that you had an issue and concern with the policy (both of which you pretended not to have). Toni was honestly acknowledging that you clearly had an issue, but was honestly unclear about what exactly your issue was. You've expressed many forms of bigoted hatred and irrationality, so it's unclear which one is the basis of any given thread your start.

 

[Metaphor]

IOW, you obscured reality to avoid objectively accurate assessments of your position.

I'm not sure what your issue with Dalton is?
I did not say I had one.

I didn't say I had one. But of course, Toni would know what my issue is, as, according to you, my interest in starting the thread was obvious to everyone. It should have been obvious to Toni, so I assume she is being deliberately obtuse.

What is clear and evidence based is that you had an issue and concern with the policy (both of which you pretended not to have). Toni was honestly acknowledging that you clearly had an issue, but was honestly unclear about what exactly your issue was. You've expressed many forms of bigoted hatred and irrationality, so it's unclear which one is the basis of any given thread your start.

Right. What particular form of "bigoted hatred" o mine do you think prompted this thread?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

How about addressing his point rather than evading?

He asked a simple question: Is point #1 reasonable or not?

Learn to read - I answered his direct question.

Even if some of the proposals are reasonable it doesn't matter--one bad one spoils the whole thing.

That is utter nonsense - whatever that proposal means, it has nothing whatsoever to do with keeping on the staff while the school is closed.

That's not even remotely addressing point #1. Derailing when you don't want to answer something is not proper debate.

 

[laughing dog]

Learn to read - I answered his direct question.
That is utter nonsense - whatever that proposal means, it has nothing whatsoever to do with keeping on the staff while the school is closed.

That's not even remotely addressing point #1.

Metaphor asked

Do you think it would be reasonable for your course to be shut down if the grades between black and non-black students differed?

I answered

To address your non-responsive question, my answer would depend on the source(s) of that difference. If it was due to my racial bias, I’d expect me to be shutdown. If not, then no I wouldn’t.

I would think that a disinterested reader would conclude that I would think it reasonable for me to be shut down if the differences were due to racial bias. It makes little sense to shut down the course in that case, since other people can teach a course. I would think a disinterested reader would conclude I do not think it would be reasonable to shut down the course in the case where it was not due to my racial bias since I explicitly said no I wouldn’t. Taken together, that indicates I do not think it reasonable to shut down a course because of those differences.

Perhaps if you stopped and actually mulled over posts before your reacted you might avoid now making these spurious accusations of derailing.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Metaphor asked

Do you think it would be reasonable for your course to be shut down if the grades between black and non-black students differed?

I answered

To address your non-responsive question, my answer would depend on the source(s) of that difference. If it was due to my racial bias, I’d expect me to be shutdown. If not, then no I wouldn’t.

I would think that a disinterested reader would conclude that I would think it reasonable for me to be shut down if the differences were due to racial bias. It makes little sense to shut down the course in that case, since other people can teach a course. I would think a disinterested reader would conclude I do not think it would be reasonable to shut down the course in the case where it was not due to my racial bias since I explicitly said no I wouldn’t. Taken together, that indicates I do not think it reasonable to shut down a course because of those differences.

Perhaps if you stopped and actually mulled over posts before your reacted you might avoid now making these spurious accusations of derailing.

You're still evading.

Point #1. Right or wrong. Don't go with his interpretation, address the point as written.

 

[laughing dog]

Metaphor asked



I answered
I would think that a disinterested reader would conclude that I would think it reasonable for me to be shut down if the differences were due to racial bias. It makes little sense to shut down the course in that case, since other people can teach a course. I would think a disinterested reader would conclude I do not think it would be reasonable to shut down the course in the case where it was not due to my racial bias since I explicitly said no I wouldn’t. Taken together, that indicates I do not think it reasonable to shut down a course because of those differences.

Perhaps if you stopped and actually mulled over posts before your reacted you might avoid now making these spurious accusations of derailing.

You're still evading.

Apparently you are mistaken about what evasion means. Evasion would mean I did not answer his question. I did answer his question. Proper debate requires that both parties understand the same language. Proper debate cannot occur when one side persists in blatantly ridiculously false accusations.

Point #1. Right or wrong. Don't go with his interpretation, address the point as written.

Proper debate is hindered when one side shifts the goalposts. Instead of falsely accusing me of evasion and derailment because you did not understand the answer to a question you did not like, you should have just said "I don't unnerstan your view, please answer my question"

I would not institute such a policy. However, if there were significant achievement gaps by ethnicity or some demographic, I would want to know what my institution could reasonably do to reduce the gap by as much as possible and then implement them as best we could.

If you do not comprehend or like that answer, please do not claim evasion or derailment on my part.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Apparently you are mistaken about what evasion means. Evasion would mean I did not answer his question. I did answer his question. Proper debate requires that both parties understand the same language. Proper debate cannot occur when one side persists in blatantly ridiculously false accusations.

Point #1. Right or wrong. Don't go with his interpretation, address the point as written.

Proper debate is hindered when one side shifts the goalposts. Instead of falsely accusing me of evasion and derailment because you did not understand the answer to a question you did not like, you should have just said "I don't unnerstan your view, please answer my question"

I would not institute such a policy. However, if there were significant achievement gaps by ethnicity or some demographic, I would want to know what my institution could reasonably do to reduce the gap by as much as possible and then implement them as best we could.

If you do not comprehend or like that answer, please do not claim evasion or derailment on my part.

Now you are actually addressing it--and thank you for admitting they got it wrong.

 

[laughing dog]

Apparently you are mistaken about what evasion means. Evasion would mean I did not answer his question. I did answer his question. Proper debate requires that both parties understand the same language. Proper debate cannot occur when one side persists in blatantly ridiculously false accusations.

Point #1. Right or wrong. Don't go with his interpretation, address the point as written.

Proper debate is hindered when one side shifts the goalposts. Instead of falsely accusing me of evasion and derailment because you did not understand the answer to a question you did not like, you should have just said "I don't unnerstan your view, please answer my question"

I would not institute such a policy. However, if there were significant achievement gaps by ethnicity or some demographic, I would want to know what my institution could reasonably do to reduce the gap by as much as possible and then implement them as best we could.

If you do not comprehend or like that answer, please do not claim evasion or derailment on my part.

Now you are actually addressing it--and thank you for admitting they got it wrong.

I have always addressed it. I admitted no such thing because unlike your comic book version of right snd wrong, there us a wide middle area of gray.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Now you are actually addressing it--and thank you for admitting they got it wrong.

I have always addressed it. I admitted no such thing because unlike your comic book version of right snd wrong, there us a wide middle area of gray.

Compare your position (look for the cause) with their position (ban them if there's a discrepancy, period).

 

[laughing dog]

Now you are actually addressing it--and thank you for admitting they got it wrong.

I have always addressed it. I admitted no such thing because unlike your comic book version of right snd wrong, there us a wide middle area of gray.

Compare your position (look for the cause) with their position (ban them if there's a discrepancy, period).

That is not their position. As I pointed out to Metaphor, "should" does not mean "shall". "Should" permits exceptions while "shall" does not.

 

[Metaphor]

Compare your position (look for the cause) with their position (ban them if there's a discrepancy, period).

That is not their position. As I pointed out to Metaphor, "should" does not mean "shall". "Should" permits exceptions while "shall" does not.

They didn't explain what would trigger an 'exception', though. The document is silent on that point.