A New York City preschool, Chloe Day School, became the center of a controversy after a video surfaced showing young children participating in an anti-ICE protest within their classroom.
The school, which describes itself as “progressive” and focused on “trauma-informed” early childhood education, appears to have orchestrated the demonstration, complete with teacher-led chants and pre-determined statements.
The video reveals a teacher prompting children to articulate feelings of anger regarding immigration enforcement, guiding them to express disapproval of separating families.
One young child, clearly influenced by the teacher’s direction, stated, “I feel angry because I don’t like to see others hurt or taken away from their families.”
The teacher continued to direct the children, encouraging them to shout slogans like “Stop the hating!” and “Enough is enough! Stop hurting people!” in a coordinated fashion.
Further prompting led the children to collectively declare, “Love is enough! Stop hurting people!” reinforcing a specific political message within the educational setting.
The school’s philosophy centers on fostering curiosity and empowering children through exploration and play, but this incident raises questions about the appropriateness of introducing complex political issues and directing emotional responses in preschool.
The incident sparked debate about the role of educators in shaping young minds and the boundaries between fostering empathy and advocating for specific political viewpoints.
