An LA high school history teacher has been fired for teaching an "Afrocentric" curriculum.

Feministe » Latina teacher fired for not regurgitating the same old crap

Now, I'm all for teaching pupils and students about different cultures, but the part which really pissed me off was this woman's assertion that she was teaching her students a "culturally relevent" curriculum which "represented the demographics" of her students. So students should be taught according to their ethnic backgrounds? I don't like the implication that they are not a full part of the US because of their colour and racism, and therefore need a separate curriculum. I'm also confused as to why the fact that the teacher is a latina would be relevent.

The article misses some really good points about freedom of speech and the need for historical debate by mixing them up with the right of this woman to publicly support the Palestinians in her workplace. I'd like to see what everyone else thinks.

She needed to be shit-canned...

Yes, she should have been fired. Her job is to educate the students, expose them to information, and to teach them to think critically. One does not accomplish that by teaching them only the familiar.

[edit] I don't get how her being Latina is relevant, either. But, she is getting press and it's easy to deflect attention to incompetence by shouting discrimination. [/edit]

I'd say its fairly typical as the NEA does not police itself well....

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The NEA is a shambles.

Not only do they not police themselves well, they dictate curriculum ([edit] through accreditation of departments [/edit]) on how to educate teachers. After hearing that "new" educational methods making the education curriculum are not really new at all, rather they are methods used quite a while ago and are simply given a new name, they keep expanding the need for education theory classes over actual subject matter.

With these types of policies in training future teachers, a lot of teachers will remain incompetent in subject matter, but their jobs will be safe. Yes, education theory is necessary, but not at the cost of knowing the subject. Balance would be a nice start.

Huh?

What's the NEA got to do with anything? Teacher licensing and curriculum are state matters and not controlled by the NEA.

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Noli arrogantium iniurias pati

I'm not sure where you're getting this. When I taught, I had absolutely nothing to do with the NEA.

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Noli arrogantium iniurias pati

Oh but the NEA can give a seal of approval to a depatment, and the departments like that. The NEA also will give an accreditation to primary and secondary schools. That is desirable as well.

I do think the NEA does some good, but I also believe that their power in education (training and practice) is too much and results in a conflict of interest in actually getting the students educated.

First of all, her work place is a school, and while its perfectly acceptable for her to have her own opinion's her students are very impressionable and look to her for guidance. A bias view isn't going to help them think for themselves. If anything it goes against their job as a teacher.

In this case though it was only a poster, which should of been encouraged to be removed at the least. As for the main reason she was fired this article isn't exactly clear. Oh it gives her side of the argument, and mentions Afrocentricism. Considering the book was approved that can only mean it came down to her teaching. What's really interesting though is the article and how the author is whining about fair and balanced teaching while "Jack" gives anything but a fair and balanced viewpoint. Below is the part that really stuck out for me.

Feministe » Latina teacher fired for not regurgitating the same old crap

So he takes her side and makes her the victim of discrimination. Not to mention, when does one school or school system equated to all of America?

So I went to another source, the LA Times. Her character then becomes a little more apparently.

What exactly does that even mean and what does that have to do with why she was fired?

Um, she teaches English Lit right? O.o What does that have to do with English Lit?

Ah, it becomes a little clearer. Hardly fair an balanced teaching, and again she teaches English Lit not history. So yes, she should of been fired.

School rallies around dismissed Watts teacher deemed too 'Afro-centric.' - Los Angeles Times

Could you give me some examples of what you mean? I did a quick search, but I'm clearly not using the right terms.

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Noli arrogantium iniurias pati

And you teach people to think critically by not deviating from the Party line How is she teaching "only the familiar" when she's being fired for deviating from the curriculum?

What the woman said through a bullhorn at a rally is one thing and what she was teaching may be something else again

Since when is Langston Hughes not part of American Literature? Aren't autobios literary works and wasn't Malcolm X American?

She should be fired. This woman is a perfect example of why we need CHOICE in schools. We spend too much, for too little.

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Here is a link about education departments at universities getting NCATE accreditation: NCATE - public - Home Page The NEA has much influence on which education departments at universities and colleges get accredited. Accreditation is partially based on curriculum. Resurecting older education theories and adding them into this already bloated (IMO) curriculum leaves less and less room for the training of competence in subject matter that will be taught.

my reference to the nea was that if this person has indeed broken rules, taught outside the curriculum etc. they will fight any and all punishment, (and many school don’t bother because its not worth the fight, so they in many instances don’t even try to discipline folks who have poor technique, gone off the reservation etc)… now thats what a union does for folks, I know that, but regarding education, I don’t see the efficacy of having union apparatus that defends talentless or poor teachers, side tracking accountability, influencing elections etc.

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"The captain has turned off the `No Dubbing' sign. You are free to speak any language you choose."

Bis interimitur qui suis armis perit...