Whitey Ford
08-25-2020, 05:13 AM
Gwinnett teacher under fire over Black Lives Matter poster
https://i.imgur.com/tPn5GAX.jpg
A Gwinnett County Public Schools teacher said district officials told her a Black Lives Matter poster visible in the background of her virtual classroom was a distraction and impacting her “effectiveness” as a teacher.
Paige McGaughey, a teacher at Alton C. Crews Middle School in Lawrenceville, said she added the sign to let Black students know she was an ally after the death of George Floyd on May 25 sparked protests around the world against police brutality and inequality. Floyd, a Black man, died in Minneapolis after a white officer, since fired, held a knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes. A total of four officers were fired and face felony charges.
“I know that deep learning can only occur when students feel safe,” said McGaughey, who has been teaching for 20 years. “I also have decor and books in my classroom library that show multiculturalism regarding LGBTQ+, Muslim students, immigrants and so on.
“As a white female teacher, I want the message to be ‘you matter and you are safe here’ to all my students.”
“HR would not tell me to remove it, but kept saying it impacts my effectiveness as a teacher,” she said, adding she was told there could be consequences if other parents complain.
https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/gwinnett-teacher-under-fire-over-black-lives-matter-poster/7J6XN4SCXJEQZERRM2TYGYQMQ4/
Parents complain to school district over Gwinnett County teacher's 'Black Lives Matter' poster
McGaughey said a parent was worried she’d only be teaching curriculum geared towards Black students.
She respectfully told the families the poster wasn’t going anywhere and that’s when the complaints went to the district.
“I was told that it was a divisive message and I was told it was a distraction in my classroom and that it impacted my effectiveness as a teacher,” said McGaughey.
Gwinnett County Public Schools said that, although officials are not asking her to take down the poster, they added in a statement:
“Having received complaints from two parents about a teacher having a Black Lives Matter poster in the background of her video conferencing sessions with students, the principal spoke with the teacher. He asked her to consider how not to make this poster a distraction for the students in the class. Our employees do have the same civic responsibilities and privileges as any other citizen, including actively supporting causes. However, that is not usually done in the workplace as it can become an effectiveness issue if it creates a disruption to the learning environment (i.e. complaints and or concerns raised from parents, students, or others in the community).”
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/education/parents-complain-gwinnett-teachers-black-lives-matter-poster/85-600ccbb4-1c54-46b0-95d4-b5b73c30130f
https://i.imgur.com/tPn5GAX.jpg
A Gwinnett County Public Schools teacher said district officials told her a Black Lives Matter poster visible in the background of her virtual classroom was a distraction and impacting her “effectiveness” as a teacher.
Paige McGaughey, a teacher at Alton C. Crews Middle School in Lawrenceville, said she added the sign to let Black students know she was an ally after the death of George Floyd on May 25 sparked protests around the world against police brutality and inequality. Floyd, a Black man, died in Minneapolis after a white officer, since fired, held a knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes. A total of four officers were fired and face felony charges.
“I know that deep learning can only occur when students feel safe,” said McGaughey, who has been teaching for 20 years. “I also have decor and books in my classroom library that show multiculturalism regarding LGBTQ+, Muslim students, immigrants and so on.
“As a white female teacher, I want the message to be ‘you matter and you are safe here’ to all my students.”
“HR would not tell me to remove it, but kept saying it impacts my effectiveness as a teacher,” she said, adding she was told there could be consequences if other parents complain.
https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/gwinnett-teacher-under-fire-over-black-lives-matter-poster/7J6XN4SCXJEQZERRM2TYGYQMQ4/
Parents complain to school district over Gwinnett County teacher's 'Black Lives Matter' poster
McGaughey said a parent was worried she’d only be teaching curriculum geared towards Black students.
She respectfully told the families the poster wasn’t going anywhere and that’s when the complaints went to the district.
“I was told that it was a divisive message and I was told it was a distraction in my classroom and that it impacted my effectiveness as a teacher,” said McGaughey.
Gwinnett County Public Schools said that, although officials are not asking her to take down the poster, they added in a statement:
“Having received complaints from two parents about a teacher having a Black Lives Matter poster in the background of her video conferencing sessions with students, the principal spoke with the teacher. He asked her to consider how not to make this poster a distraction for the students in the class. Our employees do have the same civic responsibilities and privileges as any other citizen, including actively supporting causes. However, that is not usually done in the workplace as it can become an effectiveness issue if it creates a disruption to the learning environment (i.e. complaints and or concerns raised from parents, students, or others in the community).”
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/education/parents-complain-gwinnett-teachers-black-lives-matter-poster/85-600ccbb4-1c54-46b0-95d4-b5b73c30130f