Quote:
MONROE, Mich. (AP) ? A southeast Michigan public school teacher has been reinstated after his removal from the classroom while district officials assessed his lesson plan on African-American history and racial segregation laws.
The Monroe News reports (http://bit.ly/SnZA6I ) that Alan Barron was placed on paid leave last month after he showed an eighth-grade history class at Monroe Middle School a video of how white entertainers once used black face paint to imitate blacks.
An assistant principal sat in on the class.
Barron's lawyer C.J. Horkey issued a statement on Sunday saying the 59-year-old Barron is allowed to return to the classroom.
Monroe Public Schools superintendent Barry Martin said paid leave was appropriate to give the district time to "fully consider what occurred in this classroom."
|
Quote:
Superintendent Barry Martin issued a statement on the district?s website saying this was a personnel matter that ended up being aired in public.
?As a result of incorrect information presented within the community, there is a perception that the district was opposed to a teacher providing students with information about the history of racial issues in this country,? the statement reads. ?This simply is not true and is a misinterpretation of the concern.
Monroe Public Schools, following Michigan curriculum, requires and values the teaching of African American history and issues of race as part of our social studies instruction. The teacher in question was placed on paid leave to give the district time to fully consider what occurred in this classroom.?
On Sunday, Barron?s lawyer C.J. Horkey issued a statement saying Barron was being allowed to return to the classroom on Monday. When the school year is complete, Barron plans to retire after 36 years of teaching.
|
Instructors at the K-12 level in the US generally have very little latitude in choosing what to teach in the curriculum, and pretty much have to teach what the School Board tells them to.
ADG