where chickens and other animals can be decapitated ritually,
with instruction sheets for the children to cover themselves in the animal blood
as they are taught to pray to the devil with sorcery.
THAT was found to be acceptable.
Posted on 11/26/2001 9:17:00 AM PST by X-USAF
Kids Gym Schoolhouse owner Laura Johnson knew a positive evaluation of her preschool’s program was necessary to earn a distinguished four-star rating from the state. But she didn’t expect one evaluator to deduct points based on the presence of “violent” toys.
So what did the observer determine to be violent? A toy ax? A toy gun? Child-size toy hand grenades?
None of the above.
The offending toys in this case: nine green plastic Army men.
To a really imaginative child, the Army men could have been part of a plastic peacekeeping force. But to an observer rating the program under the Early Childhood Environmental Rating System, the little figures represented something else.
“If stereotyping or violence is shown with regard to any group, then credit cannot be given,” wrote evaluator Katie Haselden. “It was observed that nine ‘army men’ were present in the block play area. These figures reflect stereotyping and violence, therefore credit cannot be given.”
Despite the five-point reduction caused by the plastic troops, Kids Gym Schoolhouse ended up garnering a coveted four out of five possible stars, but Ms. Johnson is still piqued about what she considers an overreaction by evaluators.
“It’s absurd,” she said. “It doesn’t make any sense at all.”
Mrs. Johnson said whenever she observed the children playing with the plastic soldiers, they were being used in nonviolent, imaginative play – such as putting the little green men astride a stuffed giraffe in the play area.
But Anna Carter, supervisor of the N.C. Division of Child Development’s Policy and Program Unit, said authors of the Environmental Rating System consider toy soldiers inappropriate because they represent a violent theme.
When asked if parental influence could prompt some children to view soldiers as positive, protective role models, Ms. Carter insisted that children couldn’t draw that distinction.
“They’d be more likely to use the toy soldiers to hurt the other army men or to shoot the stuffed animals,” she said, adding that if that happened she didn’t believe most early childhood educators could be trusted to redirect the children toward more appropriate play.
But some parents think the state is sending the wrong message to children.
Roland Hollar, whose 5-year-old grandson Jesse Hansen attends programs at Kids Gym, said his boy has been taught by family to respect military personnel.
“I don’t see any problems with the little soldiers. We’ve taught Jesse that police officers and the military work for our country,” Mr. Hollar said. “I don’t think children should be taught that the military are bad guys.”
This kind of crap just makes me want to puke.
THAT was found to be acceptable.
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What, are we teaching kids green people are violent? How is this stereotyping? Because the soldiers are all MEN??
At least FReepers now know what to get kids for Christmas.
Do you have a neighbor with kids interested in saving money on daycare so expensive that she'd be much better off staying home looking after her kids - if you paid her far less than you pay KinderCare to look after yours as well?
The daycare industry has a 40% annual turnover among "teachers." Your neighbor doesn't!
patent
Kinda tough on kids with parents in the military.
It's not easy being green!
Actually, it's more like Olive Drab!
State rater?
Unacceptable.
Just how long are we to tolerate government administration by the lower quintile of the IQ curve?
Do these incomptents still have jobs?
Actually, it's more like Olive Drab!
I can only work with what I'm given. The article said "green army men". Besides, if I used Olive Drab, then you would have missed the sly allusion to Kerm... Oh, never mind. ;-)
The Director of the North Carolina Division of Child Development is named Peggy Ball. Ms. Ball is Anna Carter's and Katie Haselden's boss and she can be reached at:
Division of Child Development
P.O. Box 29553
Raleigh, NC 27626
Phone: (919) 662-4543
Fax: (919) 662-4568 Email: webmasterdcd@ncmail.net
"The Center for the Study of Boneheaded Lie-beral Quote Syndrome...because some lefties don't know how STUPID they really sound."©
When asked if parental influence could prompt some children to view soldiers as positive, protective role models, Ms. Carter insisted that children couldn’t draw that distinction.
“They’d be more likely to use the toy soldiers to hurt the other army men or to shoot the stuffed animals,” she said, adding that if that happened she didn’t believe most early childhood educators could be trusted to redirect the children toward more appropriate play.
Look...I hate to shout, but...
WE'RE TALKING TOYS HERE, YOU SILLY WOMAN!!!
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