“Let facts be submitted to a candid world.” T. Jefferson
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Biden administration’s Department of Education Office for Civil Rights recently issued a “Dear Colleague” letter, effectively ending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices in schools. Despite this, the Ridgewood School District continues to push a DEI agenda rooted in Critical Race Theory (CRT)—a divisive and controversial ideology.
🔗 Read the Department of Education’s letter here: Link
Somerville School’s DEI Push: A Manufactured Narrative
Somerville School’s DEI group, led by Ali Harwin (who has clear political ambitions) and a Columbia University psychologist specializing in CRT research, is set to host a race-focused discussion on February 28. The topic? The Southlake story, a widely criticized case of forced DEI policies disrupting a Texas community.
🔗 Here’s a journal article showcasing the DEI mindset: Link
Afrika Afeni Mills: Pushing Indoctrination in Ridgewood Schools
Adding fuel to the fire, Ridgewood Schools previously invited Afrika Afeni Mills—a self-proclaimed “anti-racist” educator—to speak to parents. Mills authored the book “Open Windows, Open Minds”, which promotes early-age ideological self-work for students and claims that white children are “at-risk” if they don’t embrace anti-racist ideology.
🔗 Listen to Mills explain her ideology on this podcast: Apple Podcasts
According to Mills, DEI should be aggressively and intentionally embedded into school culture—meaning children will be subjected to ideological training without parental consent. Even more concerning, she encourages teachers to act as “co-conspirators” to further this agenda.
Federal Funding and the DEI Takeover
Ridgewood Public Schools (RPS) has allowed DEI to infiltrate every aspect of its governance over the past five years, aided by federal funding for “Social-Emotional Learning” (SEL)—a concept often used to mask CRT-based teaching.
Now, with the Department of Education signaling a shift away from these policies, the Ridgewood Board of Education and Superintendent face a major dilemma:
- How will they distance themselves from DEI without admitting they’ve pushed a leftist agenda for years?
- Will they continue defying federal guidance to keep these programs alive?
The Bottom Line: DEI Has No Place in Ridgewood Schools
The Ridgewood School District’s continued promotion of DEI undermines American values and forces political ideology onto children. With the federal government now cracking down on these practices, Ridgewood parents must hold the BOE accountable for its past—and future—decisions.
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Post just proves that places like Ridgewood need this the most. That’s the uncomfortable truth. Hide behind your lawn signs and “American values” all you want. Your kids won’t learn these values from you, clearly. So the government needs to do its part. None of this would even be necessary if we hadn’t been raising generations of little self-absorbed brats. You can’t even get your kids to respect you, so imagine how they grow up treating others, especially ones that don’t look like their special little selves.
sorry no “American values” in the Village for over 50 years , this is a “cook” fringe town that votes” lock step with Paterson”
Speak for yourself –
DEI policy may have started with good intentions but the road to hell is paved with good intentions
Any policy rooted in the concept of race is by definition racist based policy – DEI is a racist policy that will be looked back on as outrageous abuse of power
The virtue signaling board of education is a disgrace and should follow the new directive or step down
Goodness. Imagine living in one the least diverse places in America and still complaining about diversity. Says it all!
this is what happens when you have an ethical challenged school board, you vote for teacher union hacks for the BOE and you give up you right to vote on the school budget
How is this doubling down?
This is the dumbest post I’ve ever seen. To say Social Emotional Learning is code for CRT is super ignorant and shows your inability to discern basic facts from the propaganda you are being fed. They are not even remotely the same thing.
Did you listen to the podcast? At least look at the book she wrote.
This person says that she’s from Black Panther Party lineage. BPP originators dismissed actual Civil Rights Movement gains. CRT also dismisses the Civil Rights Movement as a movement that didn’t do enough, moved too slowly, and actually helped white people more than black people.
All of which is true.
I love the dopes trying to defend this bigot crap , we know slavery was good for the slaves yada yada yada
public education is long over , no one cares , serious parents us alternative education if they want there kids to amount to any thing
Correct. It has about ten years left.
The best part of this may be the misuse of “there”.
love the greedy teacher union losers on here
Ali Harwin called a council member a NAZI for posing with the easter bunny , that says it all right there
I agree that CRT and outside agitators have no place in our school system, but the post title the RW is “doubling down despite federal crackdown” is absurdly inflammatory.
give him a break. he wasn’t able to take it out on the christmas tree this week.
Brogan’s succession plan is to have Harwin added to the BOE next year.
besides teaching math ,science and english plus foreign languages plus plus
ridgewood should teach finance 101 and choices related to retirement plans
budgeting , understanding mortgages and the rates the compounding with saving plans and
investing in ROTH IRA,S
cor loans etc NOT DEI get the students prepared for the real world everyday living situations
Why bother?
They’re all going to be living with their parents into their 50’s.
And not only that, those “real world everyday living situations” will likely soon be things of the past. No sense in training them for a world that’s shortly going to be very different.