Boy Given Zero on Assignment

[Shogun]

Michaelangelo's "The Creation of Man" is Christian. doh!

just like his statue of David is Catholic!


ZING!

 

[Ravi]

But he was gay, maybe that's why they allowed it...stupid liberals and their agendas.

 

[Ravi]

I think there must be more to this story. And while it may be true that any "contract" he signed isn't legally binding, it's certainly true that any contract he signed regarding the class policy and how it effects his grade is binding in regard to the grade he is given. My kids have to sign things all the time promising that they'll follow this, that, and the other procedure and that failure to complete the assignment as outlined will result in points off or a big fat zero.

I'd laugh them out of the house if they thought they could sue in federal court because they didn't do the assignment as assigned.

 

[BrianH]

All of this is over nothing....No really...nothing, Zero 0

 

[Ravi]

All of this is over nothing....No really...nothing, Zero 0

What would you think if you got sued because you gave an F to someone that didn't do the assignment as assigned?

 

[BrianH]

What would you think if you got sued because you gave an F to someone that didn't do the assignment as assigned?

It was a joke Ravir. The kid got a ZERO...thefore, this lawsuit is over a ZERO---nothing.

 

[Shogun]

as a kid who routinely conflicted with my HS art teacher I would say that I shouldn't have to stifle creativity that eminates from personally held philosophies as long as the tested criteria of the project was covered. I don't see where the teacher was concerned that the project wasn't finished or didn't qualify under the criteria of the assigned project; no, their concern was strictly about the addition of a cross and the reaction of the student body to such a religous christian symbol. Were I in this kids shoes I'd have taken a detention after having a "take this art class and shove it" moment.

 

[Ravi]

It was a joke Ravir. The kid got a ZERO...thefore, this lawsuit is over a ZERO---nothing.

I know it was a joke, I was just curious...??

 

[BrianH]

Ok, while I'd be obliged to answer....

First off, I wouldn't set such rules, standards, or whatever we want to call it in my classroom.

Second, As long as the kid is not condemning everyone else to hell, or spending his/her class-time trying to convince the other kids that they're wrong and that Christianity is the way to be, then I don't have a problem with a child drawing a picture of a cross for a grade, or writing an essay about their views of Christianity. The teacher should be smart enough to realize that people do/don't belong to different religions, something that plays a big part in a religious person's life (whether the teacher agrees with what they're believing in or not). I can't stand when teachers take their own views on something and censor everything that involves creativity or personal opinion.

And as far as directly answering your question....If for some reason or another, a student told me to take the F I gave them and shove it, or sued me for it, I certainly wouldn't like it, but would come up with a better argument than, "He signed a contract that said....blah blah blah...."

 

[Ravi]

Okay, but at this point you are only hearing the student's side of the story. IMNSHO, students are more likely to lie than teachers are...at least about stuff like this. For all we know, the assignment was to draw a natural landscape and he might have gotten a zero if he had cars floating in the sky.

It's good to know, in your classroom at least, that the student is always right.

 

[BrianH]

Okay, but at this point you are only hearing the student's side of the story. IMNSHO, students are more likely to lie than teachers are...at least about stuff like this. For all we know, the assignment was to draw a natural landscape and he might have gotten a zero if he had cars floating in the sky.

It's good to know, in your classroom at least, that the student is always right.

ha ha ha...very funny...I agree about not having the other side of the story.

I don't think the student is always right, but I don't think a student should have to "shut" him/herself off to do school work. What a kid believes is a big part of how a kid performs and the creativity --especially in art---that he/she comes up with.

 

[Ravi]

Sure, but art is also a subject of study and drawing your classmate instead of a landscape would probably result in a failing grade.

Just sayin.

 

[BrianH]

Fair enough, but would a landscape not be a landscape if it had a house in it? Or a person. The last I checked, the boy did draw a landscape, he just added something to it...it's still a landscape. If you were to draw the landscape of Las Angeles, it would have buildings, cars, people, birds, rats, and maybe an adult movie store or two. LOL....I still feel that the boy met all requirements of the assignment...drawing a landscape. You can see the land, you can see the "scape" (heh heh).

 

[Ravi]

I wonder if we'll ever know? My guess is the suit will get laughed out of court.

I've never actually seen a cross and a bible verse floating in the sky but anything is possible.

 

[BrianH]

I wonder if we'll ever know? My guess is the suit will get laughed out of court.

I've never actually seen a cross and a bible verse floating in the sky but anything is possible.

You may be right and we'll probably never know. I don't think the kid should sue over it, but I also don't think the kid should get a zero.


while I've never seen a floating bible verse, I have passed landscapes decorated with crosses. When we travel to San Antonio, there's a spot in the road where you can look across several hills, and in the middle there's a larger hill with a big cross on top of it, and at night they illuminate it. It's a really pretty view, even if you don't believe.

 

[Shogun]

Sure, but art is also a subject of study and drawing your classmate instead of a landscape would probably result in a failing grade.

Just sayin.

but, if the subject is drawing form and the christian DOES draw his classmate....with a cross necklace.... should he fail? The original image WAS a landscape. I'd like to see what other pieces of visual mastery were turned in that made his picture so wrong for the assignment.

 

[Ravi]

I dunno, I'd like to know what the assignment was. It'd be nice to hear the teacher's side of the story.

 

[Shogun]

indeed.

but, the fact of a statement that had to be signed restricting religious subject matter in an art class is pretty damning. This is America, goddammit. If a kid wants to draw or demonize jebus, mohammed, buddha, aristotle, satan or the FSM then so be it. If this kid wants to draw a cross then the teacher better have a damn good excuse for their behaviour. It's not like the kids picture was total shit. It's not like the kid DOESN;T have a constitutional right to the freedom of speech. I'm far from the kind of guy looking for any way to inject dogma into the classroom but it is exactly this kind of shit that I'll have to hear about when boohoo christians point out unfair treatment in public education. So far, this case validates the claim.

 

[Ravi]

That's a good point. IMO, they should allow these types of religious expression in school, no matter what the religion is...I just am scratching my head at this story and thinking something else is going on here.

 

[Shogun]

maybe there is.. maybe this is just an initial gut reaction.. But, the teacher has a lot of explaining to do given the info already out there.


just sayin..