Thursday, August 05, 2021

USUAL EDUCATION PRIVATIZERS ARE FINANCING CRITICAL RACE THEORY

This comes from Matthew Thomas. I saw a link this morning at the Diane Ravitch blog.

Last week, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on CNN to discuss the emergence of critical race theory as the newest theater of the culture war. She began by noting that the term “critical race theory” refers to a particular tradition of legal and academic scholarship - one that isn’t taught below the college level, and certainly not in public grade schools. The right wing, she said, is conflating this term with any discussion of the role of race in US history and society, with the goal of inciting a moral panic.

All true so far. But then she suggested that the left shouldn’t just play defense on the question of racial pedagogy. Even if critical race theory isn’t being taught in schools, she argued that some other kind of anti-racist education should be, and questioned the motives of anyone dissenting from that opinion: “Why don’t you want our schools to teach anti-racism? Why don’t Republicans want their kids to know the tradition of anti-racism in the United States?”

I can’t speak for Republicans, but how’s this for a reason: the models of anti-racism now dominant in the education sector are an outgrowth of the charter school industry, funded by billionaires, and deliberately minimize the importance of class analysis.

Charter advocates have long appealed to concern for black and brown students in underperforming public schools to legitimize their push for privatization. But as the power of identity has grown in liberal culture, the industry has become the locus of a growing network of consultancies, NGOs, and businesses sowing the politics of race reductionism throughout the professional class. Back in May, I reported on Dianne Morales’ deep connections to these segments of the charter industry, and how her particularly intense brand of identitarian rhetoric was a product of that milieu.

So yes, there really is an elite conspiracy to turn public schools into re-education camps for a poisonous racial ideology. But as usual, the right is too high on its own supply to grasp the true nature of this phenomenon. It isn’t the cultural Marxists who are behind it, working to subvert the white imperium from within. It’s all the usual Draculas of the ruling class, looking to advance a goal the right itself has pursued for decades: the privatization of public education.

Thomas follows the money:

As it turns out, the project of anti-racism in education is being advanced by fortunes built on the exploitation of the working class, the immiseration of communities of color, the destruction of the environment, and the erosion of democracy. 

It's Gates, Bezos, et al who are playing divide and conquer masterfully as they bankroll anti-racism education. 

Ravitch comments:

Thomas’s theory is that the billionaires prefer to get parents and the public focused on identity politics and ignore class analysis.

To see how successful the billionaires have been in getting us to attack each other on the race issue, just look at the comments section on almost every posting on this blog. 

My advice is for all of you to stop hitting each other and punch upward.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you. Class analysis, i beg for it! Something that should also be taught from the elementary level and up.

Anonymous said...

So true. So true. Great analysis.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand CRT. I don't care enough to research it. No, I am not white.

Anonymous said...

I notice the usual race baiters in the comments are unusually quiet here. Both the White and Black side look rather foolish because Bezos wants you to fight each other and not bother that Amazon pays no federal taxes and was just found guilty of union busting.

Anonymous said...

@7:42 Trump didn't pay federal taxes either, and wanted us to fight each other but I'd bet my last dollar that you support him. Dontcha?

Anonymous said...

Maybe we are exactly like Baltimore.

Baltimore City schools have been underperforming for years, graduating children functionally illiterate and unable to pass state exams or qualify for college. The system has failed minorities.

Don't we always mention grade fraud, and get ignored? Where is the most powerful union in the country?

Anonymous said...

Race baiters? People on this blog get called race baiters if they dare mention neveremding black underperformace as if it weren't fact.

Anonymous said...

If we all agree that demonizing or stereotyping any particular race as part of anything done in school is wrong and should not be taught, then it’s a non issue in schools. I don’t buy AOC argument. It’s a technical argument. Which is why my first sentence was specific. Instead of labeling something as crt or not crt, let’s be specific about ideas that should not be taught in school. When we get into the nitty gritty of what should and should not be taught in school, most Americans would easily come to an agreement. If the left had focused on M4A and the Bezos’ of the world robbing us they would have more support right now. But they didn’t. And we are where we are.

Anonymous said...

224. Look into the deep bias of these so called achievement gaps, especially around Standard English, and the stereotyping of Black students, as well as the way many studies aggregate African Americans with Black immigrants. That is why it can be seen as race baiting, as if it is all just because someone is non-white that they can't cut it. A class analysis should be applied here as well.

Anonymous said...

Black underperformance? On a blog filled with racists who say they don't give a rat's azz, and are only there to collect their money. Do you think that blatant indifference might have something to do with it?? And what 3:35 said.

Unfortunately much of the failure is generational. Someone mentioned schools in Long Island. SURE. Of course you can only go to the school in the District in which you live and the poorer districts don't have the kind of money to provide the type of services and programs that we see in more upscale neighborhoods so it becomes a cycle of failure. How do you teach a kid that was burned out. They don't have home insurance to go to a nice hotel. One who is logging on to the Google Meet from homeless shelter with spotty internet, or who has to contend with the noise of the entire family. Some of them TRY and it becomes next to impossible when you have adults who DON'T CARE.

Anonymous said...

5:44 People who don’t give a “rat’s azz” are racist because…..? I think if this corrupt system were full of kids who looked Scandinavian, the result would be the same if the culture of the school was the same. The doe is where unreasonably high expectations meet absurdly low expectations. It’s a disaster.

Anonymous said...

9:29 stupid post.

Anonymous said...

Those who can’t make intelligent points call those who can stupid.

Anonymous said...

What intelligent point did you make @11:38? 2:41, 3:35, 5:44 all made cogent points. You come back with nonsense about Scandinvanian and "if the culture of the school was the same". They're entirely different cultures, and if you can't hack teaching the population in front of you, just leave rather than to gripe about "black underperformance".

Moreover, the comment wasn't that people who don't give a rat's azz are racist. The comment was racists who don't give a rat's azz. If you don't understand the difference have someone explain it to you. Any and all expectations would be unreasonable when you have a bunch of racists who don't like their students, and don't care to teach. The "absurdly low expectations" come from people like you. So yeah...your comment was stupid, but I'm sure you were just patting yourself on the back thinking you made an intelligent point. Now you look even more stupid.

Anonymous said...

1213. I said if they LOOKED Scandinavian and the school culture was the same. If everything about the school culture was exactly the same but the people were very white (as in looking Scandinavian), the result would be the same… the teachers wouldnt give a rat’s ass. Not giving a rat’s ass is not racist. Do you value my opinion or do you not give a rat’s ass? If you choose rat’s ass then by your own logic, you are racist. What is the racist behavior? None was offered other than they don’t give a rat’s ass. @129 said my post was stupid but offered nothing to back it up. I also wrote the 241 comment.

Anonymous said...

Racists don’t want the minority public school kids of nyc to have the same in person education as the rich kids in private schools that didn’t close.

Anonymous said...

@6:29 you're a moron and using red herrings to try and make your point because that's the same shit they use for racial profiling. Again, if you don't like the population and the culture as it is GO ELSEWHERE, rather than argue "if these whites were like these blacks". WTF is that??

But keep talking, because every post exposes you for your own racist leanings. Don't speak for everyone you fool. Many teachers DO care and try their damn hardest and still have bad days when we don't give a "rat's azz", but racists are only in it from the money and disparage the students.

NO - I don't value your opinion, or give a rat's azz because it's low-level thinking. Of course that doesn't make me a racist, you DOPE. I'm referring to racists on this blog who wear it on their sleeves, disparage the students, their parents, the neighborhoods and brag that they don't give a fuck but are only in for the money. One guy even used the 'N' word. They ARE racists and proud of it. So who are we going to believe? Them? Or you, who is trying to put words in their mouths? Clearly you are just DENSE who can't understand the difference between not giving a rat's azz, and a racist who doesn't give a rat's azz. Upon closer inspection your 2:41 comment is ALSO a strawman because it presupposes that "one group will be demonized" and in the context of CRT we know what group you're referring. That's just hysterical right wing bullshit. You're an idiot and that's that.

Anonymous said...

10:10 the ones crying the loudest about a remote option (which will probably not include the teachers anyway, but they're hoping) are those who are not vaccinated, and were bragging about sitting around in their pajamas for days at a time, even though some of their brag was probably trolling. I wouldn't support a remote option just to spite them. Haha.

Anonymous said...

You have still failed to prove that not giving a fuck about your job is racist. Dense morons accuse people of racism when they can’t win an argument. Prove racism or stfu, little boy who cried racist.

Anonymous said...

12:04 ROFLMAO. You're stuck on stupid, a moron and using a lame strawman because no one ever claimed that not caring about the job is racist. I said there are racists that dont care about the job. The shoe must fit because youre so triggered and still pretending you don't understand or maybe, more likely, that stupid act if yours is not an act afterall. Can't fix stupid when an idiot with his head up his azz wants to claim there is no racism. Hahahah. Wow. How about YOU shut STFU.

Anonymous said...

1204 still triggered and still has his panties in a bunch. Exhibit A: "if they looked Scandanavian but they act like the culture of black kids". MORON