Teacher reprimanded after student sees nude art on museum field trip

[Anakela]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:25pm

So district officials say it was "other performance issues" that caused them to not renew this teacher's contract after 28 years, but that sounds a little funny to me.

"School board members have voted to not renew the contract of a veteran art teacher who was reprimanded after one of her fifth-grade students saw a nude sculpture during a school trip to a museum.

Sydney McGee has been on paid administrative leave from Fisher Elementary School since Friday, said her attorney Rogge Dunn."

Link to rest of story

[iHeartMyGeek]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:26pm

Oh puhleez, like by fifth grade kids haven't seen naked people yet.

[Marlene]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:29pm

Got to hand it to the good old bible belt, I was like hello Greecian Sculture at the MET in the fifth grade when we read parts of the Iliad.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:31pm

That has got to be the stupidest reason! Don't students of that age need a permission slip, anyway? The parent should've said no to the trip, if s/he was that worried and prudish. I mean, when you go to an art museum you're bound to run into some nude scultpures and paintings.

Updated On: 9/27/06 at 10:31 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:32pm

Seems to me whenever they tale a bath or a shower they will see a nude body. What is the big deal ?

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:33pm

You kidding me? In 5th grade my class went and saw a play at a professional theater and they has naked statues of men and woman outside.

[iHeartMyGeek]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:34pm

I agree, SM2. Even at the Carnegie Museum of Art here in Pittsburgh...some elementary school kids were getting a gander of some anatomy htey shouldn't see for another ten years at least. And no one ever got fired.

In fact, it was because of scfhool that I learned about sex. The lovely "wonder of Wonders" video at the Science Center. And my mother wasn't mad about that...she waited until they did it.

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:39pm

there are no words-I can hardly believe how ignorant some people can be.

thanks God I never ran into such ignorance during my 25 years as an art teacher after having taken students of all ages to the Met Museum, Brooklyn Museum, MOMA, etc. and having them see, study, and sketch scuptures of all kinds. Of course this included nudes (horrors!)

That poor art teacher.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:43pm

God forbid if they ever went on a trip to Italy with all those naked statues

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 10:50pm

My guess is that there were other issues involved and this was a red herring!

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 11:12pm

No, communism was just a red herring.

Seriously, this is absolutely ridiculous. It's a freaking sculpture, people.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 11:15pm

The story did not make sense. So, my bet is that there were other issues behind the departure.

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 11:33pm

A teacher would have to kill a student in front of the rest of the class as witnesses in order to warrant being fired. Of course I'm exaggerating (just a little though). However, stupid people like the parent who's quoted in the article can cause a ton of trouble for a teacher. I've seen this happen so many times. I almost got into trouble one time because of a lie that a student told his mother.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 9/27/06 at 11:44pm

I really hate today's society.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 12:04am

well it IS Texas....why is anyone suprised

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 12:07am

E, there is a Texas prosecutor that ended the career of DeLay!!!!!! And Ann Richards!

[cturtle]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 3:42am

to coincide with a study of the renaissance, our art teacher planned a field trip for our 4th graders to the HIGH MUSEUM OF ART here in ATLANTA to see the restored DAVID sculpture by VERROCCHIO. (this david is not naked, btw.) it was the chance of a lifetime. in order to cover her butt (so to speak) she put a disclaimer in the permission letter that the students MIGHT IN PASSING see some nude art. most of the parents wouldn't sign permission, and she had to cancel the field trip for lack of participation.

parents are some of the stupidist creatures on earth.

Updated On: 9/28/06 at 03:42 AM

[Fiction Writer]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 4:16am

What a stupid story.
Your avatar is from The Home at the End of the World, isn't it, CT?

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 8:02am

So I wonder if children on a field trip to NYC would be shocked (but not surprised) to see the sculpture in SoHo (Spring st. I think) of a large lady with 6 sets of breasts (all the way down to her knees).
You know, just in case they miss the one nude pair, there' sliek 5 others.
That art teacher would be TOAST then.

[mominator]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 8:06am

What about the two statues in the TimeWarner Building ? It always amazes me how many moms and dads take pictures of their childrem in front of the male w/ Mr. Willy hanging over the kid's head.

[DG]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 8:10am

God bless the Puritanical Corporation of these Disjointed States.

[mominator]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 8:12am

I rather like them! They amuse me.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 9:11am

Well, obviously firing the teacher was the wrong decision. The parents should have petitioned to have the museum closed pending further investigation of upsetting body parts that may be on view.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 9:17am

I'm sure they'll do that, too.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/28/06 at 9:26am

Have we burned anybody at the stake for witchcraft lately?

Seems like that ought to be coming around again soon, judging from this.