Wisconsin teachers suspended after asking students how they would punish slaves

[Stevicus]

Sun Prairie school calls slavery question a “grave error in judgement” (nbc15.com)

These are the kinds of stories which make me shake my head and wonder. How do these things happen? Aren't teachers supposed to have college degrees and some kind of awareness? I'm just curious as to the thought processes which led to them creating this exercise and assigning it to students. That's what always seems to be missing in stories like this, since no journalist ever thinks to ask such questions.

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (WMTV) - Patrick Marsh Middle School is facing backlash from parents and community members Monday following a history lesson that the district called a “grave error in judgment.”

The assignment was given out to some sixth grade social studies classes, according to an email from principal Rebecca Zahn. The activity was designed to cover the politics of ancient Mesopotamia and asked students to apply an ancient law called Hammurabi’s Code to different scenarios. One scenario asked,”A slave stands before you. This slave has disrespected his master by telling him ‘You are not my master’ How will you punish this slave?”

This assignment was given on the first day of Black History Month.

Dazarrea Ervins said her sixth grade son Zayvion brought her the assignment with a ‘weird look on his face that I’ve never seen before.” She said she was “just shocked. I couldn’t believe what I was reading.”

“I can see how they’re learning about this era, but the wording of the question and the statement—it was just wrong,” she continued, noting it was the first day of Black History Month.

One person called it "a lack of cultural competency," which I would agree with.

Zayvion added, “It made me think of how they would treat me if I was in-person, in class. What would they think of me, and would they treat me like I was an outsider and make me feel scared and unsafe?”

Ervins took her frustration to the teacher and the principal. Later that day, Principal Rebecca Zahn and Associate Principal Amy Schernecker wrote to families, that this assignment ultimately hurt the African American community of the school and was upsetting to parents and students.

“We regret that this assignment was not racially conscious and did not align to our district’s mission and vision of equity,” said the two officials. “We know that it caused harm to our students and their families. Our intent missed the mark, and for that we are deeply sorry. Going forward we will be sure to think critically about whether our intent matches our impact.”

Ervins also connected with Michael Johnson, the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County. He called this example “a lack of cultural competency,” adding, “It’s a lack of training. There might be underlying issues that we don’t know about.”

I wish they had said something about the education and background of the teachers who conceived of this assignment. What were they thinking? Were they alt-right with a malignant agenda, or were they just confused, naive liberals who misguidedly thought this would be an important and valuable lesson?

 

[Twilight Hue]

She would be much better off had she taught about the underground railroad and the people that made it possible.

Harriet Tubman especially.

It would be great to see her on our currency that would show that this country is equally shared and enjoyed by people of all races.

Harriet Tubman: White House commits to getting abolitionist on $20 bill - CNNPolitics

 

[PureX]

I'm not seeing the problem, here. Why is this question confounding these parents? The kids are being asked to show how this law functioned. It's a theoretical exercise.

I'm far more shocked by the idea that the adults don't seem to grasp this concept.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I'm not seeing the problem, here. Why is this question confounding these parents? The kids are being asked to show how this law functioned. It's a theoretical exercise.

I'm far more shocked by the idea that the adults don't seem to grasp this concept.

If it were just about the law, the question wouldn't have been "how will you punish this slave?"

If the teacher wanted to ask what the Hammurabai Code specified as the punishment for a disobedient slave, they could have asked that question.

... and even that question probably isn't necessary to get kids to engage with the subject matter.

 

[epronovost]

I'm not seeing the problem, here. Why is this question confounding these parents? The kids are being asked to show how this law functioned. It's a theoretical exercise.

I'm far more shocked by the idea that the adults don't seem to grasp this concept.

Indeed. Slavery in Mesopotamia wasn't even racially biased. They are making an exercise to see if they understand the principles of the law of an ancient civilisation. Parents lack judgement in my opinion, not the teacher.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Indeed. Slavery in Mesopotamia wasn't even racially biased. They are making an exercise to see if they understand the principles of the law of an ancient civilisation. Parents lack judgement in my opinion, not the teacher.

So you don't see a difference between:

- learning facts about a slave-owning society, and
- requiring students to put themselves in the role of a slaver?

Interesting.

 

[epronovost]

So you don't see a difference between:

- learning facts about a slave-owning society, and
- requiring students to put themselves in the role of a slaver?

Interesting.

The second is an excellent, if not the best method to insure the first is learned. The job of a teacher isn't to say interesting facts, but also to make sure they are learned and understood (and students often have no interest in learning about that specific discipline and those specific facts). Role playing in history is an invaluable tool to make the discipline more entertaining and relatable to children and teens. It also helps develop empathy and critical judgement too.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The second is an excellent, if not the best method to insure the first is learned. The job of a teacher isn't to say interesting facts, but also to make sure they are learned and understood (and students often have no interest in learning about that specific discipline and those specific facts). Role playing in history is an invaluable tool and help develop empathy and critical judgement too.

And you think it's appropriate for the students to develop empathy with the person punishing the slave and not, say, the slave being punished? Why?

It's a bit ignorant to treat slavery as nothing more than an academic concept. This subject matter touches on real trauma for real people.

 

[Valjean]

How were the children harmed? Were they forced to think in new ways? to take into consideration inconvenient truths and ramifications our own culture allows them to bypass? Does it force them into uncomfortable moral territory, or to apply principles that might impact their personal moral development? Might it lead to values or ways of thinking different from their parents' values, or moral reasoning that makes their parents uncomfortable?

Are children such delicate snowflakes that must be protected from new or uncomfortable ideas? Isn't the purpose of education to challenge scholars with uncomfortable or transformative ideas and situations?

 

[Valjean]

And you think it's appropriate for the students to develop empathy with the person punishing the slave and not, say, the slave being punished? Why?

It's a bit ignorant to treat slavery as nothing more than an academic concept. This subject matter touches on real trauma for real people.

The dilemma forces students to consider both points of view; to make complex ethical decisions.

 

[Stevicus]

How were the children harmed? Were they forced to think in new ways? to take into consideration inconvenient truths and ramifications our own culture allows them to bypass? Does it force them into uncomfortable moral territory, or to apply principles that might impact their personal moral development? Might it lead to values or ways of thinking different from their parents' values, or moral reasoning that makes their parents uncomfortable?

Are children such delicate snowflakes that must be protected from new or uncomfortable ideas? Isn't the purpose of education to challenge scholars with uncomfortable or transformative ideas and situations?

I don't know if there was any direct, tangible harm to the students. However, I guess I would ask what the goal of the lesson was supposed to achieve. Over the past years, we've seen a public war of ideas, along with pointed questions about the influence of schools, what they're teaching or not teaching (such as critical thinking skills, which is a common complaint).

The question in this exercise seems more like an open-ended psychological test of the students. "How would YOU punish this slave?" That's not testing their knowledge of history or the functions of law. It's a personal question designed to find out what kind of person they are.

 

[exchemist]

Sun Prairie school calls slavery question a “grave error in judgement” (nbc15.com)

These are the kinds of stories which make me shake my head and wonder. How do these things happen? Aren't teachers supposed to have college degrees and some kind of awareness? I'm just curious as to the thought processes which led to them creating this exercise and assigning it to students. That's what always seems to be missing in stories like this, since no journalist ever thinks to ask such questions.



This assignment was given on the first day of Black History Month.



One person called it "a lack of cultural competency," which I would agree with.



I wish they had said something about the education and background of the teachers who conceived of this assignment. What were they thinking? Were they alt-right with a malignant agenda, or were they just confused, naive liberals who misguidedly thought this would be an important and valuable lesson?

This strikes me as a cowardly and absurd over-reaction by the school authorities.

The context of the assignment makes clear it was just an exercise in how the penal code of this ancient period would be applied. Any student unable to cope with this sort of thing has no business in a social studies course - or a course in ancient history. Real life in ancient times involved slavery. If we want to learn from the past we need first to understand it.

 

[Augustus]

Another example in the all too common "How can we possibly interpret this in the most negative and bad-faith manner possible in order to manufacture offence and demand retribution?"

That's a far worse lesson to teach children than asking them to apply ancient ethical codes as a scenario as an exercise.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The dilemma forces students to consider both points of view; to make complex ethical decisions.

So it's not really about learning the Code of Hammurabi.

If you want to get kids to think about complex ethical decisions, there are better ways to do it that don't involve potentially traumatizing the kids.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

This strikes me as a cowardly and absurd over-reaction by the school authorities.

The context of the assignment makes clear it was just an exercise in how the penal code of this ancient period would be applied. Any student unable to cope with this sort of thing has no business in a social studies course - or a course in ancient history.

It's a middle school class.

At least when I was that age, I didn't get to choose my classes. I doubt that any child in that class had the opportunity to review the curriculum and choose to participate or not.

Real life in ancient times involved slavery. If we want to learn from the past we need first to understand it.

For the vast majority of people in ancient times, real life did not involve enforcing and perpetuating slavery.

Do you also think that a kid would have to cosplay as Hitler to understand WWII?

 

[Valjean]

If they're that easily traumatized maybe they've been overly shielded from challenging ideas or situations.

 

[exchemist]

It's a middle school class.

At least when I was that age, I didn't get to choose my classes. I doubt that any child in that class had the opportunity to review the curriculum and choose to participate or not.



For the vast majority of people in ancient times, real life did not involve enforcing and perpetuating slavery.

Do you also think that a kid would have to cosplay as Hitler to understand WWII?

No need to deploy reductio ad absurdum.

But I may be overestimating the sophistication of the students. What age are 6th grade children?

 

[Valjean]

It's a middle school class.

At least when I was that age, I didn't get to choose my classes. I doubt that any child in that class had the opportunity to review the curriculum and choose to participate or not.



For the vast majority of people in ancient times, real life did not involve enforcing and perpetuating slavery.

Do you also think that a kid would have to cosplay as Hitler to understand WWII?

Understanding the psychology, reasoning and mindset of the Nazis is a valuable bulwark against history repeating itself.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

No need to deploy reductio ad absurdum.

But I may be overestimating the sophistication of the students. What age are 6th grade children?

11 to 12, usually.

 

[Wandering Monk]

I'm not seeing the problem, here. Why is this question confounding these parents? The kids are being asked to show how this law functioned. It's a theoretical exercise.

I'm far more shocked by the idea that the adults don't seem to grasp this concept.

As if slavery wasn't punishment enough! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!!