Frisco teacher on leave after museum trip

The Dallas Morning News ^ | Sept 26, 2006 | Karen Ayres

[newpooh]

Frisco teacher on leave after museum trip

Art instructor who led museum trip will not have contract renewed

07:23 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 26, 2006

By KAREN AYRES / The Dallas Morning News

FRISCO – An elementary school art teacher who has been publicly at odds with the Frisco school district over a field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art is no longer in front of a classroom.

The school district placed Sydney McGee on leave with pay Friday afternoon. After a special school board meeting Monday night about Ms. McGee, Superintendent Rick Reedy said he would recommend that her contract not be renewed when it expires at the end of the school year.

In the meantime, Ms. McGee will be paid her full salary while remaining on leave from Fisher Elementary School.

Ms. McGee's attorney, Rogge Dunn, said the decision was a "crazy use of taxpayers' money."

"She wants to be in there with her kids," Mr. Dunn said

[Tax-chick]

Ms. McGee, a 28-year veteran teacher, contends she was retaliated against after a parent complained that a student saw a nude statue during a field trip to the museum in April.

District officials have repeatedly pointed to other performance issues and said the trip didn't spark the reprimands.

[camle]

sounds like a smoke screen to me.

[3AngelaD]

Well, I hope those kids never go to the Louvre, or to Italy and tour the Vatican. Their parents would be outraged.

[ClearCase_guy]

The school approved the trip.
The parents signed permission slips.

At a guess, I would say that all Art Museums contain depictions of naked humans. It's par for the course.

I think the school is going to be very sorry that they tried to squash this teacher.

[Concho]

This is about the third posting of this issue, but still this has to be the most blatant display of stupidity that I have ever seen. What the H would you expect to see in a Museum of Art? Someone needs to go get the mother that filed the protest and take her in for a check-up from the neck-up.

[JEC]

I went to an all Catholic school back in the 60's and on a museum visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC the whole class saw statues of naked men and women. The attitude by the Nuns was to not even bat an eyelash. What the hell is the problem now-a-days with some of these hipocritical christain fanatics. As Boortz said yesterday, this child will probably grow up to be a drug addict or other kind of criminal.

[reformed_dem]

We once took our school to an 'art museum'. Everyone knew there was questionable 'art' there, but there was other stuff that the teacher wanted them to see. There were probably as many parents there as students. The parents simply quickly ushered the kids past the questionable pieces and while the kids were engaged in listening to the guide and looking at what they were there to see, the parents were all checking out the questionable pieces and laughing about them. We'd all stand in a line and block their view on some things.

When they got back to school they had to write a paragraph on their trip and a lot of them wrote that there was inappropriate art there. Nobody was offended. No parent complained and no parent kept their child home that day. The school is a small country school with mostly conservative parents who are very involved.

"Art" is in the eye of the beholder.

[linda_22003]

"a parent complained that a student saw a nude statue during a field trip to the museum in April."

"Ah never bin to no Myoo-zee-um, an' mah kid don't need to go nee-thur!"

[Semper Vigilantis]

I spoke to a buddy of mine from Frisco yesterday & he told me that the town is up in arms over this. It seems that the child & family involved are the type that face the east to pray. Apparently it is offensive to them to see the human form. The teacher is very popular in town, but we all know that you mustn't offend the RofP.

[Red Badger]

I had a feeling there was more to this story than first reported in the MSM.........

[Codeflier]

If what you say is true, the MSM is truly negligent in their reporting.

[PAR35]

The story posted yesterday said she had been fired ('contract not renewed') at the school board meeting. This one indicates no action was taken on the recommendation.

In any event, more responses (over 250) at the original AP story:

Art Teacher Loses Job After Kids See Nude Sculpture
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1708619/posts

[fivecatsandadog]

"Apparently it is offensive to them to see the human form".

Then they should keep their kids at home. Better yet, pack up and GO BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM!!!!! IOW, LEAVE!!!

[geezerwheezer]

If that is the case, then somebody needs to be held accountable to ALL of the children, and apologies made to the teacher for the stupidity of it all. I say this not knowing if what you wrote is correct, (and I have no reason not to believe this either), but enough is enough, and we all better develop a stonger backbone.

[newpooh]

I did not notice the other postings or would not have posted but I agree with your comments totally. I noticed a later comment said the town is up in arms about this.

I wonder how this principal will make out after this?

[Young Werther]

Of course, once the Caliphate is re-established there will be Harems amd Belly Dancers for the bosses. Think anyone will draw a picture or carve a statue?

[ican'tbelieveit]

JEC, I wanted to ping you to SV's reply. I am one of those crazy fanatic Christians, but I love the human body and have taught my kids to do the same. After all, it is God's creation.

And, like you, I initially figured it was a crazy Christian. Given our influx of the ROP, maybe we shouldn't always assume that is the situation.

[indcons]

What a joke.....the school district must be made up of certified morans.

[DoctorMichael]

The teacher was obviously trying to raise the level of appreciation of art of her students and some moronic parent in Texas objected.

Pearls Before Swine.