Politically Correct Homework Assignment in Texas Enrages Parents

[Fawlty]

"Politically Correct"

???

It has long been politically correct in Texas to soft-sell slavery. Liberal educators and parents have been fighting political correctness in Texas schools for a long time.

 

[Madmick]

I don't read it as a "Pro/Con" list. The wording suggests otherwise, clearly. And yes, this should be politicized. Making choices over values in education, particularly with the looseness of charter schools, is an immediate concern.

It's a pro/con list from the point of view of a slave. There is no getting around that. The template is obvious and well-known. The entire point of the exercise is to put yourself in someone else's shoes as far as I can tell. We did that all the time when we were in elementary school.

Is this some Jim Crow textbook? Can someone show me the assignment where it is demanded that a "Balanced View" entails completing the assignment with an equal number of entries in both fields? Otherwise, incontrovertibly, it's a pro/con list.

 

[Judge]

I think if we can agree about any one thing on the teaching of slavery in American schools, it's that we should evaluate it honestly, and not from a presumption that both sides have merit.

Your statement does not match with the story. "not from a presumption that both sides have merit" to quote you ist not what this homework is asking for. It is not asking if we should have slavery or not or even the MERIT of slavery.

If you simply read the big letters at the top of the assignment you would see it says:
The Life of Slaves
And it is the pros and cons of this we are listing, not the merit of slavery.

So, some pros could be moved to america the best country ever. Some were taught how to read. Had room and board.
Of course the slaves themselves would not enjoy the great things America offers but their descendants do.

Now, in ancient times that slavery was quite a bit different.

BTW I am opposed to slavery outright even against my enemies.

 

[Rod1]

Sure I can accept that. But I dont think the transition was easy for any of them. But it wasnt the only difference though. You can't have it both ways. Were black people denied and punished for learning to read and become educated? They most certainly were, and there would be myriad challenges once being thrown out on to their own two feet that they wouldn't necessarily have had as a slave. Some of the slaves, probably a smaller percentage of them may have seen their lives become more challenging after emancipation.

Sure i guess some house slave who had it good was left homeless after his owner died in the civil war or something like that.

The point is that things didnt really changed much in terms of the responsibilities of slaves besides the fact that they could change employers, not have their families separated and getting paid.

I think the most important things they gained was legal protections and their ability to form solid families, the payment was probably shit and food and shelter was provided anyway.

 

[The Diplomat]

It's a pro/con list from the point of view of a slave. There is no getting around that. The template is obvious and well-known. The entire point of the exercise is to put yourself in someone else's shoes as far as I can tell. We did that all the time when we were in elementary school.

Is this some Jim Crow textbook? Can someone show me the assignment where it is demanded that a "Balanced View" entails completing the assignment with an equal number of entries in both fields? Otherwise, incontrovertibly, it's a pro/con list.

Philosophically, it's an interesting bit of work. But a) it seems a bit deep for middle schoolers, and b) there are virtually no pros, especially given our historical context.

I'm not exactly sure what the teacher was trying to achieve here.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Is this some Jim Crow textbook? Can someone show me the assignment where it is demanded that a "Balanced View" entails completing the assignment with an equal number of entries in both fields? Otherwise, incontrovertibly, it's a pro/con list.

Definition of balance

a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.

so yeah, the implication is there when you use the term balanced.

 

[Limbo Pete]

Frustrating and also unsurprising

 

[uppercutbus]

You're sure assuming a lot, which is foolish. This could have a number of explanations. The teacher could be trying to indoctrinate the kids on a "softer" history of slavery, or could have been misusing a teaching tool out of incompetence or foolishness. I think given where this happened- a Texas charter school- it's very much an open question and I applaud the response of the school. The motives of the teacher are not established here.

The picture itself tells the story. It's you who is assuming a lot, there is no way it would be an attempt at underselling slavery. Therefore the easiest conclusion is that it's an "eye opener", "put yourself in someones shoes" sort of thing for the kids. Whether this teaching method is good or bad is another thing altogether since the list is so one-sided.

 

[Prime Rib]

Philosophically, it's an interesting bit of work. But a) it seems a bit deep for middle schoolers, and b) there are virtually no pros, especially given our historical context.

I'm not exactly sure what the teacher was trying to achieve here.

I'll take a guess. When he got the assignment back with little or no "pros" he was going to point out some. Call me cynical. And of course that may not be the case.

 

[sickc0d3r]

Asking kids to try and come up with the pros of being a slave is magnificently Texas.

 

[Slick_36]

Sorta goes with teaching any kind of history in school. I'm curious of what the kids are learning about the Iraq war.

Nothing, I never had a history class make it that far in Texas. Not even close.

 

[Limbo Pete]

It's a pro/con list from the point of view of a slave. There is no getting around that. The template is obvious and well-known. The entire point of the exercise is to put yourself in someone else's shoes as far as I can tell. We did that all the time when we were in elementary school.

Is this some Jim Crow textbook? Can someone show me the assignment where it is demanded that a "Balanced View" entails completing the assignment with an equal number of entries in both fields? Otherwise, incontrovertibly, it's a pro/con list.

Trying to teach about slavery with a "pro/con list" is absurd and deeply problematic.

 

[xcvbn]

Nothing, I never had a history class make it that far in Texas. Not even close.

I mean in that it's all bullshit state propaganda.

My first college history course of America(1776-1870) blew my fucking mind.

 

[Orgasmo]

Positive aspect of slavery? All slaves were 100% gainfully employed according to Confederate supporters.

 

[Fawlty]

It's a pro/con list from the point of view of a slave. There is no getting around that. The template is obvious and well-known. The entire point of the exercise is to put yourself in someone else's shoes as far as I can tell. We did that all the time when we were in elementary school.

Is this some Jim Crow textbook? Can someone show me the assignment where it is demanded that a "Balanced View" entails completing the assignment with an equal number of entries in both fields? Otherwise, incontrovertibly, it's a pro/con list.

It seems to be the teacher's exercise. It's not connected to Pearson, and nothing suggests that it's third-party supp. material (although I can't rule that out).

At best this is an error in presentation of the material. This starts from neutrality on the issue of human slavery. That's a dangerous line to walk and it requires skill that this teacher does not possess. I agree it's potentially a useful exercise if the teacher is skillful enough. We are talking about challenging the evil-saying of an obvious perfect evil. I'm not saying it's impossible to do that with eighth graders, but it's probably an age-inappropriate method in general, because it requires further instruction on how the South used the "pros" of slavery to justify it, and how that tradition has survived into modern Southern thought. That doesn't scream "Texas charter school" to me.

I do think that either of us could come up with a number of ways to get the idea across more effectively, even using the kind of irony that some people will assume this teacher was going for. The appearance is unquestionably one of soft-selling slavery, as Texas is wont to do. I hope that it's merely unfortunate.

 

[Madmick]

Philosophically, it's an interesting bit of work. But a) it seems a bit deep for middle schoolers, and b) there are virtually no pros, especially given our historical context.

I'm not exactly sure what the teacher was trying to achieve here.

She didn't create this assignment. She lifted it from a textbook.

I'd wager she's a textbook gopher. She was seeking to do as little work as possible. Xerox, hand-out, check emails for one hour. They litter our high schools. It's difficult to hold her responsible for disseminating a lesson that has to be on a formally pre-approved list of textbooks for the curriculum.

Often, these assignments, when I was in school, would have a mirror. So there would be a separate list asking the pros/cons from the point of view of slaveowners. Therein, your students built an exhibition demonstrating just how unequal the different stations were.

 

[Madmick]

It seems to be the teacher's exercise. It's not connected to Pearson, and nothing suggests that it's third-party supp. material (although I can't rule that out).

At best this is an error in presentation of the material. This starts from neutrality on the issue of human slavery. That's a dangerous line to walk and it requires skill that this teacher does not possess. I agree it's potentially a useful exercise if the teacher is skillful enough. We are talking about challenging the evil-saying of an obvious perfect evil. I'm not saying it's impossible to do that with eighth graders, but it's probably an age-inappropriate method in general, because it requires further instruction on how the South used the "pros" of slavery to justify it, and how that tradition has survived into modern Southern thought. That doesn't scream "Texas charter school" to me.

I do think that either of us could come up with a number of ways to get the idea across more effectively, even using the kind of irony that some people will assume this teacher was going for. The appearance is unquestionably one of soft-selling slavery, as Texas is wont to do. I hope that it's merely unfortunate.

Why aren't we being presented with the raw material? Also, why the decision to remove it?

"The worksheet in question was not created by, endorsed, or encouraged in any way by Pearson," Director of Media Relations Scott Overland told mySA.com in an email. "We do not support this point of view and strongly condemn the implication that there was any positive aspect to slavery."


*Edit*
So I just went and watched the video attached to the article to see if it had more. The one line it shows from the textbook said, "Give 3 good reason and 3 bad reasons for slavery."

 

[ultramanhyata]

Sure, it totally had to do with blacks not being able to govern themselves and people trying to help them.

Absolutely nothing to do that after the compromise of 1877 and racists came back to power they moved to completely disenfranchise black people at every single step.

No, dude! Thomas Sowell totally lays it out! It was all created by a toxic combination of the black man's stunted evolution and white liberal guilt.

 

[Fawlty]

The picture itself tells the story. It's you who is assuming a lot, there is no way it would be an attempt at underselling slavery. Therefore the easiest conclusion is that it's an "eye opener", "put yourself in someones shoes" sort of thing for the kids. Whether this teaching method is good or bad is another thing altogether since the list is so one-sided.

Texas schools have a well documented history of underselling slavery. You're simply wrong about that, and there is no "therefore" to follow.

I haven't made any assumptions here, actually. The teacher's motives are unknown. You're the one pushing a narrative, not me.

 

[Fawlty]

She didn't create this assignment. She lifted it from a textbook.

This is what I'm unclear about. I think that's important to the story.