By Jim Lane | Point of View
Disrupt, Dismantle and Reconstruct. Those are the driving words behind a desired transformation of the American ethos through a discriminating government bureaucratic change to our public educational system.
I’ve lived here in Scottsdale for 50 years and have always felt a sense of pride in our city and our country. We should be proud that we all have participated in the creation and sustaining this community of opportunity that welcomes all who want to participate with us in this great city.
In Dr Menzel’s interview with Torchlight Media he refers to White people, with negative connotation, as “affluent” or “advantaged,” or simply “problematic.” He also outlines the process behind his equity-based educational policy that drives his plans to “disrupt, dismantle and reconstruct” our educational system.
Equity has become for some a replacement term for equality, but they are not the same. Equity has very different & more commonly used meanings, but as used here is defined as the “quality of being fair and impartial.”
This aggressive transformation process is dangerous for students’ education and is fraught with unfairness and prejudice. The product will be in a constant state of flux, and that with subjective assignments of resources will undoubtedly denigrate the continuity of learning and educational experience of the students.
Dr Menzel indicates that equity decisions made will determine who will “benefit” and who will be “burdened” in this redistribution of resources. His government-based analysis of subjective data and the derived subjective decisions from the new equity-based ideological education policies will dictate the how, what and by whom our students are taught in our local public schools.
In his interview with Torchlight Media, Dr. Scott A. Menzel, paraphrases from Robin DeAngelo’s book “White Fragility.” He says, “white people need to feel comfortable and quite frankly we shouldn’t feel comfortable, we should feel really, really uncomfortable.”
He further says in denunciation of merit-based education, “In this country it’s about meritocracy” … “and it’s a lie.” This is the beginnings of a psychological war on capitalism, earned success and free enterprise opportunity. Officials based on assembled data and the analysis of it, will assess various groups impacted by social injustice, and then conclude how to redistribute resources based on the cost to remedy that condition.
Dr. Menzel also argued that the American system must be “dismantled.” He is of a mind to argue; that he, as a “white male … I have an additional burden and obligation to dismantle.” Nowhere is there any consideration or mention of specifically parents’ input or interaction.
I believe that Dr Menzel is not a good match for our community. In fact, if he can impose his mission to “Disrupt, Dismantle and Reconstruct” our school district’s educational system, I believe it would be detrimental to the education of our children and grandchildren.
For all SUSD parents and constituents, please be engaged on this very important subject and let your SUSD Governing Board members know how you feel.
Editor’s note: Mr. Lane is former mayor of the city of Scottsdale City Council
