Today our collaboration time was spent in focus groups for our accreditation visit by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges next year.
I don't know how we were assigned to these focus groups, but mine involved school culture and "equity". Seriously, do you think I am going to contribute to anything that WASC (or our school administration) is looking for regarding equity?
They could have put me in a focus group regarding testing and assessment, or something else academic. But I assure you, the vast majority of my colleagues--all California educators, remember--not only do not agree with my views on culture and "equity", they have no interest in even hearing such views. That meeting today was an hour of my life I'll never get back, and there are plenty more such meetings planned over the next year.
I have officially moved into the "old curmudgeon" column, sitting out my time until retirement. I'm not going to throw any wrenches into the pipes, but since I have nothing to offer in the field of culture and "equity", I am not going to assist in a process that I think is severely wrongheaded. I will be neutral, doing no more than is absolutely required of me, and letting the true believers do the heavy lifting. In 25 years of teaching I've done plenty of the heavy lifting for those things I thought were important, now I guess it's someone else's turn.
Let those who care do the work in this focus group. I don't give a duck.
Update, 4/9/22: Just prior to this past week's meetings I was moved from the Culture Club to the testing/assessment group.
Switzerland would be proud. Maybe also France?
ReplyDeleteHere are some more ducking thoughts. https://quillette.com/2022/03/24/chronicle-of-a-suicide-foretold-how-social-justice-rhetoric-is-turning-people-off-human-rights/
ReplyDeleteYou are an intelligent man, and you could use the time to present your opinion (along with the silent majority) in an amendable manner which could persuade at least a couple of members of the group into understanding your viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteThe price of apathy is towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men - Plato
"But I assure you, the vast majority of my colleagues--all California educators, remember--not only do not agree with my views on culture and "equity", they have no interest in even hearing such views."
ReplyDeleteThis right here is one of the main reasons I stopped trying to get a full-time position in Higher Education; I realized that these people have a special view of the world which I didn't share, so why would they hire me?