Scary- Slavery worksheet handed out in GA schools

[JTsMom]

Some days, I can't believe it's 2012.

http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/norcross-parents-upset-by-1292851.html

[kali]

unbelievable :47:

[crl]

That's horrible.

Catherine

[DietCokeLover]

"It was just a poorly worded question.". Are you kidding me?

[Jenny_A]

I live in Marietta, Georgia. This is just sickening. What is WRONG with people? Seriously! I just shake my head every time I think about it. Those teachers should be fired simply for stupidity!

[MMMommy]

Wow. Just wow, is all I can say. Unbelievable.

[Green_Tea]

Those teachers used exceptionally poor judgement.

That said, as someone who who is studying education right now, I know there is an ENORMOUS push for integrated curriculums. Very, very little time is devoted to social studies and science in elementary schools - last year when DD2 was in 1st grade, she got 2 hours a week for social studies and science combined. I could absolutely see some of the (clueless) undergrads with whom I have taken certification classes thinking that incorporating slavery into math word problems would be a way to reinforce their social studies curriculum. I can even see some of the less bright grad students I have studied with thinking it would be an OK thing to do. It isn't, obviously, but teachers receive little to no training when it comes to stuff like this. Many (hopefully MOST!) are sophisticated enough to know when it's appropriate and when it's not, but I am not at all shocked that not all teachers would think this was offensive or wrong.

[*myfoursons]

Wow, I just find this really shocking, I can't see how any teacher could see this as appropriate.

[kijip]

WTF? There is no reason for that, integrated curriculum or not.

[maestramommy]

"Roach said the teachers were attempting to incorporate social studies into math problems."

There are so many thoughts running through my head at this statement, none of them printable.

[mikala]

:dizzy: I'm speechless.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

WTF? There is no reason for that, integrated curriculum or not.

:yeahthat:

I don't think the staff need lessons in diversity training. I think they need lessons in using COMMON SENSE. Counting how many times a child is beaten in a day is good math question for kids?? WhoTF writes that?? And WTF approves that and thinks that's ok?

[Green_Tea]

:yeahthat:

I don't think the staff need lessons in diversity training. I think they need lessons in using COMMON SENSE.

I agree. And from what I have observed in taking classes with undergrads, common sense is SORELY lacking. Yet another reason I think that it should be much harder to be certified to teach.

[Kindra178]

The response was equally poor:

“It was just a poorly written question,” Roach said.

Poorly written? Or poorly worded? How about substitute a name? Like Bob picked apples . . .

[larig]

Those teachers used exceptionally poor judgement.

That said, as someone who who is studying education right now, I know there is an ENORMOUS push for integrated curriculums. Very, very little time is devoted to social studies and science in elementary schools - last year when DD2 was in 1st grade, she got 2 hours a week for social studies and science combined. I could absolutely see some of the (clueless) undergrads with whom I have taken certification classes thinking that incorporating slavery into math word problems would be a way to reinforce their social studies curriculum. I can even see some of the less bright grad students I have studied with thinking it would be an OK thing to do. It isn't, obviously, but teachers receive little to no training when it comes to stuff like this. Many (hopefully MOST!) are sophisticated enough to know when it's appropriate and when it's not, but I am not at all shocked that not all teachers would think this was offensive or wrong.

A big :yeahthat:

I can see a well-meaning socially tone-deaf 20-something doing this in the name of integrating social studies curriculum in which his/her students were engaged.

Not saying someone shouldn't have caught this and not saying it wasn't totally clueless, just saying that it was likely not done in a nefarious way.

[Melaine]

I grew up in the South and I am still completely floored by this. Shocking.

[JTsMom]

I have to agree- it's a total lack of any common sense. I find it hard to believe that someone who works in the south, in a school with the demographics that one has, never had the thought enter their mind that a question about how many beatings a slave got would offend people. If you're that clueless, you have no business educating children.

[Puddy73]

I have to agree- it's a total lack of any common sense. I find it hard to believe that someone who works in the south, in a school with the demographics that one has, never had the thought enter their mind that a question about how many beatings a slave got would offend people. If you're that clueless, you have no business educating children.

:yeahthat:

[Cam&Clay]

I had a conversation with DH via email over this today. I know all about the pressures that teachers face trying to integrate curriculum. It's HUGE right now, and teachers are being judged daily on how well everything is integrated throughout the day.

Having said that, there are WAY better ways to do this. Just substituting social studies words into word problems is not integration, especially when you use such an offensive topic. Common sense was lacking here in a big way.

[buddyleebaby]

I absolutely do not believe that this was a well-meaning effort to incorporate social studies into the math curriculum.

I think someone (or several "someones") thought they were being very funny distributing material that asked you to calculate the number of beatings a slave received in a day to a group of mostly minority children.

Racism is alive and well.

[wellyes]

I wonder if the teacher is a person of color? It is a very diverse school.

I suspect it was just terrible judgement or stupidity. What baffles me is the school standing behind the teacher's decision.

I am especially appalled to hear that social studies are being diminished - this stuff could be especially damaging for kids si little or no background in the subject matter.

[JustMe]

Oy vey! Very sad.

[mommylamb]

This is so incredibly offensive. Clueless or not, it's truly awful.

[MissyAg94]

:47: Who in their right mind thought that was okay?

[noodle]

WTF??
This is revolting and inexcusable.

[ha98ed14]

That is seriously insane. I think that all the people who vetted that math curriculum must be members of some neonazi org for that to be even remotely thought of as acceptable. Like I said, it's insane.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I have to agree- it's a total lack of any common sense. I find it hard to believe that someone who works in the south, in a school with the demographics that one has, never had the thought enter their mind that a question about how many beatings a slave got would offend people. If you're that clueless, you have no business educating children.

:yeahthat: this exactly. i can't wrap my head around how any adult in his/her right mind would think these kinds of math problems were at all appropriate for teaching children, especially minorities.

I showed DH this article and he was so disgusted and shocked as well. Either it was some sort of racist prank, or someone is just so far, far beyond clueless and insensitive, they have absolutely no business teaching kids. It just makes no sense otherwise. I get the whole struggle of trying to integrate social studies into math and other subjects, but math problems for elementary schoolers about how many beatings a slave gets...are you kidding me??

[dcmom2b3]

Watched "The Help", saw this news story, and finished DDs private school apps all within 24 hrs of each other. So I'm on overload and have nothing more productive to add other than we *all* should periodically check our "privilege backpack" and govern ourselves accordingly.

Tone deafness to things that are painful for others is a red flag for privilege, at the very least a lack of empathy.

[ha98ed14]

Tone deafness to things that are painful for others is a red flag for privilege, at the very least a lack of empathy.

I was having a conversation with another mom today. She's someone who has a great ability to reach outside herself and meet all kinds of needs outside herself. She calls herself an "amateur social worker", and I think the label fits. We were talking about schools and living in the "right" area. I told her that this was a big motivator for us when we were choosing where to buy. I was honest and said that as much as I love the idea of diversity, I wasn't willing to sacrifice DD's education to it. We're sending her to the best school on our side of town. It's racially diverse because we live in SoCal, but not socioeconomically diverse. We're on the low end of income for this school. I think I will have to face DD having classmates with things she can't/won't have.

The mom and I really connect because we are both social and fiscal liberals in The Land of R. She told me that by sending DD to the better school, I lost credibility as a liberal and as someone who can make a difference to the poor. She said that I (and DD when she gets old enough to comprehend) will become desensitized to the circumstances of the poor and unable to relate to people of lower SES. It gave me pause, but I agreed with her. It's true. But I'm doing it anyway. I'm starting down The Path of Privilege.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Seriously?!!

[momtoonegirl]

:47: I am completely at a loss for words. :nodno:

[kijip]

I absolutely do not believe that this was a well-meaning effort to incorporate social studies into the math curriculum.

I think someone (or several "someones") thought they were being very funny distributing material that asked you to calculate the number of beatings a slave received in a day to a group of mostly minority children.

Racism is alive and well.

:yeahthat

Come on. Really? This is not a matter of someone should have caught it. No one should have thought of it in the first place. Frankly, people need to lose their jobs over this. Moreso because their job is educating children.

[kijip]

socially tone-deaf 20-something doing this in the name of integrating social studies curriculum in which his/her students were engaged.



Well meaning or not, no one THAT socially tone deaf should be in a classroom as a certified teacher. Our kids deserve better. I don't buy that anyone, especially an educated teacher, could be this dense. Something stinks here.

[Kindra178]

:yeahthat

Frankly, people need to lose their jobs over this. Moreso because their job is educating children.

I completely agree.

[larig]

Well meaning or not, no one THAT socially tone deaf should be in a classroom as a certified teacher. Our kids deserve better. I don't buy that anyone, especially an educated teacher, could be this dense. Something stinks here.

I agree, they do need to lose their jobs. All I'm saying is that I know and/or can imagine people (including educated teachers) being this dense. And, yes, our kids definitely deserve better. I'm in no way excusing the behavior.

[maestramommy]

The mom and I really connect because we are both social and fiscal liberals in The Land of R. She told me that by sending DD to the better school, I lost credibility as a liberal and as someone who can make a difference to the poor. She said that I (and DD when she gets old enough to comprehend) will become desensitized to the circumstances of the poor and unable to relate to people of lower SES. It gave me pause, but I agreed with her. It's true. But I'm doing it anyway. I'm starting down The Path of Privilege.

I get her point, but I don't think it's quite as cut and dried as that. That seems to imply you only count as a liberal if you are 1) poor, or 2) willing to live and send your kids to be educated among the poor. I don't know if I can agree with that concept.

[arivecchi]

If you're that clueless, you have no business educating children. This is what it boils down to for me.

Maybe the school should work on integrating common sense into their curriculum and teachers instead.

[dukie41181]

Wow. Just wow, is all I can say. Unbelievable.

:yeahthat:

[missym]

I absolutely do not believe that this was a well-meaning effort to incorporate social studies into the math curriculum.

I think someone (or several "someones") thought they were being very funny distributing material that asked you to calculate the number of beatings a slave received in a day to a group of mostly minority children.

Racism is alive and well.

I hate to say it, but this was my first thought, and as hard as I try to assume good intentions, it's what I keep coming back to. I can't believe no one had *any* second thoughts about distributing that material, but they did it anyway.

[kijip]

I get her point, but I don't think it's quite as cut and dried as that. That seems to imply you only count as a liberal if you are 1) poor, or 2) willing to live and send your kids to be educated among the poor. I don't know if I can agree with that concept.

I don't quite see it that way either but one factor that we considered in buying a house was the SES of the overall area. I can not raise a kid who looks down on people who are low income or thinks that poverty would be solved if they got a job etc. I do think that well off liberals and conservatives talk a lot of pretty lines about helping "the poor" but are then ill equipped to even grasp the issues or hold a meaningful conversation with someone that much different than them. It is discouraging for change.

[sntm]

as much as I love the idea of diversity, I wasn't willing to sacrifice DD's education to it. We're sending her to the best school on our side of town. It's racially diverse because we live in SoCal, but not socioeconomically diverse. We're on the low end of income for this school. I think I will have to face DD having classmates with things she can't/won't have. .


I don't think that sacrificing your own child's education necessarily benefits kids with less opportunity. Is her point that if you went to the more troubled school, that you'd work harder to improve things there? Or is it just that your kid should be exposed to people in lower SES brackets on a regular basis?

I think you can create an empathetic child without artificially limiting their opportunities.

[ha98ed14]

I do think that well off liberals and conservatives talk a lot of pretty lines about helping "the poor" but are then ill equipped to even grasp the issues or hold a meaningful conversation with someone that much different than them.

I think this is what she was getting at. We are hardly "well off" by the standards here, but we are compared to some families where a family of 4 lives in a one bedroom apartment. The poverty we have here, that I have seen, is kind of invisible in a way. We don't have a lot of homeless people, but there are a lot of people living in overcrowded conditions. I made friends with another mom from the Story Hour at the library and invited her and her DD (same age as mine) to DD's birthday party. She thought my just-less-than-1500 square feet house was huge for me, DH and DD. She and her 2 DC and DH lived in a 800 Sq Ft 1 BR Apt. My friendship with her is/was genuine. We met at a very "equalizing" space: the library. Everyone uses the library and you cannot necessarily tell someone's SES from looking at them. Her kids were neat and dressed nicely, as was she. Nothing about them said, "I'm poor." I felt like I could relate to her just fine, but I know that they don't have zoo passes and Legoland passes and ballet classes and other things that make my DD's life more, what? I dunno, luxurious? The kids at the new school will probably have all that and more. If those are the only other kids she knows, I can imagine her being desensitized. I'm not sure how to combat that without making the relationships I/we have with people of lower income be token and contrived. But even given all that, my desire for her education to be the best I can provide wins out over all the social and cultural sensitivity I want DD to have. That probably says no-so-nice things about me. Maybe my convictions only run so deep, but I'm not sacrificing her education to them.

[ilfaith]

I live in a city that is home to Nathan Bedford Forrest High School (named for the Confederate general and founder of the KKK). The majority of its students are African-American. Here in the South, nothing surprises me.

And 56 oranges per tree doesn't seem like much. The boys and I were picking oranges off our tree over the weekend, and we got that many just pulling down the low-hanging fruit.

[niccig]

But even given all that, my desire for her education to be the best I can provide wins out over all the social and cultural sensitivity I want DD to have. That probably says no-so-nice things about me. Maybe my convictions only run so deep, but I'm not sacrificing her education to them.

You're not the only one in this position. I know many people, myself included, who opted for the best school.

[maestramommy]

I don't quite see it that way either but one factor that we considered in buying a house was the SES of the overall area. I can not raise a kid who looks down on people who are low income or thinks that poverty would be solved if they got a job etc. I do think that well off liberals and conservatives talk a lot of pretty lines about helping "the poor" but are then ill equipped to even grasp the issues or hold a meaningful conversation with someone that much different than them. It is discouraging for change.


I agree with you to the extent that I think it is ALWAYS very difficult to hold a meaningful conversation with someone who is very different in some significant way, at least right off the bat. I also agree with Ha98ed that meeting her friend at the library is an equalizing opportunity. I just don't think the only way to have credibility as a liberal is to either be poor or send your kid to school with kids who are poor. I also would caution against thinking that conservatives are necessarily less committed to helping the poor. That really doesn't help the conversation. Not saying that anyone here said that. Just referencing the comment made by pp's friend.

Let me add the disclaimer that we moved to an area for the schools, and as a result we are living not only in a district but in an entire region with very little ethnic diversity, though there is some socioeconomic diversity. Most of it is concentrated in the urban areas. The closest urban area to us has for the most part pretty bad schools, so living there was not an option for us. So I agree that as a parent there are some sacrifices I am not willing to make in regards to my own children when it comes to securing a decent education. But I still believe it is possible for me to remained committed to working for equality and helping the poor. A lot of it has to do with staying mindful and speaking out when necessary. What did one pp say? being tone deaf to the suffering of others (paraphrase!) is a red flag of privilege. True, that! Privilege is a relative thing, as Ha983ed pointed out, but perhaps it is true that higher up you are on the ladder, the harder you have to look to see the suffering.

[kijip]

I totally agree that you do not need to send your child to a low income school to preserve a sense of empathy. Obviously as a homeschooler I don't think that- I have created by definition the most homogeneous school situation possible. I do not however consider the goal to be empathy alone, I consider it to be able to grasp the issues of poverty and communicate with people who are low income without treating them like they are less than. I think that can be done in a variety of ways. I also think well off liberals and conservatives suck equally on this front. Maybe liberals used to in the past have a populist edge but that is gone more or less. Frankly now I think there is a real lack of understanding in general of poverty by people who are not themselves poor. I see that in all the people who claim to be poor when they are so, so, so not.

[MissyAg94]

Here in the South, nothing surprises me.

Let's not use this as an opportunity to bash the South, please. I've lived all over this country and some of the most racist and racially insensitive people I have met were in Massachusetts.

[kijip]

Let's not use this as an opportunity to bash the South, please. I've lived all over this country and some of the most racist and racially insensitive people I have met were in Massachusetts.

And white supremacists are active all over. My interracial family was harassed out of town - in Washington State, in the late 1980s. Racism is not limited to any one region.

[MissyAg94]

Absolutely agree. I was young and naive when I moved to MA. I was shocked at what I saw. The racism was there but they were way more subtle about it. It's everywhere. Hope and pray that the generation we are raising will be different.