[UPDATE of source] Berkeley Teachers: Holocaust didn't happen. AIDS a plot by US gov't to infect people of color.

[b0mbrman]

[UPDATE] Got an email back from the writer with a bit of source information but not much. Apparently there hasn't been a story on it since it just happened last wednesday. As yet, it's breaking news but not time-sensitive enough that they needed to run it now w/incomplete facts.

Anyhow, he said they might run a news article on it soon enough as more details surface so let's just wait and see

[/UPDATE]



There's much more to the column, I'll let you take what you want from it:

[Excerpt]
Brian Ritchie
The Correct Answer is ?

The Holocaust was which of the following: a) the almost complete destruction of the Jews in Europe by Nazi Germany; b) an anti-Semitic campaign; or c) religious genocide? According to Berkeley Unified School District Boardmember Shirley Issel, some teachers at Berkeley High School have been teaching this: d) an event that "never really happened."

The allegation against certain ethnic studies and social living teachers at Berkeley High comes as part of a larger criticism of the school?that it faces a dearth of professionalism and ethics that "allows people to feel comfortable pushing their particular point of view down the throats of students," Issel said.

Among other noteworthy tidbits being taught in the ethnic studies classes at the school is, according to Issel, that "AIDS is a plot by the U.S. government to infect people of color."

Several board members have expressed concern for class content, acknowledging the need for action but stopping short of lifting any fingers to do anything.

....

[/excerpt]

 

[DrizztDoUrden]

Don't like what your kid is being taught? Change schools. Case closed. Too many whiners these days.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< Don't like what your kid is being taught? Change schools. Case closed. Too many whiners these days. >>


It's a public school though...changing schools requires moving to a different part of town, no?

 

[Lucky]

interesting but there isnt much substantiation of those claims.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< interesting but there isnt much substantiation of those claims. >>


Yeah...that's what I got from it too.

Of course, this is a column and not a news story

 

[DrizztDoUrden]

Don't need to move to go to private school or home school.

You can't expect to get a free education and at the same time dictate what is being taught.

You want 100% control? Home school.

 

[MrDingleDangle]

wow if that had happened in my school parents would be going crazy...

i find if it is true that it is strange that there has yet to be a single complaint...just doesnt seem right

 

[b0mbrman]

<< Don't need to move to go to public school or home school.
You can't expect to get a free education and at the same time dictate what is being taught.
You want 100% control? Home school. >>


And while I spend money home-schooling my kid, can I keep paying property taxes too in order to fund the public school down the street? That would be extra-fun


<< i find if it is true that it is strange that there has yet to be a single complaint...just doesnt seem right >>


This is Berkeley though...It wouldn't be too big a stretch if the parents agreed w/all those nutty things

 

[UltraQuiet]

Is that a credible source? I would like to know and maybe get some rebuttal from the school before making comments.

 

[MajesticMoose]

If that kind of teacher existed where i went to school, they'd probably just be laughed at. I also have serious doubts about how long they would be keeping that job. We had a biology teacher (she finally retired this year) that would hint about a vast conspiracy to keep people in the dark about children being born with tales. She would also sing duets with dead perch and taught us about the importance of foreplay. Definetely a character, but not so much in the bad way like this woman.

 

[MrDingleDangle]

maybe this teacher is the same person who made that "a plane didnt hit the pentagon" website

 

[b0mbrman]

<< Is that a credible source? I would like to know and maybe get some rebuttal from the school before making comments. >>


It's our school newspaper. I'll check out other local newspapers though the smaller ones around here are pretty biased and the bigger ones (i.e. Oakland Tribune, SF Chronicle) probably wouldn't think it newsworthy enough to run

 

[UltraQuiet]

<< It's our school newspaper. I'll check out other local newspapers though the smaller ones around here are pretty biased and the bigger ones (i.e. Oakland Tribune, SF Chronicle) probably wouldn't think it newsworthy enough to run >>


You da man.

 

[Czar]

Isnt there some standard or law or something that states what can be teached and what cant?

 

[UltraQuiet]

<< Isnt there some standard or law or something that states what can be teached and what cant? >>


Some states do dictate the curriculum. What is universally mandated is that the truth be an integral part of the curriculum.

 

[sandorski]

Hmm, are they actually teaching this or have they mentioned these things as alternatives?

I don't consider school newspapers as a very reliable source though.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< Hmm, are they actually teaching this or have they mentioned these things as alternatives? >>


Don't know anything beyond what I've read in the column.


<< I don't consider school newspapers as a very reliable source though. >>


Me neither...I emailed the guy that wrote the article to see if he's got any news sources.

 

[notfred]

If you think you're going to learn anything useful in an "ethnic studies" class at any university, let alone Berkeley, you've got issues. These are the same issues that cause you to waste $50,000 on a sociology or "women's studies" degree that's absolutely useless.

 

[vi edit]

I'd really take this with a grain of salt. So many things can be taken out of context and contorted to sound bad. I think that Bush is a classic example of this.

Without knowing the rest of the information before and after these little quips, I'll refrain from making any sort of off the hip judgements.

 

[b0mbrman]

bump for update