Georgia School Investigates ‘Slave’ Math Problems
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A Georgia school insisted today there was no “maliciousness” intended when a third grade math quiz asked students to compute the number of beatings a slave got a week and to calculate how many baskets of cotton he picked.
But the Gwinnett County School District has launched an investigation to determine how the offending questions made it onto the students’ homework sheets.
The math homework assignment was given to more than 100 students at Beaver Ridge Elementary school in Norcross, Ga., as part of a social studies lesson, Gwinnett County school officials said. The assignment outraged parents, community activists and members of the Georgia NAACP.
Sloan Roach, a Gwinnett County school district spokeswoman, told ABCNews.com that the students were studying famous Americans and as an attempt to create a cross-curricular worksheet, one teacher used Frederick Douglass and slavery beatings for two of the questions.
Although only one teacher wrote out the controversial questions, another teacher made copies of the assignment and it was distributed to four out of nine third grade classes at Beaver Ridge, Roach said. The school is not publicly naming any of the teachers who are suspected to be involved.
“We are conducting a human resources investigation, and working with the principal to get statements from the teachers…so that we can make sure that we have a very good idea what exactly occurred and who was involved,” Roach said. “Obviously we understand that parents are concerned about these questions.”
One math problem question read, “If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week?”
Another asked how many baskets of cotton Frederick filled.
Roach said she agreed that the questions were inappropriate and part of the investigation would be to “make sure teachers are writing questions that are appropriate and respective,” but wouldn’t speculate on what sort of action would be taken against the teachers involved or whether district teachers would be required to have additional training.
“It does not seem there was any intent of maliciousness here, it was just a teacher who wrote some bad questions,” she said. “This was an isolated case involving these teachers at this school and at this grade level.”
Parent Christopher Braxton said he was “blown away” when he saw the assignment his 8-year-old son had brought home, and told the Atlantic Journal Constitution that he will be meeting with Principal Jose DeJesus today to express his concerns. DeJesus declined to speak with ABCNews.com about the incident.
Roach said that while DeJesus would not be issuing an apology, he is meeting with parents on an one-on-one basis.
“I think I’m still in shock,” parent Nicole Thompson told ABC News affiliate WSB-TV. “I definitely want an apology. I want them to acknowledge that not only was this bad judgment on their behalf, but we need to do better.”
“Something like that shouldn’t be embedded into a kid of the third, fourth, fifth, any grade,” parent Terrance Barnett told WSB-TV. “I’m having to explain to my 8-year-old why slavery or slaves or beatings are in a math problem. That hurts.”
Georgia NAACP president Ed DuBose declined to comment, but his office said he has set up a meeting with area superintendent Dr. Gale Hey this evening to discuss this particular matter.
According to Beaver Ridge’s improvement plan for the 2011-2012 school year, one of their objectives is to ”increase academic performances in math” for all students, but specifically African-American students.
Records show that of Beaver Ridge’s 1,261 students, nearly 60 percent are Hispanic; 28 percent, African-American; 5.3 percent, Asian; and 4 percent, white.
Ron Butchart, the department head for the University of Georgia’s College of Education and a historian of African-American education, said that while he hadn’t heard about the incident at Beaver Ridge Elementary, teachers are often encouraged to combine diciplines in lessons and speculated that the Beaver Ridge teacher was making “an honest effort to integrate math and social studies.”
“But God, have some sensitivity…I’m absolutely dumbfounded,” Butchart said. “This was a teacher who is taking seriously the effort to be interdisciplinary … but what a dreadful way to do it.”
Butchart said that third graders can handle the knowledge of slavery, but should be taught it from a perspective they can understand through literature, not math.
This is not the first time Atlanta-area public schools have come under fire for teachers giving out controversial assignments to students. In September, students at another elementary school in Cobb County were required to read a letter in which a Saudi Arabian woman wrote approvingly of wearing the Islamic veil, her fiancé’s multiple wives and Sharia law.
Roach said this was the first controversial incident at Beaver Ridge Elementary.
ABC News’ Olivia Katrandjian and ABC News affiliate WSB-TV contributed to this report.
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There are far better ways for children to learn the basic math operations, no doubt. If only ABC were as concerned about forced indoctrination of the homosexual agenda.
Posted by: s | January 10, 2012, 12:37 pm 12:37 pm
Fire the teacher!
Posted by: Jujube | January 10, 2012, 12:43 pm 12:43 pm
While I agree with Mr. Butchart’s opinion that sensitivity needs to be exercised when addressing difficult issues with children, I believe that Mr. Butchart needs to excercise some sensitivity and not use my Lord’s name in vain. The writer of the story should have left out that part of the quote.
Posted by: JW | January 10, 2012, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm
I saw a report on television this weekend about this topic. I do not feel there is any excuse the school can offer for this abominable mistake in judgment. The school needs to apologize to parents and children for this incident.
Posted by: rohnertpark1 | January 10, 2012, 12:48 pm 12:48 pm
What they are not telling you is the test was developed by a group of black teachers–that’s right, black teachers. The problem came when they failed to notify the black parents who by their nature assumed this was a racist plot.
Posted by: Bruce | January 10, 2012, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
@JW…I agree that Mr. Butchart should possibly have left the “God” part out of what he said, but why should the writer have left that part out of his quote? Unless “God” has become a bad word (God forbid anything religious in nature should be brought up for fear of “offending” non-religious people), he said and therefore it should be included as part of his quote.
Posted by: thatwasobvious | January 10, 2012, 1:00 pm 1:00 pm
What?! You think Illegal aliens Like Mexicans are not SLAVES TOO>
Boomers LOVE slavery. When their children refused to work for them because they did not want to pay a fair wage, They moved on to Mexicans with no documentation.
This Slave count is just a way to split the mindset and attention away from Boomers Hiring Slaves and keeping them in trailers. Then telling the country these people are oppressed and boomers are helping them. REALLY? How is that? They can be Slaves here or in Mexico. GREAT THINKING BOOMER SQUAD.
Posted by: Todd-Debt-Free | January 10, 2012, 1:00 pm 1:00 pm
Im going to start with a little reminder: The United States of America is a Republic , not a Democracy . People do not have a vote on the decision the H. R. about this teachers. This is not a case of racism… Are you all blind ? If this is the Black History Month , kids learn about what slaves are, and what was going on . I think that what they want more black teachers. All this ignorant parents are taking over education ? What’s wrong with you ? Activists asking for the ” head” of the teachers ? Thats racism .He is not even Latino ( just his last name ) , he dos not even speak Spanish . The fat lady by the name Simpson asking for an apology ? yes , they maybe deserve it . But for her seems to be something personal … she’s been looking for her 5 minutes of fame… A disgrace . Reprimand the teachers, ok , but firing?
Posted by: Serge | January 10, 2012, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
Looks like the principal is of hispanic decent, and 60% are hispanics, are there tensions between the black and hispanic community.
Posted by: Lizzie | January 10, 2012, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
So what if the teachers were Black. It is still wrong.
Posted by: So-What | January 10, 2012, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
When was this test written? The 1800′s? Geez, does the schoolboard not know what is in their textbooks and testing materials? I believed it had to be approved first. And they approved this?
Posted by: msyellarose | January 10, 2012, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
Im going to start with a little reminder: The United States of America is a Republic , not a Democracy . People do not have a vote on the decision the H. R. about this teachers.
Absolutely TRUE!
We have a college graduate!
Amazing how many people have RE-Defined Democracy and do not even know we are a Republic. Ignorance pure ignorance.
Posted by: Todd-Debt-Free | January 10, 2012, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
S: “Forced indoctrination of the homosexual agenda”
TRANSLATION: “How dare they acknowledge that some of their classmates have two mommies or two daddies, give my kids the latest, most widely accepted scientific information, NOT teach MY religious beliefs regarding homosexuality, and educate my kids to respect and not bully/beat/kill people because they are different (or you THINK they are).”
If you want to raise your kids in the dark ages and/or fill them full of bigotry, do us all a favor and homeschool them. (FTR, I Unschooled mine for years, for other reasons, so I have nothing against UN/home-schooling…but I DO have something against 1. religious beliefs/biases being taught in public schools and 2. schools failing to address the crisis of homophobia and bullying in our public schools.)
Re’ the “slave” questions, personally, I could see them being appropriate in the context of an integrated curriculum on slavery (in U.S. or world history). Very often, my daughter’s 5th grade lessons will include math, science, and history questions linked directly to the unit they are studying (Greek or Roman history or a certain period in American history). In such a context, the questions themselves don’t ENDORSE slavery, they simply acknowledge it and use it as a framework to pose math problems.
But I can see why many would be upset; we prefer to pretend slavery in the U.S. never existed. Not sure that is the best approach, all things considered, as it justifies a sort of blindness to our past and the present consequences of it.
Posted by: Raven | January 10, 2012, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
My first thought was: Does this have something to do with Black History Month? The beatings question, though? That crosses the line.
Posted by: REALLY | January 10, 2012, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
I can’t believe what I am here in this day and age. What is this world coming to? When it comes to education for our children we need not to subject ourselves to such ignorance. We must understand where African American is coming from. In a situation like this, think the teachers need proper training in cultural competency, so this mistake won’t happen again.
Posted by: ladybug | January 10, 2012, 1:21 pm 1:21 pm
Yes,the teacher(s) should have used more sensitivitey in intergrating this subject in Math. There are some history lessons such as the Holocuast and Slavery that has to be handled EXTREMELY delicately. But please….as a minority woman of Jamaica/ African Descent….I am EXTREMELY offended when African Americans use the “N” word freely…..even on Oprah Winfrey show “rappers” J-Z and Ludicrious defended the use of the ‘N ” word. I do not understand how this matter is SO SO SO SO offensive to the African Community of Norcross….yet listening to offensive rap music and casual talk uses the “N” word FREELY. It is a “DOUBLE STANDARD” to state this matteris offensive…yet your children use the “N” freely amoungst each other. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!
Posted by: Madomi | January 10, 2012, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
Wouldn’t bother me if all counties within a 25 mile radius of Atlanta just seceded.
Posted by: newcountryman | January 10, 2012, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm
REALLY:”The beatings question, though? That crosses the line.”
FTR, Black History month is February.
And why, exactly, does the “beatings question” cross the line? If they are studying any aspect of the period of American history in which slavery existed, why should it NOT be stressed that forced labor, denial of all basic rights, and BEATINGS (heck, even LYNCHINGS) were characteristic of that system?
I mean, is it REALLY preferable to go with the idealic “Birth of a Nation” version in which the happy slaves and their benevolent masters were doing fine until those meddlesome Northerners came in and ruined the situation by freeing the slaves and encouraging them to vote? (ala Acorn?)
‘Cause that’s the meme I see being perpetrated by glossing over the gory details of what slavery really WAS.
Posted by: Raven | January 10, 2012, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
If only ABC were as concerned about forced indoctrination of the homosexual agenda. Posted by: s | January 10, 2012, 12:37 pm.
Or as concerned about the homophobic morons on the Right who take an article like this and try to twist it with their homophobic rantings. Even though one has nothing to do with the other.
Posted by: A Cynic | January 10, 2012, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
I meant I can’t believe what I am hearing in this day and age. What is this world coming to? When it comes the education for our children. We need not to subject ourselves to such ignorance. We must understand where African Americans are coming from. In a situation like this, I think the teachers need proper training in clultural competency, so that this mistake won’t happen again.
Posted by: ladybug | January 10, 2012, 1:35 pm 1:35 pm
My first thought was this was a test someone dug up from the 50′s or something, reminecent of the time of long before that….but this was new….I understand the teacher is an idiot and probably not aware of how insulting that was……I hope they fire him or her or at least get the bum some sensitivity training. Even if they were going to use slavery as the math questions, why not make them positive somehow? Why did the slaves have to be beaten and picking cotton?
Posted by: Court | January 10, 2012, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
Oh good grief. Really? We’re upset about this? Newsflash: Slavery happened. Men and women were traded like property. They were used, beaten, degraded, and seen as little more than workhorses. In fact, they were worth LESS to landowners than those workhorses in the stables! This IS a part of our history, like it or not. And yes, this assignment is entirely appropriate in clear conjunction with the story of Frederick Douglass. It was taking a social studies assignment and expanding it to other subjects. Period. People need to get a grip and just accept that our history as a nation is tainted, not something to be proud of, but something that SHOULD be taught and learned from. Grow up, people.
Posted by: Shannon | January 10, 2012, 1:46 pm 1:46 pm
Odds are, the teachers who included those question were Black and/or concerned with stressing the brutality of slavery, NOT White, Right-Wing racists. It all depends on the CONTEXT, as I said before…
Me, I think our kids should KNOW, even by 3rd grade, that slavery was an abomination, violating every principle we hold dear (just as they should know that the Holocaust wasn’t just some party all the Jews lined up to attend)….
From what I can glean from this coverage, these questions were posed as part of a larger study of slavery in the U.S. (akin to questions asking if it took 50 years to build the great pyramid, how many slaves had to work how many hours to get it done?)
Posted by: Raven | January 10, 2012, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
maybe he is an idiot , yes… maybe he need a training … but slavery really existed ( and exist !) what are you ofended for ? Ofended of history ? Now is not Frederick the one who pick the cotton , but Jesus and Jose , because you prefier to collect welfare then do a hard but honest job Why you don’t teach your kids why “you ” are a bum and live from goberment checks ? I’m very sure , if you live in the area , that you didn’t even finish school … and you talk about a teacher ? educate yourself first , then open your mouth .
Posted by: sergfe | January 10, 2012, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
@ Raven : No… the teacher who wrote it is not black…
Posted by: Serge | January 10, 2012, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
How about a math question which poses “how many slaves were left on the plantation after so many ESCAPED via the Underground Railroad?” This would instill some sense of triumph over a hellish existence. A question about how many beatings and how much cotton the slaves picked is a humiliating question, as it seems they all were, and I can’t help but believe that it was POSED for that reason.
Posted by: MsT-Mac | January 10, 2012, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
STUPID. I can’t believe anyone could be that stupid to believe there was nothing wrong with those questions.
Posted by: Kathy | January 10, 2012, 2:04 pm 2:04 pm
Fred the slave owner lives in Pleasantville, GA. If Fred is one of the 1%, and Pleasantville has a population of 35,000, how many people should pay more taxes?
Posted by: newcountryman | January 10, 2012, 2:07 pm 2:07 pm
Only in the south.
Posted by: Not UR Average Joe | January 10, 2012, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
14…the answer is 14 beatings a week.
Seriously though, I agree that the questions could have been put differently and there should have been a little bit of discretion when making this homework. You shouldn’t pretend that slavery didn’t exist but you shouldn’t take light of it either by making it into a math problem. There’s a reason that they have a history and social studies course. I also don’t think that the teacher should be fired because of a mistake. Apologize, get reassigned if necessary and move on. Too many people try to make too big of an issue over something when it can be resolved fairly quickly.
Posted by: Goobshine | January 10, 2012, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
Why stop there? “If Sgt. Hoffsteder led 100 people into the gas chamber, but only 95% of them died, how many did he have to shoot instead?”
Using horrible events from our history to teach math skills is wrong, period.
Posted by: A Cynic | January 10, 2012, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
Newcountryman — Ooooo! I know, I know — 99% (100% with Fred) of the 1% of Pleasantville should pay more in taxes, of course!! ;-)
Posted by: MsT-Mac | January 10, 2012, 3:41 pm 3:41 pm
While I never give credence to the never-ending morons who play the race card to mask bad behavior, this is very different. This is offensive to all races and creeds. And, to add insult to injury, it exposed young children to a heinous practice in our nation’s history unnecessarily. This was not a history class where the past – be it good or bad – was being studied and explored. Clearly, a teacher (or teachers) maliciously or stupidly decided to use such ridiculous examples. This, to me, would be cause for them to be fired.
Posted by: glofish54 | January 10, 2012, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
“While I never give credence to the never-ending morons who play the race card to mask bad behavior”. .. ______________ Interesting comment, which leads me to ask: What kind of “card” do those of the “majority” display to mask their bad behavior? Oh, it’s the “race” card, of course, and it usually gets them off easily.
Posted by: MsT-Mac | January 10, 2012, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
I think the parents are upset because they didn’t know the answer. If not, wait till February when the kids bring home stuff for Black History Month.
Posted by: Joe B | January 10, 2012, 5:09 pm 5:09 pm
Serge and Debt Free…it’s because of people like you why this country will never be united like it should be. How in the world can you compare this crudeness to teaching black history? This was just a way for an ignorant teacher that is supposed to be molding the minds of our future leaders, to take a cheap shot at racism. Who knows what else this “teacher” is putting into those kids’ minds!
Posted by: SHOCKED | January 10, 2012, 5:32 pm 5:32 pm
Bottom line…the lesson was hateful and inappropriate. If African or African American history was suppose to be ‘incorporated’ into the historical math lesson…then why not have had math problems about Benjamin Banneker, Imhotep, Dr. Charles Drew, Dr. Lonnie Johnson, Dr, Ben Carson, Cheikh Ante Diop, Dr. Mae Jemison, and countless other scholars and achievers so that ALL CHILDREN are exposed to the true history of a people?!? Stop trying to justify that worksheet Gwinnett…get it together.
Posted by: Angela | January 10, 2012, 6:20 pm 6:20 pm
Every one of the teachers involved should be fired, period. In this day and age there should be zero tolerance for this kind of mentality. How embarrassing.
Posted by: barondarby | January 10, 2012, 6:50 pm 6:50 pm
Sloan Roach today stated that this incident was “NOT RACIALLY MOTIVATED” but could not support this with any facts. She did say an investigation was just begun. How did she make such a statement based on nothing she can support and nothing from the so called investigation?????
Can you spell WHITEWASH and COVER UP?
Posted by: Paul | January 10, 2012, 8:22 pm 8:22 pm
It wasn’t meant to hurt anyone’s feelings. It was intended to incorporate Social Studies. I believe in 3rd grade they discuss slavery. Teachers are constantly told to integrate, integrate, integrate!! Is it really worth someone losing their job over? You have never made mistakes? I agree it is a poor example of integrating the two subjects and an apology should be made. Firing the teacher doesn’t remove the incident from ever happening though.
Posted by: pam | January 10, 2012, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm
i think that the teacher should just be told off and allowed to resume his work he was only doing as asked from the education board even if the application was poor
Posted by: ahmad | January 10, 2012, 11:11 pm 11:11 pm
Would could be so stupid? THis could only happen in the south.
Posted by: cheryl | January 10, 2012, 11:20 pm 11:20 pm
How can “an attempt to a cross-curricular worksheet” be an excuse?
That math question talking about the slaves is so casual, it almost makes slavery and beatings to seem like a normal-ordinary matter. And how does making slavery seem like a normal thing help the kids to learn better? How ? Talking about counting beatings….? Really..?
I need to question myself again about what kind of world I’m living in.
Posted by: Chase | January 11, 2012, 2:34 am 2:34 am
Church leaders askink for the head of the teachers involve ? and they brainwash my kids for a whole month about how good black people has been for this country? Race card is always black…
Posted by: SERGE | January 11, 2012, 6:54 am 6:54 am
I do not think the teachers should lose their job. They simply need to take some cultural sensitivity training. Here is an example of teachers may integrate subjects on a topic: While studying Johnny Appleseed, students will learn the history of Johnny Appleseed in social studies. They will read tales about Appleseed in Language Arts. In Math, they may answer a question like:Johnny planted 20 seeds. 5 seed per state he visited. How many states did Johnny visit?
These teachers were trying to do the same thing with the topic on Slavery. Was it a poor attempt? Yes. Was it insensitive? Yes. Was it their intention to send home racist homework? Probably not. As a Jewish person, I would probably be upset if a teacher sent home a worksheet that stated, ” Six Jews were put on a train to the concentration camp. Only 2 survived and moved to America. How many burned in the furnace?” Did it happen? Did Jews die in a furnace during the holocaust? Yes. Should my children learn about it? Yes. Could questions be better worded? yes. Now, would I still understand the attempt to integrate a social study lesson on the holocaust and math? Yes, and I would speak to the teacher about making better choices in writing curriculum. But I wouldn’t demand they lose their job.
Posted by: Albe | January 11, 2012, 11:33 am 11:33 am
An adult wrote those questions, an adult with very poor judgement. Is this really who should be teaching impressionable children? What is this teacher saying to the class if they wrote such dumb questions? Is this the best teacher this district can find, considering how many teachers are out of work?
Why do some feel sorry for this foolish teacher but not for the kids that will have to spend a school year with him/her? Year after year, until the foolish teacher retires.
Posted by: Librarian53 | January 11, 2012, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
I wanted to give the teacher the benifit of the doubt and guess that it was a very old worksheet that she/he forgot to write out the question like the other teacher. But I would be interested to find out why the uncorrected she was only given to 4 of her/his 9 students in the class. Wouldn’t you notice 5 of the sheets are short a question or two? I really can’t believe that this was an innocent mistake…and it was Georgia.
Posted by: shannon | January 11, 2012, 3:40 pm 3:40 pm
beatings and speaking in approvals of veils…. there has got to be an islamic angle to this. what is the teacher’s religion?
Posted by: Mike | January 12, 2012, 3:03 am 3:03 am
Why are the teachers not identified? The test questions were made public. The identity and statement from the school district official was publicized. Even the names of concerned parents were published. Why are the teachers allowed to keep their hoods on? And as for “insensitivity” and “additional training” – sure. This level of ignorance and poor judgement should not be allowed exposure to ANY children. Publish their names so that their record will be known among their peers… thenfire them!
Posted by: hobson mccain | January 15, 2012, 11:25 pm 11:25 pm
The teacher shouldn’t be fired? It was a mistake and you want to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt? This world is so messed up and it’s oh so sad! Blacks need to get over slavery is what you hear all the time. Let’s say that blacks are over slavery? Mess like this is enough to make you remember all the horrible stuff that has been and is being done now! The principal, teacher, superintendent and everyone involved needs to be disciplined. Whenever a black person does something wrong, people want to find them guilty even when they’re innocent.Yet there is always talk about blacks/Israelites learning ability and something such as this happens! But something as touchy as this, people (mainly caucasians) want to dismiss it! Everyone will be judged! The world will be judged and everything evil done to the the Israelites/blacks will be held accountable!
Posted by: Ceesmom | January 27, 2012, 10:08 am 10:08 am
@HOBSON –Come on, why respond with racist comments on here? “Everyone will be judged” you say.. Including those that like to say “mainly caucasians” (your words) whenever there is talk about racism. All races have ppl that are racists..not just caucasians… Plz stop already. God will judge everyone..not just by our actions, or thoughts, but hearts as well..are you sure you don’t have a little animosity in your heart?
As for this discussion….there is no explanation that can be valid for asking 8yr olds how many “beatings” someone got, whether it’s from a fictional book or black history… Why ask young children questions like these? No explanation…
Posted by: Woman | February 20, 2012, 6:35 am 6:35 am
Above comment@CEESMOM<<===not HOBSON
Posted by: Woman | February 20, 2012, 6:49 am 6:49 am