Written by Destiny Garcia
Education should always be the main focus of an academic institution. Andrew Gutmann, the parent of a former student of the all-girls school Brearley in New York, has expressed how much priorities of schools have shifted.
In a letter to other parents, he lists the various reasons that his daughter will not attend Brearley the next school year. As stated in the letter, the school has placed more emphasis on anti-racism than education itself. Upon application to the private school, families have to take an anti-racism pledge for consideration of acceptance.
While it is vital for a school to be a safe environment that allows all children to learn effectively, Gutmann believes that the school has taught students the exact opposite of anti-racism. Many academic subjects are being taught through a lens of color of skin and this prevents students from receiving the facts. Instead, they are being presented heavily biased opinions as facts. Various pieces of literature are banned because they may be interpreted as offensive and this angers Gutmann because it is “lowering education standards.” The argument is that children aren’t being prepared and equipped properly to be effective leaders when the time comes.
In addition, it is believed that the school is teaching students to prejudge others by the color of their skin. The idea that people of color will not be successful in the United States without assistance from the government inevitably teaches students that they are victims, though this is not true. The school has taught children there are two types of people: victims and oppressors, instead of everyone being equal in this country. For this reason, Andrew Gutmann believes Brearley is instilling a racist lens in the children and teaching them to go through life this way.
Racist policies hiding behind an “anti-racism” agenda have infected the school system around the nation. Earlier this year, San Diego Unified was blasted for its anti-racism training, which consisted of all kinds of controversial ideas including a “land acknowledgment” section, where the staff was told to acknowledge that the land we live on is stolen land. Additionally, Presiden Biden is pushing the 1619 project in schools, which has been called out by historians for its many inaccuracies and encourages people to look at every aspect of life through the lens of race.
Photo via The New York Times
