Five years ago, I blew the whistle at a school that I once cherished. I taught high school English in New Jersey for seven years. The school’s emphasis on resilience and growth resonated with me. I appreciated my colleagues, who were both challenging and nurturing, especially towards my own children, who also attended this institution. But everything shifted for me in 2014.
A new dean, fresh from a conference organized by the National Association of Independent Schools, introduced something called a “privilege walk.” This involved faculty members physically stepping forward or backward based on aspects of their identity—something unsettling, to say the least.
This exercise was supposed to show how privilege and oppression could be felt within the school community. Shortly after, the school appointed a DEI officer, who candidly admitted that his role was to “transform” the environment. Soon, a new ideology, centered around oppressor-victim narratives, infiltrated everything—from student programs to teacher training.
In my department, classic authors were “excluded” from the core syllabus. Discussions arose regarding whether “logical” thinking represented too Western of a viewpoint compared to alternatives. By the time I left, the transformation was nearly complete. Faculty were informed that discussing systemic oppression—essentially the ideology’s main premise—was off-limits.
Conversations among colleagues turned towards “deprogramming” and “deradicalizing” students who disagreed with the prevailing beliefs. The fallout from this ideological shift was clear: my teenage students became self-censoring. They hesitated to engage with the material for fear of offending peers or being labeled as bigots. I voiced my concerns multiple times, and while many faculty members echoed my worries behind closed doors, the administration remained unresponsive.
Eventually, I made the tough decision to resign. It was a frightening step, leading to the loss of many friendships. My children were even left out of alumni gatherings long after I had stepped down. I was uncertain about the future.
So what did I achieve? It’s hard to say education has genuinely improved—things seem to be deteriorating further. Following my resignation, I reached out to other education reformers who shared my worries. I became involved in advocacy, encountering numerous parents and educators aware that this new ideology was damaging their schools. What I realized was that this issue wasn’t just localized; it was systemic, reinforced by institutional frameworks.
Our recent report highlighted the ways harmful ideologies are perpetuated through teacher certification regulations, school boards, and curricula. They are systematically entrenched in the education pipeline, stretching from teacher colleges to K-12 classrooms.
What’s happening now reflects a significant reshaping of educators’ roles. I’ve noticed many well-meaning teachers—along with parents—fall into a moderate ideology, presented deceptively as “equity.” While the language suggests fairness, it limits diverse viewpoints and conceals an underlying political agenda that can be quite destructive.
In my predominantly left-leaning field, I find that most teachers aren’t radical activists. However, their good intentions often put them on a path of least resistance, contributing to an environment where politicization becomes embedded in education.
Many unwittingly perpetuate this ideology, failing to recognize its political nature. It might sound abstract, but the hostility directed at those labeled as oppressors is very real. Some younger and more radical educators began advocating actively for this new paradigm, simplifying complex issues like racial and gender inequality into moral absolutes.
Back in those days, Thursdays meant student assemblies where outside speakers were invited to conduct identity-focused sessions aimed at reshaping group identities. I observed how disheartening it was for students to adopt beliefs that marginalized themselves or their peers.
Children absorb these lessons readily, and this is crucial for radical activists. I witnessed troubling incidents, such as swastikas appearing in various school spaces, that were brushed aside since, according to the identity hierarchy, Jews were seen as oppressors. Their historical suffering was overlooked, which was quite concerning.
It was disheartening to see teenagers develop confidence in rigid moral viewpoints, yet lack a desire for curiosity or humility. One student even suggested that Jewish slaves were responsible for the deaths of Egyptians in the Exodus—a claim that feels unfathomable.
In my current work, I have come across even more extreme ideologies that are gaining traction nationwide.
Activists from groups like the Democratic Socialists of America are openly infiltrating classrooms through politics, union activities, and curricula that often distort historical facts to promote biased narratives.
No school—private or public, urban or rural—is free from this prevailing ideology.
Education should serve as a cornerstone for civic life, preparing children with the necessary knowledge and skills for a democratic society. Yet, we are falling woefully short, and the consequences extend well beyond classroom walls. It’s high time we stop whispering about these concerns and start sounding the alarm.
