BCC teacher has a problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure the vast majority of the people on this forum are foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to step in and take the place of these teachers. Please, be a part of the solution. Instead of whining on these forums, quit your big law, tech, or sales job. Wake up at 6 am. Deal with 150 teenagers a day and their screaming parents. Coach a team and then drive 75 minutes home up 270 because your $60k / year salary can't buy you anything south of Germantown. The world needs you to step up and take the place of this man you demand be fired.

Don't come between a man and his meal.

There are individuals who have to deal with all of those things and don’t use blatantly racist language such as that. Let’s also recognize the fact that they chose that career as well.

As a Black B-CC alum, there have been many times where my classmates and I reported similar behavior and nothing was done. The teacher was probably warned multiple times. “Don’t come between a man and his meal”? How about not doing things (along with daily microaggressions) that make the people affected feel as though they don’t belong or they can’t succeed, because that line of thinking follows them for years and years. When these complaints are made, they should be taken with the highest seriousness. The drawbacks of the job or “can you do what they do” aren’t an excuse.

If we read the original post...

This morning parents received an email from the principal telling us that a teacher had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart. The email, which of course was written or edited by the central office, further stated that they were "investigating," blah blah blah.

The email, and the lack of immediate action, made me want to vomit. Is this 2023? Have we somehow completely lost our way? The only solution, if this is true, is to fire the teacher. Do not send him to a DEI training, do not reassign him to a different MCPS school, do not pass go. No adult who interacts daily with CHILDREN should have such crap coming out of his mouth.

My kid just got home and said the teacher lacks a filter (based on DC's personal knowledge) and that teacher was, in fact, fired. I hope this is true.

...

It's quite vague exactly what all of this means. I read this as a teacher, speaking to two students, said that he had trouble distinguishing one of them from the other. But again. I restate my original claim. The county needs teachers. Please, step up and take this man's spot. Do whatever he had to do to obtain the position necessary to teach this class (degrees and all) and then take a $60,000 / year job.

My argument is don't be overly critical of a job that sucks. People are nicer to service staff than they are teachers who give their child a bad grade.

Reading comprehension is absolutely critical, yet lacking here. I understand the job is hard and that we have a shortage of teachers right now. I come from a family of public servants, including teachers. What I am saying is that the level of difficulty of a job doesn’t call for lack of accountability. It’s not about whether we’re being nice to the teacher or not. It’s the fact that this absolutely isn’t the first time this has happened at B-CC, and it turns off many families who want to move here, not just BIPOC families. Going through a grueling process doesn’t just mean that you get to say any and everything. Maybe I’m in a job I don’t particularly like - that doesn’t mean that I go out of my way to make others feel uncomfortable. The claim you are making is not only dismissing the gravity of what was said, but how it affects those the comment was directed to.

My reading comprehension skills are not lacking. I can guarantee that. The wording of the original statement is ambiguous. The phrase "had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart." is not clear enough to determine exactly what was said. As such, it is open to interpretation that will be heavily influenced by one's previous experiences. It could be read as he told [two] black students that he could not tell them (referring to those two) apart". Alternatively, it could be a read as "had told [all] black students in his class that he could not tell them (referring to all back people) apart". It could also be interpreted as a multitude of ways that fall in between those two extremes.

You, the author, have failed to distinguish which situation it was. This ambiguous language is dangerous and leads to people talking across each other in a way that cannot solicit mutual compromise. Which cable news network do you write for?

That is nice that you come from a family of public servants. However, that tells me nothing except that you have decided to go a different route. It's great for you that you got out of the world of teaching before it went to shit. If this teacher had done what you did, he wouldn't be in this mess! What a terrible mistake he made. Sorry people don't want to move to their neighborhood, especially not good teachers. It couldn't be because the median home value is $1.2M and the teacher salaries are $60k starting?

Whether it was “(all) Black people” or “both”, and aside from both being racist, it’s mid-February. Whether this is a full year or a second semester class, surely this teacher knows everyone’s names by now. It’s basic respect. The statement that was made shows clear intent, so if you’d like to defend a losing cause, be my guest. Still not seeing what the salary and demands of the job have to do with the statement, by the way.

It's two weeks into the second semester. Learning 140 names is doable but not expected in two weeks. I still think saying he can't tell two or more black students apart is racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here. To clarify

The subject line of the email was"Community Message Hate Bias Event."

How does a slip of the tongu get elevated to “hate”? That word is misused way too often nowadays.

A "slip of the tongue"? Really? That's not what it sounds like at all. -NP

yes it is exactly what it sounds like. or an innocent comment radically misinterpreted. this guy is not wearing a KKK hood come on.

This is why racism thrives. White people continue to insist that if someone isn’t burning crosses, they must not be all that bad. And so, they excuse racist actions by people they feel aren’t as extreme as someone in the KKK. Focus on the action, not the person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone saying "fire the teacher" needa an answer for "how will MCPS find a replacement?". By and large, teachers across the country are DONE. Qualified people aren't lining up form these jobs.

Not being a racist should be a qualification for being a teacher. I’d rather my kids had subs all year rather than a racist. And I’m a veteran MCPS teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure the vast majority of the people on this forum are foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to step in and take the place of these teachers. Please, be a part of the solution. Instead of whining on these forums, quit your big law, tech, or sales job. Wake up at 6 am. Deal with 150 teenagers a day and their screaming parents. Coach a team and then drive 75 minutes home up 270 because your $60k / year salary can't buy you anything south of Germantown. The world needs you to step up and take the place of this man you demand be fired.

Don't come between a man and his meal.

There are individuals who have to deal with all of those things and don’t use blatantly racist language such as that. Let’s also recognize the fact that they chose that career as well.

As a Black B-CC alum, there have been many times where my classmates and I reported similar behavior and nothing was done. The teacher was probably warned multiple times. “Don’t come between a man and his meal”? How about not doing things (along with daily microaggressions) that make the people affected feel as though they don’t belong or they can’t succeed, because that line of thinking follows them for years and years. When these complaints are made, they should be taken with the highest seriousness. The drawbacks of the job or “can you do what they do” aren’t an excuse.

If we read the original post...

This morning parents received an email from the principal telling us that a teacher had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart. The email, which of course was written or edited by the central office, further stated that they were "investigating," blah blah blah.

The email, and the lack of immediate action, made me want to vomit. Is this 2023? Have we somehow completely lost our way? The only solution, if this is true, is to fire the teacher. Do not send him to a DEI training, do not reassign him to a different MCPS school, do not pass go. No adult who interacts daily with CHILDREN should have such crap coming out of his mouth.

My kid just got home and said the teacher lacks a filter (based on DC's personal knowledge) and that teacher was, in fact, fired. I hope this is true.

...

It's quite vague exactly what all of this means. I read this as a teacher, speaking to two students, said that he had trouble distinguishing one of them from the other. But again. I restate my original claim. The county needs teachers. Please, step up and take this man's spot. Do whatever he had to do to obtain the position necessary to teach this class (degrees and all) and then take a $60,000 / year job.

My argument is don't be overly critical of a job that sucks. People are nicer to service staff than they are teachers who give their child a bad grade.

Reading comprehension is absolutely critical, yet lacking here. I understand the job is hard and that we have a shortage of teachers right now. I come from a family of public servants, including teachers. What I am saying is that the level of difficulty of a job doesn’t call for lack of accountability. It’s not about whether we’re being nice to the teacher or not. It’s the fact that this absolutely isn’t the first time this has happened at B-CC, and it turns off many families who want to move here, not just BIPOC families. Going through a grueling process doesn’t just mean that you get to say any and everything. Maybe I’m in a job I don’t particularly like - that doesn’t mean that I go out of my way to make others feel uncomfortable. The claim you are making is not only dismissing the gravity of what was said, but how it affects those the comment was directed to.

My reading comprehension skills are not lacking. I can guarantee that. The wording of the original statement is ambiguous. The phrase "had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart." is not clear enough to determine exactly what was said. As such, it is open to interpretation that will be heavily influenced by one's previous experiences. It could be read as he told [two] black students that he could not tell them (referring to those two) apart". Alternatively, it could be a read as "had told [all] black students in his class that he could not tell them (referring to all back people) apart". It could also be interpreted as a multitude of ways that fall in between those two extremes.

You, the author, have failed to distinguish which situation it was. This ambiguous language is dangerous and leads to people talking across each other in a way that cannot solicit mutual compromise. Which cable news network do you write for?

That is nice that you come from a family of public servants. However, that tells me nothing except that you have decided to go a different route. It's great for you that you got out of the world of teaching before it went to shit. If this teacher had done what you did, he wouldn't be in this mess! What a terrible mistake he made. Sorry people don't want to move to their neighborhood, especially not good teachers. It couldn't be because the median home value is $1.2M and the teacher salaries are $60k starting?

Whether it was “(all) Black people” or “both”, and aside from both being racist, it’s mid-February. Whether this is a full year or a second semester class, surely this teacher knows everyone’s names by now. It’s basic respect. The statement that was made shows clear intent, so if you’d like to defend a losing cause, be my guest. Still not seeing what the salary and demands of the job have to do with the statement, by the way.

It’s basic supply and demand. When the salary places teachers in tiny apartments in the city they teach or requires them to add an onerous commute, you can’t be surprised when burnt out people do things that burnt out people do. Of course you wouldn’t understand this though. You live in BCC!

I’ve had teacher burn out. It didn’t make me racist. Racism is not a natural consequence of being tired, frustrated, or demoralized. Burn out can make you drop the mask and reveal who you really are though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure the vast majority of the people on this forum are foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to step in and take the place of these teachers. Please, be a part of the solution. Instead of whining on these forums, quit your big law, tech, or sales job. Wake up at 6 am. Deal with 150 teenagers a day and their screaming parents. Coach a team and then drive 75 minutes home up 270 because your $60k / year salary can't buy you anything south of Germantown. The world needs you to step up and take the place of this man you demand be fired.

Don't come between a man and his meal.

There are individuals who have to deal with all of those things and don’t use blatantly racist language such as that. Let’s also recognize the fact that they chose that career as well.

As a Black B-CC alum, there have been many times where my classmates and I reported similar behavior and nothing was done. The teacher was probably warned multiple times. “Don’t come between a man and his meal”? How about not doing things (along with daily microaggressions) that make the people affected feel as though they don’t belong or they can’t succeed, because that line of thinking follows them for years and years. When these complaints are made, they should be taken with the highest seriousness. The drawbacks of the job or “can you do what they do” aren’t an excuse.

If we read the original post...

This morning parents received an email from the principal telling us that a teacher had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart. The email, which of course was written or edited by the central office, further stated that they were "investigating," blah blah blah.

The email, and the lack of immediate action, made me want to vomit. Is this 2023? Have we somehow completely lost our way? The only solution, if this is true, is to fire the teacher. Do not send him to a DEI training, do not reassign him to a different MCPS school, do not pass go. No adult who interacts daily with CHILDREN should have such crap coming out of his mouth.

My kid just got home and said the teacher lacks a filter (based on DC's personal knowledge) and that teacher was, in fact, fired. I hope this is true.

...

It's quite vague exactly what all of this means. I read this as a teacher, speaking to two students, said that he had trouble distinguishing one of them from the other. But again. I restate my original claim. The county needs teachers. Please, step up and take this man's spot. Do whatever he had to do to obtain the position necessary to teach this class (degrees and all) and then take a $60,000 / year job.

My argument is don't be overly critical of a job that sucks. People are nicer to service staff than they are teachers who give their child a bad grade.

Reading comprehension is absolutely critical, yet lacking here. I understand the job is hard and that we have a shortage of teachers right now. I come from a family of public servants, including teachers. What I am saying is that the level of difficulty of a job doesn’t call for lack of accountability. It’s not about whether we’re being nice to the teacher or not. It’s the fact that this absolutely isn’t the first time this has happened at B-CC, and it turns off many families who want to move here, not just BIPOC families. Going through a grueling process doesn’t just mean that you get to say any and everything. Maybe I’m in a job I don’t particularly like - that doesn’t mean that I go out of my way to make others feel uncomfortable. The claim you are making is not only dismissing the gravity of what was said, but how it affects those the comment was directed to.

My reading comprehension skills are not lacking. I can guarantee that. The wording of the original statement is ambiguous. The phrase "had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart." is not clear enough to determine exactly what was said. As such, it is open to interpretation that will be heavily influenced by one's previous experiences. It could be read as he told [two] black students that he could not tell them (referring to those two) apart". Alternatively, it could be a read as "had told [all] black students in his class that he could not tell them (referring to all back people) apart". It could also be interpreted as a multitude of ways that fall in between those two extremes.

You, the author, have failed to distinguish which situation it was. This ambiguous language is dangerous and leads to people talking across each other in a way that cannot solicit mutual compromise. Which cable news network do you write for?

That is nice that you come from a family of public servants. However, that tells me nothing except that you have decided to go a different route. It's great for you that you got out of the world of teaching before it went to shit. If this teacher had done what you did, he wouldn't be in this mess! What a terrible mistake he made. Sorry people don't want to move to their neighborhood, especially not good teachers. It couldn't be because the median home value is $1.2M and the teacher salaries are $60k starting?

Whether it was “(all) Black people” or “both”, and aside from both being racist, it’s mid-February. Whether this is a full year or a second semester class, surely this teacher knows everyone’s names by now. It’s basic respect. The statement that was made shows clear intent, so if you’d like to defend a losing cause, be my guest. Still not seeing what the salary and demands of the job have to do with the statement, by the way.

It's two weeks into the second semester. Learning 140 names is doable but not expected in two weeks. I still think saying he can't tell two or more black students apart is racist.

No, it’s not. Unless he said “I can’t tell any black people apart ever. You people all look the same and are ugly.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here. To clarify

The subject line of the email was"Community Message Hate Bias Event."

How does a slip of the tongu get elevated to “hate”? That word is misused way too often nowadays.

A "slip of the tongue"? Really? That's not what it sounds like at all. -NP

yes it is exactly what it sounds like. or an innocent comment radically misinterpreted. this guy is not wearing a KKK hood come on.

This is why racism thrives. White people continue to insist that if someone isn’t burning crosses, they must not be all that bad. And so, they excuse racist actions by people they feel aren’t as extreme as someone in the KKK. Focus on the action, not the person.

Yeah sorry. Confusing two kids names at the beginning of the semester is not racist. And of course, people are calling for the teacher to be harshly punished - so you’re acting like it was KKK level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone saying "fire the teacher" needa an answer for "how will MCPS find a replacement?". By and large, teachers across the country are DONE. Qualified people aren't lining up form these jobs.

Not being a racist should be a qualification for being a teacher. I’d rather my kids had subs all year rather than a racist. And I’m a veteran MCPS teacher.

Agreed. But what has not been determined is whether or not the teacher is racist, or meant the comment racially. The original statement of what was said said is ambiguous enough and out of context enough that there is a lot of room for doubt. Perhaps the teacher in question is as racist and incompetent as many here insist, in which case good riddance. Or perhaps not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone saying "fire the teacher" needa an answer for "how will MCPS find a replacement?". By and large, teachers across the country are DONE. Qualified people aren't lining up form these jobs.

Not being a racist should be a qualification for being a teacher. I’d rather my kids had subs all year rather than a racist. And I’m a veteran MCPS teacher.

I’m also an MCPS teacher and I’m pretty sure I’ve been taking trainings for the past few years that teach us that we are all a little racist. They’ve had us take little unconscious bias quizzes to show it. So I don’t think he can be fired for the original sin of being racist if we all are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone saying "fire the teacher" needa an answer for "how will MCPS find a replacement?". By and large, teachers across the country are DONE. Qualified people aren't lining up form these jobs.

Not being a racist should be a qualification for being a teacher. I’d rather my kids had subs all year rather than a racist. And I’m a veteran MCPS teacher.

I’m also an MCPS teacher and I’m pretty sure I’ve been taking trainings for the past few years that teach us that we are all a little racist. They’ve had us take little unconscious bias quizzes to show it. So I don’t think he can be fired for the original sin of being racist if we all are.

Right. This isn’t about what actually happened. It’s a show trial. The adults in the room ought to know better by now how to resolve these kinds of incidents, but they do not, and meekly assume their role in the show.

The fact is - this actually sounds like it could be a case where a comment was made that was interpreted as hurtful, despite the actual intent. Eg a “microaggression.” The subjectivity of both sides means that neither side is guilty, but to resolve it, both sides need to have an honest discussion. When it gets blown up into a “hate bias incident” with jobs at risk, then discussion becomes impossible. Thus revealed - the main purpose here is a show trial where the prosecution gets to show its power, not actually generating positive change and mutual understanding.

School administrators need to get spines and stop creating this dynamic. We now have the examples of Oberlin, Hamlin, Macalester. Stop catering to “hurt” students by facilitating extreme responses. Start actually creating a learning environment where issues can be discussed and problems resolved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure the vast majority of the people on this forum are foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to step in and take the place of these teachers. Please, be a part of the solution. Instead of whining on these forums, quit your big law, tech, or sales job. Wake up at 6 am. Deal with 150 teenagers a day and their screaming parents. Coach a team and then drive 75 minutes home up 270 because your $60k / year salary can't buy you anything south of Germantown. The world needs you to step up and take the place of this man you demand be fired.

Don't come between a man and his meal.

There are individuals who have to deal with all of those things and don’t use blatantly racist language such as that. Let’s also recognize the fact that they chose that career as well.

As a Black B-CC alum, there have been many times where my classmates and I reported similar behavior and nothing was done. The teacher was probably warned multiple times. “Don’t come between a man and his meal”? How about not doing things (along with daily microaggressions) that make the people affected feel as though they don’t belong or they can’t succeed, because that line of thinking follows them for years and years. When these complaints are made, they should be taken with the highest seriousness. The drawbacks of the job or “can you do what they do” aren’t an excuse.

If we read the original post...

This morning parents received an email from the principal telling us that a teacher had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart. The email, which of course was written or edited by the central office, further stated that they were "investigating," blah blah blah.

The email, and the lack of immediate action, made me want to vomit. Is this 2023? Have we somehow completely lost our way? The only solution, if this is true, is to fire the teacher. Do not send him to a DEI training, do not reassign him to a different MCPS school, do not pass go. No adult who interacts daily with CHILDREN should have such crap coming out of his mouth.

My kid just got home and said the teacher lacks a filter (based on DC's personal knowledge) and that teacher was, in fact, fired. I hope this is true.

...

It's quite vague exactly what all of this means. I read this as a teacher, speaking to two students, said that he had trouble distinguishing one of them from the other. But again. I restate my original claim. The county needs teachers. Please, step up and take this man's spot. Do whatever he had to do to obtain the position necessary to teach this class (degrees and all) and then take a $60,000 / year job.

My argument is don't be overly critical of a job that sucks. People are nicer to service staff than they are teachers who give their child a bad grade.

Reading comprehension is absolutely critical, yet lacking here. I understand the job is hard and that we have a shortage of teachers right now. I come from a family of public servants, including teachers. What I am saying is that the level of difficulty of a job doesn’t call for lack of accountability. It’s not about whether we’re being nice to the teacher or not. It’s the fact that this absolutely isn’t the first time this has happened at B-CC, and it turns off many families who want to move here, not just BIPOC families. Going through a grueling process doesn’t just mean that you get to say any and everything. Maybe I’m in a job I don’t particularly like - that doesn’t mean that I go out of my way to make others feel uncomfortable. The claim you are making is not only dismissing the gravity of what was said, but how it affects those the comment was directed to.

My reading comprehension skills are not lacking. I can guarantee that. The wording of the original statement is ambiguous. The phrase "had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart." is not clear enough to determine exactly what was said. As such, it is open to interpretation that will be heavily influenced by one's previous experiences. It could be read as he told [two] black students that he could not tell them (referring to those two) apart". Alternatively, it could be a read as "had told [all] black students in his class that he could not tell them (referring to all back people) apart". It could also be interpreted as a multitude of ways that fall in between those two extremes.

You, the author, have failed to distinguish which situation it was. This ambiguous language is dangerous and leads to people talking across each other in a way that cannot solicit mutual compromise. Which cable news network do you write for?

That is nice that you come from a family of public servants. However, that tells me nothing except that you have decided to go a different route. It's great for you that you got out of the world of teaching before it went to shit. If this teacher had done what you did, he wouldn't be in this mess! What a terrible mistake he made. Sorry people don't want to move to their neighborhood, especially not good teachers. It couldn't be because the median home value is $1.2M and the teacher salaries are $60k starting?

Whether it was “(all) Black people” or “both”, and aside from both being racist, it’s mid-February. Whether this is a full year or a second semester class, surely this teacher knows everyone’s names by now. It’s basic respect. The statement that was made shows clear intent, so if you’d like to defend a losing cause, be my guest. Still not seeing what the salary and demands of the job have to do with the statement, by the way.

It's two weeks into the second semester. Learning 140 names is doable but not expected in two weeks. I still think saying he can't tell two or more black students apart is racist.

No, it’s not. Unless he said “I can’t tell any black people apart ever. You people all look the same and are ugly.”

It’s unacceptable even if he said “I can’t tell Black people apart.” Folks like that refuse to take the time to really look at Black people and note differences in skin tones, facial features, hair styles, and textures. It just isn’t important to them to see Black people as individuals. They are most comfortable treating them as a monolithic group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone saying "fire the teacher" needa an answer for "how will MCPS find a replacement?". By and large, teachers across the country are DONE. Qualified people aren't lining up form these jobs.

Not being a racist should be a qualification for being a teacher. I’d rather my kids had subs all year rather than a racist. And I’m a veteran MCPS teacher.

I’m also an MCPS teacher and I’m pretty sure I’ve been taking trainings for the past few years that teach us that we are all a little racist. They’ve had us take little unconscious bias quizzes to show it. So I don’t think he can be fired for the original sin of being racist if we all are.

Honestly, it’s really hard to fathom why people teach these days. Don’t the big tutoring companies charge $200/hour plus nowadays? It seems any teacher could make their wages working 2-3 hours / day and not have all of the extra work associated with the county’s politics? Whether you believe in it fundamentally or not, we can all agree that it’s “another thing to do”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone saying "fire the teacher" needa an answer for "how will MCPS find a replacement?". By and large, teachers across the country are DONE. Qualified people aren't lining up form these jobs.

Not being a racist should be a qualification for being a teacher. I’d rather my kids had subs all year rather than a racist. And I’m a veteran MCPS teacher.

I’m also an MCPS teacher and I’m pretty sure I’ve been taking trainings for the past few years that teach us that we are all a little racist. They’ve had us take little unconscious bias quizzes to show it. So I don’t think he can be fired for the original sin of being racist if we all are.

Unconscious bias doesn’t make you racist. A refusal to acknowledge your unconscious bias and make adjustments before you act are what make you racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure the vast majority of the people on this forum are foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to step in and take the place of these teachers. Please, be a part of the solution. Instead of whining on these forums, quit your big law, tech, or sales job. Wake up at 6 am. Deal with 150 teenagers a day and their screaming parents. Coach a team and then drive 75 minutes home up 270 because your $60k / year salary can't buy you anything south of Germantown. The world needs you to step up and take the place of this man you demand be fired.

Don't come between a man and his meal.

There are individuals who have to deal with all of those things and don’t use blatantly racist language such as that. Let’s also recognize the fact that they chose that career as well.

As a Black B-CC alum, there have been many times where my classmates and I reported similar behavior and nothing was done. The teacher was probably warned multiple times. “Don’t come between a man and his meal”? How about not doing things (along with daily microaggressions) that make the people affected feel as though they don’t belong or they can’t succeed, because that line of thinking follows them for years and years. When these complaints are made, they should be taken with the highest seriousness. The drawbacks of the job or “can you do what they do” aren’t an excuse.

If we read the original post...

This morning parents received an email from the principal telling us that a teacher had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart. The email, which of course was written or edited by the central office, further stated that they were "investigating," blah blah blah.

The email, and the lack of immediate action, made me want to vomit. Is this 2023? Have we somehow completely lost our way? The only solution, if this is true, is to fire the teacher. Do not send him to a DEI training, do not reassign him to a different MCPS school, do not pass go. No adult who interacts daily with CHILDREN should have such crap coming out of his mouth.

My kid just got home and said the teacher lacks a filter (based on DC's personal knowledge) and that teacher was, in fact, fired. I hope this is true.

...

It's quite vague exactly what all of this means. I read this as a teacher, speaking to two students, said that he had trouble distinguishing one of them from the other. But again. I restate my original claim. The county needs teachers. Please, step up and take this man's spot. Do whatever he had to do to obtain the position necessary to teach this class (degrees and all) and then take a $60,000 / year job.

My argument is don't be overly critical of a job that sucks. People are nicer to service staff than they are teachers who give their child a bad grade.

Reading comprehension is absolutely critical, yet lacking here. I understand the job is hard and that we have a shortage of teachers right now. I come from a family of public servants, including teachers. What I am saying is that the level of difficulty of a job doesn’t call for lack of accountability. It’s not about whether we’re being nice to the teacher or not. It’s the fact that this absolutely isn’t the first time this has happened at B-CC, and it turns off many families who want to move here, not just BIPOC families. Going through a grueling process doesn’t just mean that you get to say any and everything. Maybe I’m in a job I don’t particularly like - that doesn’t mean that I go out of my way to make others feel uncomfortable. The claim you are making is not only dismissing the gravity of what was said, but how it affects those the comment was directed to.

My reading comprehension skills are not lacking. I can guarantee that. The wording of the original statement is ambiguous. The phrase "had told black students in his class that he could not tell them apart." is not clear enough to determine exactly what was said. As such, it is open to interpretation that will be heavily influenced by one's previous experiences. It could be read as he told [two] black students that he could not tell them (referring to those two) apart". Alternatively, it could be a read as "had told [all] black students in his class that he could not tell them (referring to all back people) apart". It could also be interpreted as a multitude of ways that fall in between those two extremes.

You, the author, have failed to distinguish which situation it was. This ambiguous language is dangerous and leads to people talking across each other in a way that cannot solicit mutual compromise. Which cable news network do you write for?

That is nice that you come from a family of public servants. However, that tells me nothing except that you have decided to go a different route. It's great for you that you got out of the world of teaching before it went to shit. If this teacher had done what you did, he wouldn't be in this mess! What a terrible mistake he made. Sorry people don't want to move to their neighborhood, especially not good teachers. It couldn't be because the median home value is $1.2M and the teacher salaries are $60k starting?

Whether it was “(all) Black people” or “both”, and aside from both being racist, it’s mid-February. Whether this is a full year or a second semester class, surely this teacher knows everyone’s names by now. It’s basic respect. The statement that was made shows clear intent, so if you’d like to defend a losing cause, be my guest. Still not seeing what the salary and demands of the job have to do with the statement, by the way.

It's two weeks into the second semester. Learning 140 names is doable but not expected in two weeks. I still think saying he can't tell two or more black students apart is racist.

No, it’s not. Unless he said “I can’t tell any black people apart ever. You people all look the same and are ugly.”

It’s unacceptable even if he said “I can’t tell Black people apart.” Folks like that refuse to take the time to really look at Black people and note differences in skin tones, facial features, hair styles, and textures. It just isn’t important to them to see Black people as individuals. They are most comfortable treating them as a monolithic group.

Get back to us when you have to memorize the names of 140 teens in 2 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone saying "fire the teacher" needa an answer for "how will MCPS find a replacement?". By and large, teachers across the country are DONE. Qualified people aren't lining up form these jobs.

Not being a racist should be a qualification for being a teacher. I’d rather my kids had subs all year rather than a racist. And I’m a veteran MCPS teacher.

I’m also an MCPS teacher and I’m pretty sure I’ve been taking trainings for the past few years that teach us that we are all a little racist. They’ve had us take little unconscious bias quizzes to show it. So I don’t think he can be fired for the original sin of being racist if we all are.

Unconscious bias doesn’t make you racist. A refusal to acknowledge your unconscious bias and make adjustments before you act are what make you racist.

Well so what should have happened was a confidential discussion with the teacher and possibly some training. But the public proclamation of the “hate bias incident” indicates that the agenda is different. He’s to be made into an example in the public square.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone saying "fire the teacher" needa an answer for "how will MCPS find a replacement?". By and large, teachers across the country are DONE. Qualified people aren't lining up form these jobs.

Not being a racist should be a qualification for being a teacher. I’d rather my kids had subs all year rather than a racist. And I’m a veteran MCPS teacher.

I’m also an MCPS teacher and I’m pretty sure I’ve been taking trainings for the past few years that teach us that we are all a little racist. They’ve had us take little unconscious bias quizzes to show it. So I don’t think he can be fired for the original sin of being racist if we all are.

Unconscious bias doesn’t make you racist. A refusal to acknowledge your unconscious bias and make adjustments before you act are what make you racist.

Well so what should have happened was a confidential discussion with the teacher and possibly some training. But the public proclamation of the “hate bias incident” indicates that the agenda is different. He’s to be made into an example in the public square.

The problem comes from the top. BCC is full of accolade chasing students who want nothing more than to be able to write an essay about how they lead a group to “civil disobedience” against the great crime of giving a student a bad grade on a test. The religion of this are is competitive college admissions, and they’ll be damned if some teacher stands in their way. This guy gave some student a great opportunity to show colleges how socially aware they are, so they will take it and run with it. A society of teenage prosecutors looking to get ahead in life has formed. It’s as dangerous to society as the young District Attorneys more concerned with creating a name for themselves than actual justice.