Comments on: Gruesome Assignment Spells Termination for D.C. Teacher

By: Mark Russell

Mark Russell — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:03:27 +0000

Teachers have more than one audience. They must keep in mind how what they do in class will be interpreted by students, administrators and parents.

By: EJ

EJ — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:03:32 +0000

I can understand that there might be a parent or two who think these are inappropriate but firing the teacher? Come on. Whatever happened to, “We think it was unwise of you to use this material. Please make sure you don’t do it again.”

By: Laura

Laura — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 01:01:05 +0000

Of course, the one comment on here from someone both claiming to be a teacher and disproving of these questions if very difficult to read, considering the horrible grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes.

I think these math questions are great! They are very advanced compared to what I know the third graders to be learning in my area. They are fun! I am saving the PDF to use with my children. They have a sense of humor – and so does their mother.

By: Luis

Luis — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 20:52:21 +0000

If Benjamin Netanyahu stole 5,000 shekels from the Bank of Yisrael on Monday, 3,000 shekels more on Tuesday, 2,000 shekels on Thursday, but put it all back on Friday for Shabbos, how much did he steal in all?

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 19:09:23 +0000

I think these questions were entirely inappropriate for a 3rd grade class. I dont see how a 3rd grader would see how whimsical or fantasy based they are and i really think the cannibal one was just plain weird they couldve been stranded on the island or something the cannibals where biting them like dogs wth is that about? I wouldn’t want my young child exposed to that an i’m a teacher as well an i just can’t see these questions as being appropriate. That being said if this was a high school teacher i wouldn’t see what the deal is it might would hold a teenagers interest to do math problems about cannibals an aliens lol its a good teaching strategy but she shouldve known that would cause problems when she sent it home.

By: newsmom

newsmom — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 01:12:45 +0000

I read these problems to my third grade son and he started laughing. When I told him a teacher had been fired for using them, he said, “What!? They fired a teacher for THAT?” Even a third grader knows it’s just supposed to be silly. Fortunately, I took him out of school last year and now homeschool him and I don’t have to deal with all the PC stuff anymore.

By: Al

Al — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:49:50 +0000

It’s a shame that a good teacher can be fired because one irrational overly sensitive parent found the test troubling. My kids found it entertaining.

Hope her kids don’t have any violent video games, maybe her next mission should be to get “Hunger Games” banned.

By: someone

someone — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:42:26 +0000

is it me, or did anyone else notice that the so called “holocaust” question wasn’t even included in the 20 questions they provided. I agree, the teacher should remain. if i had a teacher who gave me questions like that growing up, i would have cared more about math.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:10:49 +0000

I think the test is interestingly clever. What a way to keep boring math problems entertaining. People really need to step back a bit on the “social correctness”, it’s refreshing to see a teacher using his imagination to pull the kids into math problems.

By: Elizabeth Kelly

Elizabeth Kelly — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:31:13 +0000

Lighten up, people! The teacher was obviously trying to make the exercizes more entertaining. What’s more, the administrators who are acting so shocked about this KNOW what the teacher was trying to do – they’re just scrambling to attack her now so that they’ll look good by comparison.
The exercizes came from a homeschooling site? That would explain why homeschooled kids are so academically accomplished.
As for the teacher’s firing – where was the teachers’ union when THAT happened?