Students protest after history teacher punished for showing homosexual PSA

[pstokely]

Source: KCTV

Ken Simon was removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave after he showed the 10-minute video that dealt with homosexuality. He is facing disciplinary action.

"Him being suspended over a situation of him actually teaching about our history as a country is absolutely asinine," former student Victoria Long said.

The video was made in 1959. It warns students to avoid strangers "because they might be homosexual."

Ken Simon said he used the video to show just how much attitudes about homosexuality have changed over the years.


Read more: http://www.kctv5.com/story/28999455/students-protest-after-history-teacher-punished-for-showing-homosexual-psa

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[GreatGazoo]

1. Gotta love headlines that flip the key element of the story

Let me guess, they couldn't fit the word "anti" into that headline ?

[MosheFeingold]

10. The anti-teacher backlash

Reminds me of the semi-annual school protests against Huckleberry Finn because it used the word "nigger" in it (repeatedly and distastefully).

Well, unfair treatment of slaves/former slaves/lower-class whites was pretty much the point of the book, and that word and the stigma attached to it was part of it.

And Showing an absurd "reefer madness" style movie about gays makes perfect sense in the context of teaching history.

I remember reading "Mein Kampf" in junior high, as part of a summer class put on by the JCC. It was a powerful education regarding hatred and the manipulation of people.

People coddle their kids too much. The world can be a pretty hateful and dangerous place and to hide that from kids does them a disservice.

[Behind the Aegis]

17. It isn't anti-teacher backlash.

Most of what I have seen in the news, as well as comments like yours, are anything but "anti-teacher." Those like myself want some questions answered, as well as to hear from the school. This doesn't compare to "Reefer Madness" this is in the realm of "Birth of a Nation." So, if, as he claims, he was showing it as a historical perspective, what was the follow-up conversation? Was there one? Was this the school overreacting? Was this the school covering their asses? Much of the story seems to be missing. The story has already slightly changed from this being shown in a law enforcement class, to it now being shown in a world history class. He very well may be "in the right" and was actually doing something positive, or it could be a case of "I was telling people the truth about homos, and they got pissed and now I am the victim." I have seen both.

[Beowulf42]

16. Response

As a teacher of over 30 years it sounds like a very teachable moment. It probably wasn't in the Common Core curriculum. Be gone Wisdom, be gone Common Sense, be gone any trace of creativity in Lessons.

[Behind the Aegis]

18. I noticed that too, as well as....

"Ken Simon was removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave after he showed the 10-minute video that dealt with homosexuality. He is facing disciplinary action." That was under one of the pictures in the article. The video didn't "deal with homosexuality".

[rpannier]

2. Wonder how his supporters would feel

if it were a 'PSA' about the dangers that white women faced from non-white males

[Adrahil]

7. I think in the context of a history class, that would be FINE.

This is the Gay equivalent of "Reefer Madness." It's good to be aware of this kind of stuff. I have, in fact, seen that PSA.

[rpannier]

9. Don't disagree

I am curious how quick they'd be to defend him if that were what he'd done
I am curious, as I replied to another post in the thread...
Did the administration ask for his lesson plans for the lesson?
When I taught for 6 years in the 90's and coming from a family of teachers, is that every lesson requires lesson plans.
Someone in administration checked them every three weeks.
Anything that might be controversial required their permission and a possible letter home to the parents
Is this the first time he's taught this lesson? Used this film?

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Something is missing from this story.

I have heard/read a number of people explaining why he did it (to show how views on gays have evolved), yet nothing from him about it. What was the following discussion? How or why was this relevant to the lesson of the day, and what was that lesson?

[RobinA]

5. Well, Maybe

but most of his students seem to have gotten a certain message from the film that would support his supporters.

I might hazard a guess that the complainers had a problem with the fact that he was DERIDING these attitudes from the past, not that he showed a film containing those attitudes. The linked article is from Kansas City.

[RobinA]

6. He States

in the linked article why he did it.

[Behind the Aegis]

14. That wasn't a quote from him.

However, in the FOX broadcast he did state: "“I did say right when I started, let’s look at this and see how things have changes since 1959,” Simon said." I should have been more explicit and said how was the "change" portrayed in his class, as good or bad. Most of those making the claim he was to show advancements have been reporters or former students. This well may be a school overreacting or moving too quickly. The story has somewhat changed in originally this was for his "law enforcement" class, now, it was supposedly shown in his world history class. Without hearing from the students or the school, it is hard to say if this was shown with good intentions or bad ones. Though, some seem to already have passed judgment and think the intention was good; done deal.

[Android3.14]

4. So quick to criticize the teacher

Until I know more, I am avoiding a ride on the assumption wagon regarding the teacher's motivation.

One might as well dismiss a teacher of film history for showing Birth of a Nation (A KKK inspired film, but also a landmark in film history).

Or dismiss a teacher for showing pictures of a "Whites Only" sign at a Birmingham diner in 1960 or video of George Wallace protesting desegregation.

The fact of the matter is that attitudes towards LGBT folks have changed enormously in the past 50 years, and a history class is the perfect forum to show that.

[rpannier]

8. Interesting thought

Which brings to my mind a question
Where is the lesson plan for this lesson
It should have what the purpose is, how he will present it and the steps he'll take
Did administration ask for it? Did he make lesson plans, which I think all teachers are required to have

[Android3.14]

13. Regarding lesson plans

All teachers should have lesson plans, and many districts (or states) require a specific format and such for lesson plans. When I taught, I had detailed lesson plans often, but sometimes would just wing it. Other teachers would have lesson plans to satisfy the district requirements, but they wouldn't use them in class.

Experienced teachers often know their subject so well and have taught the pieces so often that they don't keep updated lesson plans.

It seems an FOIA request would be appropriate in this case, in order to see what the plan was, or if there even was a plan.

The teacher, by keeping quiet, is following the best social media strategy of allowing defenders to come to his aid rather than defending himself.

He might be a rollicking homophobic bastard, but this might also be fallout from the recent upsurge of outrage at how many people often treat minority segments of the population. I wonder if the complaint came from homophobes in class unhappy the teacher was normalizing LGBT acceptance by underlining how much things have changed, from LGBT kids misperceiving the lesson as an attack, or from vindictive students (think Mean Girls or bullies) trying to exact revenge on a teacher for something unrelated to the lesson.

[LisaL]

11. The video is actually about sexual predators who prey on teenage boys.

If the goal was to show how attitudes changed toward homosexuals, that surely wasn't the best video to watch.

[snooper2]

12. Why do people comment on articles and videos when they don'y read or watch them?

I really don't get it...


It's not like you can just start a narrative and, oh, well, that's what I think so it's right!

[Behind the Aegis]

15. Some are clearly missing that point, as well.

[Larry Engels]

19. I can see how this film could be used for a good class discussion.

It's red meat for critical thinking, e.g., about how "pedophile" is wrongly conflated with "homosexual" in the film. It would be spot on for a college class in philosophy or communication. Or for bright high school seniors. But stuff like this will always get you in trouble with secondary school officials.