Re: what constituted discrimination? -Reply
C123S105L (C123S105L@aol.com)
Sat, 14 Mar 1998 14:02:53 EST
Dear Linda:
Perhaps Iam suffering from a ''neurotic flare up'' but in the past there days
I have been feeling ''anger'' and a certain amount of deep frustration. The
fact and the matter is that I cannot sit ''too still or too calm'' when
Ingrid's entire social studies/history book has 587 pages and out of those
pages only 10 mention women and two of those ''as wifes of Presidents cast in
a totally gender biased stereotyped light.'' you are absolutely right. These
goes behond ''a simple bias'' these curriculums and these textbooks are
creating a totally hostile environment for female students because
not one should have the slightest doubt that teachers in Ingrid's school are
''resisting''
the inclusion of women in their studies and that the only reason you see a few
women displayed this month is because of the pressure we been puting on the
Principal for some time now, and we asked her to please be aware that this
month's
was Women History. But as soon as it is over whatever slight recognition women
received will be FORGOTTEN untill next year. So lately I have been discussing
very
seriously with my husband that if this type of discrimination continues in
curriculum
next year at the MIDDLE SCHOOL I cannot in good conscience allow my daughter
to continue being taught in what we consider ''single sex education'' (that of
boys.)
And I don't call a teacher's refusal to include women in a list of composers
''a bias'' I call it discrimination because my daughter, even at the age of
ten, is beginning
to feel quite uncomfortable and there is not doubt that curriculums like these
give ''boys'' a great sense of superiority over the female students and that
even at this age my daughter is beginning ''to take it all in'' and to find
herself in a position
to ''have to defend'' herself and ''assert herself'' in an unfriendly
environment. The worst of this, of course. is the fact that at least in
Ingrid's school, some teachers are being hostile. One 4th grade teacher put
the picture of a man outside her classrooom and directed her students ''to do
this man'' apparently as a response to the Principal's suggestion to ''do
someone fot this month) Tuesday we are meeting with Dr.Safffer assistant
superintendent of schools and also TITLE IX coordinator. We have not received
official reply as promised regarding music teacher's refusal to include
women. We want to concentrate ALL effort in forcing these teachers to look at
these deplorable curriculums but what frustrates me is that it does not seem
we have a great case ''legally'' under TITLE IX to rely on to continue forcing
them to confront this problem in a professional manner. We care. We care
greatly that girls are not coming even close to being ''equally represented in
the clasroom. We have got to find a way to bring it to national attention.
Count us in in whatever effort it takes.
Lesemann