Is Shakespeare not taught in DCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We don’t care about him, he’s boring.

You missed the entire speech of vile curse words from Lear. So sad.

[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"...

The fact that you managed to go through school without realizing equity was a notion people had is probably a sign the curriculum needed to be changed.

[Anonymous]

It’s interesting, I was in AP English through HS or college and Shakespeare did not make a difference in my life other than it was interesting for me to think about and read.

I promise Shakespeare isn’t the only author who helps student’s comprehension. The fact that there is a whole thread on this is a testament to white privilege.

And yes, I am bringing race into it because once again, you fail to see how complaining about this makes you look. Mostly not that it was asked but the ignorant comments alluding to teaching about black, brown, Asian, native people is ‘too political.’

And we live in a politically charged world, everything is actually about politics. So yes there will be more and more minority authors studied that YOU, old white mom, may not have studied and that’s ok.

Your child will not fall into a cesspool of illiteracy and lack critical thinking.

Also who says Shakespeare isn’t being studied? I graduated from walls less than 5 years ago and I did study Shakespeare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting, I was in AP English through HS or college and Shakespeare did not make a difference in my life other than it was interesting for me to think about and read.

I promise Shakespeare isn’t the only author who helps student’s comprehension. The fact that there is a whole thread on this is a testament to white privilege.

And yes, I am bringing race into it because once again, you fail to see how complaining about this makes you look. Mostly not that it was asked but the ignorant comments alluding to teaching about black, brown, Asian, native people is ‘too political.’

And we live in a politically charged world, everything is actually about politics. So yes there will be more and more minority authors studied that YOU, old white mom, may not have studied and that’s ok.

Your child will not fall into a cesspool of illiteracy and lack critical thinking.

Also who says Shakespeare isn’t being studied? I graduated from walls less than 5 years ago and I did study Shakespeare.

Hyperventilating about white privilege rather than making a cogent counter-argument on what works by minority authors should replace Shakespeare? I don't know that you are a shining example of DCPS producing children with critical thinking skills. But I do think your substance-free rant is a perfect example of toxic politics.

[Anonymous]

We moved our kid to private high school because of the dismal DCPS ELA curriculum. We are barely making it work financially but I sleep better at night. So far this year my kid has read The Autobiography of Malcolm X, The Odyssey and Much Ado About Nothing.
We all have our issues or shall I say our "kryptonite" when it comes to what we really value when raising kids. It is really important to me that my kid read critically and write well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting, I was in AP English through HS or college and Shakespeare did not make a difference in my life other than it was interesting for me to think about and read.

I promise Shakespeare isn’t the only author who helps student’s comprehension. The fact that there is a whole thread on this is a testament to white privilege.

And yes, I am bringing race into it because once again, you fail to see how complaining about this makes you look. Mostly not that it was asked but the ignorant comments alluding to teaching about black, brown, Asian, native people is ‘too political.’

And we live in a politically charged world, everything is actually about politics. So yes there will be more and more minority authors studied that YOU, old white mom, may not have studied and that’s ok.

Your child will not fall into a cesspool of illiteracy and lack critical thinking.

Also who says Shakespeare isn’t being studied? I graduated from walls less than 5 years ago and I did study Shakespeare.

Of course you did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting, I was in AP English through HS or college and Shakespeare did not make a difference in my life other than it was interesting for me to think about and read.

I promise Shakespeare isn’t the only author who helps student’s comprehension. The fact that there is a whole thread on this is a testament to white privilege.

And yes, I am bringing race into it because once again, you fail to see how complaining about this makes you look. Mostly not that it was asked but the ignorant comments alluding to teaching about black, brown, Asian, native people is ‘too political.’

And we live in a politically charged world, everything is actually about politics. So yes there will be more and more minority authors studied that YOU, old white mom, may not have studied and that’s ok.

Your child will not fall into a cesspool of illiteracy and lack critical thinking.

Also who says Shakespeare isn’t being studied? I graduated from walls less than 5 years ago and I did study Shakespeare.

You are absolutely correct. Everything is politically charged. Shakespeare thought so, as well. Othello is partly written in response to Queen Elizabeth I’s edict in 1601 to deport all “blackamoors” to Spain and Northern Africa. People in Elizabethan England were already conditioned to think of images of blackness as associated to sin and evil. Shakespeare explores these stereotypes in the play, and the villain is actually a white man: Iago.

That being said, I do agree with you that students should read a wide variety of authors, especially minority authors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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"...

The fact that you managed to go through school without realizing equity was a notion people had is probably a sign the curriculum needed to be changed.

+1 crazy. So glad they have also added books like Homegoing for pp's kids (and mine too since it's brilliant).

[Anonymous]

Dang we have a lot of material for r/iamverysmart here

[Anonymous]

OP, pretty sure they read The Tempest in 10th at SWW...at least mine did. Have you asked?

[Anonymous]

PP here. To politicize Shakespeare is to politicize the gravity of the human experience. I find that incomprehensible, but you do you, pp.

I am thrilled that Wilson students and other DCPS HSers are getting Shakespeare in ELA. Please correct me if I’m wrong but it seems that Walls has swapped out “ELA” for “Humanities” and as a result is studying texts (wonderful ones!) that are not in the ELA curriculum. This may be where the issue lies. I still can’t wrap my head around the omission of Shakespeare though.

I do appreciate the responses lauding the importance of studying Shakespeare. The tempest is, in fact, in my teapot and perhaps I need to address this on a micro level.

[Anonymous]

hahaha you guys this is great.

i love watching you all put each other down and attempting to sound smart about literature. none of you are doing this right

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, pretty sure they read The Tempest in 10th at SWW...at least mine did. Have you asked?

I have not, but I plan to !

[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?

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.

Disagree. If you mean England and their version of events sure. I suppose some exposure to the plays would be helpful culturally. But, the ONLY reason he is so "important" is because of the push to make him important. Their are tons of other better authors and more interesting books for youth than Shakespeare. And, yes I read in school, I took 2 terms of old English and Shakespeare and the like... I enjoyed it.. but I also enjoyed taking Native American lit, African and Middle eastern, women in lit and South America lit.. truthfully more of that or at least more inclusive lit classes and less time on old dead white guys would have been better.

Really? What did you read in old English?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:hahaha you guys this is great.

i love watching you all put each other down and attempting to sound smart about literature. none of you are doing this right

And how would doing it right look? Do, please, enlighten us.