Oops. Administrators at the Bronx High School for Performance and Stagecraft are in hot water with the DOE after they allowed the Barack Obama campaign to film students discussing a class assignment based on Obama's "Yes We Can" speech. It's against DOE policy for schools to be used in political or promotional films; the 13-minute film has been circulated as a fundraising pitch by the Obama campaign. In addition, students are identified by their full names, and several say they are 9th graders — it's unclear whether the campaign sought releases from those students and their families before filming.
Principal Mark Sweeting said he knew the film was against the rules but that getting students to become politically engaged and informed was worth the potential consequences. I agree with Sweeting that inspiring kids to think critically about race and to see themselves as integral to the political process is a great thing. And I think the DOE's rules can be constricting for schools that want to publicize their work. But in this case, I am worried that structuring a class assignment around the speech of a particular candidate and then offering students the chance to speak about that assignment on behalf of that candidate creates a coercive environment that's inappropriate for the classroom.
7 comments:
Anonymous
said...
First of all Bloomberg is an Obama supporter so you can relax. Secondly, watch this video and tell me it doesnt inspire you tremendously.
Please help me understand this: "But in this case, I am worried that structuring a class assignment around the speech of a particular candidate and then offering students the chance to speak about that assignment on behalf of that candidate creates a coercive environment that's inappropriate for the classroom." because I thought that made classroom conversation and instruction relevant. It also makes history come alive, or at least it did four score and seven years ago...
Bottom line is that the Bronx High School for Performance and Stagecraft is not endorsing Sen. Obama with this video. Students are engaged in the political process and expressing their personal views about a candidate. I think the school is absolved from any serious issue (other than the release forms).
Strongly disagree. Of course the school appears to be endorsing Obama and the students are in a coerced situation This is an abuse of power (well meaning as I believe it is). Would you have the same opinion if the students made an approving film discussing the surge in Iraq and John McCain's latest speech?
not a good idea for kids to be involved in such a venture. NYC DOE is right for such policy. it's meant to protect the kids. the next group will come along (with material that relate to GOD) and claim that since Obama was allowed, they also be allowed. The floodgate will be opened and nothing will be done to stop it.
i find this entire video to be a bit stereotypical starting with the teacher first. Just because one naive and ignorant student makes a comment to another that clearly has been "raised well" doesn't mean that his comment is an integral thought of or a "staple" of his environment. I live not so far from this school (just across the Grand Concourse) and have never been criticized for how I spoke amongst my peers because we all spoke similiarly to each other and we are all from this area (them closer than I). My friends and I attended all attended top-notch and/or ivy league universities after we graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School and have become doctors, lawyer, nurses, principals, etc. I am an educator and have watch as children in these environments are catorgorized every day whether by their upbringing, their environment, their "lack of" intelligence, by their parents' economic status, by their parents' youth and marital status, etc. JUST STOP! You are how you were BORN and RAISED to be, environment and economic status are small factors in the scheme of things. Just ask my friend who was raised in a group home and now has a master degree from her university and "the presence of articulation" was never a negative aspect for her. None of us mentioned are the exception!!!!!!
From a video/content perspective - it appears the students could have participated entirely for the purpose of their teacher without having a clue what it was going to be used for. I think it's a big jump to conclude it had to do with Obama's actual campaign efforts in any way. One overzealous teacher is not enough to justify a nick on Obama's record, it's not as if he asked for it. I kind of doubt coersion or a coersive environment or whatever you all are bitching about had anything to do with it. Those "react to the race speech" things are ALL OVER You Tube. I saw one with Newark teens a week ago. The Times did one with Rutgers students. My guess is this guy was copying those.
I'm sorry i guess i neeed clarification, do our children live in a bubble devoid of the world around them?. So what if the floodgates open, any topic of discussion shd be allowed. When you think of how little most kids know about the environment,history and many other things, i would think that this would be a refreshing change of events.
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7 comments:
First of all Bloomberg is an Obama supporter so you can relax. Secondly, watch this video and tell me it doesnt inspire you tremendously.
Please help me understand this:
"But in this case, I am worried that structuring a class assignment around the speech of a particular candidate and then offering students the chance to speak about that assignment on behalf of that candidate creates a coercive environment that's inappropriate for the classroom."
because I thought that made classroom conversation and instruction relevant. It also makes history come alive, or at least it did four score and seven years ago...
Bottom line is that the Bronx High School for Performance and Stagecraft is not endorsing Sen. Obama with this video. Students are engaged in the political process and expressing their personal views about a candidate. I think the school is absolved from any serious issue (other than the release forms).
Strongly disagree. Of course the school appears to be endorsing Obama and the students are in a coerced situation This is an abuse of power (well meaning as I believe it is).
Would you have the same opinion if the students made an approving film discussing the surge in Iraq and John McCain's latest speech?
not a good idea for kids to be involved in such a venture. NYC DOE is right for such policy. it's meant to protect the kids. the next group will come along (with material that relate to GOD) and claim that since Obama was allowed, they also be allowed. The floodgate will be opened and nothing will be done to stop it.
i find this entire video to be a bit stereotypical starting with the teacher first. Just because one naive and ignorant student makes a comment to another that clearly has been "raised well" doesn't mean that his comment is an integral thought of or a "staple" of his environment. I live not so far from this school (just across the Grand Concourse) and have never been criticized for how I spoke amongst my peers because we all spoke similiarly to each other and we are all from this area (them closer than I). My friends and I attended all attended top-notch and/or ivy league universities after we graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School and have become doctors, lawyer, nurses, principals, etc. I am an educator and have watch as children in these environments are catorgorized every day whether by their upbringing, their environment, their "lack of" intelligence, by their parents' economic status, by their parents' youth and marital status, etc. JUST STOP! You are how you were BORN and RAISED to be, environment and economic status are small factors in the scheme of things. Just ask my friend who was raised in a group home and now has a master degree from her university and "the presence of articulation" was never a negative aspect for her. None of us mentioned are the exception!!!!!!
From a video/content perspective - it appears the students could have participated entirely for the purpose of their teacher without having a clue what it was going to be used for. I think it's a big jump to conclude it had to do with Obama's actual campaign efforts in any way. One overzealous teacher is not enough to justify a nick on Obama's record, it's not as if he asked for it. I kind of doubt coersion or a coersive environment or whatever you all are bitching about had anything to do with it. Those "react to the race speech" things are ALL OVER You Tube. I saw one with Newark teens a week ago. The Times did one with Rutgers students. My guess is this guy was copying those.
I'm sorry i guess i neeed clarification, do our children live in a bubble devoid of the world around them?. So what if the floodgates open, any topic of discussion shd be allowed. When you think of how little most kids know about the environment,history and many other things, i would think that this would be a refreshing change of events.
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