The Sticky Wicket Comes to One Seattle High School

 Updates:

I have seen the entire test. Those two questions I put up are completely indicative of the entire test. There are NO questions about world history. It reads much like a litmus test for being woke.

I think what could be said to students - in teaching about gender issues - is to use the word “currently.” As in, “Currently there is much discussion over gender identity and here are the issues around that. The bottom line is that we all remain respectful of each others' choices in this area.”

The current state of the world is a legit world history topic. But this test is just wrong in that context.

And, on the heels of this incident, here is another one that happened at Jane Addams Middle School. This occurred last spring but only came to light recently. A social students teacher, who is the Gay-Straight Alliance coordinator, had an activity for kids to write letters to the rightwing and dangerous women at the Moms for Liberty group.

The return address was that of JAMS/SPS which might suggest some kind of link/endorsement by the district/school.

 

First, given how consistent the messaging is, I suspect the teacher gave the kids these talking points. Second, some of that lettering is suspiciously similar (as in these may not be 8+ different kids).

Apparently Moms for Liberty posted this on Twitter/X. They raised questions like "Is this the best use of student time" but it could have been done after school. "Who paid for the postage and supplies?" That's not known.

They also said on Twitter:

Seattle Public Schools are spending class time indoctrinating and weaponizing your children.

The building of the Red Guard in America.

SPS said:

"the materials in question were sent last spring as an independent activity and not part of the school curriculum."

"We firmly uphold the rights of our students, staff, and families to express their authentic selves," the spokesperson told CITC.

I would guess that JAMS has a GSA group and the teacher suggested at a meeting to send these letters to Moms for Liberty. I am glad that none of the kids signed their names because MFL would have come after them and their families. I don't think the teacher thought a lot about taking on a very organized group like MFL. In today's world, it can be very dangerous. 

But just to note, Moms for Liberty certainly has its hypocrites at the top of the food chain, one of them sitting on a Florida school board.

end of updates

This is one of those stories I loathe writing about, namely, because there isn't really any reason for it to have happened. But principals seem to give their teachers a heck of a lot of latitude. Sometimes that backfires.

Right upfront, I want peace in the world. I do not think that any explosive situation just happens in a vacuum but I also do not think terrorist actions against innocent civilians is ever right. Both sides in the Israel/Palestine fight have blood on their hands. I posit that neither is "right."

Students are not living in a vacuum either and I suspect there is likely lively talk in many classrooms, even in high school. Teachers have a delicate wire to walk but a good teacher will tell students that any opinion that includes the destruction of any group of people is wrong. However, each student is allowed their opinion but cannot use that opinion to bully or threaten any other student. As well, a good teacher will tell students that the U.S. is a very diverse place and we all need to understand our history and live with - in respect and peace - those who differ from our opinions.

Teachers also need to understand that no matter where they personally stand, they need to present both sides of an issue in a neutral manner. If students perceive a teacher has taken a side, that certainly will dampen that student's initiative to be part of a discussion and may even make fearful students who can't be sure the teacher would stick up for their opinion.


The situation as I understand it.

A History teacher at Chief Sealth International High School has said and taught some things that are upsetting some people. I cannot speak for how many students feel but one student's mother spoke up after a couple of questions on a test seemed faulty. This teacher seems to be a political advocate and so you have this overlap of what the person believes personally (and teachers are allowed opinions) and what he teaches. He appears to be a political activist in his personal life.

I have been learning about this via Twitter feeds and other media. Some of it is from right-wing media that appears to have unleashed angry people on this teacher. I cannot find the teacher's Facebook page now; I would guess it got taken down. I also note that the CSIHS website has been altered to take out the direct link to staff listings as well as the listings for History/Social Studies.

Somebody's upset.


Background

Chief Sealth International High School has several World History courses that incorporate Ethnic Studies, right down to the name of class saying "Ethnic Studies." There is one class that seems be the most embedded in ES themes. This is Ethnic Studies World History 3 (partial description):

The course is taught from an Ethnic Studies perspective and includes the structure of the 5 themes including Identity, Power and Oppression, Resistance and Liberation, reflection and Acton and Indigeneity. Students come to understand themselves in relation to systems of power and develop a sense of themselves as potential changemakers.

The teacher is the school's representative for the Seattle Education Association which recently passed a resolution on the situation in Israel/Palestine.

I read the resolution and I would not call it "pro-Hamas" but it certainly sides with the Palestinian side more than the Jewish side. Naturally, SEA can do what it wants. I do think this open politicking might just come up in the next teacher contract negotiations, given that it is the district that has to deal with parents of all stripes.

Jason Rantz at My Northwest covered the story about the student and the quiz:

A 10th grade Ethnic Studies World History teacher at Chief Sealth International High School in Seattle gave students a quiz titled, “Understanding Gender vs. Sex.” The quiz provided a series of statements to label true or false, or questions with multiple choices.

Many of the questions focused on personal pronoun use (When someone uses ‘they/them’ pronouns, what does that mean about their gender identity?” or assumptions one may make around gender identity.

The issue that Rantz takes is that he believes that only women can get pregnant and only men can have penises. 

Folks, we can deep dive into the nuances of today's world about "define what is a woman," gender identity, etc. But this is a World History class and it seems that those discussions might be for a biology class or social studies class (I note that CSIHS puts History and Social Studies together in a classification but the name of the course only includes history.)

The student’s mother wrote to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH expressing “frustration and anger.” She says she expressed concerns to the school, but was “met with silence.”

“I keep trying to wrap my head around how it is legal to teach inaccurate information and force students to answer against their beliefs or receive negative scores,” she said to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. She asked for anonymity for fear her son would face retribution.

The mom told the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH that she worries about the school routinely allowing teachers to bring political beliefs into the classroom. The gender identity issue is just one example. She also said her child, who is white, routinely faces scrutiny for his skin color and so-called privilege.

She said various teachers have called her son, “f****d and racist,” a “product of the patriarchy that teaches young boys not to care about anything,” and that “he shouldn’t use the term straight to identify as because its offensive.”

Now I would take that last paragraph with a grain of salt because I don't believe teachers speak like that to students. As well, if a teacher wants to wade into gender, well, I guess they can. But I do agree with the mom that those two questions are almost trick questions because you might answer one way in this history teacher's class and yet another way in a biology class. 

 

SPS 

Seattle Public Schools, through a spokesperson, defended the quiz as “inclusive,” arguing it was appropriate for an Ethnic Studies course.

“Seattle Public Schools is dedicated to establishing inclusive environments that allow exploration of contemporary issues, specifically examining the impacts of power systems such as racism and patriarchy,” the spokesperson said to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “This commitment extends to fostering welcoming and inclusive settings where students, staff, and families have the freedom to express their authentic selves.”

Ok but is this then a history class or an Ethnic Studies class? Merging the two? Well, you can see the confusion. 

 

The Teacher

I'm not going to name him; you can follow links to find out.  But he said something on Facebook (and I paraphrase):

The teacher ignores the Hamas atrocities on October 7th and the hostages taken. He says that Hamas did not rape or behead anyone. He says that Israel murdered innocents with Hellfire missiles, including Israeli citizens, to get to the militants.

 

I just don't believe Israel did that deliberately to its own citizens and I would like to see proof of that claim.  Could some Israelis have been killed in the bombings in Gaza? Certainly.

He also says, "F**k Hamas, F**k Israel, I'm a communist." 

I have seen ZERO proof that this teacher has said anything in his class about the Israel/Palestine situation nor any charges that he has.