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Old 02-08-2022, 08:25 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Morningside)
14,360 posts, read 16,863,806 times
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I dunno man. Could you please give me concrete examples of things you personally find objectionable taught in school. The OP mentioned trans stuff, but that's clearly not CRT, because it's not about race at all. I can understand why people don't want their kids learning about trans people, even if I disagree. But it's hard to port this over to a question of race because...no one denies black people exist, or that it's appropriate for kids to learn about them.

Again, don't just repeat the rhetoric here about it "sowing white hatred" or whatever. Tell me actual books which are objectionable being taught on the primary/secondary level, and why they are objectionable. Because basically all of the stories I have heard about things being banned are things like a biography of Michelle Obama, or totally apolitical books about the life experience of young black kids. No one is reading Ibram X Kendi to elementary school students anywhere, and I highly doubt there are many high school kids who read it (any more than there were many high school kids reading Howard Zinn or Noam Chomsky when I was a kid).
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Old 02-08-2022, 09:08 AM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
44,888 posts, read 59,882,454 times
Reputation: 60433
Quote:
Originally Posted by erieguy View Post
If it wasn’t being taught nobody would be complaining about it being taught, but it’s interesting how you bring up MAGA in regards to it. There’s a huge amount of folks against it as we’ve been seeing. Even Virginia ousted it by voting in Youngkin…but I do understand there’s private schools that teach it for those that are so interested.
Here's the thing with all the, "It's not being taught" claims. You don't have to have a class titled Critical Race Theory (which is the implication in that claim). What happens is the theories and teachings are infused into the curricula of other classes (almost any Social Studies class, Literature, Comparative Religion, etc.).

It would just be like someone saying that the Theory of Evolution isn't being taught. Yes, it is. It permeates any Biology class as well as Anthropology and even some Early Civ history classes.
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Old 02-08-2022, 09:31 AM
 
716 posts, read 759,343 times
Reputation: 1013
Quote:
Originally Posted by RetireinPA View Post
whoa...


who is telling you this stuff?


valid question: have you ever had kids in the public school system?
The mtl in my screen name has a little something to do with Mt. Lebanon. I have firsthand knowledge of all of this specifically for this district.
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Old 02-08-2022, 09:39 AM
 
Location: Western PA
10,195 posts, read 4,126,294 times
Reputation: 6293
Quote:
Originally Posted by eschaton View Post
I dunno man. Could you please give me concrete examples of things you personally find objectionable taught in school. The OP mentioned trans stuff, but that's clearly not CRT, because it's not about race at all. I can understand why people don't want their kids learning about trans people, even if I disagree. But it's hard to port this over to a question of race because...no one denies black people exist, or that it's appropriate for kids to learn about them.

Again, don't just repeat the rhetoric here about it "sowing white hatred" or whatever. Tell me actual books which are objectionable being taught on the primary/secondary level, and why they are objectionable. Because basically all of the stories I have heard about things being banned are things like a biography of Michelle Obama, or totally apolitical books about the life experience of young black kids. No one is reading Ibram X Kendi to elementary school students anywhere, and I highly doubt there are many high school kids who read it (any more than there were many high school kids reading Howard Zinn or Noam Chomsky when I was a kid).

we gave you the links you are going to get on this topic, wrt PA. PDE approved CRT materials are on those links. IF you choose not to do any research in order to claim "there is no proof", there is nothing I can do about that.



You may want to contact Asra Nomani (@asranomani on twitter) as she performed this exercise in detail for the people of VA when she discovered what was going on. Any video of her she holds up and or names the books taken from VA classrooms. She will be glad to speak to you.


btw - it was you who on page 2 declared



Quote:
Some parents now claim their school teaches "critical race theory" if the kids have to read a biography of Martin Luther King or something.
No one else said that. Only you did. In fact, others, myself have stated that is NOT CRT. We gave examples.

Some narratives are not worth maintaining, and this is one of them.


PS - the OP stated his 3 young kids are now private because of CRT. He lives in NJ. You do not. So how can you declare his experiences are false flags? I dont get it....


PPS - I have read noam chomsky more than anyone else here combined - I will bet. But it was not for his idiotic political views....
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Old 02-08-2022, 10:15 AM
 
Location: Downtown Cranberry Twp.
41,018 posts, read 17,988,144 times
Reputation: 8527
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person View Post
Here's the thing with all the, "It's not being taught" claims. You don't have to have a class titled Critical Race Theory (which is the implication in that claim). What happens is the theories and teachings are infused into the curricula of other classes (almost any Social Studies class, Literature, Comparative Religion, etc.).

It would just be like someone saying that the Theory of Evolution isn't being taught. Yes, it is. It permeates any Biology class as well as Anthropology and even some Early Civ history classes.
Bingo…but that doesn’t fit the narrative.
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Old 02-08-2022, 10:22 AM
 
Location: Western PA
10,195 posts, read 4,126,294 times
Reputation: 6293
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person View Post
Here's the thing with all the, "It's not being taught" claims. You don't have to have a class titled Critical Race Theory (which is the implication in that claim). What happens is the theories and teachings are infused into the curricula of other classes (almost any Social Studies class, Literature, Comparative Religion, etc.).

It would just be like someone saying that the Theory of Evolution isn't being taught. Yes, it is. It permeates any Biology class as well as Anthropology and even some Early Civ history classes.

true dat.


My youngest is finishing honors US/PA studies in 8th grade and just signed up for part 2 in 9th. IT is the only opportunity one has to learn about our system of government, the history and formation of the state and federal govts AND the constitution. And you have to be in gifted and or qualify for honors to take it.


In another thread on CD there are 40+ pages of leftists pontificating what is and is not in the US constitution and no one is challenging them until you simply cut and paste from online. If the 'adults' who went thru the system in the late 90s and later are this ignorant - fear for our kids. MY oldest is 1 class away from graduating 'come' laude with a degree in criminal justice with a heavy law concentration. He pointed out each year that as an adult, this was the FIRST time he was hearing this stuff. and he did his public in washington cty MD, boonsboro specific, the crown jewel of the crown jewel in that state.


shameful.


But then again, most people today have no idea what kids are or are not learning which is why AYP &c test scores continue to steadily fall.


A little anecdote: when the oldest hit HS, the 'open house' in the summer we got to meet his new teachers and that district, like the one I am in now, taught biology as the science in 9th. while in his 9th grade class room, we glanced into the text. It was not so much about biology, as it was 'cute stories about wildlife punctuated on how george W bush and his solar powered eco ranch was destroying the earth and Al "I ate the villagers" Gore was a model of responsible conservator-ship.'


WTH?


so last week was 9th grade class signup for the little guy and we went right to the textbook - thank god it was about plant animal insect life and things pertaining to it. True, the days of going down to the local scum pond to collect samples to peek at are long gone, but at least they are making the effort to tell the kids what they would have seen, if they still went down to scum ponds etc...
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Old 02-08-2022, 10:32 AM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
44,888 posts, read 59,882,454 times
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I don't know what they were teaching in Local, State and National Government class at Boonsboro then. Here's the adopted Framework for what's now called American Government.

https://marylandpublicschools.org/ab...Government.pdf


I do know that I taught them when I did LSN (old name).
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Old 02-08-2022, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Western PA
10,195 posts, read 4,126,294 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mtl-Cns View Post
The mtl in my screen name has a little something to do with Mt. Lebanon. I have firsthand knowledge of all of this specifically for this district.

a day ago you said:


Quote:
What effect does a school board have on the curriculum taught in a school? Answer: absolutely none.
and I took exception to this as it is false.


The school board arranges and or purchases the curriculum that is taught in line with PDE requirements in order to achieve graduation requirements. PDE spells out the requirements, which are required (how many credits, levels, remediation etc) for each subject. PDE also lists approved resources which may or maynot be adopted (CRT as per this thread) School boards are free to add to curriculum and or exceed PDE requirements at any time. ITs just a lot easier during review to use resources that already have the seal of approval. The principal of each school and his/her department heads have skin in this game at each level, and in fact does most of the work. The board just typically rubberstamps each proposal. IT is generally only 99% of the time when politics, hence narrative, get involved that it gets contentious.



You say you have first hand knowledge, does that mean that you specifically have children in or work as an educator/administrator in that district?
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Old 02-08-2022, 05:15 PM
 
Location: A coal patch in Pennsyltucky
10,248 posts, read 10,496,131 times
Reputation: 12547
Quote:
Originally Posted by RetireinPA View Post
right-cheer: https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools...ialEthnic.aspx

There are a number of links which I am not going to enumerate of approved resources, some CRT (such as the Ta-Nehisi Coates book - no I have not read it, and neither have you, but It seems to **** off universally a lot of people), some sorta CRT, some not CRT - I leave it up to the reader. These resources are ALLOWED as classroom materials or resources or lesson plans as stated, not required. There is a difference (in pa, other states too, but only focusing on PA)

For example, well over a week AFTER Youngkin was sworn in in VA, the VA DoE webpage STILL listed the CRT requirements. Funny how political lines cross when your kids are the target.

and sorry I was not clear. Various school districts (all) are ranked according to the indoctrination and hatred they push. Philly city and west chester are at the top of the list in PA. As a gradnparent you should be concerned. I have 5 grandkids myself. (how the hell did that happen? how did I become 'el padre' all of a sudden?)

We have exactly *zero* disharmony in this school district. No one hates each other beyond teenage angst and even then our social media cliques are nearly non-existent. We have parent buy in and parent/teacher cohesion. I want it to stay that way. The 3 Rs here are traditional, not Racism, Riots and Robberies. The biggest problem we have in the news is a guidance counselor was caught dealing drugs. In this county they perp-walk, not get promoted to principal.
I asked you the following:

Quote:
Where on the PDE website does it state that, "it *is* allowed and up to each district to implement but not a PDE requirement?" I could not find it. The closest I found was a page on Creating Inclusive Schools: Racial and Ethnic Identity.
You responded with the same site I posted. There are no PDE approved CRT materials are on this site. It is simply a list of information on that topic and others such as bullying, religious identity, disability, immigrant and refugee students, LGBTQ, etc. No one is telling teachers that they must use any of these materials or incorporate any of these topics in their classes.

Regarding your statement that, "We have exactly *zero* disharmony in this school district," I'm glad you're satisfied with the Norwin school district, but there is nothing special about it. My wife and I have relatives in this district. I have three nieces/nephew currently in the middle and high school. The other relative family has kids who recently graduated. I consider it to be one of the top three school districts in Westmoreland county. It has excellent facilities. But to say is has "exactly *zero* disharmony" is not exactly what I have heard. The middle school musical controversy is an example of that.
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Old 02-08-2022, 06:10 PM
 
Location: Western PA
10,195 posts, read 4,126,294 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by villageidiot1 View Post
I asked you the following:



You responded with the same site I posted. There are no PDE approved CRT materials are on this site. It is simply a list of information on that topic and others such as bullying, religious identity, disability, immigrant and refugee students, LGBTQ, etc. No one is telling teachers that they must use any of these materials or incorporate any of these topics in their classes.

Regarding your statement that, "We have exactly *zero* disharmony in this school district," I'm glad you're satisfied with the Norwin school district, but there is nothing special about it. My wife and I have relatives in this district. I have three nieces/nephew currently in the middle and high school. The other relative family has kids who recently graduated. I consider it to be one of the top three school districts in Westmoreland county. It has excellent facilities. But to say is has "exactly *zero* disharmony" is not exactly what I have heard. The middle school musical controversy is an example of that.

I do not think you are reading the PDE site correctly. And no I did not respond with the same site - which tells me you didnt read it. Both have the same www.blabhblah.pa.us URL, but it differs after that. click on it and READ. I never said any of the words you said above, never once said PA teachers MUST use it. What else does 'not a requirement' mean? I did say they MAY use it and threw up 2 examples in PA judged to be the worst offenders.



A random header:
Quote:
Tools for Action (Toolkits, Training, Guides, Lesson Plans and Activities)
each of those underlined words above have meaning, and have meaning for staff building courses and lesson plans.


perhaps the racial equity toolkit?


stop me when it gets boring.


Quote:
This webpage contains resources for educators, parents, and professionals serving children and youth in school and out-of-school settings.
Every single item listed on the site is PDE approved - it even says so. And the language CLEARLY states it MAY be used, as we have stated ad nauseum, there is no REQUIREMENT to teach it. There is a requirement to teach algebra 1 to all PA students and it sez so. This 'cant believe your lyin eyes' narrative is getting tiresome. And I apologize if that is not your intent, but it is how it comes across. I was asked for specific things and I provided them.


There is a lot special about this district, which is why I moved here. I targeted this district for 1 and only 1 thing. If you have family in the MS then they know my youngest. and no, it does not have disharmony. My kid jokes half the kids it seems are non-binary (as per their claim) no one is getting beat up. no other races are being teased. there are no fights, no riots. There really are no examples of 'mean girls' on social media and yes I asked the counselors a week or so ago when we did his annual giep.



the middle school 'controversy' as you called it, is neither. A teacher had her husband help for rehearsal for a concert and it turns out he was not cleared to be there - as he had given booze to a HS girl in another district and got too cozy - yeah thats bad, but this is not 'disharmony'. Had nothing to do with any middle school kids nor is controversial. No parents are saying pithy things on FB or next door. no picket signs. no demonstrations. I fact, in 2020 as part of her sr project, a HS girl put together a floyd rally - no shouts, nothing got burned, smashed, thrown. can we say the same for pitt during the same time? Like I alluded to - paradise, a parents dream.
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