Half Bloomed - thedailywhat: What The Hell of the Day: A...

10th January 2012

thedailywhat:

What The Hell of the Day: A full-scale investigation has been launched by Gwinnett County Schools in Georgia into controversial math homework, which asked third-grade students to calculate the amount of cotton a slave would collect and the number of beatings he would receive in a week.
“Who would think of such questions to ask third-grade children?” asked parent Nicole Thompson, whose 8-year-old brought the questions to her attention.
According to the school district, the questionable questioned were penned by a teacher who sought to “reinforce social studies lessons through math.” It has since come to light that the homework was seen and approved by all nine third-grade teachers.
“We are looking at what human resources actions may be taken so I do believe that is a hard stance trying to determine what does that situation warrant,” said district spokeswoman Sloan Roach.
NAACP of Georgia has called on the school to fire the teacher responsible and reprimand all other parties involved in approving the lesson.
“To trivialize the suffering of slavery, and to put in a word game in math work sheet is unconscionable,” community activist Jennifer Falk is quoted as saying.
[wsbtv.]

What The Hell of the Day: A full-scale investigation has been launched by Gwinnett County Schools in Georgia into controversial math homework, which asked third-grade students to calculate the amount of cotton a slave would collect and the number of beatings he would receive in a week.

“Who would think of such questions to ask third-grade children?” asked parent Nicole Thompson, whose 8-year-old brought the questions to her attention.

According to the school district, the questionable questioned were penned by a teacher who sought to “reinforce social studies lessons through math.” It has since come to light that the homework was seen and approved by all nine third-grade teachers.

“We are looking at what human resources actions may be taken so I do believe that is a hard stance trying to determine what does that situation warrant,” said district spokeswoman Sloan Roach.

NAACP of Georgia has called on the school to fire the teacher responsible and reprimand all other parties involved in approving the lesson.

“To trivialize the suffering of slavery, and to put in a word game in math work sheet is unconscionable,” community activist Jennifer Falk is quoted as saying.

[wsbtv.]

Source: thedailywhat