Classroom Crossfire: : Exploring Israel vs. Palestine Protests Through Radical Pedagogy

Teaneck Social Justice Goes too Far

Seems like Teaneck public schools are more focused on social justice and less interested in educating children when they approved of a walk out Wed Nov. 29th during 4th period.

School Sanctioned War Protest.

What does it say when a high-school school allows children to just walk out for a protest about a war in a far off continent? It says your social justice cause is more important than your education.

The high schools have been tense since 2020, and it's unnecessary to accelerate the situation by involving the students in walkouts over polarizing topics.

Protests need to stay out of school for the following reasons:

1. Safety Concerns: Allowing students to leave the classroom can compromise their safety. Large gatherings with heated emotions, like protests, can be unpredictable, with the high potential dangers or conflicts. In Hunterdon Central, an abortion protest went terribly wrong and the pro-abortion kids attacked and physically hurt a pro-life kid last year.

2. Disruption to Learning: Haven’t the kids lost enough education days due to COVID? New Jersey is horribly behind in education, frequent disruptions due to students leaving the classroom can interrupt the flow of lessons and negatively impact the learning environment for everyone. There are 45 armed conflicts currently in 2023, American kids can’t miss class hours taking sides in wars they do not understand.

3. Parental Consent and Supervision: For minors, leaving school to attend a protest SHOULD require parental consent. It's essential for parents or guardians to be aware and approve of their child's participation in such activities, considering the potential risks involved.

Superintendent Approved! - Who Cares About Safety and Learning Loss?

Superintendent Spencer sanctioned the pro-Palestinian walkout citing children's "freedom of speech" at school. However, on the school board meeting, Oct. 18th, when board officials chose to stifle criticism of the superintendent's response to Hamas’s attack on Israel, there seemed to be little regard for citizens' “freedom of speech”. The school board doubled down on its censorship and also prevented adults from speaking out against the Hamas attack during that public session. It appears that Spencer only supports "freedom of speech" for individuals who refrain from criticizing his decisions.

The Superintendent is confused. Adults have freedom of speech at public meetings, CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE IT IN SCHOOL. Hate speech, threats, bullying, or speech that promotes violence, discrimination, or harassment is NOT protected as free speech in schools. What happens if a student decides to shout the Palestinian nationalist slogan “From the River to the Sea” during the school sanctioned protest? This would be viewed by Jewish kids to be hate speech, a threat or harassment, but to the kids who are Pro-Palestine, it is a call for freedom. It’s all about perspective. Adults have conflict over this phrase, since it is viewed by some as a rallying cry for Palestinian rights but others consider offensive code for wiping Israel off the map, between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, as Hamas (terrorist organization) has vowed to do. Even representative Rashida Tlaib’s use of this phrase was censured by the House of Representatives last month. So what would be the consequence for the teens when they are put in a situation to repeat this phrase?

Keep in mind, this conflict between nations heated up on Oct. 7th when 1,400 Israeli men, women and children were horrifically murdered by Hamas. So of course, Jewish families in Teaneck did NOT feel safe sending their kids to school the day of this protest, especially since 400 NYC teens rioted against a Jewish teacher because she went to pro-Israel rally, just last Month.

Jewish Parents Respond:

These are legitimate concerns from parents, kids are not safe when they are engaged in these types of activities where kids are to take sides in a brutal war. Teenagers have unpredictable behavior in a heated situation because their brain is still developing. It is a MISTAKE to even consider this type of activity on school property.

Superintendent Slightly Reverses Course

After parents called and wrote to the school, Superintendent Spencer finally realized that approving of a pro-Palestine walkout may appear as though the school is taking sides in this foreign war. He also realized that students just can’t walk out of class any time they feel the need to protest a cause, therefore, the teachers marked the student’s absent from class if they choose to walkout.

Its naïve of this man to pretend that he can fight islamophobia and anti-semitism while allowing developing teenagers (NOT SCHOLARS) to engage in a heated protest over a war that’s been going on for a millennium. He’s putting kids in a BAD SITUATION HERE that is doomed for failure. None of these children are ready for the consequences of these types of controversial demonstrations with heated emotions.

So what the heck are these educators thinking?

The Consequences of Radical Pedagogy

The NJEA has brought in Radical Pedagogy training into our schools by providing classes to teachers that show them how to make education political by incorporating controversial and sensitive topics in the K-12 curriculum, such as social justice issues, inequality, race, gender, sexuality, abortion and more. If you have been paying attention, you have been seeing these topics pop-up repeatedly in your child’s classwork in the past 5 years. Radical pedagogy generally refers to a set of “progressive” educational theories and practices that are wildly different from traditional teaching methods by emphasizing DEI “diversity”, “equity” and “inclusion” as a core aspect. This practice has been in colleges for years, and now it is in K-12 New Jersey education. These methods seek “transformative” change in education, turning our children from “students of learning” into “activists for social justice.”

In this attempt to use controversial topics to guide children towards “critical thinking” and “awareness”, its creating tensions among students that create an environment of harassment and bullying. The discussions on these topics are becoming more confrontational and are inadvertently create tensions among students belonging to different social, cultural or ideological groups. Radical pedagogy addresses power dynamics within educational settings and these discussions about power imbalances create feelings of resentment and hostility among students, particularly if some students feel marginalized or blamed for societal injustices.

Having spent years training as advocates for social justice, the teens are now equipped to take stances in heated controversies. They find themselves in situations where they now can apply the knowledge gained from their years social justice training, and choose sides based on the over-simplified, false dichotomy of “oppressed” vs. “oppressor”.

In the case of Palestine and Israel conflict, choosing a side and actively advocating that side will ONLY CAUSE problems in an American melting-pot schools that promote diversity. These schools need to back-off these controversial protests/rallies/demonstrations/walkouts (whatever you want to call it) it’s not safe, wise, or a suitable environment for the developmental growth of teenagers.

From the River to the Sea

The event known as the “Teaneck School Walk Out for Palestine”, featuring children leaving their school and marching towards the courthouse, was reported on by Jewish Link News. During this peaceful protest, people, including students, were heard chanting "From the River to the Sea" on the way to the courthouse. At the courthouse there were a few people giving speeches, one of which was a Teaneck teacher, claiming that the “Students have planned a peaceful protest for humanity, for liberation, and inclusion.” Later on in the evening. Jewish parents spoke out about the anti-Semitism in Teaneck Schools. Video below.

Here are some additional videos found on TikTok.