An Irony in Happening in Seattle Schools in Light of Today's Strife
Reading thru the Seattle Schools Board meeting agenda, I see an irony given today's heated debate over the Israel/Gaza war.
SPS has scheduled a high school graduation on a Muslim holiday and people are unhappy and want it changed. (Spoiler alert; that would be hard to do now.)
I recall several years back when Jewish parents were upset because kindergarten started on a Jewish holiday and they were unhappy and wanted it changed.
Given the diversity, in SPS, my understanding is SPS tries to be aware of religious holidays but cannot always accommodate all of them.
Something of a rock and a hard place situation.
Comments
It was all fun and games when they picked on two of the Abrahamic faiths, but the youngest religion of the three doesn't play games or tolerate slights like the older two do. These Seattle elites are going to learn some things about inclusion of faith.
Crown Hill Gangster
For example, in Florida, Governor DeSantis decided pastors are just as good as trained school counselors and passed a law to allow that. BUT, he said Satanism is not a religion (it is) and so none of "those" people. It won't hold up in court.
As well, here in AZ, with the worst voucher law in the country, I can't wait for people to take their student's dollars over to a madrass or Satanism school. Watch the far right Christians heads explode.
Holy Day
The three high schools that will have graduation dates before the holiday are Ballard, Lincoln and Roosevelt. All the rest of the graduations fall during the holiday which is from the evening of June 16th to the end of the evening on June 20th.
If those schools have fewer Muslim students than Cleveland, maybe the district should switch one for Cleveland.
However, staff creating the calendar probably DID know that Muslim holiday would fall during graduation time. But, they may have said to themselves, "Do we change a graduation date for just one school?" Because it's likely that ANY number of high schools have Muslim students.
Told Ya
You are a know nothing, seriously. Seattle Elites flubbed the schedule? Are you kidding me? Seattle “Elites” aren’t in Seattle Public at all. Not as families, not as students, and not as administrators. The administrators are the preferred downtrodden minority group du jour. And, if there’s one or two vanilla bean counting white administrators, they sure are not “elite”. Let’s get real here, Eid goes on for several days and Ramadan for a month. Pick the day you wish to celebrate your holiday. No. The whole school schedule isn’t going to be shifted for month and weeklong religious observances. Sorry. We’ve all got bigger fish to fry. And so do you.
Elite
I'd say that the superintendent and board, who are in charge, are elites as are any elected officials in a city as powerful and wealthy as ours. The people who oversee one of the biggest budgets in town wield a lot of power.
But it seems I touched a nerve with you because you seem very resentful of honoring religions. Respecting communities is the fish we fry in education.
And like I wrote, watch it: Muslims are more willing to stand up for their faith than Jewish and Christian people, so your lack of respect will go over differently.
Crown Hill Gangster
SPS doesn't care, I have received notice that yes, the district know about this issue for months. So it was a clear decision on their part and one they should explain and acknowledge.
The school board is powerless group of do nothings, who have mostly been appointed by each other. They are window dressing for the all powerful and intransigent middle management layer of bureaucracy. I didn’t see any o so religious Muslims running for any of those “elite” offices even as the positions often have 0 candidates. The school board has also voted themselves out of any control over the all important budget decisions. Their 1 and only job, aside from window dressing, is hiring a superintendent who usually stays 3 years before moving on to a more lucrative superintendency. Hardly any definition of elite.
The only “nerve” you may have hit is in learning of your pervasive ignorance. As to religion. I don’t give two craps about it or the schedule. True Muslims don’t make others change their plans for them. Go to Abu Dhabi and learn a thing or two. Cafeterias at NYU Abu Dhabi are open during Ramadan feeding the nonbelievers. It’s part of the observance, observing when others do not. The reality is…. when somebody’s religious or social observances take up 25% of the school year… no we aren’t accommodating it. If people wish to observe, more power to them. But testing (a few years ago it was testing that fell on a Muslim observance), graduation, sporting events, AP tests, pta meetings are going to happen on somebody’s observance. No. They’re not going to change the schedule. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out to celebrate. All those dreaded “elite” kids have left already. You’ll see them on your way out of the school. Not a nerve, just a fact.
Elite
Seattlelifer
It would be easy for an SPS official to look at the religious holiday list published by WA OSPI and figure out when are the important ones. Their calendar covers 2022-2027, so they can certainly plan well in advance
https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/equity-and-civil-rights/information-families-civil-rights-washington-schools/religion-schools/common-religious-and-us-public-holiday-calendars
Elite