Never moving to Loudoun

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see where the teacher was thinking of creating an experience for the kids, that would foster empathy. Help them understand what people physically endured in order to escape to freedom. A textbook doesn’t do it justice.
I don’t think this came from a mean spirited place, it just wasn’t well thought out. I’m sure the teacher didn’t consider how this would make children who might actually be descents of slaves would feel.
We have a long way to go.

+1

I suspect that this is an unintended consequence of some policy that says that all teachers are to address "Black History Month." He was likely trying to be creative and figure out what he could do in a PE class.

Was it a good idea? No. But, I doubt it came from a place of racism.

Exactly. And it’s pathetic that the Loudoun NAACP president herself shows no empathy but instead just starts railing against the school. The constant need to play the victim and demand others do exactly what they say is tiring.

Totally agree.

Well, according to the article, she had worked to improve the curriculum with respect to Black History Month and casual racism and the changes have not been implemented. So I can see why she might be frustrated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see where the teacher was thinking of creating an experience for the kids, that would foster empathy. Help them understand what people physically endured in order to escape to freedom. A textbook doesn’t do it justice.
I don’t think this came from a mean spirited place, it just wasn’t well thought out. I’m sure the teacher didn’t consider how this would make children who might actually be descents of slaves would feel.
We have a long way to go.

+1

I suspect that this is an unintended consequence of some policy that says that all teachers are to address "Black History Month." He was likely trying to be creative and figure out what he could do in a PE class.

Was it a good idea? No. But, I doubt it came from a place of racism.

Exactly. And it’s pathetic that the Loudoun NAACP president herself shows no empathy but instead just starts railing against the school. The constant need to play the victim and demand others do exactly what they say is tiring.

Totally agree.

Well, according to the article, she had worked to improve the curriculum with respect to Black History Month and casual racism and the changes have not been implemented. So I can see why she might be frustrated.

So she claimed. Her idea of “improvements” might not align with those of educators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see where the teacher was thinking of creating an experience for the kids, that would foster empathy. Help them understand what people physically endured in order to escape to freedom. A textbook doesn’t do it justice.
I don’t think this came from a mean spirited place, it just wasn’t well thought out. I’m sure the teacher didn’t consider how this would make children who might actually be descents of slaves would feel.
We have a long way to go.

+1

I suspect that this is an unintended consequence of some policy that says that all teachers are to address "Black History Month." He was likely trying to be creative and figure out what he could do in a PE class.

Was it a good idea? No. But, I doubt it came from a place of racism.

Exactly. And it’s pathetic that the Loudoun NAACP president herself shows no empathy but instead just starts railing against the school. The constant need to play the victim and demand others do exactly what they say is tiring.

Totally agree.

Well, according to the article, she had worked to improve the curriculum with respect to Black History Month and casual racism and the changes have not been implemented. So I can see why she might be frustrated.

So she claimed. Her idea of “improvements” might not align with those of educators.

Sure. The educators idea of improvements was this Underground Railroad game in PE. Brilliant!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see where the teacher was thinking of creating an experience for the kids, that would foster empathy. Help them understand what people physically endured in order to escape to freedom. A textbook doesn’t do it justice.
I don’t think this came from a mean spirited place, it just wasn’t well thought out. I’m sure the teacher didn’t consider how this would make children who might actually be descents of slaves would feel.
We have a long way to go.

+1

I suspect that this is an unintended consequence of some policy that says that all teachers are to address "Black History Month." He was likely trying to be creative and figure out what he could do in a PE class.

Was it a good idea? No. But, I doubt it came from a place of racism.

Exactly. And it’s pathetic that the Loudoun NAACP president herself shows no empathy but instead just starts railing against the school. The constant need to play the victim and demand others do exactly what they say is tiring.

Totally agree.

Well, according to the article, she had worked to improve the curriculum with respect to Black History Month and casual racism and the changes have not been implemented. So I can see why she might be frustrated.

So she claimed. Her idea of “improvements” might not align with those of educators.

OMG. The educator was wrong in this case. Slavery is not a game, and it doesn’t matter who is playing what role in the game. If anyone had any sense, or had received appropriate training about racism/cultural bias, they would not have implemented this “lesson.” Is the PE teacher a monster? Probably not, but this was STUPID. A stupid mistake that could have been easily avoided, but if nobody complains about it nothing changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG. The educator was wrong in this case. Slavery is not a game, and it doesn’t matter who is playing what role in the game. If anyone had any sense, or had received appropriate training about racism/cultural bias, they would not have implemented this “lesson.” Is the PE teacher a monster? Probably not, but this was STUPID. A stupid mistake that could have been easily avoided, but if nobody complains about it nothing changes.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

I saw this - what were the teachers thinking?

Sharks and minnows anyone? Or even cops and robbers? Or make up something neutral like asteroids and planets.

THIS IS NOT HARD.

[Anonymous]

Not a big deal. Stop being super sensitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a big deal. Stop being super sensitive.

It’s the NAACP person who apparently called this a game or joke, rather than a physical activity.

If you call it a game, I’m sure the NAACP would have been fine with the “game” (common during college orientations) where the minority and low-income students are held back while other students are allowed to advance (in order to demonstrate all the “privileges” the latter supposedly still enjoy in the 21st Century.

It is a never-ending cycle of taking offense and then demanding apologies. School systems are low-hanging fruit because they weren’t trying to offend in the first place. Good luck ever getting an apology from someone who actually did something wrong.

[Anonymous]

Unacceptable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unacceptable

Feel free to live elsewhere. Loudoun has the highest median incomes in the country. It will get by without you.

[Anonymous]

There are also serious issues with special ed. The newspapers got involved when a picture was made of a non verbal child in a self contained class being secluded behind filing cabinets as the teachers played on a computer. That parent never got an apology or an explanation. More parents came forward with similar stories of their children being inappropriately restrained and secluded. School employees call CPS on parents they think are going to file complaints. We had parent/ school group that parents created decades ago and the new administration took it over and tried to shut it down even though it was not a school owned group. There is a lack of transparency accross the boadrd in the school system. Principals ban parents from their schools for frivilous reasons.

[Anonymous]

It's the area. It's not very "woke". If this was MoCo, no way would a teacher give out this kind of assignment. There's way too much talk about diversity and such for any teacher in MoCo to be this clueless. Loudon county's black population is pretty small. That doesn't help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see where the teacher was thinking of creating an experience for the kids, that would foster empathy. Help them understand what people physically endured in order to escape to freedom. A textbook doesn’t do it justice.
I don’t think this came from a mean spirited place, it just wasn’t well thought out. I’m sure the teacher didn’t consider how this would make children who might actually be descents of slaves would feel.
We have a long way to go.

+1

Your privilege is showing.

No, it's stupidity not privilege.

[Anonymous]

This is what happens when you take common sense out of education.

Sadly, the teacher was likely required (as part of the interdisciplinary requirement) to do something involving Black History Month. This was a poor choice. And, likely the result of a brainstorming session.

I'm sitting here trying to think of a good physical activity involving Black History Month. Dancing like Michael Jackson, maybe? Somehow, I don't think that would work, either. Rapping? Hip Hop?

Frankly, this is a ridiculous requirement. But, I'm betting the teacher had to come up with something.

When are we going to do Hispanic History Month? For heavens' sake, don't even consider the Mexican Hat Dance........sombreros are racist now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh, they should just ignore having a separate black history month next year.

Do you mean teaching black history alongside American History all year? That would be a great idea since it's all American History.