When we looked for a private school for our daughter, my wife and I were stunned to see how so many D.C.-area private schools push diversity as their edge over rival schools. My point isn’t to complain about pursuing diversity, but rather to marvel at the way many — most — of these schools insisted that the reason you should pick us is that we care more about diversity than those other schools. Athletics, academics, the physical plant: These were at best secondary. And the price? Good Lord, don’t even think about using price as a comparative advantage, unless you mean the prestige of being more expensive than other schools. No, teachers and administrators spoke to the parents as if everyone in the room shared the assumption that what everyone wants most in the education of their kids is diversity.
Anyway, what made me think of that was this e-mail from the Society of Professional Journalists:
Dear Jonah,
The joint Excellence in Journalism 2011 conference in New Orleans, Sept. 25-27, will be the journalism event of the year. You don’t want to miss it! Join the Radio Television Digital News Association and Society of Professional Journalists for cutting-edge professional development sessions; outstanding programs with the best in the industry; and opportunities to network, learn and share with fellow journalists from across the nation.
We’re working hard to present many opportunities for all in the news industry. One important topic is learning about diversity, from the reporters themselves to the stories they cover. Check out some of the thought-provoking diversity sessions:
Exploring Diversity: Race, Ethnic and Community Reporting
This interactive session, for those who work in print, broadcast and online, will offer new approaches to covering diverse populations as well as new ways to tackle reporting on those whose backgrounds may differ from our own. The session will feature hands-on methods on how to work with various groups and the rapidly changing demographics of our nation.
Is Newsroom Diversity Dead?
The diversity landscape has changed. Both staffing and content diversity often take a back seat as editors and news directors are forced to think first about how to adapt to changing business models in a challenging economy. Wanda Lloyd of the Montgomery Advertiser, a long-time diversity advocate, examines the current state of diversity and leads a discussion about developing existing resources and tools for leading a staff in covering communities with more cultural and gender accuracy.
You’ll get these programs and much more in-depth professional development. See the full list of training sessions here, with more on the way.
Now, if you’ve spent any time in the world of mainstream journalism, or even just observing it, you’ll know that seminars, training sessions, conferences, panels, briefings, newsletters dealing with diversity have been commonplace for more than a quarter century. Whether you think that’s a good thing or bad — or a mix of the two — is a topic for another day. But the idea that it still remains a selling point — either in reality or simply in the minds of marketers – for getting people to attend a conference is really astounding. Yes, they’re offering other events at Excellence in Journalism 2011. But they’re selling it with this stuff. Or they’re trying to.
Hmm. Probably not really SELLING with it; more like inoculating themselves with it. Ya know; don't want to get sued or anything, so show that proper pattern of behavior.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhenever I see a Diversity discussion as a key aspect of a conference that I'm invited to I schedule elective exploratory brain surgery for that day.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTo paraphrase, "Send your kids here. We keep our white population under control!"
That wouldn't fly were it any other group, no?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI suspect, but do not know for certain, that America's elites are far more in love with diversity than are average Americans. To get some sense of elite America's diversophilia (or diversimania) just watch corporation television ads. It is my belief that blacks are dramatically overrepresented in these ads, and it seems to be taboo to present an exclusively white group of people numbering four or more. Hispanics, interestingly, who are more numerous than blacks and may have more money to spend, are far scarcer in these ads, suggesting that ideology is more important here than profits. And forget the aged; they are almost nowhere to be seen despite their large numbers and relative wealth.
At any rate, I often wonder if typical Americans roll their eyes at the blatant pandering and self-congratulations of the diversicrats as I do. And I wonder, do they also question the unexamined piety known as diversity?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou're not counting the Hispanics who appear in the Spanish-language, Telemundo versions of the ads. I wonder how diverse THOSE ads are.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"America's elites are far more in love with diversity than are average Americans."
Correction: They're in love with the *appearance* of diversity, and only racial/ethnic diversity, and only when the ethnicity is exotic and interesting, e.g., Nepalese Buddhists are exotic and interesting; white(ish) or Christian subcultures in the U.S. are not.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJonah,
As someone who works in a HR/Recruiting Leadership role I can tell you that the "diversity" angle is viewed similarly.
In this context, diversity is viewed only as a physical trait and not one of education or experience. Diversity of experience or thought is not considered.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"DIVERSITY: Your Child Will Be Sitting In Classrooms With Spoiled Rich Kids Of All Races!"
...like Barack Obama's and Luis Gutierrez's kids.
I suppose this ameliorates the guilt of rich white parents for living in all white neighborhoods, attending all white churches and synagogues (assuming they bother), eating at all white restaurants, and working in all white offices. But it is not the "diversity" the more middle class variety is avoiding when it demurs from having its children shipped off to P.S. 86,978.
The white guilt, private school version of diversity reminds me of those 18th Century paintings of Marie Antoinette pretending to be a peasant.
There's a Catholic elementary school near my home. There's a banner out front picturing about a dozen schoolchildren. No more than half are white, and at most one is blonde. Having seen the children bissect the schoolyard at recess, however, I can assure you that the school has enough blondes to stage a live action version of "Triumph of the Will," if it so chose. Staging "In the Heights" would be more difficult.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMy grandchildren went to a great little Catholic school that was the most diverse school I had ever seen. It was full of new immigrant families from India, The Phillipenes, Russia, China, Poland, etc. This school was in a poor, largely white neighborhood and many of the students received tuition assistance, but it was allowed to die due to disinterest by the Archdiocese. Almost all of the Catholic schools in my Archdiocese have closed. I have been saddened to realize that in most areas, Catholic education is only for those who can afford to pay.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJonah, you're not the marketing target for this. They're selling this to liberals, for whom "diversity" is a priori of vital importance.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDid the school specify what kind of "diversity"? Diversity of thought and opinion? Or just skin color?
(Rhetorical question)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAmen to that, Swami.
There was a religious school in Houston (now changing, alas, and not for the better) where my daughters went for 10-12 years. The school strongly emphasized very challenging course-work, patriotism, and traditional values in all fields of life.
The word 'diversity' never really came up; but ironically the school was one of the most diverse in the Houston area, for our large populations of recent immigrants - especially those from China, India and South Asia - care very much about traditional values and finding the most challenging educational environment for their children.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI suspect that the more schools and other institutions babble self-righteously about 'diversity' (how I truly hate that word), the less diversity they actually have where it really matters: In the world of challenging, thought-provoking ideas.
One should avoid such places like the plague, whenever possible, and should never, ever expose innocent, curious, bright young minds to their mind-numbing groupthink.
Unless you think the Borg are cute role models, of course.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr. Yeager, I believe, is onto something when he states the "elites are far more in love with diversity than are average Americans." I for one am totally fed up with "diversity." Job competence and excellence has for too long been placed below having a "diverse" group of individuals. Look at most any government office you come in contact with (driver’s license; Social Security Office; and of course the TSA) and you will find a "diverse" but frequently incompetent if not downright infuriating group of folk that a reasoning person wouldn’t turn loose in an outhouse with a muzzle on! Instead of worrying if a person can do the job, the primary concern is that government mandates on “diversity” be followed, no matter the enterprise or institution. That must change or we are destined for 3rd class status in this world.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf you want to find out how really "diverse" a school is, just look at their cafeteria, and see if the "diverse" students are scattered randomly throughout the room or whether they are all sitting together with other members of their racial group.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhen I started reading your comment, I thought you were going to say, Look at their cafeteria and see if diversity carries over to the lunchroom ladies - or are they either practically all black or all hispanic?
That would be a good response for the next couple in Jonah's situation, at a private school interview, when diversity comes up. "Your school is seriously committed to diversity? That's wonderful! Everywhere else we've checked out, the custodial staff was all black and the grounds crew was all Mexican. It'll be great to send little Isabella to a school where 75% of those important but menial duties are fulfilled by whites."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI had a bellyful of this Diversity Madness while I was in the Air Force. We had Hispanic Heritage Week, Black History Month, Women's History Month. Of course there was no White Heritage Week. Everybody knew if you complained about the lack of a White Heritage Week at best you would be sent to Diversity Sensitivity Training hell to get your mind right. At worst your chances for promotion were dead.
I can say all this now since I'm retired and I don't think they can come after my pension.
Diversity as it being pushed by the government elites is another sign of a declining, has-been civilization. The up and coming powers in the world, China, India, Brazil don't teach much diversity in school or business. They just build things and make things to sell like America used to do when it was still important.
Lewis Forro
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseVirginia Beach, VA
Diversity Weeks? Months? Celebrating someone other than White men? HEAVEN FORFEND!!!
BTW, you know military folks get their money--and pensions!!--from the government, right?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI agree with Mr. Yeager. They're just marketing in a way which is geared to their presumed audience. Which might give you a pretty good idea about who is sending their kids to private schools.
On the other hand, how many of our institutions are now run largely for the benefit of the nominal employees? When Newsweek ran itself into the ground with liberal claptrap nobody wanted to read, was it really Newsweek doing that, or had the employees hijacked the institution? How many collegiate decisions make little sense for the health of the school, or the quality of education, but do enforce the ideological purity of the staff?
I think that the sales pitch is largely a reflection on the idiocy of the market (when you tour colleges, watch how many tout their sports teams). However, I also believe that many institutions are captured by the workers. The decisions of these behemoths can only be understood by picturing yourself pulling back a curtain to reveal hundreds of hamsters running merrily in their wheels.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Which might give you a pretty good idea about who is sending their kids to private schools."
...which is rich liberals. San Francisco, which went for Obama by 70 points (84-14) has a higher percentage of kids in private school than any other city in the U.S. - 29.3%.
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