Wisconsin teachers resign after investigation into disturbing question about how to 'punish' slaves
In early February, news broke that a “small” group of teachers gave a truly shocking assignment to sixth-graders at Patrick Marsh Middle School in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The activity? Some middle schoolers were asked how they would punish slaves, as reported by NBC News. Yes: Really. The framing apparently relied on ancient Mesopotamian laws. The question is, of course, inappropriate and horrifying for all of the obvious reasons. The district launched an investigation and determined the three social studies teachers involve made the lesson independently. In other words: They did not get approval from the school or district-level administrators for that particular assignment.
The three teachers, whose names have not been publicly released, were initially put on leave, and as of mid-April, have resigned, as reported by NBC 15. According to the local outlet, the educators will also not return next year. Local outlet WTMJ reports that the teachers will remain on paid leave for the rest of the school year, even with resigning. Adding to the upsetting and mind-boggling situation is Madison.com’s finding that the wording of the question matches that of a lesson on the site Teachers Pay Teachers, an online resource where educators can buy and sell education materials.
So, how did different parties respond? It seems the school district did react quickly and seriously, with Superintendent Brad Saron and fellow school administrators initially emailing parents to apologize for the “grave error in judgment” that occurred in the classroom.
The news site reports that Teachers Pay Teachers removed the question from its site when they were made aware of its existence. That’s great, but also makes one wonder how many times this question has been used to teach students—and how many others like it slip by. That said, the company released a statement saying in part: “We unequivocally stand against anything that may cause trauma or further the marginalization of people of color.” The statement also described the assignment as “antithetical” to the site’s values.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/4/15/2026060/-Wisconsin-teachers-resign-after-investigation-into-disturbing-question-about-how-to-punish-slaves
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