What Do Gilbert’s School Children Know about Justice?

In a 3-2 vote (Blake Sacha, Lily Tram, and Helen Hollands voted YES), the Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board approved the Springboard curriculum to be taught to Gilbert’s children, grades 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Julie Smith, candidate for the Gilbert School board, has spoken out against Springboard many times, and this classroom assignment is just one of the reasons. 

All 8th graders, including Honors classes and Gilbert “Classical” Academy, will read and analyze an article titled “Jeter: Put Your Money Where Your Fans Are,” written by a New York City high school teacher, Michael Lupinacci.    The subject is “Social Justice.”  Students are asked some weighty questions, such as “Who are some of your favorite movie, sports, or music stars”?  “Are they paid too much”?  One of their assignments is to “Write a letter to a celebrity about an idea you have that you would like him or her to support.”

This is what you will find in the first paragraph of Michael Lupinacci’s article:  “I teach geometry, humanities, and film at a wonderful, ethnically and economically diverse public high school in New York City.  In all of my classes, I push my students to develop a sense of social justice.” 

Nowhere in the assignments are students asked this question:  What is the difference between Justice and Social Justice? 

Students are NOT asked to analyze this paragraph: 

“WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Instead, they are subjected to Mr. Lupinacci’s article, in which he asks:  “Why aren’t many of the wealthiest people in our country doing more”?   

Do Blake Sacha, Lily Tram, and Helen Hollands not know the difference between the value of studying the writings of the greatest minds in the world who have spent their lives studying ageless principles, versus the worthlessness of having children in the 8th grade write their favorite movie actors to let them know what’s on their 12-year old minds? 

Please see the following Youtube video titled “Dennis Prager – Social Justice.”