School's 'White Privilege Survey' sparks massive controversy

One Oregon high school is under fire due to one teacher giving students a "White Privilege Survey."

According to The Oregonian, the essay appears in a 1989 essay by Peggy McIntosh entitled "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack."

Local news station KATU interviewed some students and family of Aloha High School, where the survey was given. They also tweeted a photo of the survey:

Parent Jason Schmidt, whose son received the survey, was not happy about it. "I think he should be learning actual education and not be a part of some social experiment or some teacher's political agenda," he told KATU.

RELATED: See another school's fascinating controversy

Other parents, however, think that the classroom is a place for such discourse. "I want [my daughter] to have opinions," said fellow parent Sarah Rios-Lopez. "Whether it's for or against, you have to create those, but you can't without good information so I applaud teachers getting out that information."

Sociologist Randy Blazak sided with Rios-Lopez. He believes education should be provocative, and said a survey like this "[is] a great way to open up this conversation. It's not too soon to discuss this issue."

Despite the survey being almost 30 years old, it's clear that it still stirs up debate.

Advertisement