The articles, "Suspended Teacher Defends Book Assignment" and "Museum Field Trip Deemed Too Revealing", are about two teachers who were suspended for unjustified reasons. Connie Heermann was suspended for using a book that had been approved by 99% of the parents of the students in her class. Sydney McGee was suspended for taking her 89 fifth-grade class students on a field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art and receiving the complaint of one parent that her child had seen art depicting nudity during the tour.
Connie Heermann, a high school teacher of Perry Meridan High School in Indianapolis, was suspended from teaching for assigning a book to her 11th-grade students without the approval of the district's curriculum director. The book, "The Freedom Writers Diary", is a collection of at-risk teenagers' essays that contains swear words and sexual content. Heermann said, "she wanted to use the book because she thought it would inspire her students, many of whom are considered to be at-risk." Heermann stated that she had received permission from the parents of 149 out of 150 of her students, and had received positive signs from her principal and the district's acting superintendent before passing out the book. She had sought approval from the district's curriculum director months before the school year began without reply. She believed the book's swear words and sexual content were one of the reasons for her suspension. She suspected the other reason was that the administrators were afraid of losing their jobs. She said, "Most of the administrators at central office fear for their jobs, They don't want to be responsible for anything because they are afraid the board will fire them."
Sydney McGee, a popular art teacher at Wilma Fisher Elementary School in Frisco, Texas, was suspended after taking her 89 fifth grade students on a tour of the Dallas Museum of Art. Ms. McGee was suspended after a child's parent complained about her child seeing nude art in the museum during the tour. The tour had been approved by the principal, and Ms McGee found nothing offensive after retracing her route in the museum. The principal and the superintendent of the Frisco Independent School District emailed parents saying that the suspension was for reasons of unsatisfactory performance. Rogge Dunn, Ms McGee's lawyer, said that her past job evaluations had been consistently superior until the museum trip and only turned negative afterward. Many parents and teachers had come to Ms McGee's defense.
I found the suspension of these two teachers were unreasonable and ridiculous. There is always some narrow minded and whiny people out there. Why jeopardize an opportunity for the 99% of the students to learn from others and see thing from a different angle? Why suspend good teachers who actually care about students? I believe Ms. Heermann wants her students to learn from other at-risk teenagers, not the foul language nor the sex. People always say it is better to learn from other’s mistakes. Beside, these are 11th grade students. They are old enough to know what is right and wrong, good and bad. As for Ms McGee, I believe she wants her students to be exposed to different kinds of art. Nudity is a form of art, especially during the ancient Greek. Why suspend teachers, just for some unreasonable and narrow minded people, at the time when good teachers are most needed?
Connie Heermann, a high school teacher of Perry Meridan High School in Indianapolis, was suspended from teaching for assigning a book to her 11th-grade students without the approval of the district's curriculum director. The book, "The Freedom Writers Diary", is a collection of at-risk teenagers' essays that contains swear words and sexual content. Heermann said, "she wanted to use the book because she thought it would inspire her students, many of whom are considered to be at-risk." Heermann stated that she had received permission from the parents of 149 out of 150 of her students, and had received positive signs from her principal and the district's acting superintendent before passing out the book. She had sought approval from the district's curriculum director months before the school year began without reply. She believed the book's swear words and sexual content were one of the reasons for her suspension. She suspected the other reason was that the administrators were afraid of losing their jobs. She said, "Most of the administrators at central office fear for their jobs, They don't want to be responsible for anything because they are afraid the board will fire them."
Sydney McGee, a popular art teacher at Wilma Fisher Elementary School in Frisco, Texas, was suspended after taking her 89 fifth grade students on a tour of the Dallas Museum of Art. Ms. McGee was suspended after a child's parent complained about her child seeing nude art in the museum during the tour. The tour had been approved by the principal, and Ms McGee found nothing offensive after retracing her route in the museum. The principal and the superintendent of the Frisco Independent School District emailed parents saying that the suspension was for reasons of unsatisfactory performance. Rogge Dunn, Ms McGee's lawyer, said that her past job evaluations had been consistently superior until the museum trip and only turned negative afterward. Many parents and teachers had come to Ms McGee's defense.
I found the suspension of these two teachers were unreasonable and ridiculous. There is always some narrow minded and whiny people out there. Why jeopardize an opportunity for the 99% of the students to learn from others and see thing from a different angle? Why suspend good teachers who actually care about students? I believe Ms. Heermann wants her students to learn from other at-risk teenagers, not the foul language nor the sex. People always say it is better to learn from other’s mistakes. Beside, these are 11th grade students. They are old enough to know what is right and wrong, good and bad. As for Ms McGee, I believe she wants her students to be exposed to different kinds of art. Nudity is a form of art, especially during the ancient Greek. Why suspend teachers, just for some unreasonable and narrow minded people, at the time when good teachers are most needed?
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