Posted on 09/26/2006 9:33:20 AM PDT by Abathar
Children Were On School-Approved Field Trip
FRISCO, Texas -- A award-winning Texas art teacher who was reprimanded after one of her fifth-grade students saw a nude sculpture during a trip to a museum has lost her job.
The school board in Frisco has voted not to renew Sydney McGee's contract after 28 years. She has been on administrative leave.
The teacher took her students on an approved field trip to a Dallas museum, and now some parents are upset.
The Fisher Elementary school art teacher came under fire last April when she took 89 fifth graders on a field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art. Parents raised concerns over the field trip after their children reported seeing a nude sculpture at the art museum.
The parents had signed permission slips allowing their children to take part in the field trip.
McGee's lawyer said the principal at Fisher Elementary School admonished her after a parent complained that a student had seen nude art.
McGee said the principal had urged her to take the students to the museum.
Now, McGee, who was honored with a Star Teacher Award two years ago, is on paid administrative leave until her contract with the school district expires in March.
Other parents are worried about the future of the art program at the school, which they cite as a reason for moving into the neighborhood.
"Our main concern right now is what's going to happen to the children and what's going to happen to the art program at Fisher Elementary. It is the best art program. That's the reason we moved to this neighborhood. It's because of the teachers," said Shannon Allen, parent. "It was a principal approved trip. What's the big deal?"
Officials with the Frisco school district declined to comment on the matter.
This article has a few more details
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/frisco/stories/DN-nakedcomplaint_24cco.ART0.North.Edition1.3e87f61.html
There were other issues that led to her firing, not just the field trip.
"District officials say they are supporting a principal who reprimanded Sydney McGee over the field trip and other performance issues."
Not just parents, but other teachers also complained about the trip and it wasn't just nude sculptures.
"In a memo to Ms. McGee, Ms. Lawson wrote that students were exposed to nude statues and other nude art representations during the trip. Ms. Lawson said she received complaints from parents and other teachers about the trip."
I understand in a sense. I don't consider works such as John Mapplethorpe's crap as art - and I DO consider it highly inappropriate. It's porn, pure and simple. However, "David"? "The Thinker"? NO WAY should kids NOT see those marvelous works!
This was also missing --
Ms. McGee, who has taught in various Texas districts for 28 years, said she visited the museum and spoke with museum staffers before the trip to ensure that it was appropriate for the fifth-grade class. Ms. McGee said she does not know which piece of art offended the parent, and the district did not identify it.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
HA! Thats good!
So you're telling me that as a child you never went to an art museum for a field trip? I remember several myself. As a parent, I would keep this in mind while signing ANY and ALL permission slips.
Anyone who claims not to know there is nudity throughout art museums is acting like in idiot, IMO.
Mapplethorpe's early stuff is very traditional and contains no nudity. Spielberg ripped off one of his images for the end of Saving Private Ryan.
Ugh...pot calling the kettle black, I guess. Should read:
like an idiot.
it wasn't just nude sculptures.
Ah, you're right. It was also nude paintings. String her up!
It's still a pathetic response from these parents.
Oh, for pete's sake. It's an art museum in a major city. Of course there are representations of nudes. There are such statues and paintings in every art museum.
Nudes have been depicted during the entire history of art on this planet.
Someone should just tell these parents to buzz off. Darn the perpetually offended!
"Wow, good thing she didn't take them to the Sistine Chapel"
Really! They'd have seen Adam's weenie. The horror!
Well, there was an ENORMOUS stink here over some of the stuff - pics of people urinating, etc. I hardly consider that "traditional".........
Smut!
But don't let facts interfere with a sarcastic post.
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