In 2023 New Trier offered a professional development course titled “Teaching While White” and Pacific Education Group’s “Beyond Diversity” in February and March open to area teachers.
“Teaching While White” featured a discussion of “why being “colorblind” is not a solution, what language is appropriate to use, how stereotypes influence everyone, and how we can be more conscious of our own biases in the classroom to ensure we are effective teachers for all students.”
For course descriptions click here.
Also offered was “Beyond Diversity,” a two-day course where “Participants engage in a thoughtful, compassionate exploration of race and racism and grapple with how each influences the culture and climate of our school.”
Beyond Diversity training was required by Evanston D65 for all faculty and staff to attend several years ago. Teachers were immersed in “critical race theory,” “anti-racism,” “equity,” “racial consciousness,” “white fragility,” “systemic racism,” and a “white privilege survey,” along with aspects of “white culture” that include apparently inappropriate values such as “self reliance,” “hard work,” “nuclear family,” “objective, rational, linear thinking,” “adherence to rigid time [schedules]” and “delayed gratification” (see attachment).
Diversity training that centers around problem solving has been shown to add real value to organizations. However, the type of training profiled above either does not work or, even worse, can backfire.