https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 06 May 2026 00:47:26 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921153 Mon, 30 Nov 2020 07:43:15 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2921153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@2littlepumpkins: I disagree on that. If someone is going to talk to my kid about inclusivity and respect for others, and then talk about how wearing masks is a conspiracy and totally useless, those views are in direct opposition to the values he's teaching in his workshops. While he's not stating those things in the workshop, I do think they're relevant for whether someone is credible on the topic they are "teaching" on. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921148 Sun, 29 Nov 2020 14:18:28 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2921148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Carrot: I personally don’t think his views are problematic because they were totally irrelevant to the topic. I agree with saying something about the parts of the presentation itself you didn’t like and offering to help for next year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921137 Sat, 28 Nov 2020 16:51:39 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2921137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks, all. I sent a very measured note to the PTA president expressing my concerns about the assembly content itself. I did admittedly sneak in a small note in parentheses about some "problematic views" that I came across on his public Facebook page while researching him and his background, but didn't go into detail. And I offered to research other vendors if that would be useful (not really knowing how exactly we even got this guy). The president replied and said she appreciated the feedback and actually would forward my note to the chair of the school's diversity group and the chair is actually my daughter's teacher from last year so I know she's of very similar mindset and hopefully we won't be using this guy again. Thank you all for the input! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921121 Fri, 27 Nov 2020 16:52:54 +0000 MoonMoon 2921121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with previous posters - it definitely wouldn't hurt to raise your concerns to the PTA, about the performer and his problematic views and how he might not be the best person to financially support, AND about the content of the assembly and the problematic cultural issues you rightly pointed out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921106 Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:50:05 +0000 Grace 2921106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, there are two issues here.</p> <p>1) he’s an anti-masker/covid deny-er. You have to let go of that because it is his right to believe whatever dumb thing he wants so long as he is not endangering the students. So if he started talking about how made up covid is in his presentation, then you have an argument. This would be equivalent to someone not hiring someone because they believed in aliens (trying to think of something silly to compare it to). </p> <p>2) You don’t think the diversity talk was as good as it could be. I think you need to try to bring a solution to the problem rather than just a complaint. People really hate hearing that they’ve done a sucky job and are likely to dig in their heels and label you as just another complainer. So ideally, you find someone else and say “I think x, y and z. Perhaps you would consider using this person/program next time”.</p> <p>However, I think you should speak up about how the MLK comment and the cultural approbation issues. Let them know that those micro-aggressions contribute to systemic racism and that we have to be very careful to keep it out of our schools and speak up when we see it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921095 Wed, 25 Nov 2020 15:33:00 +0000 wrkbrk 2921095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh hell no. Your feelings are 100000% justified.<br /> My therapist is always telling me to listen to my own anger, not to ignore it. It often signals a boundary being crossed or a value being disrespected. So I would absolutely contact the school and the board about this character.</p> <p>ETA not the same issue but I raised some serious concerns about animal abuse at a traveling “petting zoo” my son’s school hired for an event. They listened to me, investigated, and canceled the contract. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921091 Wed, 25 Nov 2020 14:48:56 +0000 MrsSCB 2921091@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would say something even without the covid info! why is a white man doing a presentation that’s supposed to be about diversity? Doesn’t even sound like it actually was about diversity anyway, though I’m sort of confused about what it was about. It just sounds like a pretty weird presentation, and given the extra info about those views, I’d prefer to hire someone else. There are a lot of BIPOC-owned businesses in the D&amp;I space and I’d rather any money toward something about “diversity” go to them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921069 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 20:54:00 +0000 meganmp 2921069@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would 100% say something, and if they push back on it I would push too- why are we spending money on this guy? What is it about him that makes him worth it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921066 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 16:13:34 +0000 LadyDi 2921066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think presenting constructive feedback on the program itself is fine, but I would leave his anti-masking facebook comments out of it unless they were a part of the program. It's a shame that there are people that feel this way about masking and COVID but I don't think it's relevant to your actual concern, which was the content and lack of diversity in the program itself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921064 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 15:04:18 +0000 Chuckles 2921064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Unless you already know that someone in the PTA is also an anti-masker and it would start a whole thing, I would address both issues - lack of diversity and the anti-masking issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921063 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 14:55:39 +0000 hitchhiker 2921063@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with @gotkimchi; I'd definitely say something, but would focus on the fact that he's not a good fit for diversity talks and leave his COVID views out of it. Because it sounds like even if he wasn't a COVID denier (ugh), he shouldn't be doing diversity talks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921062 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 13:51:03 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2921062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi: oh yeah, his wife is the "clown" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921061 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 13:49:36 +0000 gotkimchi 2921061@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would leave his Covid views out of it and just say anyone think we could do better then white (I’m assuming cis) male for diversity days? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921060 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 13:36:40 +0000 Silva 2921060@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I might be the asshole, but I"d tell the PTA. No need to get angry and fired up, just a simple "hey, I looked this guy up and I don't think we should hire him again." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/school-assembly-concern-wwyd#post-2921059 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 13:28:42 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2921059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another "talk me off a ledge" request :)</p> <p>My daughter's school just held a virtual assembly called "Diversity Circus." It was a recorded session, 40 minutes worth of basic magic tricks that loosely tie in into generic concepts like "be fair, be respectful, etc." Hosted by a white performer, recorded in front of a fully white kid audience. There was nothing particularly problematic with it (other than calling MLK's speech a "fantasy" and putting cultural objects on a bunch of white kids to demonstrate how these objects are different but also the same) but then I Googled the guy and he's a Covid denier/anti-masker. It's his personal FB page, and it's public and he obviously has the right to espouse his opinions, but my brain hurts to think that we spent money on something so generically boring to begin with and gave it to someone who's posting about how masks are actually the problem, not Covid. So I think the right answer is probably to leave it alone, but I'm definitely twitchy to say something to the PTA, which arranged this whole thing. Thoughts? </p>