Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Parents try to fire teacher for assigning "niggardly" as a vocabulary word
The Wilmington Star ^ | Sept 1, 2002 | Sherry Jones

Posted on 09/01/2002 10:48:35 AM PDT by gitmo

Parent offended by lesson in vocabulary</font<

Use of a word that sounds like a racial slur has landed a New Hanover County teacher in the middle of a controversy. Stephanie Bell, a fourth-grade teacher at Williams Elementary School, taught the word "niggardly" to her class last week in an effort to improve her students' vocabularies. Now, a parent wants her fired.

Niggardly as defined by Webster's:
adj.
1. reluctant to give or spend; stingy;miserly
2. meanly or ungenerously small or scanty

Although the word means stingy, Akwana Walker said it was inappropriate to use it because it sounds similar to a racial slur. She said she doesn't think fourth-graders can distinguish between the two words.

"My daughter told me what that word was, and I told her not to complete that part of her homework," said Ms. Walker, who is black.

Ms. Bell, who is white, defended her choice of the word and said she didn't mean to offend anyone. She has already sent home letters of apology with her students, as her principal instructed.

The word came up Aug. 20 during a comparison of two characters from different stories. One character was a Hispanic girl; the other was a white boy. The class talked briefly about the proper words to use when describing a person's race, Ms. Bell said.

Then, the class discussed other ways to describe people. One child described the boy as stingy.

Ms. Bell said she thought this would be a good chance to find a word for the day, a practice she has used this year.

"The idea for the word of the day is to pick part of the curriculum or something you can extend from it," she said.

She began looking for a synonym for "stingy." The children's dictionary offered "self-centered." But Ms. Bell said most of the children already knew that word.

That's when she landed on the word "niggard." She added the "-ly" because the class was studying adverbs. Ms. Bell explained the meaning of the word and told the students how to use it in a sentence, something they would have to do on their spelling tests to gain extra points.

"And that was it," she said. "These words for the day are used solely as extra credit. They have to use the word in a sentence that shows they understand the meaning."

Her students did that on their vocabulary tests, she said.

A few days later, Ms. Bell received a letter from Ms. Walker saying the word was not allowed in her house, no matter what it means.

"Common sense tells you not to put a word like that on the board," Ms. Walker said.

Ms. Walker met with Ms. Bell and the school's principal, Susan Hahn, Thursday. As a result, Ms. Walker's daughter, Gabrielle, has been moved to another class.

In addition to the apology sent home Friday, Ms. Bell has agreed not to use the word again in her class. A counselor will meet with Ms. Bell's students.

Ms. Walker doesn't think that's enough. She wants Ms. Bell removed from her teaching position.

Norm Shearin, deputy superintendent for the New Hanover County Schools, said Friday the principal is dealing with the situation.

"Our position is that it was an inappropriate action in terms of using that word at that grade level, in that context," he said. "… It was a bad choice."

This isn't the first time the word has stirred controversy. In 1999, for instance, an employee in the Washington, D.C., mayor's office resigned after being accused of using a racial slur. He had used the word "niggardly" during a conversation about funding.

Ms. Bell said she was sorry the word offended someone, but she wants people to understand that "niggardly" is an appropriate word.

"If these children read it, they are going to need to know what they are reading," she said. "My concern is that we are treading a fine line here. … What word do we take out next?"

William Whalen, whose daughter also is in Ms. Bell's class, said he thinks the situation has been blown out of proportion. Mr. Whalen is white.

"One mother was offended because she took that word to mean something it didn't mean," he said. "Ms. Bell apologized. That was sufficient."

He added his daughter has encountered the word when reading The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

"She's a good teacher," Mr. Whalen said. "I don't think she had any ulterior motives. … It's a word. That's all it is."

Sherry Jones: 343-2378

sherry.jones@wilmingtonstar.com



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: homeschool; niggardly; northcarolina; oldnorthstate; parents; school; vocabulary
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 181-200201-220221-240 ... 261-265 next last
To: freebilly
I thought a former president ruled this wasn't sexual.
201 posted on 09/02/2002 6:13:07 AM PDT by gitmo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 193 | View Replies]

To: gitmo
Please tell me again how the schools are supposed to educate, given this environment.

While we're at it, I wonder what this particular teacher's solution will be. Will she continue to fight parental stupidity and organizational cowardice, or will she shrug, decide it all counts for 20, and stick to teaching the spelling of the word "cat".

202 posted on 09/02/2002 6:18:48 AM PDT by neutrino
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Randjuke
Nasty little dogs, right?
203 posted on 09/02/2002 6:20:01 AM PDT by gitmo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 183 | View Replies]

To: gitmo
Dr Laura weighed in on this incident. Click here
204 posted on 09/02/2002 6:27:51 AM PDT by gitmo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gitmo
Although the word means stingy, Akwana Walker said it was inappropriate to use it because it sounds similar to a racial slur.

Yeah, "Akwana", and "duck" is 75% obscene. Akwana should be beaten senseless with a dictionary. But then, given her home environment (parents who would name their daughter "Akwana"--though maybe this moniker is something she has assumed all on her own--which would explain a lot), I guess we can't expect to her to have much insight into English vocabulary.
205 posted on 09/02/2002 6:30:56 AM PDT by aruanan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Burr5
Don't forget that "picnic" is also being pursued to that final clearing by the baying hounds of PC ignorance.
206 posted on 09/02/2002 6:32:30 AM PDT by aruanan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Burr5
Also on the P.C. chopping-block:

"Jew Fish"

"SaurKRAUT"

"Spic and Span"

DON'T FORGET "CHEESE NIPS"

207 posted on 09/02/2002 6:37:18 AM PDT by sam_paine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Burr5
"Spic and Span"

Hey! Who're you calling a Span?!? ;-)

208 posted on 09/02/2002 6:45:05 AM PDT by Pablo64
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: aruanan
Although the word means stingy, Akwana Walker said it was inappropriate to use it because it sounds similar to a racial slur.

Either that, or we should allow the racial slur because it sounds like a legitimate word that means stingy.

209 posted on 09/02/2002 6:46:55 AM PDT by gitmo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 205 | View Replies]

To: gitmo
Good point.
210 posted on 09/02/2002 6:50:18 AM PDT by aruanan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 209 | View Replies]

To: Constitution Day
"She has already sent home letters of apology with her students, as her principal instructed."

AAaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Jeezz, Loueeeezzzzz!

Dear Parent, I apologize for daring to use a perfectly ligitimate word during the age of Political Correctness. It is a shame that I must send you this letter because one parent is so niggardly with common sense.

211 posted on 09/02/2002 7:18:02 AM PDT by Lee'sGhost
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 97 | View Replies]

To: gitmo
Yeah, we need to get rid of all of the words that might upset ignorant morons.
212 posted on 09/02/2002 7:27:46 AM PDT by RightWinger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Motherbear
"I wouldn't use the world niggardly to describe anyone today anymore than I would use the word, "gay" to refer to someone as "happy". Language does change, although an educated person would want to know the previous way a word was used.

Ok, I'll give you that. "Gay" has been effectively tarred with a meaning other than "happy", and "carefree", sad to say. I prefer the word "cheap", to refer to those of niggardly persuasions. However, as a parent, I am outraged that a teacher has been treated in such a manner simply for trying to teach a bunch of kids the innocence of the word "niggardly".

A few years back, I was in the wine department of a store. In front of me, two ladies of color were fussing to each other how offended they were by the name of a wine.

Yep, they wanted the brand "Cordon Negro" changed to something less racist.
213 posted on 09/02/2002 7:46:25 AM PDT by Darnright
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 147 | View Replies]

To: ErnBatavia
"My mother taught HS for many years. Once she had a student whose first name was "FEMALE", pronounced "feh-MA-lee". I am not kiddding."

Makes me think of this:

http://review.mondominishows.com/minibytes/shirley.html


214 posted on 09/02/2002 7:53:47 AM PDT by OldBlondBabe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 152 | View Replies]

To: gitmo
We heard from one father of a child in the class. What does Gabrielle's father have to say? I didn't see him quoted in this story.
215 posted on 09/02/2002 7:58:08 AM PDT by Bernard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lancey Howard
Congratulations on your attempt at turning a bigoted imbicile into a virtuous champion of youth.
216 posted on 09/02/2002 8:59:09 AM PDT by norton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 113 | View Replies]

To: gitmo
Who keeps faggots on their porch in the winter? I do.
217 posted on 09/02/2002 9:03:58 AM PDT by Snowy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: norton
Congratulations on your attempt at turning a bigoted imbicile into a virtuous champion of youth.

What? I never said this teacher was a "virtuous champion of youth". As a matter of fact, I said she is as big an imbecile as the parent, maybe a bigger imbecile, for not anticipating what an imbecile the parent was. Something like that. Did you post to the wrong party?

218 posted on 09/02/2002 9:37:55 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 216 | View Replies]

To: goodieD
...by calling undue attention to words that even SOUND like the dreaded "N" word...

Please, show more sensitivity. " 'N' word" now approaches the original (very bad word) in offensiveness.

You may use "the letter after M word".

219 posted on 09/02/2002 9:16:57 PM PDT by secretagent
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: secretagent
darnit! This is the 5th time I've been sent back for re-edumacation/sensimativity training!
220 posted on 09/02/2002 11:50:46 PM PDT by goodieD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 219 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 181-200201-220221-240 ... 261-265 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson