Is Shakespeare not taught in DCPS?

[Anonymous]

Astonished that my SWW 10th grader hasn’t yet read any Shakespeare in school. I thought the DCPS HS curriculum covered Romeo and Juliet in 9th and Hamlet in 10th. It doesn’t look like either are on the roster this year. How does this happen?

[Anonymous]

Last year, my DC read “Romeo and Juliet” at Wilson. That was ninth grade.

Is taking English next semester. We shall see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year, my DC read “Romeo and Juliet” at Wilson. That was ninth grade.

Is taking English next semester. We shall see.

Almost all the books my 6th and 9th graders (Deal and Wilson) are assigned (or required to choose from) are tendentiously promoting the new notion of "equity"...

[Anonymous]

What’s the value of Shakespeare in the curriculum? Is it for your nostalgic reasons? Just because it’s always been done, does that mean it’s always been right? Do you want to still teach Columbus as a savior and hero?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the value of Shakespeare in the curriculum? Is it for your nostalgic reasons? Just because it’s always been done, does that mean it’s always been right? Do you want to still teach Columbus as a savior and hero?

Because one cannot be properly educated in English literature without an understanding of Shakespeare.

Reason number 363,724,623,629,252 my kids are in private schools. DS 12th grade is having an entire semester of Shakespeare.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree. There is a reason why Shakespeare is the most famous playwright of all time. Ditching him because he's a white guy is not right. Columbus helped take the land of the native Americans and got undue credit for discovering America. That is completely unrelated to Shakespeare. But in fact scarily they are related in the minds of whoever ditched Shakespeare because he was white. At some point this needs to be about education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the value of Shakespeare in the curriculum? Is it for your nostalgic reasons? Just because it’s always been done, does that mean it’s always been right? Do you want to still teach Columbus as a savior and hero?

In a very significant way, Shakespeare started what we consider the modern English language. His plays created a common reservoir of about 20,000 words that form the core of our language.

Your question shows your ignorance.

[Anonymous]

Thou hast most traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm in erecting a grammar school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the value of Shakespeare in the curriculum? Is it for your nostalgic reasons? Just because it’s always been done, does that mean it’s always been right? Do you want to still teach Columbus as a savior and hero?

Wow, what an incredibly ignorant comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the value of Shakespeare in the curriculum? Is it for your nostalgic reasons? Just because it’s always been done, does that mean it’s always been right? Do you want to still teach Columbus as a savior and hero?

Wow, what an incredibly ignorant comment.

And yet this is probably why Shakespeare isn't taught as much.

I would assume Latin teaches it!

I like Cornel West's perspective on this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/19/cornel-west-howard-classics/

And the reply from Howard is good too, it still emphasizes the value of Shakespeare and classical education: nytimes.com/2021/05/02/opinion/howard-university-classics-department.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the value of Shakespeare in the curriculum? Is it for your nostalgic reasons? Just because it’s always been done, does that mean it’s always been right? Do you want to still teach Columbus as a savior and hero?

Wow, what an incredibly ignorant comment.

Still haven’t heard a valid reason. Just because he because he “started” the English language does that mean that we don’t acknowledge one can learn the language and have proper command of the language without it? Seriously what’s a valid reason it’s required in your eyes?

[Anonymous]

https://johnbrownpraxisgroup.medium.com/should-shakespeare-be-taught-in-high-school-c7908d03aca9

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-why-im-rethinking-teaching-shakespeare-in-my-english-classroom/2019/10

https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=to-teach-or-not-to-teach-is-shakespeare-still-relevant-to-todays-students-libraries-classic-literature-canon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, my DC read “Romeo and Juliet” at Wilson. That was ninth grade.

Is taking English next semester. We shall see.

Almost all the books my 6th and 9th graders (Deal and Wilson) are assigned (or required to choose from) are tendentiously promoting the new notion of "equity"...

Exactly. So when my student was assigned Romeo and Juliet in ninth grade at Wilson, I just assumed that Shakespeare was African American. Sounds like a black name.

I’m gathering he’s not?

[Anonymous]

In my incredibly diverse and secular (albeit private) high school, all 9th graders studied the bible in English class. Why? Because so much of English literature is based off of it.

Same thing with Shakepeare.

Maya Angelou thought Shakespeare was a black girl as a child, because his sonnets so spoke to her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the value of Shakespeare in the curriculum? Is it for your nostalgic reasons? Just because it’s always been done, does that mean it’s always been right? Do you want to still teach Columbus as a savior and hero?

Wow, what an incredibly ignorant comment.

Still haven’t heard a valid reason. Just because he because he “started” the English language does that mean that we don’t acknowledge one can learn the language and have proper command of the language without it? Seriously what’s a valid reason it’s required in your eyes?

You have received plenty of reasons; it is only your immaturity and stupidity that calls them not valid.

To be properly educated in any language (which, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you are not), one must study its roots, its grammar, its evolution and how the great masters of that language used it throughout the centuries. This is not about having proper "command" of the language. It is about understanding communication, human analysis, history and so many other disciplines that Shakespeare mastered. It is a serious loss to persons such as yourself who are deprived of that. As you bear witness here.