Schools' Chancellor Dennis Walcott
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Posted on 08/05/2013 6:18:03 AM PDT by Kip Russell
George Carlin is rolling over in his grave.
The New York City Department of Education is waging a war on words of sorts, and is seeking to have words they deem upsetting removed from standardized tests. Fearing that certain words and topics can make students feel unpleasant, officials are requesting 50 or so words be removed from city-issued tests.
The word “dinosaur” made the hit list because dinosaurs suggest evolution which creationists might not like, WCBS 880′s Marla Diamond reported. “Halloween” is targeted because it suggests paganism; a “birthday” might not be happy to all because it isn’t celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Julie Lewis’ family celebrates Christmas and Kwanzaa, but she told CBS 2′s Emily Smith she wants her children to appreciate and learn about other holidays and celebrations. “They’re going to meet people from all walks of life and they’re going to have to learn to adjust,” Lewis said.
Words that suggest wealth are excluded because they could make kids jealous. “Poverty” is also on the forbidden list. That’s something Sy Fliegal with the Center for Educational Innovation calls ridiculous. “The Petersons take a vacation for five days in their Mercedes … so what? You think our kids are going to be offended because they don’t have a Mercedes? You think our kids are going to say ‘I’m offended; how could they ask me a question about a Mercedes? I don’t have a Mercedes!’” Fliegal said.
In a throwback to “Footloose,” the word “dancing” is also taboo. However, there is good news for kids that like “ballet”: The city made an exception for this form of dance. Also banned are references to “divorce” and “disease,” because kids taking the tests may have relatives who split from spouses or are ill.
Some students think banning these words from periodic assessment tests is ridiculous. “If you don’t celebrate one thing you might have a friend that does it. So I don’t see why people would find it offensive,” Curtis High School Sophomore Jamella Lewis told Diamond.
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said the DOE is simply giving guidance to the test developers. “So we’re not an outlier in being politically correct. This is just making sure that test makers are sensitive in the development of their tests,” Walcott said Monday. To which Fliegal responded: “It’s all of life! I don’t know how they figure out what not to put on the list. Every aspect of life is on the list.”
There are banned words currently in school districts nationwide. Walcott said New York City’s list is longer because its student body is so diverse. Here is the complete list of words that could be banned:
Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological)
Alcohol (beer and liquor), tobacco, or drugs
Birthday celebrations (and birthdays)
Bodily functions
Cancer (and other diseases)
Catastrophes/disasters (tsunamis and hurricanes)
Celebrities
Children dealing with serious issues
Cigarettes (and other smoking paraphernalia)
Computers in the home (acceptable in a school or library setting)
Crime
Death and disease
Divorce
Evolution
Expensive gifts, vacations, and prizes
Gambling involving money
Halloween
Homelessness
Homes with swimming pools
Hunting
Junk food
In-depth discussions of sports that require prior knowledge
Loss of employment
Nuclear weapons
Occult topics (i.e. fortune-telling)
Parapsychology
Politics
Pornography
Poverty
Rap Music
Religion
Religious holidays and festivals (including but not limited to Christmas, Yom Kippur, and Ramadan)
Rock-and-Roll music
Running away
Sex
Slavery
Terrorism
Television and video games (excessive use)
Traumatic material (including material that may be particularly upsetting such as animal shelters)
Vermin (rats and roaches)
Violence
War and bloodshed
Weapons (guns, knives, etc.)
Witchcraft, sorcery, etc.
I finally realized that Liberalism really is a disease. :-)
“’Halloween’ is targeted because it suggests paganism”
Now this guy, who is an “educator” apparently has no idea that “halloween” means “the evening before All Saints’ Day” - this is hardly a pagan reference. However, it would then be banned because it is a religious reference.
And they wonder why people home-school their kids.
As a wise woman I know likes to point out (at least a few times daily): “We are surrounded by idiots!”
One word they should get used to...”unemployed”.
Did they include George Carlin’s list?
Here’s another — LIBiot
Dinosaurs do not suggest evolution. I am a creationist surrounded by creationists, and we are fully aware the dinosaurs existed. There existence does not contradict the Genesis account of creation whatsoever, and dinosaurs are not objected to in the slightest.
Strange assertion in this article.
Under Bloombutt and his faithful Igor, Dennis “Yes Master” Walcott, the NYC public schools are a stunning example of Libtards Unbound. Every single thing a libtard would want to see in something, the NYC public schools have on display. Socialist Core Curriculum indoctrination? Check. No one allowed to fail? Check. Not allowed to discipline students because it might hurt their feelings? Check. Hand out laptops and other technology in hopes it might make up for lack of ambition, poor study habits and failure to do any assigned work? Check. Bending over backwards to pass students who do not deserve to pass? Check.
Let us “sugar coat” reality so that TRUTH is just a figment of the imagination.
PC speak is nothing more than lies, and a lie always kills a part of the world.
God help us!!!!!
There are two on the list with which I agree:
Rap music
and
Television and video games.
;-)
Looks like talking points key words for libtards.
What day will NYC pick for it’s Book Burning Day ?
Funny how in the 60s and 70s, the Liberals on the ones claiming the Conservatives were imposing censorship. How times change. But, of course, they will claim their goal is to keep people from feeling bad. Which obviously trumps free expression and thought. [/s]
Someday, just maybe, CITIZENS will wake up and realize those of us who have been stating unionized government schools are the education arm of the Communist Manifesto and everything they have been doing for the past 60+ years confirms this.
Just like the IRS must be completely dismantled the public school monopoly must be completely shut down, vouchers issued which can be used at the parents discretion for educational purposes ONLY.
It makes my blood boil to think of all the evil business government labeled as monopolies all while the government creates their own monopolies.
There is no rational excuse to allow this proven destruction of the educational system to continue.
The only viable choices:
1) Home School if you have the time and ability.
2) Private School if you have the money
3) Non-Union Charter schools.
Anything else is Child Abuse.
The public school experiment started to fail once unions were introduced and the unions got in bed with democrats at the very same time progressive communists were climbing under the same sheets.
Somehow,I don't think they are interested in sparing the sensitive feelings of Christian conservatives...it's the Pressure Cooker Gang they are really afraid of. :)
Sounds like the school board fell down the rabbit hole.
5.56mm
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