'Those are racist systems': School commissioner says admissions based on merit are 'the antithesis of just'

As Twitchy reported Monday evening, the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education — which is changing the name of Abraham Lincoln High School because Lincoln did not demonstrate that “black lives mattered to him” — is meeting Tuesday to discuss eliminating the selective admissions process at Lowell High School and replacing it with a lottery-based system; this was reportedly the last school in the district to look at academic achievement in deciding admissions.

As we also reported, the school board is going all-in on Ibram X. Kendi-style “anti-racism,” creating a community coalition to, among other things, examine “in what ways has Lowell High School perpetuated racism throughout SFUSD and San Francisco and how do we align district policies with its core values and antiracist vision.” The coalition would also seek out how to center the “healing, liberation, joy, and excellence” of black students and families.

Sophie Bearman is covering the story and pulled up this video of school board vice president Alison Collins explaining how meritocracy is a racist system. Collins also gets bonus points for using the term, “Trumpian language.”

At the heart of these debates is the question of what constitutes fair admissions criteria.

On Oct. 13, 2020, Commissioner Alison Collins said that merit is racist and the "antithesis of fair." (3/7) pic.twitter.com/GrQHDo9pqA

— Sophie Bearman (@stbearman) February 2, 2021

Daughter of a UCLA professor with a Masters from SFSU. Why are so many people who are criticizing testing systems that allow poor, hard-working people to get ahead w/out violin lessons, summers in France, such privileged backgrounds themselves? Don't pull up the ladder behind you https://t.co/RoSz0FB5sO

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) February 2, 2021

Decadence: when a society can no longer produce the outcomes that made it successful in the first place.

I want the people with the best test scores to get into heart surgery school.

— Bo Warren (@Bo_Warren) February 2, 2021

The tests are informative and fair, and are proper for use as long as they are not overused. The applicant's background must be considered, but to throw out the tests entirely makes no sense. BTW there is an increasing call to throw out grades as well. What's left?

— Norm Matloff 全世界加油！ (@matloff) February 2, 2021

If you’re going to destroy a gifted school, at least just do neighborhood schools again. How is it fair to commandeer the concept of giftedness to pass off mediocrity as talent?

— Kyle Leary (@KyleLeary9) February 2, 2021

Lowell School breakdown:

Asian:59.0%
White:18.0%
Hispanic:10.4%
Two or more races:10.3%
African American:1.8%
Pacific Islander:0.4%
American Indian:0.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 35.4%

— Al Canata (@alcanata) February 2, 2021

Nikole Hannah Jones will seriously argue Asian-Americans doing best on standardized tests is still “white supremacy”.

— AltAzn ?? (@Alt_Azn) February 2, 2021

Most of the people making these decisions, are themselves mediocrities. They are jealous and afraid of people who are brighter than they are since those people may think for themselves. My profession is littered with a$$clowns like this woman.

— Eiger of the Sierra ?? ? ? (@EigerOf) February 2, 2021

If she can say “merit is racist” can I say “intelligence is racist”? Isn’t that essentially what we’re talking about when we say “merit”?

— EGO (@egoinatx) February 2, 2021

Intelligence itself is not enough. Intelligence and effort, now that is racist!?

— Curiouser (@Curious32569993) February 2, 2021

The Trumpian language of which she spoke related to denying admittance to kids “from the neighborhoods you think are dangerous.” We don’t think Trump said that though; she did — like when President Biden said that “poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.” What’s that … Bidenian?