Josh Thompson: Virginia teacher says it's 'White supremacy' to ask kids to sit still
Josh Thompson from Virginia's Blacksburg High School claimed ordering students to sit still is 'White supremacy
Josh Thompson from Virginia's Blacksburg High School claimed ordering students to sit still is 'White supremacy Josh Thompson, an English teacher from Virginia is being slammed on social media for claiming the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) model used in schools promotes 'White supremacy'. The three-tiered model encourages students to learn appropriate behavior, eliminate the risk of unwanted behavior among other things. Thompson argues directing students to behave in a certain way and follow directions is the "definition of White supremacy" for which he's facing backlash online and his statements are being construed as disrespectful towards people of color.
In the past, the Bill Gates-funded program stirred controversy for alluding that mathematics has racist undertones and urged educators to not pressure students to find the correct answer in math. A Connecticut school district made headlines for asking teachers to think about race in all situations including personal tasks like brushing teeth and taking a shower. Dana Stangel-Plowe, a teacher from NJ quit her job over her school's critical race theory policies.
Who is Josh Thompson?
Thompson describes himself as an "English edu. Reader. Writer. Laugher. #DisruptTexts supporter. Wearer of cardigans. I believe in children. Teaching is political. He/him." His tweets have been set to private, so is his TikTok account. In the video which put him in the spotlight, not necessarily in a good way, Thompson had added, "The idea of just sitting quiet and being told stuff and taking things in, in a passive stance, is not a thing that's in many cultures. So if we're positively enforcing these behaviors, we are by extension positively enforcing elements of white culture. Which therefore keeps whiteness at the center, which is the definition of white supremacy."
In the video from May which has since been deleted, Thompson said, "I stated that PBIS is white supremacy with a hug and a lot of y'all wanted to know more about that . . . so if PBIS concerns itself with positive behaviors, we have to ask ourselves, 'Okay well what are those positive behaviors?' And it's things like making sure that you're following directions, and making sure that you're sitting quietly, and you are in your seat and all these things that come from white culture."
Thompson claimed in the video that making kids follow directions and expecting them to behave a certain way stemmed from White supremacy. The video was shared and viewed massively and what followed were negative reactions to the views he expressed. While the teachers at Blacksburg High School in Montgomery County in VA, the students, and their parents have held their opinions to themselves, people on Twitter didn't hold back.
A parody account named LibsofTikTok was able to acquire the videos and uploaded the same to their Twitter inciting a lot of reactions. "Assuming that only the white culture shares the value of being polite and respectful is blatant racism. Besides, this behavior while learning is way more prevalent in Asian countries than in Occidental ones," a user wrote bashing Thompson for his opinion. "He thinks it's unnatural for non-white children to sit still and listen or follow instructions, which is about as racist as it gets," another comment read. "Please stop trying to paint everything in regards to basic manners and order as white supremacy. That only shows you validating white superiority than owning those basic values. It's like saying eating healthy is white supremacy. Oh so you're saying white ppl own good nutrition?" another comment read.
School district officials are aware about the anger among people over Thompson's video. In a statement to Fox News, they said, "A teacher is entitled to their personal belief regarding any division program. The statements made by this teacher do not reflect our PBIS program or the behavioral expectations that we have of students in our schools." The district added that it "has used PBIS in our schools for eight years. We are proud of our PBIS work. This work helps create a standard for social-emotional learning and behavior expectations in the school building."
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Crystal Duncan Lane: Virginia Tech teacher apologizes to students for being White
An instructor at Virginia Tech has sparked quite the uproar on social media after reportedly apologizing to her students of color for having white skin and being a cis-gendered straight female.
A report from Campus Reform noted how Dr Crystal Duncan Lane, an instructor of human development and family science, apologized to students of color, asking them to "join [her] on this journey" of fighting against racial biases.
Duncan Lane's syllabus for her Human Development 1134 class reportedly includes a "Who I Am" section, in which she writes, "I am a Caucasian cisgender female and first-generation college student from Appalachia who is of Scottish, British, and Norwegian heritage. I am married to a cisgender male, and we are middle class. While I did not 'ask' for the many privileges in my life, I have benefitted from them and will continue to benefit from them whether I like it or not."
The educator said it was her duty as a woman who enjoys white privilege to confront racism head-on and fight for equal rights. She also apologized to students of color for the "inexcusable horrors within our shared history," adding that having white skin was an unfair privilege and more of an "injustice."
"This is injustice," she continued. "I am and will continue to work on a daily basis to be antiracist and confront the innate racism within myself that is the reality and history of White people. I want to be better: every day. I will transform: every day. This work terrifies me: every day. I invite my White students to join me on this journey. And to my students of color: I apologize for the inexcusable horrors within our shared history."
One student told Campus Reform that the class is "about disabilities." "Not political opinion, affiliation, nor judgment in any sort," the student added. "If you are discussing disabilities, stick to your course."
"It hurts that someone says I was born with 'innate racism' because of my skin color," another student told the outlet. "[It] makes me feel like I should hide and worry about everything I say." Duncan Lane's apology sparked a major backlash on social media. Many accused her of indoctrinating students and called for her to be fired.
"My God. She should apologize for them having to put up with her as a teacher," a Twitter user wrote. "@virginia_tech Get rid of woke professors like Crystal Duncan Lane! Apologizing for being white! BS. Enough already. Stop the indoctrination of our Virginia students!" another fumed.
"@VirginiaTech_ME @VirginiaTechAOE Dr. Crystal Duncan Lane, an instructor of human development and family science at Virginia Tech. should be fired. What parent wants to pay 30K per year for shaming their kids?" a comment read.
"This is a perfect example of what all this woke and CRT and all this garbage of how white people are born as a racist, which is absolutely false and this teacher should not be allowed near a classroom if this is what she is teaching," one opined. "Is there something in the nation’s water or food supply? So many crazy people! Is it brain damage?" another added.
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