Jessica Boyle is the 4th-grade teacher who had the bright idea to teach a lesson on the Civil War to her children by separating them by race. She put the Black and mixed-race students in her mock slave auction as the enslaved people in chains. The white 9- and 10-year old students in her class played the role of the racist slave-owners.
After complaints began to come in from some of the parents ... the Sewells Point Elementary School principal, Mary Wrushen wrote a letter dated April 6:
No shyt Sherlock!"I recently became aware of a history lesson that was presented to the students in Ms. Jessica Boyle's fourth grade class. Although her actions were well intended to meet the instructional objectives, the activity presented was inappropriate for the students. The lesson could have been thought through more carefully, as to not offend her students or put them in an uncomfortable situation."
Mary Wrushen
The level of arrogance, ignorance and racism shown by this teacher is remarkable. Does anyone think that this teacher would have her Jewish students role-playing as victims of the Holocaust during a lesson on World War II? Of course she wouldn't. The idea of doing such a thing would horrify her. Yet this same teacher had no qualms about having Black children role-playing as slaves.
Ms. Jessica Boyle should be fired. Anyone with that little regard for her students simply should not be allowed to teach any longer.
via The Last Tradition source: Mail Online
2 comments:
I was outraged by the headline alone and as I read I grew more incensed. The level of insensitivity and ignorance shown by this professional assigned to teach astounds me. This horrifying incident demonstrated why we must pull together and speak with one voice. As you noted, if the lesson were the holocaust, this would not have happened, and if so the teacher would have been promptly fired.
Karen - I must admit that I tend to sensationalize my blog post headlines ... but, your outrage is appropriate in this case. I see that the principal is a Black woman. She's gotta be sick about getting notoriety at her school for this one...
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