No truth in advertising at The Spence School
“Spence—a $65,000-per-year Manhattan private school—claims that ‘true education means learning how to honor differences.’” M.J. Koch, from the Free Press, reveals what happens to a teacher who doesn’t toe the party line.
This was also recently reported by Peter Senzamici with the New York Post:
No one paying attention should be surprised that Spence is guilty of violating their stated “civil discourse values." After all, there is precedent:
John Paulson raised flags about the school years ago, as described in the article Billionaire John Paulson rips elite Spence school for ‘anti-white indoctrination’ by Emily Smith.
For another example, read Judges question elite Manhattan private school’s handling of race controversy by Selim Algar.
Things don’t appear to have improved under Felicia A. Wilks' new headship, but what did the school expect when it hired her from the Lakeside School? In the parting interview from her previous job, Wilks was asked, “What do you hope for Lakeside in regards to racial and gender diversity?” She answered, “‘My hope is that the school continues to put in structures that continue to ensure equity among all different types of students, but I hope the school also continues to do the work to make sure we don’t just have the structures and people but also that sense of belonging.”
The Spence School website advertises what it claims to value, but the school doesn’t appear to be living its values. Not surprisingly, their DEI definitions are straight from NAIS and don’t include a commitment to viewpoint diversity.
Not only is Spence violating its core values regarding respect for differences of opinion, it is also promoting gender ideology, which directly conflicts with a school that purports to be for girls.
Why is this problematic? DEI encourages conformist social justice activists instead of independent-thinking truth seekers. Is this what Spence parents want for their girls?
Read this important piece by The Jefferson Council at the University of Virginia that works to “assess the value of DEI.”
“Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) embraces a set of concepts, social theories, policies, and practices that have become the subject of extensive debate throughout both higher education and society at large. In an attempt to solve discrimination and create equality, DEI policies instead exacerbate them by marginalizing other groups and undermining public trust.”
We will keep reiterating that DEI doesn’t solve any real problems but causes many.
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