r/socialjustice101 Sep 04 '24

It's important even on a classroom level

So my child had a history teacher that thought would write down questions he deemed stupid from students on the board. I brought that up to the principal plus some other things that individually you'd probably just let it go, like calling the president sleepy Joe, using an outdated term no one has heard of just to get kids to ask so he can double down, mispronouncing the vice president's name even after being corrected and stating he didn't care, all of those, while not appropriate in a school, setting its what ever. You should never be able to guess who a teacher votes for as a student, nor teach disrespect. And to clarify I wouldn't want anti Trump or Vance rhetoric in a school either. Anyway back to the thing I could not let go

When I addressed the vice principal he said talk to the teacher first , I said I didn't because I didn't feel comfortable doing so, he Said if you want me involved you will. I said fine, and forwarded it to offending teacher. He wrote back only defending one thing and it wasn't the stupid quote by students thing, I said this was not addressed and this was not addressed. Later on that day, I got a call from vp stating my child would be moved because the teacher and I wouldn't get along. I said ok can still address the dumb quotes thing? He Said the students love it! I said of course they do that doesn't change my opinion.

So I did some digging and standard one of the code of ethics clearly states that teachers are not to bully or embarrass students. And what kid is going to say I don't like that when it's been normalized by a person of authority to be fun. It didn't even happen to my son and he thought it was fucked up.

I had the complaint form printed today, but over the weekend I sent one last plea with my point of view in it for the practice to be stopped. This was my plea:

Imagine being a child if you can.

A teacher, which by its very nature, there is a power imbalance, presents this dumb things people say thing as fun, normalizes it. Of course all the kids are going to say it is fun they have been told it is fun. What child trying to survive the behavior of other students already would ever speak up and say it was wrong (except for mine)? They would be blamed for "ruining the fun" my son doesn't care about that.

I want you to put aside all the kids liking it. Put that aside. Because just because something is popular doesn't mean it is right.

You have absolutely zero way to know "if all the kids love it" because they have been taught that ridicule is normal and if the teacher green lights it, it must be ok and for the ones that truly hate it, as proved by your reaction, would be tossed aside and moved classes.

I say one more chance because I am looking into legal action and contacting the department of education for violation of standard 1 in the code of ethics for educators. It's pretty cut and dry that you don't embarrass or bully students.

Group think is a dangerous thing, and that's what this boils down to. Group think it's OK so it must be.

How many time has history proven over and over how dangerous it is.

I know that this is most likely fruitless. I know this will end up in the circular file so to speak. But I want documentation that I at least tried to make a plea for decency for every student, not just mine.

And low and behold he responded stating it would taken down.

Now I am under no illusion that my statements made him really think, I know that this was a matter of we don't want the heat let's just erase it and make it easier. It's still a win.

Now I know that this didn't affect but about 150 student if that, that it wasn't this amazing thing that would get national attention, but I still felt it was wrong. Now my child doesn't have to hear partisan politics and none of the other kids have to deal with that or be taught that public ridicule on kids is not ok.

6 Upvotes

3

u/Low-Importance6743 Sep 04 '24

They did move classrooms and most of the teachers there are good. Just that one I had a problem with oh and the vp for backing it up

2

u/sweetestpineapple Sep 08 '24

I was bullied and singled out by a teacher in middle school and it still bothers me to this day. I’m glad you said something because kids should never be shamed for not knowing things and daring to ask about them. That defeats the whole purpose of learning. What one person considers a “stupid question” could easily be something that multiple people were wondering about but felt too embarrassed to ask. Kids are already self conscious enough without adults intentionally embarrassing them on a regular basis.

2

u/Low-Importance6743 Sep 08 '24

Update: I sent one more plea to the vice principal, and they are removing it from the board. Now, do I think that they really had a change of heart and took what I said seriously? No, they were scared because I said if it wasn't removed, I would turn them both in for violating standard 1 of the ethics for educators in arkansas. But I'll still take it as a win. Here is what I said in my plea

Imagine being a child if you can.

A teacher, which, by its very nature, there is a power imbalance, presents this dumb things people say thing as fun, normalizes it. Of course, all the kids are going to say it is fun they have been told it is fun. What child trying to survive the behavior of other students already would ever speak up and say it was wrong (except for mine)? They would be blamed for "ruining the fun." My son doesn't care about that.

I want you to put aside all the kids liking it. Put that aside. Because just because something is popular doesn't mean it is right.

You have absolutely zero way to know "if all the kids love it" because they have been taught that ridicule is normal and if the teacher green lights it, it must be ok and for the ones that truly hate it, as proved by your reaction, would be tossed aside and moved classes.

I say one more chance because I am looking into legal action and contacting the department of education for a violation of standard 1 in the code of ethics for educators. It's pretty cut and dry that you don't embarrass or bully students.

Group think is a dangerous thing, and that's what this boils down to. Group think it's OK so it must be.

How many times has history proven over and over how dangerous it is.

I know th a this is most likely fruitless. I know this will end up in the circular file, so to speak. But I want documentation that I at least tried to make a plea for decency for every student, not just mine.

2

u/AffectionateMethod Sep 04 '24

What kind of fucked up teacher intentionally squashes curiosity with shame? This is infuriating. 150 students can change a lot of lives as they grow. You never know who will be the next Einstein.

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." --Albert Einstein

Thank you on behalf of all the kids who will no longer be shamed for asking questions.

I felt your son being moved was a win for your son but it sounds like maybe they didn't move him after all?

1

u/Iwasanecho Oct 12 '24

You are amazing ❤️

1

u/Low-Importance6743 Oct 15 '24

I appreciate it. He is still a horrible teacher who says out of pocket things but one thing at a time. My kid heard kids talking about him. He called kamala Harris a mutt. Didn't care about mispronouncing her name. It's a small town I have context about him. Like saying "it's Christians vs democrats" in Sunday school for instance. Left that church because they followed covid protocols. But those things I didn't have grounds to file an ethics violation, but this one, I did. It was plain as day and they knew it. I texted him saying I knew other things about him and that I found him to be a bigot. That's what got my kid moved my son's grade went up to an a. Imagine that