You read that right. On Saturday a teacher Matthew R. Kay, an educator and author of a book on “how to lead meaningful race conversations in the classroom,” posted on Twitter how he was worried that ‘conservative parents’ would overhear teachers pushing left-wing concepts on children. Kay used the term ‘messy work’ when describing racial and gender material he might cover in the classroom with children.
The thread included other teachers sharing the same concerns as Kay. I have to tell you, the entire thread is eerie, at best. The thread has since been set to private but here is what it says:
“So, this fall, virtual class discussion will have many potential spectators — parents, siblings, etc. — in the same room. We’ll never be quite sure who is overhearing the discourse. What does this do for our equity/inclusion work?
How much have students depended on the (somewhat) secure barriers of our physical classrooms to encourage vulnerability? How many of us have installed some version of “what happens here stays here” to help this?
While conversation about race are in my wheelhouse, and remain a concern in this no-walls environment — I am most intrigued by the damage that “helicopter/snowplow” parents can do in the host conversations about gender/sexuality. And while “conservative” parents are my chief concern — I know that the damage can come from the left too. If we are engaged in the messy work of destabilizing a kid’s racism or homophobia or transphobia — how much do we want their classmates’ parents piling on?”
https://twitter.com/ClaudesBBQ/status/1292440847171170307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1292440847171170307%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fphilly-teacher-parents-with-access-to-virtual-classrooms-would-do-damage-to-honest-conversations-about-gender-sexuality
Helicopter” parents is a term to refer to parents who supposedly exhibit an overprotective or excessive interest in the life of their child or children. Parents.com stated, “The term ‘helicopter parent’ was first used in Dr. Haim Ginott’s 1969 book Parents & Teenagers by teens who said their parents would hover over them like a helicopter.”
“Snowplow” parents are the “newest embodiment of a hyper-intensive parenting style that can include parents booking their adult children haircuts, texting their college kids to wake them up so they don’t sleep through a test, and even calling their kids’ employers,” Business Insider reported.
Whatever type of parent you are how comfortable would you be if your child’s teacher was enforcing this ‘what happens in the classroom stays in the classroom’ seemingly predatorial type atmosphere around your child? A better question may be this; why would a teacher not want you to hear their lectures? This particular teacher says he’s concerned about conservative parents. That makes it sound like he is pushing a political narrative at school.
This is very creepy and deeply concerning. Kay obviously doesn’t represent all teachers, but it sets a very ominous tone moving forward. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
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