I'm speechless.
This is infuriating.
This is about as wrong as you can go.
I just read this article on Yahoo! about a school in Georgia having some very odd questions on their math homework. Questions like, "Each tree has 56 oranges. If 8 slaves picked pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?" or how about my favorite, "If Frederick got two beatings per day, then how many beatings did he get in one week?"
Are you effing kidding me?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?
In the 21st century, you are instilling racism in the South to innocent minds. These children should not be answering questions like this on their math homework. And if I had kids and this is what I saw on their homework I wouldn't allow them to finish it. I would march up to the teacher and the administration and tell them exactly where they could shove their teaching methods. I'm sorry, but what douche-nozzle could even contemplate allowing such questions to appear in the mathematics curriculum?
Unfortunately, most people are aware that racism is not dead. I seriously wish it was dead and in the past. However, there are some people who seem blissfully ignorant that such horrors are still alive in our society. And it's proved by a comment like this from one of the parents whose child attends this school: "This outrages me because it just lets me know that there's still racists."
The school's reason for this racist homework? "The teachers were trying to do a cross-curricular activity."
Okay. So I'm pretty sure that there are other ways to do "cross-curricular" activities. Like, History and English or Literature. If you wish to teach kids about slavery, since it is a part of not only American history, but world history, that's perfectly fine. Teach them about slavery, about the people who stood against it, who fought for equal rights, for desegregation. People who took a stand only because their feet hurt (like Rosa Parks). Teach them about the Underground Railroad, and the families that risked everything to help slaves find freedom in the North. Take them on a field trip to museums, old Southern Plantations, etc. Every one needs to know their history, but they also need to realize it's history. As in Frederick shouldn't be getting beaten and then go fill his cotton basket, and after that go pick oranges with the other slaves.
The school district went on further by saying, "We understand that there are concerns about these questions, and we agree that these questions were not appropriate."
If you think they are inappropriate as well, then why the hell did you allow something like that in the curriculum? I completely understand that school is a lot different for youngsters than when I was in their shoes in the 80's and 90's. Everything is bumped up, it's faster, and it's more competitive. But me thinks they need to be a wee bit more careful about their "cross-curricular" activities and homework.
Because this is utter ridiculous and unacceptable.
My guess is the true reasons for this is "no publicity is bad publicity". A lot of poor school districts down south and this is a "great" way to force the state and the feds to send in the bucks to "improve " things. I refuse to believe that anyone these days are quite that stupid.
ReplyDelete*shakes head* I saw this article, too. My jaw dropped when I read it, and was pretty much the same reaction as yours J.Day.
ReplyDeleteThis is very disturbing... I hope CWMartin is right in his assumption. It's very discouraging to believe that schools would allow something like this for any other reason...
ReplyDeleteJust checked my calendar. Yep 2012. Im with you. If my kids had something like that as homework,the teacher would have some serious explaining to do.
ReplyDeleteCWMartin - I hope that's right, because otherwise it's just plain disturbing. Well, it's disturbing either way, really.
ReplyDeleteCat - I kept re-reading it thinking I was reading it wrong!
Beliza - If the reason was monetary/publicity, there are other ways to raise money or raise awareness. This was just distasteful.
Mynx - Thanks for verifying the year. lol I'm not sure I could have been held back if I'd had to take that issue up with the teachers/administration. I probably would have smoke coming out of my ears!
WOW~ this is really close to home, literally. Not only do I live in GA, in that same county but also if I lived about a mile further down the street my child would attend that school. Holy crap! The south can be an effed up place to be thats for sure, buuuut I wouldn't know why they would think thats ok. guess they found their cirruculum in a book from the 1800s. Teacher had just a little too much dark humor I guess. I'm not making excuses really. I honestly don't know what I would say or do if my child brought home that assignment. :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMonkey - That's crazy that the school is literally in your back yard!
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