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U.S. News and World Report rank Newton South High School #34 and Newton North High School #37 out of all high schools in Massachusetts.
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Jake Auchincloss, a Newton city councilor and a former Marine, was repeatedly the subject of both veiled and direct criticism from his peers during the virtually held debate — most notably toward the end of the event, when fellow 4th District candidate Ihssane Leckey suggested he should drop out after violating a pledge against taking campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry (which every candidate in the race had signed).
Cavell, who most recently worked as a lawyer in Attorney General Maura Healey’s office, also took issue with Auchincloss for urging Newton school officials in 2016 to not punish students who flew a Confederate flag outside Newton North High School. At the time, Auchincloss said officials were right to denounce the act but cited legal concerns about free speech and drew a comparison between the Confederate flag and a Black Lives Matter banner or LGBT flag.
Auchincloss has since apologized for the comparison, telling Politico last month that his privilege as a white male “allowed me to see this as a free speech issue.” During the debate Sunday, he reiterated that “the Confederate flag has no place near our school or near our children.” However, Cavell continued to rip Auchincloss for comparing the symbol of slavery to Black Lives Matter and LGBT flags.
Image from The Boston Globe: Clockwise, from top left: Becky Grossman, Jake Auchincloss, Alan Khazei, Dave Cavell, Ihssane Leckey, Christopher Zannetos, Natalia Linos, Ben Sigel, and Jesse Mermell. –Pat Greenhouse / The Boston Globe
–> It doesn’t seem like Jake is planning on returning his fossil fuel donation despite signing a pledge against taking campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry.
SCOOP: Auchincloss to be removed from fossil fuel pledge after failing to return or donate funds
By Jessy Han and Adam Bass for Daily Dose of Bass & Han
From Jessy Han @hjessy_:
SCOOP w/@AdamBassWCCS : Jake Auchincloss is being removed from the @NoFossilMoney pledge tomorrow, organizer Collin Rees says. Auchincloss failed to refund a donation from the exec VP of a Waltham fossil fuel company. The donation was first flagged by @CallaWalsh.#ma04#mapoli
The group gives candidates seven days after notification to return a donation or make an equivalent donation to a climate justice organization. The campaign did neither.
Adam Bass @AdamBassWCCS
Fireworks in #MA04: JakeAuchincloss addressed being dropped by @NoFossilMoney, saying it has “no credibility” & suggested Ihssane Leckey’s self-funding was “largely derived” from energy trading. Leckey says she “never took a dime of dark money.” Leckey: “Jake, you should drop.”
FINAL QUESTION AND ITS AUCHINCLOSS. He was removed by the fossil fuel pledge. Why did he not return the pledge? AUCHINCLOSS: this pledge has lost credibility and attacks LECKEY. LECKEY INTERRUPTS “JUST STOP LYING JAKE.” Holy Shit.
Kylie R. Walters @k_r_walters
Auchincloss also failed to support a modest reduction in the NPD budget about 2 weeks ago.
Voters in my home district have a choice between @JakeAuch, who defended high school students flying the confederate flag and is running a Republican-lite campaign using daddy’s money, or @ihssaneleckey, “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare.” #MA04
Sean Wash Your Damn Hands Roche @seanroche
I’ve got no objection to parental support. Comes in all forms. But, the pro-Jake Super PAC includes million-dollar Trump supporter — Bob Kraft — as a supporter. Do the math.
Jessy Han @hjessy_
NEWS: Experienced Leadership Matters PAC, funded in part by @JakeAuch‘s parents and the Kraft family, paid the DC-based ad firm Hamburger Gibson Creative and the NJ media buying agency Media Fortitude $177,873.60 yesterday in support of Auchincloss‘s candidacy. #MA04#mapoli
Stephanie Murray @stephanie_murr
Hmm this is interesting – super PAC called “Experienced Leadership Matters” raised $89k this Q, lists address in Foxboro & raised $35k from parents of #MA04‘s Jake Auchincloss – Hugh Auchincloss & Laurie Glimcher – plus others like Bob & Jonathan Kraft https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00746792/1422259/
Related:
As a Black student from Newton, I won’t vote for Jake Auchincloss
While growing up Black in Newton, I’ve dealt with all sorts of racial profiling and slurs. However, no individual has made me feel more unwelcomed, unvalued and unsafe in my hometown than Jake Auchincloss — now a candidate for Congress.
In September 2016, a group of students drove through Newton North waving a Confederate flag outside of the window. Coinciding with President Donald Trump’s bigoted and racist campaign, it was particularly unsettling to see this hate in my hometown. This hateful act targeted students of color like myself already facing discomfort in predominantly white spaces of learning. Later that year, only 35% of Black students in Newton high schools reported feeling connected to the school in comparison to 65% of white students.
As a city councilor, Auchincloss responded by filing a resolution stating that punishing students for displaying the Confederate flag is in conflict to Newton’s values of free speech. However, regulation of certain types of speech is allowed within Newton Public Schools. Meanwhile, this resolution stood well outside the jurisdiction of the city council, making it questionable why Auchincloss chose to insert himself in such an issue.
Rather than promote our schools’ values of equality, respect, safety and kindness, Auchincloss asserted his understanding — as a white man — that displaying a Confederate flag on school property is not a “substantial disruption” to the education of students of color. As someone who has been targeted by acts of hate speech including Confederate flags, I can attest that a school where students can commit such acts with no repercussions is not one conducive for learning. Auchincloss’ grandstanding on the importance of free speech over the feelings of safety for students of color is not only insulting but demeaning. His rush to defend students responsible for hate speech rather than understand the experiences and support the needs of students of color makes me question where racial justice would lie among his priorities as a member of Congress.
There is also this:
EMILY’s List sends out mailer criticizing two Dems on abortion in primary for open #MA04: Jake Auchincloss & Alan Khazei.
Jesse Mermell
@jessemermell
·
FACT CHECK: In 2017, @JakeAuch opposed a $15 min wage, spouting debunked GOP talking points.
For weeks now, the Ed Board has been writing in support of Black Lives Matter and bold police reform. Their choice to endorse Jake, who has a history of insensitive, racist comments, completely contradicts that work. 2/
Just 3 years ago, Jake compared the Confederate flag to a BLM flag and Pride flag. Last month, a Black student in Newton wrote that “no individual” has made him feel more “unsafe” than Jake Auchincloss. That alone should be disqualifying. 3/
For this racist behavior to be dismissed as “tone-deaf” is exactly the type of apologist rhetoric that has hindered progress in this country for so long. People of color have consistently been told that they should just get over comments like his. 4/
This endorsement is the product of a failed system that has gone unconfronted, even at home. Systemic racism looks like a white man with privilege making racist comments, never truly apologizing, and receiving an endorsement from one of the foremost publications in our country.6/
mohammed missouri @hammodimissouri ·
In their endorsement of former Republican JakeAuchincloss, the Globe Editorial board quoted a common Islamophobic trope that portrays Muslims as violent and is used to justify bombing Muslim countries.
This trope is invented by right wing war hawks
@GlobeOpinion
@DannyM33612501
Why would these morons from @BostonGlobe @GlobeMcGrory endorse a political HACK Jake Auchincloss @JakeAuch is it because his parents buy influence with their Superpac? No wonder we end up with morons in congress!
From Josh Miller-Lewis (@jmillerlewis)
lol looks like Jake Auchincloss is already rattled by @ihssaneleckey’s surge. Guess we’re heading toward a two person race between a former Republican and a bold progressive.
Yesterday a group of intruders joined a Zoom session during a Newton South AP Chinese class and proceeded to spew vile, hate-filled images and speech directed at our students and teacher. The actions were racist and hate-filled. This incident is an attack on our Asian community, Newton South and Newton Public Schools. I’m am saddened and angered by this attack that was intended to divide and scare us.
I will be hosting an optional Zoom webinar at 2:30 this afternoon for staff and students. The purpose of this meeting is to provide support for our Asian community at Newton North, to answer any questions and discuss ways we can support and address hate. This will be an attempt to unite our community when others seek to divide us.
Mrs. Winston will share a Zoom link later this afternoon with students and staff who wish to attend the optional meeting.
Please read Joel Stembridge’s email below.
Be well,
Henry J. Turner, Ed.D
Principal
Newton North High School
—-
Dear Newton South community,
I am saddened and upset to share with you that yesterday a group of intruders joined a Zoom session of our AP Chinese class and proceeded to spew vile, hate-filled images and speech directed at our students and teacher. It was clearly racist, hateful, and horrible.
We immediately notified the Newton Police Department who are investigating the incident. We also notified families of students in the class, and are working with our teacher and students to gather more information. Initial reports indicate that the intruders were likely not from Newton, although that could change as we learn more.
This was a traumatic experience for our teacher and students, and we will continue to offer support to everyone involved. To be clear, an attack on members of our NSHS Asian-American community is an attack on all of us. We will be working on a plan for responding – I will share more about this soon.
We have hosted hundreds of successful zoom meets over the past weeks and have updated our security settings as new information has become available from Zoom on specific ways to secure our live classroom interactions. However, we have learned that Zoom links created prior to recent security updates may not have all the security features turned on, such as the waiting room and password features. Our Information Technology department is constantly working to increase security and to stay up-to-date on all recommendations to secure our virtual classrooms.
Out of concern for student and staff safety, I am cancelling all zoom meetings for today so that our IT department can work with faculty and staff to review our security protocols, re-verify settings, and refresh all zoom links.
This is a trying time for all of us, and events such as these underscore the fragility of this new environment in which we are working. We’ll have more work to do to ensure that we can continue to support students and build a safe, connected online community.
As you likely heard, Governor Baker announced earlier this evening that all schools in Massachusetts will now be closed until Monday, April 6th. We know how disruptive this is to everyone’s lives, yet we recognize the need to adhere to these guidelines to support the safety of our city during this unprecedented time.
Learning During School Closure
Governor Baker has asked districts to consider what they can do to keep learning alive for students while schools are closed. As we think about learning, it is important to note that learning in schools includes academic and social and emotional experiences, all of which are challenging to replicate without face to face interaction. That said, we want to ensure that our students have opportunities to be engaged and supported while they are away from school. These opportunities will look different depending on the grade and learning needs of the student.
Our dedicated staff will be preparing appropriate enrichment activities to help students remain engaged while school is not in session. The materials will provide educational opportunities and activities at grade level for your children. These materials and activities are not intended to replace classroom instruction or to substitute for it in any way. They are supplemental and meant to be interesting and to encourage students to explore on their own. In addition, we will be working with our administrators and staff teams to plan strategies to connect with students periodically while they are away from school. More details on our plans will be shared shortly.
Social Distancing
As has been recommended by Newton Health and Human Services, and reiterated in Governor Baker’s remarks, social distancing is critical to slowing the spread of the virus in Massachusetts. We are encouraging “social distancing” (staying out of large groups and maintaining 6 feet of separation at smaller gatherings) to lower the risk of transmission of illness to others. We urge families to restrict their childrens’ play dates and in-person social interactions and to consider other ways that they can have appropriate and healthy connections with their peers.
Food Scarcity
We know school closures may significantly impact families in many ways, especially those experiencing food insecurity. Beginning on Tuesday, March 17th, Grab ‘n Go meals will be available to NPS students in need at both Newton North and Newton South High Schools. Please see details below: Time: Between 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Location at South: Front parking loop Location at North: Parking area near auditorium entrance Additional assistance locations for those experiencing food scarcity can be found on our website at: www.newton.k12.ma.us/covid19
School Committee
The School Committee is making two important changes to meetings to facilitate participation while adhering to state guidance on prohibiting gatherings of more than 25 people and practicing social distancing. They are as follows:
Beginning with the Monday, March 16th meeting, the School Committee will host virtual meetings. Those wishing to listen to the meeting may do so via the Zoom web-based conferencing. Meetings can also be watched or live streamed via NewTV. For call-in information and more specific details, please visit the School Committee website at www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee.
For meetings with scheduled Public Comment, we ask members of the public to submit written Public Comment by 6:00 PM. Questions will be collated and read aloud during the Committee’s live broadcast at 7:00 PM on NewTV. Each Public Comment is limited to three minutes and must include your name and address. Please submit Public Comments to: schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us.
Administrative Offices
The Education Center will be closed at 4:00 pm on Monday and remain closed until April 6th. All school buildings will remain closed until then as well. While our offices will be closed, we will be working remotely and continue to provide you with updates through email, social media, and our dedicated webpage at www.newton.k12.ma.us/covid19.
We find ourselves in an unprecedented situation filled with unknowns. However, we are a strong school community filled with caring and compassionate people. Together, we will model for our children what it means to contribute to the greater good by making sacrifices to protect our most vulnerable citizens.
Sincerely,
David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools
March 13, 2020
Dear NPS Families,
We write to provide you with an update on our school closure related to COVID-19. While we continue to assess the situation and ultimately make a firm decision on the length of our closure, we want to let you know what to expect over the next few days.
Because we had only used one of our five “snow days” when we decided to close, the days out of school until Wednesday, March 18, will be considered “snow days.” Only these four days are required to be made up at the end of the school year, which means that the last day of school for students is now firmly set for Wednesday, June 24. As with any snow day, there are no expectations of academic work by students and teachers are not expected to provide assignments or instruction. Next week, we will provide you with an update on next steps to support student learning.
We know a school closure may impact our most vulnerable families, especially those experiencing food scarcity. Food resources, as well as additional resources and updates related to COVID-19, can be found on our website at: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/COVID19
As a reminder, the decision to close schools is an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. It will only be effective if the community also takes steps to practice self-isolation, monitor for any symptoms, and avoid large gatherings. We need all community members to do their part or the school closure will not be successful in limiting the spread of the virus. Of course, all school activities regardless of location, including athletics, parent/teacher conferences, club meetings, and extra-curricular classes are canceled until further notice.
We will be in touch with you next week as our plans progress. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this unprecedented situation.
Newton North High School’s Theatre Ink Proudly Presents…
“HELLO, DOLLY!” Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman and Book by Michael Stewart March 19,20,21 at 7:30 PM March 22 at 2:00 PM in the Performing Arts Center
HELLO, DOLLY!, the blockbuster Broadway hit, bursts with humor, romance, high-energy dancing, and some of the greatest songs in musical theater history.
Tickets on sale every Friday during all lunches and at Theatreink.net
There are a limited amount of $10 student tickets at lunch so buy them while they last!
Over the past few weeks, we have learned that several North students have been sharing social media posts of individuals using the N-word. Additionally, we have received reports of students using this word in the hallways as well. These incidents have been or are being investigated and responded to in accordance with the discipline procedures outlined in our Student Handbook. As noted in our handbook, the use of the N-word has severe consequences, up to and including suspension.
The use of this word is racist, unacceptable, and will not be tolerated. Any language that racially targets and threatens the emotional safety of anyone in our school community violates our values. Teachers will remind all students of these values in homeroom class on Tuesday.
After school today, Vice Principal Amy Winston and I met with students from our student organization Black Leadership Advisory Council, along with their advisors Pam Pistner and Elvin Cardona. Understandably, all of us in the room expressed feelings of hurt and anger from the impact of these incidents. We recognize that student voices are critical in improving our school culture and climate and we will continue to hold ongoing conversations with this Council to discuss how we can best support all of our students and respond appropriately if/when such unfortunate situations occur.
As a school community, we have taken steps to proactively address and minimize hatred and racism, including, but not limited to, our anti-bias days and our cultural days. We also work in collaboration with our Office of Human Rights, Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ), our Leadership for a Diverse Society class and other groups to strengthen our work to ensure that Newton North is an inclusive and respectful community for all its members. Students can always speak with any adult if they learn of any incident of bias, hate or discrimination.
These incidents are a stark reminder that while we have done a lot of work as a school and district addressing issues of race, we will need a community effort to make meaningful progress.
Please join us standing up against discriminatory or bigoted language at North and promoting an inclusive and respectful community. If you would like to participate in the Newton North FORJ, please go to the following link to sign up https://forjnewton.com/
Thank you for your understanding and support,
Henry J. Turner, Ed.D
Principal
Newton North High School
Dear Newton North Community,
Since my email to you, last Monday (February 3rd) Newton North has been responding to the N word incidents.
Teachers engaged with their homerooms about the use of this word and many classes have continued the discussion of hate speech in their classrooms.
Our deans and counselors have been busy addressing these incidents with the students involved and supporting students who were hurt by these incidents.
On Thursday our Professional Development was a continuation of our focus on Culturally Responsive Instruction and how we can strengthen our diverse learning community by improving relationships with all students.
Our students have also been at work and are planning to respond in many ways.
I am so proud of the collaboration between the NNHS Graphic Arts program and BLAC for developing this powerful and creative advertisement for Black History Month and NNHS Black Culture Day on February 28th.
I am also grateful for having such a robust parent support organization with NNHS Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ). NNHS FORJ asked me to share the below message with you.
Also, I will be in touch tomorrow regarding student action towards these incidents.
—-
Dear Newton North Community,
At a recent NNHS Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ) meeting, parents, grandparents, and other community members met with Principal Turner and a committed group of teachers and faculty. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ongoing efforts to reduce bias and strengthen inclusion and racial equity at Newton North and how these efforts could be supported by the broader community. This discussion included the actions taken in response to recent incidents involving the use of the N word on social media.
One central theme of the evening was the need to equip parents and other caretakers with the knowledge, tools, and encouragement necessary to encourage meaningful conversations with teens. This is a critical time for teens as they are developing their value systems and also are often in a position of influencing their peers.
We know these conversations can be challenging. Talking about race and racism can present uneasiness, with many of us feeling like we do not have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to have these conversations. To raise our collective impact, FORJ is initiating a focused effort to support parents and other caretakers.
This spring we will host a forum to bring together parents and experts to discuss effective approaches for addressing racism and supporting the diverse, inclusive, and equitable community we desire. In addition to in-person events, we will also be enhancing our online presence with a FORJ dedicated page on the NNHS website to provide resources and additional ways to connect with these efforts.
We encourage everyone to be on the lookout for these events and to review the following options as a way to get started.
Have a few minutes to spare right now?
View this short video in which Ta-Nehisi Coates provides an engaging explanation of words that do not belong to everyone. Your teens are likely to connect with this too. https://youtu.be/QO15S3WC9pg
Debby Irving, a local racial justice educator, and writer has a broad range of books, blogs, podcasts, and more. Follow this link for parent and educator resources: https://debbyirving.com/for-educators-and-parents/
Those who enjoy a bit more structure should consider the 21-day challenge. https://dev.debbyirving.com/21-day-challenge/
Looking for an in-person experience?
Consider attending one of the next NNHS FORJ meetings. The next three meetings are from 6:30-8:30pm in the NNHS International Café on March 3rd, April 6th, and May 7th . You can contact us for more information about our meetings and how to get involved at: nnhsforj@gmail.com
We look forward to engaging with you further and welcome your comments and suggestions. Racism diminishes us all, and together we can create a brighter future.
Second Church Nursery School, the #1-rated preschool in Newton, is still accepting applications for a limited number of spaces for the 2020-2021 school year. In the heart of West Newton, SCNS is dedicated to creating a nurturing, stimulating, and welcoming environment for children ages 3-5.
Our classes are special places that emphasize learning through play in an environment designed to encourage discovery, social relationships, and independence. Each day includes outdoor play in our large, tree-shaded playground, and the children enjoy special music and creative movement classes every week.
Please call 617-527-4770 or email Director Susan Benes at secondchurchnursuryschool@comcast.net to arrange for a tour.
I hope you have enjoyed the summer. It is a great pleasure to welcome both our returning families and those new to our schools.
The start of a school year is a wonderful time for anyone involved in education because it represents a new beginning. It is an opportunity to share our experience and our skills with new colleagues, new families, and new students. There is also a special excitement knowing how much we will learn from each other and from our students over the course of the year.
Summer is an important time for adult learning in Newton. We began this summer again with a powerful conference on race and achievement for Newton Educators. Among the many terrific sessions led by Newton faculty and staff, were workshops on Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain and Tackling Implicit Bias. We are committed to creating welcoming and inclusive classrooms and school communities, and we will continue this work with faculty and staff, as well as students throughout the year.
After a year of careful planning, we are proud to finally offer full-day kindergarten in the Newton Public Schools. Our kindergarten teams, support staff, and administrators have worked over the course of this spring and summer to develop a schedule for our kindergarteners that balances academic learning with age-appropriate social and emotional structures and activities.
In our continuous effort to personalize learning and leverage the use of technology, this year we are expanding our 1:1 initiative to grades 9-11 at both high schools. Students will receive a Chromebook for academic work both in school and at home. We will continue to support our faculty in incorporating best practices for technology use in their classrooms.
While academic achievement is a hallmark of the Newton Public Schools, we are just as firmly committed to the physical and social/emotional health of our students. We seek to work in partnership with you in supporting students as they navigate the pre-K – 12 years. To that end, last year we hosted a well-attended community forum on vaping, the most recent health epidemic to impact our youth. We will continue to address this issue through our health curriculum and through our school support systems. It is our plan this year to host another community forum on a topic that is relevant, timely, and useful to you as parents and caregivers. We look forward to this opportunity and will share more information once it is available.
We continue to achieve milestones on our long-term strategic plan for our school buildings. Our Cabot students will begin the year in their renovated and expanded facility. Horace Mann students will start the year in their new, permanent home at 225 Nevada St. We will continue to keep you apprised of progress as we strive to renovate and update our buildings.
One of the most important parts of my job is to be in our schools on a regular basis working with staff and students. Together with School Committee members, and working closely with our PTOs, I will again visit each of our 22 schools to speak with you about district initiatives and listen to your ideas, questions, and concerns. In addition, I will use my superintendent newsletter and social media to share more with you about all the good work happening in our district. Be sure to follow the Newton Public Schools on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
As I enter my tenth year as superintendent of the Newton Public Schools, I know how important your support is to the success and well-being of our students. Please accept my best wishes for a wonderful school year.
My daughter in 12th grade tells me that the Leadership class is studying racism against Asian Americans and that my posts on Newton North High School’s musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, is a big part of that curriculum. I’m glad. This conversation is long overdue.
I wanted to share the videos I shot of the Community Talk Back centered around Thorough Modern Millie right after the show ended at Newton North High School. The Boston Globe front page article emerged after this Talk Back.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Performance
Adam Brown, director of Theatre Ink at Newton North High School, invites audience to read page 59, disclaimer on racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie performed March 2014.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie 2014 Production
Scene with Mrs. Meers about to sell girl into white slavery. 2014 production.
I would like to note that then principal Jennifer Price made promises regarding a new vetting plan that included people of color during this Talk Back that she never followed up on. There may be a new plan in place but she promised to give a written document to the public that has yet to be revealed.
I would further note that director and NNHS English Teacher Brad Jensen made further comment during the year and year after in his classroom that he did not believe that Thoroughly Modern Millie is racist in any way. This is concerning to me that an ENGLISH teacher is unable to do read between the lines and draw inferences from written material.
Finally, I would suggest Cilla-Lee Jenkins, Future Author Extraordinaire by Susan Tan for a middle grade book on micro-aggressions against Asian Americans, and mixed-race Asian Americans in particular.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back 1
Racism discussion about Throughly Modern Millie performed by Newton North High School, 2014.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back 2
About teaching racism in books versus theatre.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back 3
A white 17-year-old Newton North High School student speaks out against the programming choices.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back 4
Jenny Chou and her husband talk about how their son felt that he could not participate because he did not want his Chinese American grandparents to be subjected to the racism in the show.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 1.5
The vetting process for selecting a musical both for Thoroughly Modern Millie and moving forward.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 5
An Asian American father asks about ability to modify script. When Brown Middle School did the Sound of Music, they changed the Nazi Flag to a cross in order not offend their audience. Please note also that Newton North High School CHANGED the script to reflect that one of the Asian Characters is white. They also added in the mother of the two Asian characters at the end.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 6
Joy Bautista, Academic Dean and Science Teacher at Boston Arts Academy on why Thoroughly Modern Millie hurt her.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 7
Charlene Beh, English Teacher at Newton North High School and advisor to Thoroughly Modern Millie on how this process and show made her feel marginalized.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 8
Why wasn’t Thoroughly Modern Millie modified to remove the racism?
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 9
Michele Leong, English Teacher and Director of the Office Human Rights at Newton North High School weighs in on Thoroughly Modern Millie. Co Advisor of the Asian Culture Club.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 10
NNHS student speaks out about how White Privilege socialization denies Asians and Asian Americans the right to feel pain from the racism, the roles Asian Americans are offered at NNHS, and that Newton North’s letter of not doing enough concerns her.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 11
On the right to feel pain from the racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 12
When does a play or musical cross the line?
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 13
Archena Szpak and why Thoroughly Modern Millie goes against the Anti-Bullying teachings in the Newton School System.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie
Ching Ho and Bun Foo scene. Did you know that these are not real Chinese names? These are made up names.
Let me draw a parallel. Imagine if these two characters were gay men instead of Chinese immigrants. In the first version of Thoroughly Modern Millie, these characters were named Oriental 1 and Oriental 2. Asian Americans find this term offensive so let’s rename the characters Faggot 1 and Faggot 2. Then, in the rewrite, two nonsensical made up names were inserted instead to make it less offensive.
Ching Ho and Bun Foo are not real names so in our parallel, let’s call these two characters Pitcher and Catcher. I hope you can understand why Ching Ho and Bun Foo are equally racist and offensive. Saying the names in a respectful tone of voice does not eliminate the repulsiveness of the names.
These are all related posts on Thoroughly Modern Millie at Newton North High School:
My Take onThoroughly Modern Millie
Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS
NNHS Responds to Concerns About Thoroughly Modern Millie
MTI Advises How to Squelch Dissent on Thoroughly Modern Millie
Throwndown NNHS: Talk the Talk or Walk the Walk? Regarding Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie
Rebuttal to ‘Millie in Newton: Turn Stereotypes into Lessons
More Than 50% of Asian American Teens are Bullied in School
White Privilege and Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern MillieEnd of School YearTakeaway
These are other articles and posts related to Thoroughly Modern Millie at Newton North High School:
The Boston Globe: School Play’s Stereotypes Bring Outcry and Apology. “Millie” touches nerve in Newton by Ellen Ishkanian
A case study published by UMass Peter Kiang almost 20 years ago (see pages 9-13), parallels almost exactly what happened at Newton North High School. ScholarWorks at UMass Boston, We Could Shape It: Organizing for Asian American Student Empowerment by Peter Nien-Chu Kiang.
The Notebook: Racism isn’t entertainment: Why “Thoroughly Modern Millie” didn’t belong on CAPA’s stage
3 white ppl on @GreaterBoston unhelpfully discuss HS prodns of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” cc: @pragmaticmom
Pawprint: Millard West Student Newspaper: Through with Thoroughly Modern Millie
The Washington Post: Twenty-Three Skiddo: ‘Modern Millie’ Doesn’t Dance
It’s an attempt, sort of, at a parody of the old-style musicals of the ’20s and ’30s, the sort jerry-built out of cheerful songs, convoluted plots, elaborate tap demonstrations and derogatory stereotypes.
In the Spring semester at school, the Musical Theater Department put on Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was overflowing with racism in its portrayal of Asians. I must say, I was thoroughly upset about the whole thing. First, the guys playing the Asians, I believe they were supposed to be Chinese immigrants, had white face makeup and slanty eyes. I couldn’t help but think that if they’d dressed in blackface, surely there’d be an uproar (Of course, they are putting on Ragtime this year, so we’ll see how they handle that– they’re already sending out emails about how they want the black students to try out for roles because there aren’t many black people in the musical theater department *eyeroll*). That wasn’t the only bad thing about the musical, however, the villian was a white woman pretending to be Asian who pronounced her L’s as R’s, and said she used soy sauce to clean a stain. Of course, she also treated the two Asian immigrants who worked for her as if they were stupid, and the silently and humbly submit in front of her, though behind closed doors they argue in Chinese (I guess it was real Chinese), with subtitles projected above the stage. And then one of the Asian men falls in love with one of the white women in the musical, blonde hair, blue eyes, you know the deal. At the end of the musical, they get together, as if his reward for working hard and being submissive, for being mistreated, is the gift of white womanhood, the pinnacle of creation. So yeah, I was pretty pissed about that whole thing.
Myvanwy: Review of Thoroughly Modern Millie
Someone sent me video of a local comedian’s youtube video of a character I’ve seen him portray once before. To call it infantile and racially insensitive would be a gross understatement. For the targets of his ridicule, it’s every bit as offensive as a mean-spirited performance in blackface. But because it’s against one of the few groups for whom bigotry, hostility, and ridicule is still acceptable (Chinese Americans and others of Asian and/or Pacific Island descent), it’s seen as okay by most and even encouraged by other local comedians. Kevin Marshall’s America
Zak Keith: Hollywood Asian Stereotypes
Racism against Asians is often “unawares”—a form of racism that flies under the radar due to its widespread acceptance as the norm. Its interactive dynamic resembles that of an unwritten social contract. Asians in the West are expected to accept patronizing remarks and racist taunts so demeaning that perpetrators would think twice before dishing them out with such unwavering consistency to any other minority group, such as Latinos or African Americans. Asians who object to such treatment are typically met with befuddlement and offense at their audacity to make an issue out of it.
Massachusetts Has the Best School Systems in America according to a Wallet Hub study.
In order to determine the best school systems in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 21 key measures of quality and safety. The data set ranges from pupil-teacher ratio to dropout rate to median standardized-test scores.
Quality & Safety of Schools in Massachusetts (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
Arissa Oh @arissaoh 1h
