Albany, NY – Teacher Who Asked Students To ‘Argue Jews Are Evil’ Suspended

    9

    Albany Public Schools Superintendent Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard speaks about a Nazi-themed assignment given to students during a news conference on Friday, April 12, 2013, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)Albany, NY – A high school English teacher who had students pretend to be Jew-hating Nazis in a writing assignment has been placed on leave.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    The teacher at Albany High School caused a storm of criticism after having students practice the art of persuasive writing by penning a letter to a fictitious Nazi government official arguing that “Jews are evil.”

    District Superintendent Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard held a news conference Friday to apologize for the assignment.

    The Times Union newspaper reported (http://bit.ly/ZTc4PU ) on Saturday that the teacher was not in class on Friday and had been placed on leave by the school district.

    The district has not named the teacher, who was described as a veteran.

    The writing assignment was done before a planned class reading of the memoir “Night,” by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.

    For the assignment, the teacher asked students to research Nazi propaganda, then write a letter trying to convince an official of the Third Reich “that Jews are evil and the source of our problems.”

    “Review in your notebooks the definitions for logos, ethos, and pathos,” the teacher’s assignment said. “Choose which argument style will be most effective in making your point. Please remember, your life (here in Nazi Germany in the 30’s) may depend on it!”

    Wyngaard said she didn’t think the assignment was malicious but “it displayed a level of insensitivity that we absolutely will not tolerate.”

    Many of the students were dismayed by the assignment. Some refused to write the essay.


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    9 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Benny
    Benny
    10 years ago

    “Albany Public Schools Superintendent Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard said she didn’t think the assignment was malicious but “it displayed a level of insensitivity that we absolutely will not tolerate.”
    Many of the students were dismayed by the assignment. Some refused to write the essay.”

    The students of your school have much more brains than her, so maybe they should teach, and she should go through some therapy.

    10 years ago

    It would probably not be a good idea, but now I think you can also write your essay on why my teacher obstructed dignity and justice.

    Normal
    Normal
    10 years ago

    The teacher can write an essay what it would be like to be unemployable and the subsequent consequences of not having an income.

    10 years ago

    Not good enough. A cop-out.

    10 years ago

    Either she is completely incompetent for her poor judgement or a tremendous racist. Either way doesn’t seem fit to teach.

    Raphael_Kaufman
    Raphael_Kaufman
    10 years ago

    Over-reaction. If stupidity was culpable, half the population of Brooklyn would be in jail. Her embarrassment is punishment enough.

    10 years ago

    If it was written against Blacks sharpton, and every other so call spokesman would have bus in agitators and demand firing for teacher, principle and superintendent

    qwe123
    qwe123
    10 years ago

    She could have asked them to write a convincing argument why she should be fired, which no amount of appology would correct.
    Now THAT would be a good challenge for a teacher to give her students.

    Haimov
    Haimov
    10 years ago

    I do not think she is fired. She is in a rubber room and is getting her salary/