Pittsburgh best school district (Reading, Lebanon: house, safe neighborhood, to buy)

[Ybezl]

Dear RetireinPA, I really appreciate your advice. I will contact the SEAL director to find out all nuances of this program. I am just wondering if that SEAL program is academically better comparing to Magnet schools one.

[corpgypsy]

Originally Posted by erieguy

If it wasn’t being taught nobody would be complaining about it being taught, but it’s interesting how you bring up MAGA in regards to it. There’s a huge amount of folks against it as we’ve been seeing. Even Virginia ousted it by voting in Youngkin…but I do understand there’s private schools that teach it for those that are so interested.

The conservative right is complaining about fact based teaching of American History. MAGA types have mounted a campaign to weaponize school curriculum and our nation's history driven by their continuing belief that White Nationalism is a winning electoral message.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by corpgypsy

The conservative right is complaining about fact based teaching of American History. MAGA types have mounted a campaign to weaponize school curriculum and our nation's history driven by their continuing belief that White Nationalism is a winning electoral message.

Nah, many folks including Dems simply don’t want CRT nonsense in the classroom. We saw that proven in Virginia.

If one wants it taught, there’s private schools where it’s available to be taught from a very young age.

[RetireinPA]

Originally Posted by Ybezl

Dear RetireinPA, I really appreciate your advice. I will contact the SEAL director to find out all nuances of this program. I am just wondering if that SEAL program is academically better comparing to Magnet schools one.

it increases every year with more and more honors or ap offerings. I cannot do a side by side comparo, but like I said, they invented it for PA back in the 70s and I went thru it late 70'searly 80s. at the highschool level its not as full immersion like it was - meaning your fellow kids you did cradle to grave with the the same kids, but then again, we are boomers, our class size was almost double, everyone had 4 kids instead of the 2.2...there are a lot more counselors and coordinators than there were "when I was a kid", but they seem to honestly care and are passionate.



if your little chops are in a magnet or gate, getting in here is sorta just a formality - at least it was for my little guy, we entered here into the 4th grade and he was in 2nd and 3rd magnet.

[USC1986]

Originally Posted by corpgypsy

The conservative right is complaining about fact based teaching of American History. MAGA types have mounted a campaign to weaponize school curriculum and our nation's history driven by their continuing belief that White Nationalism is a winning electoral message.

So, do you adhere to the ahistorical twaddle of the likes of Howard Zinn?
Pray tell, just what is "fact based teaching?"

[gmagoo]

Originally Posted by svband76

I used to say Mount Lebanon all day long but lately their school board has acquired anti-religious/anti-Catholic members and the curriculum is heavily pushing racist Critical Race Theory BS and quadruple mask agendas. Hence, I'd probably say one of the high schools north of Pittsburgh. Or better yet Seton Lasalle or a private school.

What is Critical Race Theory and how is it being pushed?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by USC1986

So, do you adhere to the ahistorical twaddle of the likes of Howard Zinn?
Pray tell, just what is "fact based teaching?"

There's no such thing as objective history. There cannot be. There's simply too much "stuff" in recorded history for anyone to know well, particularly on the elementary/secondary level. Plus humans are natural storytellers, and remember things better if they are constructed into some sort of coherent narrative.

The conventional sweep of "big history" taught to children is something like "things used to be worse, but have gotten better over time." This goes from everything from technological progress to equality under the law. This is a relatively new conception of things - most cultures, including the West up until a few centuries ago, had much more of a "fall from the golden age" view of history - that our best days were behind us and there was no particular forward progress of humanity.

Zinn's work didn't make up anything out of whole cloth, but it did of course focus on elements of American history which we seldom see in a typical high school textbook. The most important corrective IMHO is the understanding that social change doesn't just happen organically, but occurred because various social movements (abolitionists, populists, labor organizers, etc.) became powerful enough that an element of the ruling class felt they had to make reforms in order to maintain the legitimacy of the established order of things. It still conveys the message of progress, but it dethrones the "great man" idea and centers change on ordinary Americans working together.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by eschaton

There's no such thing as objective history. There cannot be. There's simply too much "stuff" in recorded history for anyone to know well, particularly on the elementary/secondary level. Plus humans are natural storytellers, and remember things better if they are constructed into some sort of coherent narrative.

The conventional sweep of "big history" taught to children is something like "things used to be worse, but have gotten better over time." This goes from everything from technological progress to equality under the law. This is a relatively new conception of things - most cultures, including the West up until a few centuries ago, had much more of a "fall from the golden age" view of history - that our best days were behind us and there was no particular forward progress of humanity.

Zinn's work didn't make up anything out of whole cloth, but it did of course focus on elements of American history which we seldom see in a typical high school textbook. The most important corrective IMHO is the understanding that social change doesn't just happen organically, but occurred because various social movements (abolitionists, populists, labor organizers, etc.) became powerful enough that an element of the ruling class felt they had to make reforms in order to maintain the legitimacy of the established order of things. It still conveys the message of progress, but it dethrones the "great man" idea and centers change on ordinary Americans working together.

Great post!

[Ybezl]

Based on our own and currently ongoing experience:

The main idea around which all of the school’s CRT “teachings” evolve is “one race is inherently bad, while another one is inherently good”. Implications are that students/all the people of one race no matter the age (yes, including even infants according to CRT theorists) did wrong to other race(s) and this is irredeemable – these are the grounds to discriminate against “bad” race in every aspect of daily life even though it is against the law… This approach means anti-discrimination laws does not apply to “bad” race… Part of this approach is called “Equity” – justification to treat “bad” race badly while treating “good” race well in order to “achieve equality of outcomes” – this replaced the real concept of Equality of all people of all races like our Constitution says, Equality is a concept with which any normal person would agree as it prevents judging people by skin color… Real concept of Equality, which MLK was a big proponent of…



What it looks like at our school? While school established several classes specifically dedicated to indoctrinate kids with this CRT “teachings”, it goes beyond that by infusing literally every academic subject and making teachers use race lenses while teaching Math, Language Arts, etc, etc… They do the same with “gender identity” theory, but let’s focus on CRT for now… Students starting with Pre-K / K must go through this training and centralized body NAIS develops psychological methods to teach this to kids.



Our experience is very much like Teacher Paul Rossi described:

Here is Teacher Paul Rossi who exposed one of this conferences and gave a glance into what is really happening at schools:

article with embedded video:

https://legalinsurrection.com/2022/0...ning-sessions/

Rossi’s videos from the conference were removed from twitter, but here they are and I recommend to watch them especially training teachers go through to teach CRT to Elementary school kids starting K:

https://www.gettr.com/user/pauldrossi



In addition to putting a garbage propaganda in kids heads the quality of education is INTENTIONALLY worsened, because “bad” race does too well on topics like Math, Reading, Writing and classical academic subjects while “good” race(s) don’t do so well and this is racist and in order to achieve “Equity” or “Equality of outcomes” kids are no longer tough properly with very low plank for achievements, grades are being phased out, etc etc etc… Math is especially racist by the way as we are told… Math competition and honor classes are removed softly – not canceled, but no longer teaching anything. For example, Math competition team coordinator no longer teaches anything, simple posts math questions and answers to the questions… The only students who succeed and do well on Math competitions are the ones who study outside of the school, but school is sure proud to demonstrate trophies from these competitions as if it is something that school was actually involved with..

Significant time is spend to make students think of themselves in term of identities… While many identities are encouraged the only ones that school really wants to instill in students heads are race and “gender”… Here I would refer you to Rossi with the links above as he explains it a lot better than me…

Teachers are very subtle in what they teach, because what they do is against the will of many parents… By the way my younger kid gets read-alouds from NY Times best sellers that picture kids who are “great” and don’t fear to stand up to their parents and not listen to them, because their parents are wrong… Looks like trying to encourage our kids to do the same…

To hear it from other parents please see videos below… Interestingly that parents of all the races are against this CRT, which is what you should absolutely expect – all the parents want their kids to get a good education and school that instead teaches this garbage is holding kids of all races back… Instead of learning academic knowledge, which will help kids achieve and enjoy this life when they grow up, you get ideology…



Here are three articles that expose who is behind CRT push in private schools:

NAIS

https://freebeacon.com/culture/why-p...ave-gone-woke/


Undercover Moms

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2...s-the-country/


By Paul Rossi:

https://legalinsurrection.com/2022/0...ndent-schools/


Links to videos:



Parents:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxu3...e=emb_imp_woyt



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG3s4mkHGzI



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m66rcHzWaPU


and many many more… Just search for these on internet. Particularly Loudoun County VA parents and NY parents...


Teachers:


https://twitter.com/TheTonus/status/1456229919986528258




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBAL2fye6Gc



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrOl2OFdcR0



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GNInLhL2zA


and many many more….

[gg]

Originally Posted by Ybezl

In Pittsburgh we would have access to great hockey clubs so it is not that important for us to have a school that has hockey. Absense of CRT and so called gender identity is the most important in a school for us.

Fox Chapel has a very good team and the ice rink is very close by. The school is very good. Seems to meet your criteria.

https://foxchapelhockey.sportngin.co...bseason=765252