The Dalton School, a pricey private academy on the very posh upper East Side of Manhattan, has decided to make a very costly decision. There is no shortage of rich and famous alumni at this institution, either. They count Christian Slater and Anderson Cooper among their past students. Those who are able to place their children in this school pay upwards of $50,000 for the privilege.
A bit of a problem is arising now, though. A wide range of faculty members have decided to sign off on a manifesto that is designed to show just how anti-racist they are. This is all well and good but now they are issuing demands to the school and several parents are perturbed by what is taking place.
“One of NYC’s poshest private schools is in an uproar over an anti-racist manifesto signed by dozens of faculty members with a sweeping list of demands…
The proposals — first reported this week by The Naked Dollar blog — grew out of the George Floyd police-brutality protests and long-simmering student complaints of racism at the prestigious school. But some parents say the backlash has become oppressive,” says the New York Post. According to their piece, some parents are more ticked off than others.
“My ancestors experienced white supremacy by being slaughtered,” a Jewish parent told The Post. “The idea that being white automatically means you are privileged or a white supremacist is ridiculous. My child comes from people who had to fight for everything they got.”
Another person from the school went so far as to refer to the school as “spineless wimps” and they claimed that the school is too scared to do anything about the backlash. One parent who spoke to the Post said that they have already pulled their child out of the school. Others are claiming that they are weighing their options on the matter now.
School administrators are in the process of covering their proverbial backsides. They even say that they do not agree with everything. According to the school, they “do not support all the language or actions it contains.” The teachers who have signed the manifesto are also saying that they are not going to return to work until their demands have all been met.
So what’s the problem with the manifesto? Teachers are not looking to merely stop racism, they are looking to upend the social order of the school entirely. If you stop to read a few of the bullet points, some of them come across as being pretty reasonable. Black staffers who are hired are expected to have their student loans paid off.
50 percent of all fundraising dollars are supposed to be donated to the public schools of New York City. Courses that are focused on “challenges to white supremacy” will be offered. If none of this makes any sense to you, you are not alone. There are plenty of parents who are looking to figure out their next move. It’s become obvious that they are not going to be heard here.
Parents are not spending over $50,000 per year to send their kids to these schools so that they can be taught a whole new curriculum out of nowhere. It is about getting their kids ready to attend the best universities that the country has to offer. How are they supposed to attract any new staffers when they are telling any non-black employees that they are on their own when it comes to paying their student loans?
It’s going to be an uphill climb and all of these additional demands are sure to jack up the tuition sky high. This school is going to be in for a world of hurt when families leave in droves. How are they going to pay for all of their antiracism plans when they are no longer raking in millions upon millions in tuition money? It will be tough to justify those expenditures at that point.
