White teacher apologizes for binding black girls in slavery lesson

What an idiot teacher, who in their right mind in this day and age would do something so stupid. What, vivid verbal descriptions and photographs are not enough? Idiot. Very indicative of a racist mindset in the country (sarcasm).

Stupid teacher. In today's world, this just don't happen with good results.

There are numerous ways to disipline.

Mother suggested removal. Noted.

Now decide it and get back to the job of teaching children. < :-)

Regardless of the classroom subject and regardless of whether the student was upset or not, no teacher should be tying up one of their students in a public school.

There are few absolutes in this world. This may very well make the list however.

This guy needs to be fired.

Taka

What an idiot teacher...

The teacher is just a racist and his actions were simply designed to humiliate the black students.

World News.

Taka, Everton you need to read the article properly before slamming the teacher.

PS My guess is the teacher wanted to shock a couple of the badly behaved kids. Check out the sex of the teacher.

She should have chosen a few white kids, )but then again, in a place like White Plains, there are very few of them). Then this wouldn't have been news, and Everton would have been thrilled.

I'm not going to say she was racist, I think she was trying to make a point and did it the wrong way. You all do know of the annual event in Baltimore where whites march with shackles and blacks are the slave owners right? I think the teacher, and with a name like Bernstein, in her very liberal ways was trying to do something similar.

Anyways, if your a teacher in the US and its time to teach slavery, use a white kid.

Nandakandamanda,

It was, at best a questionable way to illustrate the hardships that the African slaves endured while at sea.

However, imagine the lawsuit that would have occurred if a fire alarm would have gone off when those girls were bound and under a table.

I stand by my opinion that no matter what the subject matter and no matter if the student was upset or not, no teacher should be tying up their students. The potential downside is just too big.

Taka

The teacher is just a racist and his actions were simply designed to humiliate the black students.

Textbook leftist response. Well done Everton2.

You can bet your *ss that Ms. Bernstein is an Obama voter, so this is a little bit of politically correct karma coming back and biting her on the tuchas. I hope they suspend this horrible, insensitive woman for a week and make her apologize to both girls, their families, the school and the entire community for her callous, backward actions.

And yes, there is nothing sweeter than watching liberals getting tangled up in the webs of their own making. Merry Christmas, Bebert.

WTF.

Fire her. Now. I have no doubt that this was done out of ignorance with best of intentions, but sometimes when you screw up there need to be consequences.

Gabrielle Shand burst into tears at home, her mother said.

Really?

Well, what I want to know is how did the class go? Were the girls upset at class, or after they got home and their mother went crazy over the girl's explanation? In other words, was the girl upset about the actual class or her mother's reaction to a poor explanation?

Getting tied up is something my friends did to eachother plenty when we were kids. If done in proper context, its not such a big deal. It could also have been done as part of a school play, such as violence and killing also are.

I just wonder if the teacher took care with the context though. Did she ask for volunteers? Did she explain what would happen? Or did she pick the students herself and just bind them tape without a word? Its just to easy to use my own imagination to get all indignant.

Anyway, most people's understanding of the horrors of New World slavery is lacking. Some hands on experience could do some good to learn about right and wrong, rather than just some sanitized words and pictures and a meager hope that they get it.

Have to agree 100% with likeitis. We have no way of being able to judge the circumstances of this case, either the mood in the class, or the conversation at home later on. I will pass on judgement.

Perhaps the teacher made a bad move in a touchy area and once out in the open everyone will have wanted their say on the matter. Messy.

I wonder what the reaction if the teacher had been Black. "...oh that stupid teacher... doing this n that...". This reminds me of the lyrics of some of the hip hop - rap songs around where the N word is prevalent.

Slavery, what a subject for discusion. The binding of a student for demonstration purposes was wrong, a discussion would have been more appropriate. Slavery is no longer a player in the US, just a tool to use for people to get noticed.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/25/florida.teacher.arrest/index.html How come when a black teacher, literally hits an eight year old kid, JT doesn't even bother to post an article.

If this teacher wanted to teach about American Slavery, should have done either one of the following:

show a DVD of Roots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk the many Cuban/Puerto Ricans of that area, as there are many and we seem to know a lot more about this subject than most do - it was the seed of our culture! And we don't the story down.

Got the info people requested to fill in the details.

The teacher asked for volunteers, one young lady did but Gabrielle did not and was chosen by the teacher (bad call). Since this happened on Nov 18th, some time ago, I can only surmise that it wasn't a real big deal then or there would have been a huge stink when it happened instead of now. I also think I can conclude the classromm atmosphere wasn't that bad either based on when it happened and now.

It seems that something else occurred between then and now that got her mother all up in arms about this. Maybe a bad grade for her daughter or something along that line....Just guessing, but this seems more of a personal beef with the Mother and the teacher.

A pretty bad idea on the teachers part I agree with for a demonstration but nothing nefarious or evil in the intent of the lesson for the class as far as I can see. The link should help some folks here on this one.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/slavery.haverstraw.middle.2.880370.html

Thanks sailwind. Interesting to see if anyone here will change their opinions. I'd say the teacher taught a lot of people a lesson, and then got a good one in return too.

sailwind

It seems that something else occurred between then and now that got her mother all up in arms about this.

Probably a lawyer got wind of it. Cha-ching!