In the old days, the fight was to ensure that advanced placement classes in schools were open to all comers, regardless of academic achievement. The goal of the plan? Equality — the assurance that every student had the same chance for a bite of the apple.
From the vantage point of today’s newly enlightened Left, that goal seems naïve. Social justice crusaders are no longer content with a guarantee of opportunity. Now they want a guarantee of outcome. In short, they want equity. (RELATED: ‘Equity’ and ‘systemic racism’ for dummies)
With an eye toward achieving that elusive goal, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius has announced that the district would not offer its Advanced Work Classes to any new students next year. In the past the program was geared toward high-performing fourth, fifth and sixth graders.
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“There’s been a lot of inequities that have been brought to the light in the pandemic that we have to address,” Cassellius is quoted as telling GBH News. “There’s a lot of work we have to do in the district to be antiracist and have policies where all of our students have a fair shot at an equitable and excellent education.”
Anti-racism, for the uninitiated, is a cornerstone of critical race theory, which in turn posits that racist attitudes infect even the purest intentions. Critical race theory explains why white people are — and will always be — racist. (RELATED: ‘Anti-racism’ is racism in disguise)
The GBH article notes that a “district analysis of the program found that more than 70 percent of students enrolled in the program were white and Asian, even though nearly 80 percent of all Boston public school students are Hispanic and Black.”
“This is just not acceptable,” School Committee member Lorna Rivera is quoted as having said at a recent school committee meeting. “I’ve never heard these statistics before, and I’m very very disturbed by them.”
