As you most likely heard in the news last week, the Minneapolis school district is defending the teachers union's laying off white teachers regardless of seniority. The purpose; is to "dismantle racist and oppressive policies and practices" and "in navigating and disrupting our district as a predominantly white institution," as stated in the 33-page teachers union agreement.
White teachers will be cut based on the color of their skin.
The agreement reads: "If excessing a teacher who is a member of a population underrepresented among licensed teachers in the site, the district shall excess the next least senior teacher, who is not a member of an underrepresented population."
Was the text clear? I didn't think so. So here you go, in my words. If a minority (underrepresented) needs to be fired, the district will fire the least senior teacher who is white, regardless of seniority or experience.
Wait a minute. The text said nothing about excessing "white" teachers! Correct, at least not directly.
Who are the underrepresented population?
"Groups who have been denied access and/or suffered past institutional discrimination in the United States and, according to the census and other federal measuring tools, includes African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics or Chicanos/Latinos, and Native Americans."
The justification of this agreement is to "remedy the continuing effects of past discrimination," according to the school district.
If the "underrepresented," as stated in the text, does not include white, then a non-underrepresented teacher, you guessed it, is white.
"Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth," as the old saying goes.
Many suggest the implementation of this agreement from the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers union is a means of compensating blacks for past discrimination. A way of saying white institutions that have catered to whites based on racism and prejudice for generations will now have to pay the price.
The agreement's text is highly biased, favors underrepresented people, and discriminates against white people. Regardless of past discrimination from white policies and practices, two wrongs do not make a right. The language screams prejudice and discrimination.
The effects of discrimination and prejudice
The use of language such as "white institution" is slowly being drafted in school policies, blatantly and openly prejudiced toward white people. Furthermore, the discrimination of "underrepresented people" undermines their intelligence and abilities as employees and teachers, as if saying, your qualifications don't matter, but your skin color does.
Should discriminative policies be accepted to help non-white people? Does this benefit our teachers as a whole? And in what way is this benefiting students?
Sadly, prejudice and discrimination will only escalate in our schools if our emboldened school districts and unions continue to legislate policies such as the agreement from the teachers union.
If I could add one word to the agreement
What's missing in the agreement is the language of forgiveness. Though, not on every page, the agreement contains text describing bitterness toward white people. How long will our children be exposed to such prejudice and discrimination in our schools?
Forgiveness is an overlooked word, and it is an act that is far and few in our culture today. To forgive is to "stop feeling angry" or "resentful toward someone." It's to look beyond one's mistakes and flaws and someone's offense.
What does the bible say about forgiveness?
"Bearing with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13"
The word "bearing" in Greek is "to hold up, to sustain."
The word "forgive" in greek is "do a favor, to give freely, to show one's self gracious, to pardon, to graciously restore on to another."
We should hold up and bear our neighbors, not hate them. We should extend a pardon, extend grace to those who have hurt us. We should forgive one another as Christ forgives us.
If we allow prejudice and discrimination to live in our hearts, we will live miserable lives.
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