NYT: Museum Field Trip Deemed Too Revealing (nude art made some people upset)

[Destino]

FRISCO, Tex., Sept. 28 — “Keep the ‘Art’ in ‘Smart’ and ‘Heart,’ ” Sydney McGee had posted on her Web site at Wilma Fisher Elementary School in this moneyed boomtown that is gobbling up the farm fields north of Dallas.

But Ms. McGee, 51, a popular art teacher with 28 years in the classroom, is out of a job after leading her fifth-grade classes last April through the Dallas Museum of Art. One of her students saw nude art in the museum, and after the child’s parent complained, the teacher was suspended.

Although the tour had been approved by the principal, and the 89 students were accompanied by 4 other teachers, at least 12 parents and a museum docent, Ms. McGee said, she was called to the principal the next day and “bashed.”

She later received a memorandum in which the principal, Nancy Lawson, wrote: “During a study trip that you planned for fifth graders, students were exposed to nude statues and other nude art representations.” It cited additional complaints, which Ms. McGee has challenged.

The school board suspended her with pay on Sept. 22.

In a newsletter e-mailed to parents this week, the principal and Rick Reedy, superintendent of the Frisco Independent School District, said that Ms. McGee had been denied transfer to another school in the district, that her annual contract would not be renewed and that a replacement had been interviewed.

Link

[codeorama]

That's a shame.

[alexey]

Parents who cannot raise their kids to deal with nude art properly will surely blame the teacher for allowing their kids to come in contact with it... and the lowest common denominator gets lower yet again...

[SkinInsite]

Woot a true to life Simpsons episode.

[zoony]

Who are these parents? Seriously.

.....

[Beaudry]

This thread is worthless without pics.

This depends on the nude art. Still, these are only 5th graders here. The school really doesn't need to be exposing them to nude art.

It's a fine line. Somebody could call a donkey show "live art" or some crap. I wouldn't want my kid to see that on a school field trip.

[zoony]

This thread is worthless without pics.

This depends on the nude art. Still, these are only 5th graders here. The school really doesn't need to be exposing them to nude art.

It's a fine line. Somebody could call a donkey show "live art" or some crap. I wouldn't want my kid to see that on a school field trip.

There's a donkey show at the Dallas Museum of Art?

Let's keep this discussion within the realm of sanity please.

[SkinsOrlando]

Considering the word "art" has a vague definition, I'd just like to see what there ****ing about first before commentating.

[rincewind]

This thread is worthless without pics.

This depends on the nud3 art. Still, these are only 5th graders here. The school really doesn't need to be exposing them to nud3 art.

It's a fine line. Somebody could call a donkey show "live art" or some crap. I wouldn't want my kid to see that on a school field trip.

Beaudry - I know there's not much going on in ND, but why in the world are you asking for pics of a donkey show??? :paranoid:

[Jumbo]

Let's keep this discussion within the realm of sanity please.

Violates precedent.

[SkinInsite]

Here's the Dallas Museaum of Art home page: http://dallasmuseumofart.org/

Maybe we can find some donkey shows.

[Destino]

This thread is worthless without pics.

This depends on the nude art. Still, these are only 5th graders here. The school really doesn't need to be exposing them to nude art.

It's a fine line. Somebody could call a donkey show "live art" or some crap. I wouldn't want my kid to see that on a school field trip.

I don't think the Dallas Museum of Art has a bestiality wing.

One of the works mentioned in the article:

Aristide Maillol’s "Flora"

I couldn't ffind a picture of the other two. I'm sure there is some art that would make parents uncomfortable in any museum. I have to wonder though, is their discomfort the teachers fault? If a trip is approved by them at what point do they have to take responsibility and perhaps go to the museum and see for themselves what is there before deciding it's ok for Timmy to attend.

[SkinsOrlando]

^^^^^ that statue doesn't seem to be in bad taste, any other examples of what there ****in bout?

edit: If thats all there complaining about people need to get a life.

[rincewind]

I don't think the Dallas Museum of Art a best1ality wing.

One of the works mentioned in the article:

Aristide Maillol’s "Flora"

Awww... I was hoping for a sculpture of Britney Spears on all fours giving birth.

[Destino]

this one is not in the Dallas Museum of Art - but I'm curious at what point people get uncomfortable. Would you be upset if your child saw this?

Valerio Cioli's 1560 statue in Florence's Boboli Gardens

What about Michelangelo's statue of Night?

[Beaudry]

^^^^^ that statue doesn't seem to be in bad taste, any other examples of what there ****in bout?

edit: If thats all there complaining about people need to get a life.

Exactly. Only the truely uppity would complain about that. This is probably a case of overreactive parents. Still, what passes for art today is sometimes some stuff that kids shouldn't be seeing.

[SkinsOrlando]

Destino, I could have gone all day without seeing a statue of Bill Parcells riding a turtle. Now I need to go vomit.

[Destino]

Destino, I could have gone all day without seeing a statue of Bill Parcells riding a turtle. Now I need to go vomit.

:laugh: :laugh: Oh man that made me lmao!

[diesel22]

this one is not in the Dallas Museum of Art - but I'm curious at what point people get uncomfortable. Would you be upset if your child saw this?

Valerio Cioli's 1560 statue in Florence's Boboli Gardens

What about Michelangelo's statue of Night?

Forget kids -- it upsets me that I saw it....

{The 1st one}

[Destino]

Those two images I posted really aren't that bad. If you've seen some of the more "interesting" pieces of art out there you know what I mean. I'm not talking about the nasty stuff either. There are several well known sculpture that push the limit of what American parents would be ok with I think. It's just a reminder that it's easy to be upset at the parents but while I disagree with them we do well to remember that sometimes art isn't so easy to look at.

[The Evil Genius]

Forgot the nude Art - if I was the school - I would fired his ass for teaching stuff that isn't on the standardized tests.

I mean, how else are the schools suppose to get more money?

[TheDoyler23]

Initial thought: "Oh, this HAD to have taken place in the south/southwest."

[Mass_SkinsFan]

I'm probably going to shock people when I say that I have to agree that the instructor's firing was nonsensical and that some parents need to get over themselves a little bit. They obviously had to sign a permission slip for these kids to attend the trip and we've already proven that the Dallas Art Museum's website is easily accessible for those parents wanting to see what their child would be exposed to. How about taking a little personal responsibilitiy, parents?

Having said that, I'm wondering why these students really needed a field-trip to the Dallas Art Museum. Personally, I'd like to see a lot of these field trips whittled down. Especially those that don't really have a serious educational (history, science, math) value to them. Just my thoughts though.

[Predicto]

Texas hurr hurr hurr

Parent Wants "Fahrenheit 451" Censored from High School...

http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17270600&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=532215&rfi=6

The best part is where the guy complaining admits he hasn't actually read the book.

[The Evil Genius]

Parent Wants "Fahrenheit 451" Censored from High School

Ah...the smell of irony.

And in case someone doesn't get that...Bradbury's book is set in a world is which reading books is banned. :laugh: