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.
I remember the explanation about what "get thee to a nunnery" REALLY meant in those days!
It's happened. I have a link to the article somewhere.
I still don't see anything that justifies her termination in that article.
JFK is not a jelly donut, that's Teddy.
Without art life is merely survival.
I bet your are referring to art that you don't like. Do you listen to music? Watch TV? Go to movies? Wear clothes that do more than just cover your nakedness? Are the walls in your house painted? Do you enjoy eating or do you just eat survival rations? Do you have conversations that don't focus on food, shelter or housing? Do you read books? Drink wine? Watch sports? These are all art.
This reason alone should earn her a bonus . . . 89 fifth graders? Ick!
Art shapes the way people see the world. Shakespeare virtually invented modern English. And it's populairty dates beyond educrats back to Cave paintings.
Your post has several things worth discussing in it. You're right...of the kids who went to the art museum, few will become artists. Yet, exposing kids to art is definitely a worthwile thing to do. It's history, as well.
As for your English major stuff, I have a Masters in English. I don't write poetry or novels. I've been a computer programmer with my own software company. My degree in English helped me very much with that, since programming languages are just that...languages. Having learned the importance of syntax in English, I had little trouble with it in computer languages.
I also spent about 25 years writing for various magazines. I wrote articles that taught people how to do things, from home repair to fine woodworking to using computer technology. I made a fine living doing that.
Again, the skills I learned as an English major served me very well in that field. I had learned to be consise in my language, and how to write in a way that actually led my readers through whatever thing I was teaching them.
These days, I use those skills to sell miscellaneous stuff on eBay. My items generally sell for quite a bit more than the same items listed by others. Why? Because I can write a good description.
I have a couple of websites, plus a blog that is actually generating quite a bit of money for me these days. All because I can write well.
Don't discount English majors. They're working in all sorts of places, doing all sorts of things.
"Not even close", you said.
It may not be close, but it is a step down the same damn slippery slope.
Beautiful.
My love of art is in the literal, and even though some here might have a few nasties to throw out, I'm inclined to think Oscar Wilde is one of the greatest writers ever. His Salome is superb, the textures and touches are as real as any I've ever had in real life.
And as far as the religious aspect goes, hey, this is all part of being human, a spiritual creature with a physical existence, there is reason and purpose behind it all.
I don't think God ever meant us to be unfeeling machines who could never be hurt, or ever give pleasure.
If it had been the Smithsonian Hirshhorn I could see this, but for the most part you don't always know what you are going to find in an art museum.
(PRUDE ALERT) Shades of John Ashcroft...wonder what the parents' reaction would have been should the kids have seen a new mom breastfeeding her infant?
Remember, the district is restricted from publicizing reasons for termination - empl. privacy/union rules etc. The fact that other teachers & the principal evidently had problems with her, not just one or two nutsoid parents & a Taliban schoolboard, tells me a lot.
The claim that the schoolboard in Frisco TX would throw her overboard for taking kids on a preapproved field trip to the Dallas Museum is not ringing true.
Reading this whole article, this was an approved school field trip, permission slips signed by parents and the whole bit. The teacher should not have lost her job.
Ein Wiener.
Where's your blog URL?
It makes sense that they wouldn't sign a permission slip --- however I don't always expect them to make sense.
It has happened more than once!
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