Principal Apologizes For Mock Auction of Black Students in Virginia

[Liberal_in_LA]

Principal Apologizes For Mock Auction of Black Students in Virginia

NORFOLK, Va. - The superintendent of Norfolk, Va., schools apologized Saturday for a controversial classroom lesson involving the mock auction of black students.

Apparently, during a fourth grade teacher's lesson on the Civil War, students were separated by race. White students on one side and African American and mixed-race students on the other, who were then offered up for auction, Virginia's Fox 43 news reports.

In an April 6 letter to the students' parents and guardians, Principal Mary B. Wrushen wrote, "I recently became aware of a history lesson that was presented to the students in Ms. Jessica Boyle's fourth grade class. Although her actions were well intended to meet the instructional objectives, the activity presented was inappropriate for the students."

Wrushen added that she intends to follow up with the teacher to make sure this never happens again.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/09/principal-apologizes-mock-auction-black-students-virginia/

[rzemanfl]

1. My first thought was that he was apologizing for it being "mock"

rather than for having it. Silly me.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Hm. There were lessons to be learned from this, but I understand the sensitivities.

We sometimes force people to apologize for doing nothing wrong. IMHO, this is one of those times.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. A better lesson would have been mix it up, have every race experience the humiliation

[Buzz Clik]

4. Excellent idea.

I actually saw this done. A black Bishop (not Tutu) took a tall white kid from the crowd and had him come forward. He told the audience that we were about to witness the exactly scenario he experienced at the hands of the South African government. He stopped just short of the beating. It was dramatic, compelling, and truly upsetting. It would have been a different experience if some white guy picked a black kid and did the same thing.

Wonderful point.

:thumbsup:

[Cid_B]

5. Exactly as wrong...

Are you implying that the white kids should feel shame based on their pigment?

Christ on a pogo stick this place is crazy sometimes...


Edit: Well crap now my post doesn't make any sense... At least stick with what you said or retract it... :eyes:

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. I'm saying, if there is going to be mock auctions, don't have just the black students as slaves.

that's horrible.

[Cid_B]

11. Well the post isn't there...

so I guess we won't know. I read it another way... but who knows?

[Dappleganger]

6. I grew up in that area...

and am not one bit surprised this could happen in that particular elementary school.

[RandySF]

8. George Allen kept a hangman's noose in his office.

Why should anyone be surprised?

[genna]

9. I don't understand what dramatic point is made by placing 9 year olds in that position

If the students were a great deal older (at least high school), the point would and could be made: selling people is abhorrent to any moral system. If that point can be made without making someone personally feel objectified, humiliated, and dejected, then it makes sense to make it another way.

[treestar]

10. Why are they so often caught doing this?

Do they do mock meetings of the Continental Congress, or mock debates between Lincoln and Douglas, or mock functioning of the post office? Why always this? There are millions of things to re-enact in history.

[JI7]

12. why not do that eye color experiment that was done some years ago

something similar to that .

[left is right]

13. It was a Frontline report

called “a Class Divided” it can be viewed on the NPR Frontline website. The first time she conducted the group action was the day after MLK, Jr., was assassinated. The teacher was concerned about her all white rural children absorbing what King had stood for. One of the amazing things was this lesson was a spur of the moment lesson. She had scrapped her original lesson plan because this was more important