Posted on 03/06/2021 8:55:33 AM PST by MarvinStinson
Union wants to know race of parents pushing for reopening
The largest teachers' union in Los Angeles is working to prove that the battle lines in the fight to reopen schools are defined by race, going as far as contacting parents who speak out in support of opening schools to ascertain their race.
Miryam Qudrat, a Los Angeles parent of a middle schooler, says a "research specialist" for United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) emailed her to ask how she racially identifies. The inquiry came, the union researcher said, because she was quoted twice in the Los Angeles Times, both times to discuss dissatisfaction with the school closures.
The information was gathered for a UTLA report released Wednesday arguing that affluent voices are over-represented in media stories about school reopening. The union argues black and Latino voices aren't heard in "corporate media organizations," and was working to gather data to support the claim.
"They were trying to see if I would self-identify as Middle Eastern, so they could slam the Times for giving parents of children who supposedly weren't affected by COVID a voice," Qudrat told the Washington Free Beacon. "They're trying to frame it as a race problem, and trying to make me part of this racist group. It's a very dangerous direction they're taking this."
News coverage in recent weeks reveals an effort by the union to push the idea that there's a racial divide among parents over in-class instruction. Last month, for example, a union activist named Jsané Tyler was quoted as a "district parent" in the Los Angeles Times arguing that minority communities are happy the schools are closed.
"We know that a lot of white parents are calling for the reopening of schools—that is simply not the case with Black parents and other parents of color," Tyler, a public school employee who has been featured in the union's videos, said. "The majority of us don’t believe that students should be on campus right now because it’s just not safe."
Howard Blume, the education reporter who quoted Tyler, said he was unaware of her union activism. Tyler did not respond to inquiries into whether the union helped craft her comments.
UTLA said in a statement to local media that it abandoned the research project Qudrat was contacted for—not because the union thinks race isn't at play but, rather, because it turned out to be difficult to determine the race of parents like Qudrat.
"Race is also an important factor to be considered," said UTLA spokeswoman Anna Bakalis. "However, ultimately it was determined that it was not possible to accurately assess the race of individuals quoted."
The union apologized for the email released by Qudrat and said it was taken out of context. They also said none of the research on race was used and questions about it are a distraction.
"This particular outreach by the researcher was not authorized and nothing from that outreach is contained in the report," Bakalis said. "Nothing in the report seeks to identify the race of any individuals quoted."
Qudrat points, however, to comments made by union leadership that show the interest in race was larger than just one research project. In a January Facebook post, the union's president celebrated an Illinois school superintendent who said opening schools was "white supremacist thinking." The president's post took specific aim at "wealthy white and middle eastern parents" in Los Angeles. And earlier this week, the union said reopening schools would further "structural racism" in California.
Neither of Qudrat's quotes in the Los Angeles Times had anything to do with race. Last July, she was included in a story about parents considering alternatives to public schools, and a month later she was quoted in a story about parent involvement in coming up with a plan for the structure of the current school year.
"I was outraged by them trying to put me in the racist category because I want the schools to open," Qudrat said. "The malls, the restaurants, the banks, everything is open here—everyone is going back."
Studies show that students in minority households have been hurt most by school closures during the coronavirus pandemic. A recent analysis of San Francisco schools found black and hispanic students to be 60 percent more likely to miss virtual instruction.
Do some races reject education?
Only 20% of the student body in Los Angeles County is White.
Qudrat points, however, to comments made by union leadership that show the interest in race was larger than just one research project. In a January Facebook post, the union’s president celebrated an Illinois school superintendent who said opening schools was “white supremacist thinking.” The president’s post took specific aim at “wealthy white and middle eastern parents” in Los Angeles. And earlier this week, the union said reopening schools would further “structural racism” in California.
Neither of Qudrat’s quotes in the Los Angeles Times had anything to do with race. Last July, she was included in a story about parents considering alternatives to public schools, and a month later she was quoted in a story about parent involvement in coming up with a plan for the structure of the current school year.
“I was outraged by them trying to put me in the racist category because I want the schools to open,” Qudrat said. “The malls, the restaurants, the banks, everything is open here—everyone is going back.”
Studies show that students in minority households have been hurt most by school closures during the coronavirus pandemic. A recent analysis of San Francisco schools found black and Hispanic students to be 60 percent more likely to miss virtual instruction.
White people only want schools open so they can dominate black children in science, math, engineering, programming, and communications. There is no other rational reason other than keeping black people down
Some cultures do. And there is often correlation between race and culture on a regional or national level.
Finding a white kid going to a LAUSD school would be quite a challenge. I grew up in Los Angeles and I have a lot of friends there. If you want your kid to be safe and get an education in Los Angeles you will have to send your kid to a private school, assuming that your kid passes the entrance exam and you have an extra $30,000 per year for tuition.
If I were a black parent with a kid in a LAUSD school I would be very mad at the UTLA union. I am not buying the B.S. that black and brown parents do not want their kids in school. Their kids will be scarred for life.
The obvious solution is to segregate white kids into their own schools so they don’t offend anyone.
Your 20% figure is for Los Angeles County which would include a few wealthy enclaves, like Arcadia, in the county but now in the City of Los Angeles where the United Teachers of L.A. union is in charge. The percentage of white students in the Los Angeles Unified School District is probably a lot less than 20%.
Isn't that why Millions of Whites have left SoCal in recent years?
How many white conservative parents are in a rush to send their kids back
to the public indoctrination centers?
Unbelievable how much crazier the public schools have become in just the
past year.
In that case, each race/culture should be able to have their own schools, and be taught in the language of their choice.
The ONLY fix for this is to STOP the $$$.
Or The way Ronald Reagan fixed the Aircraft Controllers in the 80s.
I bet it is less than 10% in City Schools, here in the Valley it is 0%
Easy to locate them and single them out. Don't they still have honor rolls? Take the top names. Although Asians are there, too. Then have the computer eliminate the names of the students with the top math test achievements. In case of logarithm problems, have the students try to jump on a basketball court. Can't jump? Finally, those white supremacists singled out. The 20% are left high and dry.
The ultra liberal rich people are still in Los Angeles in places like Bel Air and Brentwood. They send their kids to private schools while the preach diversity and inclusion to middle class white people who are getting run out of town.
Yep. That’s just about the only white people who will remain in SoCal while everyone else is getting the hell out of there. A lot of middle class Blacks are leaving there as well, moving to places where they can afford such as Atlanta.
The head of the LA County Teachers Union is an undeniable racist..just look at her face whenever she mentions white people you can see the hatred she has on her face..an evil b*tch
Time to stop filling in the race. Refuse to self-identify or fill in “other”. That drives the critical racists really nutts.
According to my DNA profile, I am as much black as Sen Warren is Indian. (less than 0.001%)
I think, I’ll start filling in “black”.
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