The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
The principal of Sewells Point Elementary School has apologized to parents for a teacher's classroom exercise last week that cast her black and mixed-race fourth-graders as available for sale.
The apology came after the teacher separated the students from their white classmates and auctioned them, division spokeswoman Elizabeth Thiel Mather said. The exercise was part of an April 1 class on the Civil War.
In an April 6 letter sent to parents of students in the class, Principal Mary B. Wrushen wrote: "I recently became aware of a history lesson that was presented to the students in Ms. Jessica Boyle's fourth grade class. Although her actions were well intended to meet the instructional objectives, the activity presented was inappropriate for the students.
"The lesson could have been thought through more carefully, as to not offend her students or put them in an uncomfortable situation," Wrushen wrote.
Wrushen said the exercise was not supported by the school or division. "I will follow up with the classroom teacher to ensure nothing like this ever occurs again," the letter said. "In addition, the guidance counselor is available to discuss any concerns your child may still have concerning this classroom lesson."
Wrushen declined to comment Friday. Boyle, who has been with the division since 2005, did not return a call to the school. She has taught at Sewells Point for three years, and before that was at Dreamkeepers Academy, according to the division website.
Mather said the division was responding to the incident with "appropriate personnel action." She did not give details.
Wrushen became aware of the auction exercise after receiving complaints from two parents, and spoke to the class about the incident, Mather said.
"This lesson was not part of the approved curriculum," Mather said.
Chris Lee, whose daughter is in Boyle's class, was among parents picking up their children Friday at the school on Hampton Boulevard near Norfolk Naval Station. He said he'd heard no details about the exercise, though he received Wrushen's letter.
"My wife and I were trying to figure out what the letter was about, because we heard nothing about it, we just saw the letter," he said.
Told by a reporter about the auction, Lee said, "That sounds inappropriate to me. Wow. That's interesting - that's something I have to digest." He said he would ask his daughter to tell him about the incident.
The school has 590 students.
Contacted Friday by The Virginian-Pilot, School Board Chairman Kirk Houston said he had not known about the auction.
"That's very disturbing to me, extremely disturbing to me," he said. "Mock slave auctions involving children are absolutely unacceptable in a classroom. At this point this is a personnel matter, and the School Board will monitor its outcome."
Peggy Scott, treasurer of the Norfolk Council PTA, also first heard about the incident from The Pilot.
"I'm sitting here with my mouth hanging open," Scott said. "There are some things you don't do."
In a statement Friday, Superintendent Richard Bentley said: "The school district does not condone this type of lesson in any way. It was wrong. It was outside the boundaries of the curriculum and appropriate instructional practices."
Last year, a Jacox Elementary teacher who anointed students with "holy oil" in the classroom resigned after a parent complained about the teacher's religious actions. The division determined the teacher violated the school system's instructional curriculum as well as policies and laws related to the separation of church and state.
Also last year, two teachers at Norcom High School were placed on leave for using materials in the classroom that were endorsed by an anarchist group and an organization that backs legalized marijuana. Both received letters of reprimand for not receiving permission to use the materials in class and returned to their jobs.
An elementary guidance counselor who distributed 80 to 100 human fetus figurines to students last year at Oakwood Elementary resigned after being put on leave. The school's principal was removed from her post and reassigned elsewhere as an assistant principal.
Steven G. Vegh, (757) 446-2417, steven.vegh@pilotonline.com
Follow reporter Steven G. Vegh on Twitter
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Document: Apology letter sent to parents
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rappers using the N word
we must stop rappers from gleefully using the N word and help stop the black on black butchery that is decimating the younhger generation. Students need to learn all history, not just the soft and easy lessons. they must learn how harsh hisgtory was for people. parents need to get over it and grow up. the kids need to learn the truth.
You get it!!
Hannamartin...YOU GET IT!! Thanks for your comment
Thanks for getting Norfolk on the map
You've been put on Foxnews.com ...good job and great judgement call!
only facts?
To the person who commented to "teach the children facts not feelings" I completely disagree. As a history teacher myself I can see that the intention of the teacher was to envoke emotion from the students although obviously not in the ideal or most appropriate manner. I try to envoke feelings and emotions from my 7th graders each and every day! You have to! How can we expect them to develop a love of learning if we only teach facts? There is a way to envoke emotion while still keeping in mind what is appropriate for the age of the student.
Inappropriate?
My Fourth Grade Virginia History Book depicted slavery as benevolent, holding that, in this new land, slaves could at least receive medical assistance. My Seventh Grade History book was just as bad, suggesting that Reconstruction efforts to give blacks the vote was because of the maneuvering of evil persons who simply wanted to use blacks and that blacks did nto have the intellect to serve in public office. It seems to me that this teacher was giving a fair treatment of a difficult but often ignored truth. I do not see what could have been inappropriate unless we have adoPted the Governor McDonnell version of history where slavery was all good.
Norfolk Public Schools and City of Norfolk was warned
I personally sent a letter over to the City of Norfolk, the City of Norfolk, Va Public Schools superintendant, and the City Managers office warning them about the practice that was reported in Gahanna, Ohio with another student that was subject to the same type of slave auction. I told them if their was any possibility of this type of practice in Norfolk, Va than it should be discontinued. This was in early March. So to say they had no idea is really a big lie. It is called a lack of communication and deliberate oversight of key information that would have avoided this all together. Their is no excuse and nor should this teacher be reprimanded by any means. It is her supervisors that dropped the ball, and allowed it to happen.
If kids were just allowed to play video games in school
If kids were just allowed to play video games in school all day, we would have none of these problems about things in the past one way or another. I'm in for each student having thier own PS3 or Xbox at thier desk or both!
Long forgotten
This happened over a week ago. In the mind and world of a fourth grader, the two "offended" children have long forgotten this. they are out playing with their friends and having a great time. It's the adults who want to keep this alive. In the scheme of things that go on in our schools this really is small in comparison. Calling for the firing of a qualified teacher is completely unmerited.
what if
What if the teacher is black? What if the white kids were sold into slavery and the black kids were the masters? Would all those who are so upset by this be as upset?
Upset?
I think the principal said that it was inappropriate and parents who called had a right to say so. Just because a parent thinks a teacher has gone too far does not mean he or she is "upset" necesarily, but concerned perhaps in a teacher's (any race) approach to a lesson.