Is this the mother of all calling out - Katherine Birbalsingh

[DramaFatigue]

Katherine Birbalsingh has done the mother of all calling out and I can't help but sit here with my jaw on the kitchen table in awe.

She has written a 4-page open letter to Sir Kerr Starmer calling out Jess Phillip's behaviour online. Whilst I don't always agree with KB's methods of the school she runs, I do think that Jess Phillips behaviour towards her is shocking and unbefitting of someone who could be running the country. JP should resign TBH.

https://news.sky.com/story/headteacher-katharine-birbalsingh-brands-labour-mp-jess-phillips-social-media-posts-racist-and-bullying-12913139

I was tempted by the comment “one of the most bizarre speeches most people who follow politics (on either side) had seen” so am currently watching/listening. She sounds American.

Oh! Her accent keeps slipping in and out! One minute British, the next American. How distracting.

Sorry, this is the same woman who just a couple of years ago claimed that unconscious bias training is ‘nonsense’ and nothing can be done about it, because we all have our biases?

Oh! Her accent keeps slipping in and out! One minute British, the next American

Birbalsingh was born in New Zealand and raised in Canada until she was 15 when her father began lecturing at the University of Warwick...

Yes, thanks, just googled.

That speech though! The ending is wild, but the audience loved it.

All those terms minimise what happened. Not only did Johnson make the appointment knowing of the relevant allegations, he hesitated to suspend Pincher after the events in June last year, and he told junior ministers to go out and lie for him to say he didn't know about the allegations when it was very clear that he had been specifically briefed about them. No amount of your characteristic attempts at deflection change that. That course of conduct would be a hell of a lot more than a lack of wisdom or an error of judgment in anyone; but for someone with Johnson's history of lying and venality (look at the Paterson mess, for starters), it was just appalling. With that sort of history, at a time when 70% of his backbenchers had voted that they had no confidence in him, anyone with any sense or moral compass would be ultra careful.

Given that over 50 members of Johnson's cabinet were pushed by all this into resigning and he couldn't find enough supporters from the rest of the Tory members of Parliament to enable him to put a government together, I think we can safely conclude that characterising his conduct as "unwise" or an "error of judgment" is suggestive of less than reliable perception. I' sure that you will think otherwise, but that's hardly the point.

Exactly.

JP was extremely pursuant in her tweets but she was critiquing a picture and a headteachers policies.

Neither of which are related to race.

And I think KB has every right to assume unconscious bias. I just agree she's correct here.

But then she obviously had unconscious bias based on JP race and political standings because she misread Aslan and Asian. This happens when someone expects to read something - hence why the infant phonics test is made up words and not real words to teach the skill of reading what you see and not what you expect to see.

Incorrect here

JP was extremely pursuant in her tweets but she was critiquing a picture and a headteachers policies.

If there are issues with policies use the proper channels

Why did she use the term ‘that woman’?

Would those who have dc who have experienced unconscious bias welcome that phrasing

I wouldn’t

Because people hate KB they are quick to say how you feel is irrelevant

But as people say, do the work

This headteacher uses social media to tweet about her views and policies. It's bizarre to suggest that people can't respond using the same media.

@SunnyEgg, why are you still ignoring KB's conscious or unconscious bias against JP?

It’s not bizarre at all. That’s what process is there for.

Have you or your dc experienced unconscious bias?

and would you be ok with the language JP used?

Along the lines of ‘that woman’, or child, or would you find it belittling

If people can honestly say they wouldn’t mind if it happened to their dc well that’s up to them, I wouldn’t be.

@SunnyEgg

Every one of your posts is based on the assumption that KB has not indeed done or said anything untoward (unless you believe her skin colour renders her immune to criticism). Some of us, based on professional experience, believe she has made many mistakes worthy of challenge. We may also have called out Gillian Kerrigan, James Cleverly, Toby Young, John Townsley, Bridgett Phillipson, Amanda Spielman, Julie Robinson, Mufti Hamid or Andy Wolfe. All based on their documented actions and words. Why are you insisting we give her a free pass? She courts publicity on public forums. Are you her?

Lol at ‘are you her’

Always the robust insight there 😂

If anyone could answer on the belittling language and if they have experienced unconscious bias I’m interested

Take away how much you hate someone and think about what it would feel like

That’s the whole point of minority groups telling their stories and having a voice. It shifts power from the traditionally powerful in society

I don't hate her, that's a ludicrous accusation. I am variously bewildered and concerned about her beliefs regarding education and her influence on public policy. I engaged with her on Twitter before I had any idea of her ethnicity - she was rambling on about original sin, of all things, justifying her potentially dangerous and haphazard approach to behaviour management and safeguarding. As for experiencing unconscious bias, my ethnicity is just about the only one where overt prejudice is openly accepted. I still deserve to be treated and judged based on my wilful words and deeds.

How what JP posted is racist? KB is a bigger bully for accusing JP of racism and causing people to get all worked up.

She is a strict school head mistress, and she made the mistake of posting Tina Turner with her abuser ex on social media as a tribute? Basically she can mistakes and should not be called out, while she will write 4 pages if she thinks you made a mistake.
Kb is so vengeful and lacks any self awareness, she is not fit to run any school.

So would you be ok with an MP or anyone referring to you as ‘that woman’?

And the rest of the tweet on approaching your employer

You are welcome to talk about her policies and why you disagree with them, I’m talking about language and how someone who has experienced a life of unconscious bias could feel.

And their right to have a voice on that.

You seem to be mixing up two issues here, @SunnyEgg.

'That woman' is belittling. JP doesn't like KB and uses that sort of language towards her. I think she probably does that to a lot of people.

I don't like the way she addresses people on Twitter from a professional standpoint.

Does that say anything about unconscious bias though? I don't think so. She is blunt and 'belittling' with a lot of people regardless of their ethnicity.

But this is always the problem. We can wonder whether such language would be used to a white male. I suspect it wouldn’t, but you can’t prove it.
what’s interesting is who we demand proof from and who we don’t. When the right type of person (ie one the left sympathises with) complains of racial bias, we don’t seem to be quite so exacting.

@SunnyEgg

If I foolishly accused an MP with a proven history of defending minority rights of racism, I might expect to be called worse than 'that woman.' Nevertheless you are using JP's response as an excuse for KB's prior behaviour. That's fallacious reasoning.

I’m not, I’m centring KB as the person who gets to tell her own story. Not that which is determined by others. Not by JP and not by posters on here.

That's how you start to address the issue of unconscious bias in society. People tell their story where typically in the past that was not facilitated.

JP will have to learn that minority women may well find it similar to other incidences of unconscious bias and say so.

If she needs training on that to change her approach then so be it.

Surely you have the order wrong here.

JP said it before the accusation returned.

Caramelatt · Today 10:40

How what JP posted is racist? KB is a bigger bully for accusing JP of racism and causing people to get all worked up.

A school which KB was in charge of lost a racial discrimination case and had to pay a Black girl more than £8,000.

KB insisted that the girl should shave her head, because her Afro "was messy." The girl was put into isolation, because she wouldn't follow KB's order to shave her head.

KB accusing someone else of racism is grimly ironic.

@SunnyEgg
She didn't say 'that woman', she said 'that headteacher woman.' A different emphasis, I'm sure you'll agree. And JP didn't use that term in isolation, it was in response to KB's words and actions. FYI, KB is at it again today, claiming that the last decade has seen improvements in education (😳) and that Labour's revealed policies focusing on skills and a modernised curriculum require god's intervention. She repeatedly demonstrates her lack of understanding of educational research and comparative standards.