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DEL.ICIO.USGwinnett’s R-Rated Movie Controversy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Another one for the “Oh come on!” files…
South Gwinnett High School teacher resigns after being threatened with termination over his showing the R-Rated film, Elizabeth, to high school students. Here’s the story.
School officials say the 62-year-old semi-retired teacher known for high standards should have gotten approval from a committee before showing the movie. Parents complained to the central office, which launched an investigation. Ed Youngblood quit rather than get fired.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Billie
November 15, 2005 09:28 AM | Link to this
Oh, by all means, let’s punish a teacher who makes the effort to bring history to life in the classroom! Let’s be sure all our high school teachers only show Disney movies that meet all the “committee” standards for inoffensiveness. That’s the way to help our kids become independent thinkers and community leaders!
By Karen Armsby
November 15, 2005 09:32 AM | Link to this
Another one bites the dust. He joins the company of James Hope and Doc Neace, teachers who dared to be good at what they do in the face of whining parents and knee jerk reactions from PC obsessed school administrators.
By TinaTeach
November 15, 2005 09:37 AM | Link to this
In such an advanced class I see no problem in showing such a movie, anyway I saw much more suggestive movies in my french class back in high school. If it is an advanced class and the students are 17 and above then there should not have been any problems or need to get that approved. Heavens forbid we use advanced organizers like movies at the beginning of our teaching unit!
By Zoe
November 15, 2005 09:40 AM | Link to this
There is a process to get a movie approved. Every school system has it. If the movie isn’t in the school library, you get it approved and keep the approval on fine in the media center and then you’re covered. I don’t think the teacher should have been fired or made to resign, but he did make a mistake. If he had gone through the proper channels there wouldn’t have been a problem. Also, showing R rated movies is never a good idea. You would be amazed at what teachers try to show their students. One year a teacher wanted to show a movie produced by Playboy (I think it was Hamlet if I remember correctly) We had English teachers at our school show “The Patriot” and do nothing to explain how historically inaccurate it was. Students then came to my US History class and I had to clean up the mess the English teachers made. One of our teachers showed CSI constantly and said it related to math. Another screened Gattaca for his class and tried to relate it to science. One teacher last year showed “Finding Nemo” since the EOCT in Biology had already taken place, she didn’t want to teach anymore. Her rationale was the movie was about ecosystems and it related to Biology.
By oldteacher
November 15, 2005 09:53 AM | Link to this
Maybe this guy joins the ranks of those who have taught so long that they think the rules no longer apply to them.
By RF
November 15, 2005 10:10 AM | Link to this
As a VERY veteran teacher, I recognize the teacher’s quality and enthusiasm for his craft. But, that doesn’t mean that the rules don’t apply to everyone. Many teachers feel that because of their seniority or the high level students they teach that they don’t have to follow some procedures. Those procedures are there for legal protection of the teacher and the school system. One upset parent could file a lawsuit and cost everyone millions over something just this trite and seemingly foolish. I love my job, but I have to do things the right way, and I can’t bend or subvert rules because of my veteran status.
By James McCoy
November 15, 2005 10:15 AM | Link to this
Has any of the people who complained about the showing of that movie seen tonights TV line up? Or has any of them been to the mall lately and notice the dress of people there? Or do they prefer to keep their heads buried in the sand?
By Laura
November 15, 2005 10:18 AM | Link to this
Why are kids being shown mainstream/entertainiment movies in the classroom in the first place?
By Dan
November 15, 2005 10:22 AM | Link to this
Dismissal seems excessive, however comments regarding him trying to bring history to life are a bit of a stretch. Cmon it’s a movie and I am sure takes a great deal of poetic license with accepted history. It was pretty foolish of him to circumvent the rules
By oldteacher
November 15, 2005 10:28 AM | Link to this
We also need to remember that he was not fired, he was asked to resign.
By Bill
November 15, 2005 10:37 AM | Link to this
Give me a break, oldteacher. He was given an ultimatum of resignation or summary termination. He was given five minutes to make up his mind. Based on the facts reported, this was an extraordinarily vexatious handling of an employee who has been in the job for almost forty years.
By CD
November 15, 2005 10:42 AM | Link to this
“Why are kids being shown mainstream/entertainiment movies in the classroom in the first place” What?!?! Are movies of any value limited to pre-1940 or something?
“Cmon it’s a movie and I am sure takes a great deal of poetic license with accepted history” It’s called a “hook”, Dan. You’ve obviously never taught a class full of today’s kids. An experienced teacher can clarify poetic license, but at least it gets a kid involved since they refuse to read anything, anymore.
“We also need to remember that he was not fired, he was asked to resign.” Or be fired. Read his quote.
Keep it up, Georgia. 50th place SAT scores… “Changes over time” evolution rewordings… textbook disclaimer stickers… no wonder we’re the laughing stock of education in the nation. Is there a wonder we have a teacher shortage?
By HSTeach
November 15, 2005 10:47 AM | Link to this
what controversy? what an idiot! my teacher showed Schindler’s list….but sent a note home and had parents ok it first….and anyone who didn’t want to watch the movie was not penalized and had an alternate assignment worth the same amount of credit as the assignment pertaining to the movie…..yeah, it might be overkill…but that’s just dumb to show an “R” rated movie at school….sorry, but what teacher DOESN’T know this??? Who cares about PC and what not…if we expect students to follow “stupid” rules, then teachers have to do the same thing….yeah, it’s a dumb rule to have to get a movie “ok’d” but you have to do it….should he have been fired or made to resign, probably not, could have probably been punished, but I hope no one tries to defend his actions….he went about it all wrong…
By oldteacher
November 15, 2005 10:47 AM | Link to this
You give me a break, Bill. Just because the teacher said that they only gave him 5 minutes to decide, doesn’t make it so. I went back and reread the article just to make sure that I wasn’t mistaken. I wasn’t.
By SET
November 15, 2005 10:48 AM | Link to this
Interesting problem. Is this a “bad” teacher because he broke “the rules”, or because showing the (Cat Blanchett version?) movie “Elizabeth” is a bad movie? How old were the little darlings anyway - 15 or 18 or somewhere in between?
Maybe he should have shown the “Elizabeth R” DVD series with Glenda Jackson instead.
These movies are normally shown to stimulate interest and reading in history. Any good school does this. Suprised this one hadn’t stopped the practise.
When I was in GRADE School occasionally we would go with our entire class to see a movie - by bus. Usually one of the English history movies. (We saw “Cromwell” with Alexc Guiness, I seem to remember.) Not often - it was a treat and the teacher(s) had clipboards to take roll and mark down anybody screwing up. Known bad actors were not allowed to go and you had to have a permission slip from home and maybe $3 also. I know now that those movies had some historical inaccuracies in them but we went over that later in our historical reading. And this was 6th or 8th grade. And those movies had execution scenes, etc. We loved them.
So I conclude that the teacher was probably trying to get the kids “into” the subject - which might have led to actually reading the read history. The Blanchett movie was brilliantly filmed but as usual not completely historically accurate - her struggle with Mary of Guise as depicted in the movie is wrong and Mary of Guise was not assasinated at all much less by Elizabeth’s spymaster Walsingham as the movie showed. Anyway the movie was great but the Glenda Jackson series would have been easier to get approved by the school censors but it runs lot longer and is less colorful. Poor teacher probably only had an hr or two to work this in anyway.
The important thing here is that the public schools are nuthouses where any form of education comes a distant second to political correctness. A teacher can’t “teach” anymore here than at Communist Russia during the cold war. For the same reasons. These schools are not to educate. They have other purposes.
The teacher is better off for quiting and should have left long ago if he actually cared about kids futures - which I’ll bet he does. For the same reason parents should get their kids away from these urban public schools and move or send the kids to schools where there is less PC and more excercising the brain.
Staying and fighting with the PC system is an excercise in frustration that isn’t healthy for either a good teacher. Walk out and let the schools collapse under their own weight.
This conflict is not about the Movie “Elizabeth” being shown to high school students. We all know they casually watch shows that are far more lurid whenever they feel like it. This controversy is about a teacher in a straight jacket having to submit to excessive control by the PC commissars who have had things thier way so long they think they have a divine right to micro-manage a 62 year old teacher who they and the kids needed more then he needed them.
And don’t tell me about brats filing lawsuits about being offerred “Elizabeth” in a history class. Let them file. You have staff counsel for the district to go in and deal with it. If you are so paralyzed by the thought of litigation you need to get out of the business.
By Leia
November 15, 2005 10:50 AM | Link to this
oldteacher - Yes, you are mistaken. Ed was given exactly five minutes to decide. I happen to know this for a fact.
By oldteacher
November 15, 2005 10:58 AM | Link to this
Leia, How do you know it is a fact? I am very interested to know and I am not just being mean about it. What I read in the article says that this is what ‘Ed’ said. I tell my students that just because someone said it doesn’t make it a fact.
By HSTeach
November 15, 2005 10:59 AM | Link to this
what happened to peoples PAGE and GAE lawyers? can’t they step in and do something here?
By NOT Politically Correct
November 15, 2005 11:04 AM | Link to this
Good teachers are hard to find. Are teachers perfect? No! We have all made mistakes in the past and we will continue in the future. Does this mean the dismissal of a verteran teacher? I think not. Hey, it is ok for kids to go out and buy cds and go to movies that have vulgar language,violence,and sex. This is ok because it is outside of school. When a teacher uses a video that pertains to the lesson at hand and is used for the sole purpose of helping students understand the material better, in my opinion, the viewing of a video is justifiable. But hey, that is just my opinion. Should the procedures have been followed? I guess. But you are dealing with a 37 year veteran who teaches the best of the best. I think he has proper judgement in deciding what is proper and what is improper. I too, have faced this problem as an educator of nine years (Social Studies). Just this year, my vice principal placed a letter in my box stating that I did not get permission from her to show a movie. The movie I was showed was Spartacus with Curt Douglas-Winner of Four Academy Awards. This movie was made before I was even born (1960). Not to mention the violence was very mild especially compared to todays movies. And hey, there was no vulgar language. The reason I was showing the video was because my classes were covering the Roman Empire, which included the massive slave revolt led by Spartacus. She wanted the name of the movie, the purpose of the movie, the rating of the movie, and lesson plans for the entire week of my World History classes. I was beside myself. I proceeded to write her a letter stating how this was a complete slap in the face. I turned in what she requested, a copy of my lessons plans for the week, a highlighted copy of the Georgia Department of Education QCC’s relating to what I was covering, a copy of my test over the material, a copy of the study guide I give to the students, highlighted pages out of the text book that talks about Spartacus and the slave revolts, and finally a photo copy of the box in which the video came in (front and back covers). Basically I said kiss my A— in a professional way! I am a professional, so treat me like one! I have never shown a video that was inappropriate for the classroom in terms of learing. To all these administrators who do not support their staff because they are to worried about what the school board or superintendent thinks, GROW A SET!!!!!!!!!!
Your Truly
NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT!
By Tom Zarilli
November 15, 2005 11:05 AM | Link to this
The Teacher was a victim of rules set up due to so many others using poor judgment in showing movies. With the advent of the VCR and relatively inexpensive programming many teachers attempt to fill classroom time with showing Hollywood movies. While Elizabeth may be a great film it is not instructional material. If anything excerpts of the movie should have been shown instead of the entire feature. A short film produced as an educational program would have been a far better choice. Most systems have large collections of instructional videos for classroom use. The R rating undoubtedly aggravated the situation leading to the firing. The rating systems for films are altogether another issue since they were developed simply for theatre owners not for educators. They also lead to bias views and generalizations regarding the overall content of the films.
By Valerie
November 15, 2005 11:06 AM | Link to this
Here we go again…..in this politically correct nation we can’t cater to the majority of people who weren’t upset, but must satisfy the needs of those few who squeak the loudest. How about those parents sitting down with those kids and letting them know that the world is going to hand out all kinds of things to them. They need to make a choice to close their eyes, ears, etc. The world isn’t always going to cater to their needs or likes!
By Dan
November 15, 2005 11:17 AM | Link to this
Yes I know it was a hook, that is kind of the point, it is not a critical part of the curiculum. So why take a chance. As I said the punishment was excessive (he would have been fired had he not resigned) Certainly this is over the top PC correctness, not any more so then many topics on these blogs, social promotion, letting average students into AP classes etc. all just as nonsensical, and part of the underlying problem in public education
By Jake
November 15, 2005 11:27 AM | Link to this
He broke the rules and he was allowed to resign, better treatment than the Elizabethans would have given him.
By Leia
November 15, 2005 11:28 AM | Link to this
oldteacher - I worked with Ed. I was here, and I know what happened.
By RF
November 15, 2005 11:40 AM | Link to this
Guys— this isn’t about political correctness or some sort of ‘big brother’ attitude of the schools. An R rated movie just does not need to be shown without parental permission. I’m a teacher and a parent and I’d have a fit if one of my son’s teachers showed an R rated movie without my permission. It’s courteous and correct to get parental permission and school permission. After 37 years, you’d think the guy would have known what he needed to do. Whether we like it or not, we live in a lawsuit loving society, and I am not going to risk my job and future security to show a movie that might upset some parents. Just do the right thing and get school and parent permission. He didn’t, he’s still a good teacher, but he broke the rules, period.
By oldteacher
November 15, 2005 11:42 AM | Link to this
Leia, you sound like a great friend to have in a situation like this. Ed is lucky. Maybe something can be legally done if this is what happened. Being pressured in that manner should be illegal.
By M
November 15, 2005 11:49 AM | Link to this
RF:
Amen. Nuff said…
By Susan
November 15, 2005 11:51 AM | Link to this
A large part of the movie approval process that must take place before anything is shown in a classroom also deals with copyright issues. There are very strict regulations about this and they are drilled into teachers’ heads each year.
By oldteacher
November 15, 2005 12:01 PM | Link to this
GAE’s #1 rule. Do not resign. If you do, you have given up most of your rights.
By Amazed (Independent Woman)
November 15, 2005 12:27 PM | Link to this
RF - you are absolutely correct.
As a parent, I would want to be given the opportunity to say whether my child will view any particuliar movie.
I don’t think the man should have been fired, but I would have wanted to know that he would not do it again. What happened to following the rules? Must only PC people, follow the rules? The teacher should have followed the rules, plain and simple.
By Keith
November 15, 2005 12:32 PM | Link to this
As a former student of Mr. Youngblood who took his advanced placement class, I must say that I am extremely saddened by his so called “firing.” I have always held Mr. Youngblood as my favorite teacher in all of my schooling. He exemplifies what good teachers should be. While at South Gwinnett I had a math teacher that fed us nothing but crosswords and logic problems for an entire semester. Mr. Youngblood challeneged us to high standards and prepared us for the college environment. While many of my peers struggled and dropped out of college, I came in as a freshmen already ahead of the game- having already read over 75% of my assigments for English 101.
Mr. Youngblood is irreplaceable to Gwinnett County schools. While teachers are quitting after two years of service and our educational standards are quickly dropping, Mr. Youngblood’s removal will leave a void in many future generations to come. He is an independant thinker in a school system of non-thinkers. We should follow the example of the voters in Dover, PA and replace our current school board- maybe then they’ll get the message that we want our educational system to progress, not keep slipping backwards into an irrepairable mess.
Keith- class of 97
By Amazed (Independent Woman)
November 15, 2005 12:38 PM | Link to this
Keith - what were the rules in Mr. Youngblood’s Advance Placement class?
By theteacher
November 15, 2005 12:39 PM | Link to this
Isn’t leading by example something that teachers are suppose to do? This man’s example tells me that I don’t have to follow the rules.
By high school teacher
November 15, 2005 12:52 PM | Link to this
Let’s look at another factor in this equation…
The teacher had retired in the spring, but continued to teach part time, which means that he is already drawing retirement and receiving a part time teaching salary (which probably doesn’t add up to his salary before retirement). This is an easy way for Gwinnett to slightly lighten the financial load. Sadly, administrators don’t stick their necks out for teachers who are already retired and still teaching part time.
By sue
November 15, 2005 12:56 PM | Link to this
I can’t believe you are saying that you would want to approve what your 17 is watching at school. They can go to the movie and watch way worse than Elizabeth, without your approval. Why don’t you file a lawsuit against the movie theater? Parents like you are exactly what is wrong with children today, they think that everyone is going to cater to their feelings. Well guess what, they’re not. Let your kids grow up, watching Elizabeth is not going to effect them in a negative way at all, and you just cost a great teacher his job. I hope you feel good about yourself.
By Ernest
November 15, 2005 01:01 PM | Link to this
Count me among those that agrees with RF’s comments. Process and procedures are put in place to protect the teachers and in this case, they were not followed. That being said, I don’t think the punishment fit the crime. Losing one’s job on a first offense for a ‘minor’ infraction seems harsh, especially given this was a senior teacher.
By em
November 15, 2005 01:01 PM | Link to this
While the film may have been inappropriate, the action taken by the school system was a bit extreme. Where was the common sense in meting out punishment?
By Leia
November 15, 2005 01:03 PM | Link to this
theteacher - Aren’t we all “breaking the rules” by blogging on the school’s time?? Should we get fired for it?
By Amazed (Independent Woman)
November 15, 2005 01:03 PM | Link to this
I teach my child to follow the rules and I expect teachers to do the same. If my 17 year old broke the rules in Mr. Youngblood’s class and he kicked my child out, people like you would not have a problem with it. I would agree with you. Mr. Youngblood should follow the rules. I don’t care what a 17 year old can see at the movies.
Children are not above following the rules, I am not above following the rules and teachers are not above following the rules.
By NOT Politically Correct
November 15, 2005 01:09 PM | Link to this
To amazed,
Like you or your child have never, ever broken any type of rule? I am sure you have broken a rule or two at work. Get off your high horse miss perfect! We all make MISTAKES!!!!!!!!
By sue
November 15, 2005 01:14 PM | Link to this
So you think theteacher, leia, and any other teacher blogging right now should be fired? You’ve never broken a rule at work? It’s not like he was showing the kids porn.
By School Administrator
November 15, 2005 01:22 PM | Link to this
Mornoic! A reprimand yes, firing or forced resignation…moronic. Due to demographic changes and urbal sprawl Gwinnett will be struggling to find teachers in a few short years. Even more so than they struggle now. Getting rid of veteran teachers for petty reasons like the one mentioned above is moronic. There is no other way to describe it. Stories like this give public education and school administration in general an even worse reputation than we already have.
By Ronak
November 15, 2005 01:22 PM | Link to this
I am a student of Ed Youngblood. The movie that we watched was very educational in terms of the elizbethan age. The fact is that all students in our class are either 17 or older. Now we face a drop in our grade point average because we have a substitute teacher for the rest of the semester. This is unfair to our education!
By Amazed (Independent Woman)
November 15, 2005 01:28 PM | Link to this
Yes, but I don’t expect NOT to be punished for breaking the rule. I learned as a child and I teach my child, to accept the consequences for your actions and live with the results.
As far as the demographic changes, you can only run so far.
By KATHLEEN
November 15, 2005 01:28 PM | Link to this
“Elizabeth” controversial?! Heck, our 10TH grade English class got to see “Excalibur” (Rated R) (minus the infamous conception scene, which was CAREFULLY edited over with a Mr. Wizard’s World excerpt) and “Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail”, (also rated R) which got us turned on to study King Arthur. Here’s how the teacher worked it: everyone in the class was given a permission slip that everyone had to return signed that either allowed the student to watch the film or not. Those who did not have permission had to go to the library. It’s a sorry thing to see a good teacher using their creativity (something that is SORELY missing these days) get roasted. For the folks who are having a field day about their child being subjected to a rated R movie without their permission, my guess is that your kids have seen at least one rated R movie(without ANY educational merit)without your permission. Maybe if the parents who had issues with the movie were more INVOLVED in what was being presented in their child’s class, they could’ve spoken up BEFORE the movie was presented.
By RF
November 15, 2005 01:35 PM | Link to this
Punishment tends to be determined by who complains and how loudly. Someone must have been very upset by this in order for the man to be fired, especially considering his reputation. Some mistakes can be overlooked, but an R rated movie is a little more serious. I can’t imagine why anyone with that much experience would “skip” such an important step in the process. Get it approved and there’s no problem. Don’t get it approved, and you MAY have to answer for it. Yes, we all make mistakes, and sometimes we get caught.
By Amazed (Independent Woman)
November 15, 2005 01:35 PM | Link to this
Kathleen,
You missed the point, he did not inform the parents.
Would you guys be OK if he poured your child an alcoholic beverage without your permission? Maybe you allow your child to drink at home, but I don’t. However, if I did, I would expect you to “still” get my permission to provide alcohol to my child.
By Laura
November 15, 2005 01:38 PM | Link to this
I don’t consider a teacher “creative” because he showed a movie in class. The film makers are creative. I just don’t see the need to spend class time watching a movie. Tell the kids to rent it and watch it at home. Let them borrow your copy to watch at home. Just like in daycares, showing movies to kids is a cop-out and is more about the teacher taking a break, than it is a powerful educational moment.
By Jake
November 15, 2005 01:39 PM | Link to this
Sue - First you have to apply a little logic and realize it’s not “you just cost a good teacher his job”. Community standards, excessive political correctness, and our litigous nature may have all contributed to the existence of the rule, but they aren’t the proximate cause. He made a stupid mistake that cost him his job. Knowing, following, and enforcing school rules was part of his job, as it is for any teacher. That part of the story is not in dispute. So the only question is whether or not the punishment was too severe. I think not. He was supposed to be a teacher and lead by example, and he did. He taught his students and the other teachers a very valuable lesson, breaking rules results in consequences.
By theteacher
November 15, 2005 01:40 PM | Link to this
I don’t know about you, Leia, but I am retired.
By LGBTeacher
November 15, 2005 01:42 PM | Link to this
I think the most frustrating thing being illuminated here isn’t the question of punishment (Youngblood broke the rules; he should have been punished.) or the validity of the film (Used correctly, it is a valid classroom tool for both education & enrichment.), but rather the issue of the sway some parents hold over a classroom. This is an issue of particular concern in Gwinnett County. It seems awfully anti-egalitarian to allow the phone calls of a few parents to dictate what curriculum- and now educational staff- the rest of South Gwinnett High School receives.
While on the one hand, I laud the parents for being involved enough in their children’s education to know what goes on in a day to day Language Arts class, and equally laud the individual teachers involved willing to respect the wishes of individual students and parents by providing alternative assignments, I question Gwinnett County administration and bureaucracy for again applying the standards of a few individuals to the population of an entire school or county.
Fewer than five years ago, there was a question regarding the use of a specific edition of a standard tenth grade text, “Lord of the Flies.” The complaint rose out of concern over a critical essay written in the back of the edition. If the complaining community member was a parent- and was the parent of a child being required to read the novel- then that individual should have every right to request the child not read the novel; likewise, the school and teacher should be accountable for providing an alternative assignment. However, this was not the community member’s goal. The community member felt that no other student should be exposed to this essay, and after Gwinnett County administration buckled, the edition of “Lord of the Fliesâ€? was removed and had to be replaced, at cost to the schools, and therefore the taxpayers, with a more expensive edition of the novel.
The situations are not different. In Youngblood’s case, the stirrings of a few parents cost the rest of the school a qualified teacher. I feel sorry for every student and parent who approved of Youngblood’s use of the film. Questioning the validity of his punishment (as stated, punishment was deserved) or the validity of the film is questioning a moot point; rather, we should examine why a few South Gwinnett squeaky wheels, as it were, received so much grease.
By Anon
November 15, 2005 01:46 PM | Link to this
Well, you never know the whole story, but on first glance, it seems that Gwinnett County embraces a zero tolerance for teachers breaking rules and for students breaking rules. Where on earth did common sense go ?
By sue
November 15, 2005 01:56 PM | Link to this
Jake, I hope when you make a mistake at work you get fired for it, since you seem to think it is such an acceptable form of punishment. Then you can teach all your co-workers a very valuable lesson, breaking rules results in consequences.
By Morgan
November 15, 2005 02:01 PM | Link to this
Anon - if we had zero tolerance for students breaking rules, we wouldn’t have kids on Rule 12 for years!
By Jake
November 15, 2005 02:03 PM | Link to this
Anon - Isn’t it obvious from reading the blogs? The common sense solution is a little different for everyone, that’s why we have written rules and laws.
LGBTeacher - Because the administration realizes today’s AJC piece is much better than the other one that would have said, “Teacher Shows Controversial R-rated Film to children, School and Board Do Nothing!”
By Emily Ewing
November 15, 2005 02:10 PM | Link to this
As a former student of Mr. Youngblood’s I must say that I am appalled. This man was probably the best teacher I have ever had. He was very tough, but like Jonathan said, he expected more from us. He may not have gone through the process to check whether or not this movie was appropriate, but to all those people who agree with the fact of him getting fired, your reasoning is that you want to preview and check everything your child is doing. WAKE UP!!! Your child is on the verge of absolute adulthood and some of them have already made it there. Your child can go see rated R movies, he/she can buy or soon buy cigarettes, they can watch movies on tv with worse content, they can view pornography whenever they choose and most of them probably have computers and tvs in their rooms, and they have cars to drive wherever they please even if they tell you they’re going somewhere else. This is all done without your supervision so why are you worried about a movie at school? Preparing these children for the future is the main reason for school. These children are not going to be prepared for real life or college without a “different” way of teaching. On top of this, they are graduating! Are you going to follow them at college and “preview” what they watch in their classes? Let’s face the facts, your children are grown and even though they may act immature or unsure of themselves, they know what they want and will do everything in their power to get it regardless of what you think.
~Emily
By Monica
November 15, 2005 02:14 PM | Link to this
Kathleen, My children may have seen an “R” rated movie without my permission when they are not under my supervision. That’s another issue entirely. When I send my children to school, I expect them to be supervised as I would supervise…that whole “en loco parentis” thing. While I think the punishment was harsh, the teacher broke the rules. Yes, I would pitch a fit if my 17 year-old child saw a rated R movie at school without my permission. Some of us still like to have a say about what our children are exposed to. Not all parents allow their children free rein of the remote control or the movie theater.
By oldteacher
November 15, 2005 02:19 PM | Link to this
Some of you former students seem to forget that part of our job is to make sure you don’t do what is wrong WHILE YOU ARE IN SCHOOL.
By SWC
November 15, 2005 02:21 PM | Link to this
I think it is absolutely tragic that this teacher got fired. “R” ratings are meaningless anyway. Rules Schmools. How about brinking in tweetie bird key rings with long, threatening chains? Are these considered weapons in Gwinnet County?
I just switched to satellite dish and every time I want to watch a movie I’m told that it is “R” rated and I need to enter a code to get past it. This weekend we watched “Matchstick Men” with our 11 year old son. I have no idea why that movie was “R” rated, with the exception of some bad language. It was a great movie.
Isn’t it ironic that in California the 9th circuit court has ruled that its okay to give sex surveys to first graders that ask creepy questions like, “Do you feel dirty inside when you think about sex?”, but in Georgia you can’t show an R rated movie without prior-approval. And you can watch “The ABC family channel” and find a movie on a Saturday morning that stars Jennifer Anniston as a girl who has an affair with a gay guy who eventually marries his gay boyfriend (after having another affair with an older gay man) and finally adopts a child and they all live happily ever after in Rainbow Land.
I guess only heterosexual sex gets the R rating? I think I’ll rent this “Elizabth” movie this weekend just to see what all the fuss was about. Probably those uplifted bosoms in those corseted-dresses. If I get censored, the word after “uplifted” is “b” plus “osoms” otherwise known as “b” plus “reasts”.
By luvs2teach
November 15, 2005 02:22 PM | Link to this
I teach earth science, and in the past I have shown several PG-13 movies - all with approval, signed permission slips, and a lesson plan. The movies include Twister, The Day After Tomorrow, Dante’s Peak, Volcano, and Apollo 13 (not always in the same year). I used them to peak interest as an opener or as a start of an enrichment activity. They had to take notes or write questions while watching - notes were later used for assignments and questions were researched. Good science versus science fiction was explored. Since I was often taking notes or getting ideas for extension, I wouldn’t say I ever used it “as a break.”
By Bob
November 15, 2005 02:24 PM | Link to this
Once again South Gwinnett HS and GCPS has to show itself to be a laughingstock.
Perhaps if he had shown Hoop Dreams SGHS would have given him a promotion?
By lisa
November 15, 2005 02:29 PM | Link to this
As a former HS teacher, I showed movies to stimulate interest or reinforce a concept we had studied or were about to study. HS students these days have GROWN UP on MTV and XBOX type stimulation. I worked hard at creating a dynamic environment where my students were eager to learn despite the lack of flash and hype they were used to. Sometimes a well-chosen and topically appropriate movie (or portions from a movie)was exactly what I used. And if it were rated higher than PG, I ALWAYS sent home a parental permission notice, just to be on the safe side.
I considered myself tough but fair. But after several incidents of ridiculous unsupport from the administration and their lack of respect for the employees who actually teach rather than administrate, I left. I changed careers and now that I have children, I have chosen to homeschool.
Too much of a teacher’s time is wasted dealing with administrivia. Mr Youngblood made a mistake, cut him some slack; if a student had done something similar, he would have been placed in in-school-suspension, not threatened with expulsion. Let the excellent teachers teach or else they will go elsewhere leaving us with noting more than (expensive) babysitters and at the bottom of the performance outcomes.
By RF
November 15, 2005 02:32 PM | Link to this
Rules are rules, ridiculous or not. He knew the rules, and decided to disobey them. Fair isn’t part of it. If your employer has a policy which you think is unnecessary, and you skip that policy, you run the risk of being fired. He was given the option to resign, thereby keeping his certification so he can teach in another system. Could have been worse.
Here’s another thought. If one parent doesn’t have the power to effect a change, the we never would have had Brown vs. BOE in 1954, and we all know how important that was!!
We also wouldn’t be having this argument if this was an average teacher. His status and respectability are important, but he cannot be allowed to circumvent procedure because he’s well-liked by the school and kids. He’s still an excellent teacher. He’s also human, and we have to pay for our mistakes.
By lisa
November 15, 2005 02:39 PM | Link to this
in locos parentis? Do parents really expect public school teachers to act on their behalf? How many parents (particularly after elementary school) ever really get to know the teachers who are supposedly acting as their children’s parents for 7 or more hours a day? Many years I met only 5 or 6 parents out of more than 100 students and it was not for a lack of opportunity. Public school works better if parents are involved and know the teachers. Perhaps then, the upset parents could have asked to speak directly with Mr. Youngblood rather than jumping to the administration, and the issue could have been resolved.
By Monica
November 15, 2005 02:45 PM | Link to this
You better believe that I know my child’s teachers. Just as teachers don’t want to be judged according to a handful bad teachers, parents don’t want to be judged according to bad parents. Don’t think that all parents care as little about the education of their children as the parents with whom you have had experience.
By RF
November 15, 2005 03:01 PM | Link to this
Lisa- sounds like you think ‘excellent’ teachers should be above the rules. That’s not very logical…
By Emily Ewing
November 15, 2005 03:02 PM | Link to this
oldteacher- It looks as though it has been a while since you taught. If you would look around, things are different than they were when you were in school. Half the teenage population has children! Do you understand why this is happening? Because children don’t have supervision- and this is not just at home-what about the elementary students trying to have sex underneath a stairwell at a school?…great teacher supervision! Mr. Youngblood, I agree, did not follow the rules, but do you honestly think that just because he didn’t follow the rules means that the children who are goodhearted are going to follow in his footsteps? I think not. The children that will follow him are the ones that never listened anyway. Whether it is part of your job or not keeping the children from doing wrong is absolutely impossible. While they are at school, they should behave appropriately. In this day and time the defintion of appropriately is a little different. Look around and see what the children see as acceptable. Showing a movie like this should be the least of your worries.
By Jake
November 15, 2005 03:11 PM | Link to this
Sue - I hope we’ve progressed to the point where at least you see he lost the job as a result of his own actions, and it’s just the severity of the punishment that is in dispute. In the Elizabethan era Mr. Youngblood was introducing, he would have been pilloried in front of the school for 2 or 3 days, then he probably would have been allowed to return to his duties. He wouldn’t necessarily have lost his job, the public humiliation would have been sufficient to discourage others from breaking the rules. And, perhaps, sufficient for him to resign and leave the community rather than be shunned. Losing your job isn’t so bad. As for losing my job as a result of mistakes, all of us in private business already understand that. Based on AJC articles you can count the number of teachers that have lost their entitlements this year on the fingers of one hand. My employer let 10 times that many go last month, without breaking any rules, and I lost my last job not due to mistakes but due to corporate restructuring. I don’t see losing your job as the end of the world. What does herald the coming end of civilization as we used to know it is you and people like you undermining societal mores by transmitting the ‘everything’s okay’ message, instead of teaching personal responsibility. It’s real simple, if the rule is unjust, work to change it and until you do, follow it.
By Lee
November 15, 2005 04:13 PM | Link to this
Once again, sounds as though there is more to this story than is reported in the newsmedia.
Did the teacher violate school policy? Sounds like it.
Should the teacher be disciplined if he violated policy? Yes.
Does the discipline seem excessive? Based on the information in the news media, yes.
If I had to venture a guess, sounds like a personality conflict between the teacher and administration.
By FilmFan
November 15, 2005 04:16 PM | Link to this
Although I love the film “Elizabeth,” my gripe is with the fact that a history teacher chose to show a movie that is wildly inaccurate when it comes to basic facts of Elizabeth I’s reign. Unless he followed the film with a serious discussion of the film’s use of artistic license, I don’t really see the point in showing it to high-schoolers who are unlikely to take it for what it is - just a movie.
By Whatever
November 15, 2005 04:17 PM | Link to this
As a teacher and a parent, I understand that showing an unapproved video in class was “breaking the rules.” I also understand that this teacher didn’t follow the “proper” steps to get the video approved. I agree that this teacher should be punished; however, termination or forced resignation seems a bit harsh. Suspension? Perhaps. An official reprimand with a public apology? Perhaps. In a world where “good” teachers are few and far between, it saddens me to see any teacher forced from the classroom over one small incident.
By SWC
November 15, 2005 04:18 PM | Link to this
R.F. - I have to disagree with you today. This “zero tolerance policy” stuff is bad for students and bad for teachers. Everything is not black and white - if it were then all criminals would get the same sentences for the same crime, but they don’t do they? We have discardedcommon sense and we are teaching our kids a very poor lesson: That rules are rules no matter how ridiculous they are and there are no extenuating circumstances no matter what. This is not how we teach our kids to be critical thinkers or even to learn ethics. Indeed, if we have too many rigid rules, then the rules become meaningless and really important rules (like laws) get broken because there is no respect for the governing authority who devised the rules (and punishment) in the first place. Overly strict parents often end up with the most rebellious children because the kids never had any “wiggle room”. Nobody is perfect, people make mistakes, and should not be sent to the gallows for it.
Jake - “What does herald the coming end of civilization as we used to know it is you and people like you undermining societal mores by transmitting the ‘everything’s okay’ message, instead of teaching personal responsibility”. Can we say, “hyperbole”? We’re talking about an “R” rated historical film here, not an x rated orgy. I completely understand parents wanting parental control, but this is just over the top.
BTW parents, If you can’t handle “Elizabeth” being viewed by your High School students, be careful about sending your kids to an Ivy League school like Brown! That $40,000 a year tuition is paying for a lot more than a good education these days. Animal House is looking tame in comparison.
By Dan
November 15, 2005 04:21 PM | Link to this
If I read the article correct, he was 62 and semi-retired, I can easily see where such a person, assuming he didn’t desperately need the money, would scoff at rules he/she deemed inane. I wonder if the penalty would have been as severe for a full time teacher. I still think it is excessive, but I would be surprised if his part time status did not impact the outcome
By FilmFan
November 15, 2005 04:24 PM | Link to this
Apologies for misidentifying the class as a history class and not an English lit class … that said, I still hope the film was followed by a meaningful discussion. :)
By J.D.
November 15, 2005 04:27 PM | Link to this
Well the moral of this story is; Don’t cross Alvin.
One day in the not so distant future maybe we’ll get some BOE members with a bit of backbone. In the meantime let’s just warm our hands on the fires of the book burners.
By Just Weighing In
November 15, 2005 04:34 PM | Link to this
I, too, taught with Ed. Some of you in this blog seem to think Ed woke up that morning with the intention of flaunting the rules in the face of all that is good and holy.
Please - he’s just a human being who made a (very costly) mistake. The rational among us surely see that the punishment far outweighs the crime.
And yes, he was given a 5-minute ultimatum (in spite of Ms. Roach’s protestations otherwise). He was also given absolutely NO SUPPORT from his administrator who agreed that “yes, he has to go.” This after 37 years of service. In speaking with Ed, he told me he felt badly about overlooking the rule and was prepared to make a written apology…but that wasn’t good enough. If we want to talk about history here, has anyone read much about McCarthy? Modern day witch hunts….
A few comments to some of you:
Amazed - you credit teachers with far too much power! I’ve never been allowed to kick a student out of my class, no matter how disrespectful, rude or off task he or she might be.
Laura - are you a teacher? Do you have children? Do you have any idea what it takes to capture the attention of a classroom full of children? This generation is so used to instant gratification and being entertained…why shouldn’t we use some of what is available to capture their attention?
I have to ask this because you think teacher’s showing a movie is more about them taking a break…please. We have to prepare an assignment to go along with it, we have to watch and make sure they are paying attention, we spend time re-directing…what world do you live in?
And you obviously don’t know Ed Youngblood. If he wanted to “take a break” he could have left this school years ago. How sad that would have been for many students who would have missed out on his exemplary teaching. Even sadder for those in the future who will miss out.
By just weighing in
November 15, 2005 04:36 PM | Link to this
History fan
He was Language Arts teacher…not a history teacher.
By oldteacher
November 15, 2005 04:49 PM | Link to this
Gee, Emily, the last time I taught was —- an hour ago. Just because I have been at this a while doesn’t mean I’m not doing it any more. I supervise my middle school children very well, thank you, but I don’t follow them home and supervise them there. I am not naive. I know that teenagers are having kids but I bet that most of them were not conceived in the school building.
By Glenn
November 15, 2005 04:51 PM | Link to this
The influence of the Christian Coalition is spreading and taking our education system down with it. Before long, the Bible will be the only book allowed in our schools and be used to teach all subjects…
By RF
November 15, 2005 05:02 PM | Link to this
Glenn— so it’s okay to show an R-rated movie with nudity and bad language to your kids?? I personally can’t stand the ridiculous CC, but I also don’t think I want my kids seeing that without my prior knowledge/permission. That’s just common sense. Noone in Gwinnett said they can’t be shown, but they do have to be approved and ge parents’ permission. That’s hardly CC at work!
By engineer
November 15, 2005 05:09 PM | Link to this
luvs2teach, “The Day After Tomorrow” — isn’t that the one where global warming causes NY City to freeze up overnight? You showed that in a SCIENCE class? You’ve got to be kidding me.
By HB
November 15, 2005 05:12 PM | Link to this
No teacher, even an excellent one, is above the rules, but that does not mean that decades of excellence should not be taken into consideration when determining punitive action. It appears that Mr. Youngblood did not set out to break the rules and regretted his error. He offered to apologize in writing to all the parents. Unless he has commmitted other violations in the past, I just can’t understand why a principal would want to lose a teacher with a great track record over one mistake.
He showed a movie rated for age 17+ to a group of students who were age 17+. It’s not all that outrageous for him to think that would be an ok thing to do. Some parents disagree; that’s reasonable too, and he now seems to understand their viewpoint. We all make mistakes in the workplace and learn from them. Only the most eggregious errors warrant firing without being given the chance to correct one’s mistakes — this was not one of those times.
As for the comment about Animal House vs Brown, are you kidding?! I went to Brown, and my wildest nights usually involved spending hours and hours in the library trying to cram information into my brain for the next day’s classes. The weekend I visited friends at UGA, however…wow! Athens is a wild and crazy place — not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. :)
By Amy
November 15, 2005 05:26 PM | Link to this
While I don’t think that he should have been fired, I do think there should have been some sort of punishment for breaking the rules. The reason parents need to give permission is that these kids are still under 18. All kids are different, some might have seen a lot of R rated movies already, some might not have. Parents are the ones who know their children and what they can handle, not the teacher.
It doesn’t really matter though if the rule is silly or not. It should have been an obvious one to follow for the teacher’s sake. I feel sorry for the teacher but he could have avoided the entire problem if he had just gotten the movie approved in advance. Even if he had circumvented the rule and just gotten signed permission slips from the parents, he would have been in a better position than he is now.
By Leezano
November 16, 2005 08:18 AM | Link to this
After reading all this I have a question.
Would I be completely insane to leave my well-paying corporate job and pursue my dream of being a teacher??
By Derrick
November 16, 2005 08:22 AM | Link to this
It was a rated R movie right? Most of the kids in there are 17 and over right? R rated movies state that they are restricted to anyone under the age of 17. So why would he have to get permission to show something if the kids are of the correct age to watch it? These were high school seniors, not freshmen or 8th graders.
By Jerry
November 16, 2005 08:26 AM | Link to this
oldteacher, you really do need a break and maybe retirement. In todays world children relate more to multi- media than a teacher droning on in front of the classroom. Times have changed. This is another case of how our education system is determined to be one that promotes rote thinking and one that is layered with bureaucrats protecting their turf. Education by committee, another example of how poor government does everything.
By td
November 16, 2005 08:32 AM | Link to this
Any classroom assignment should be assessed to assure that parents’ concerns are assuaged. But we should be assiduous about the desire to assault and assail any teacher whose assignments are assumed to be objectionable.
Word filters can be fun!
By oldteacher
November 16, 2005 08:32 AM | Link to this
Jerry, dear, you know nothing about my teaching methods. I do know that I don’t have to show porn in order to keep my students attention.
By use to teach
November 16, 2005 08:35 AM | Link to this
Please remember those of you who taught with this teacher that you are only getting the persective of one side about what happened behind closed doors. The rule may be silly to some of you, but yes teachers should set the example of follow the rules or work to get them changed through the appropriate channels. Some parents are perfectly fine with R movies and some are not, but that is not the point here. Anarchy means no agreed upon rules. Democracy gives us a system to be part of both as changers of rules and obeying the rules until they are changed.
By oldteacher
November 16, 2005 08:37 AM | Link to this
Amen, use to teach.
By James
November 16, 2005 08:41 AM | Link to this
To fire him is much too harsh. This is an absurd overreaction. Check out the music CD’s and the video games these kids are listening too and playing, this movie is tame compared to some of that stuff. I know about rules and obeying them, just as I know that we have to interject common sense at times too. Proves once again, more and more I am not impressed with the school boards these days and their decision making.
By Dan
November 16, 2005 08:43 AM | Link to this
Kids relate more to multi media in large part because they are allowed to and we have lowered expectations. Even more telling, if a teacher categorizes his/her own presentation as “droning on” at the front of the class, perhaps he needs a career change.
By Steve
November 16, 2005 08:47 AM | Link to this
What’s really at issue here it the so-called “right” of a few parents to dictate what all kids are taught or exposed to in school. I’m not saying that parents collectively shouldn’t have a say in these matters. But all it takes these days is a loud angry voice or two and it’s reported that “the parents” didn’t like it, which of course is then tantamount to “it was wrong and heads must be made to roll as severely possible to appease them.” I don’t buy that the dismissal was for “breaking the rules.” If you think this movie is inappropriate for your high schooler, you should probably look into home schooling.
By Sara
November 16, 2005 08:48 AM | Link to this
Let me get this right? A 17 year old pregnant student can continue classes in Georgia public school but we fire a techer that shows an R rated film about our history to a room full 17 year olds. Hmm…and we wonder why there is a shortage of good teachers. The answer: Private School.
By oldteacher
November 16, 2005 08:57 AM | Link to this
I totally agree that if a teacher is droning on and on each day it is time for them to make a career change. There are many multi-media methods that you can use. I use Power Point often along with the board and books. I do occassionally use an approved video. I think that is the whole problem with Mr. Youngblood. He did not get his video approved. Do I think asking him to resign was too harsh? Yes, I do. I also think that parents have a right to know and approve or disapprove of a video (or book) that their child sees in school. If you think that I am old fashioned because of that, too bad.
Leezano, teaching is actually a great vocation in spite of what you are reading on this blog. I love it when I see the light go on in a student’s eyes. That is a great reward.
By use to teach
November 16, 2005 08:58 AM | Link to this
old teacher, thanks. Sara, I do not get your point. Not sure what allowing a 17 year old student to continue her education has to do with a professional, especially a veteran professional, having respect for and following the rules. The focus of this seems to be that either we operate within a system or we leave it. We don’t always get to set our own rules.
By Sara2
November 16, 2005 08:58 AM | Link to this
Are there not any pregnant students in private schools?
By Derrick
November 16, 2005 09:02 AM | Link to this
That is my question. Why would it have to be approved if the students are of the allowed viewing age under the MPAA? It’s not like he was trying to sneak it in and show them porn.
By Lynne
November 16, 2005 09:06 AM | Link to this
I would not be surprised if one day every public school teacher decided to just call it a day, get up and go home. As a matter of fact, I would applaud it. To be fired (or forced to resign, big dif) over this is absurd, especially given the 37 years of service. I guess teaching fact 1, fact 2, fact 3…..is more appropriate than watching a best-picture Oscar nominated movie and having a creative and lively debate about the main character and her reign. Well, we I guess being dumb is not that bad…you can still be president.
By luvs2teach
November 16, 2005 09:07 AM | Link to this
Hee hee hee - You got me, engineer - obviously you missed my line about “good science versus science fiction” - other than Apollo 13, most of those movies have some weak science (or great fiction and special effects - take your pick) behind them. I show the movies to get the kids asking questions - namely, “Could that really happen?” Then we research it - this where the “Don’t believe everything you see in a movie or read on the internet” comes into play. One of my favorite sites to use is www.badastronomy.com - it has a special section on bad science in movies.
Why do I do this? Because I believe part of my job is to make these kids into critical thinkers - it’s bad enough that I have to debate the merits of teaching evolution without additionally combating the errors of thought and logic that result from too much bad science in popular culture. You have no idea how much this stuff (which a lot of the kids have seen on their own anyway) influences them. Don’t you think I should do my best to expose them to real science - even if it means using their own movies to hook them?
Hey, look at it this way - at least I didn’t show them “The Core”
By Dr. Ed
November 16, 2005 09:08 AM | Link to this
Note to Georgia education administrators: the program is NO child left BEHIND, not EVERY child let DOWN. Yeah, let’s argue policy while we graduate a growing number of functioning illiterates. A true education involves risk; education in Georgia is spineless.
By Steve
November 16, 2005 09:13 AM | Link to this
olteacher, let me ask you this. If the movie shown had not been on the approved list, but had been G rated and had no parents complained, would the teacher have been dismissed or even punished?
Just my personal opinion, but I don’t believe a parent has the right to approve every book and material that their child is exposed to in school. That is a formula for absolute chaos.
By John
November 16, 2005 09:14 AM | Link to this
As a graduate of South Gwinnett High School, I know Mr. Youngblood’s teachings very well. His method of teaching gets students to LEARN and THINK ON THEIR OWN…concepts that Gwinnett County Schools in general can’t seem to grasp. So what if he showed an R rated movie? He only taught senior students, so every student in the classroom was at least 17 years old. For him to have to resign over this is an absolute joke. Mr. Youngblood, I am sorry that you had to go through this circus.
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 09:18 AM | Link to this
Well said, Steve.
After just eleven short years fo having a child in GC schools I got my very first permission slip to sign last night so my child can watch a Movie called “Master and Commander” that will address the GCPS AKS SSWH- G1999-39 and SSWH-H1999-43.
Now what would ever posess a teacher to send this home?
FEAR??
I think maybe—- Just maybe——-political correctness has fallen off the edge.
By Sara2
November 16, 2005 09:18 AM | Link to this
Even if the movie is G, it must be approved by the school. If caught at my school showing a movie without prior permission (G or PG) would involve some sort of discipline, and I think that it should. All my class sets of books are approved too. If there is a question in my mind that something might not be appropriate, I ask permission. Am I old-fashioned? Yes, I am. I don’t even approve of hats being worn in the building.
By oldteacher
November 16, 2005 09:21 AM | Link to this
Any movie we show has to have approval by the AP. If I showed a movie without this approval, I would be disciplined in some way. Since I would never show a movie that wasn’t G-rated and approved, I don’t have to worry about this.
I also agree with Sara2. I am very old fashioned and proud of it.
By use to teach
November 16, 2005 09:24 AM | Link to this
Steve, in response to your question “Now what would ever posess a teacher to send this home?” Perhaps the answer is that the teacher respected the school system that he/she worked within. He/she may not have agreed with the rule, but honored them anyway. I applaud that teacher for, by example, respecting the rules and obeying them. If every one makes up their own rules, we will not have a democracy, but instead would have anarchy.
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 09:25 AM | Link to this
Old fashioned? How old Dear?
I’m really old and will assure you movies were only approved by the teacher showing it in my day.
Now THATS OLD!
By Sara
November 16, 2005 09:27 AM | Link to this
Use to Teach, keep that status.
By James
November 16, 2005 09:30 AM | Link to this
An arty type film caused this much rukus to some parents whose kids are more than likely having sex, have watched porn on HBO and plays video games like Grand Theft Auto.
By chris
November 16, 2005 09:45 AM | Link to this
I am originally from tennnesse and my school back home had a small video library and occasionally teachers would bring in movies of their own. I remember watching Hamlet, Zefferelli’s Romeo and Juliet, Excalibur, Fahrenheit 451, Patten and a few others and we didn’t have to have parents sign anything before viewing them. We would watch a movie from time to time in history class and before reading certain stories in english class. I liked the movie days becuase it changed up class a bit and then we talked about the differences between the movie and story when done and it helped to remember certain things for tests.A couple of the movies have nudity and bad language in them but we didn’t lose our minds but maybe laughed a bit here and there. People need to calm down and the man seems to be a great teacher with a bunch of students coming to his support. People need to stop being fired because ONE person complains.
By Cindy Huang
November 16, 2005 09:45 AM | Link to this
Our school system is already in trouble because it lacks good educators who care about their students. We have enough “teachers” who are just there because it’s a “job”. Sure, he shouldn’t have broken a rule, but there are more fitting punishments in this instant than making him resign. It isn’t as if the movie hs showed was completely irrelevant.
By oldteacher
November 16, 2005 09:46 AM | Link to this
Jim, I’m not sure who you are talking to but I will answer you before my classes start. This is my 33rd year in the same school system. I do not, thank goodness, teach in Gwinnett County even though I live there and pay school taxes. I too remember when film (not video) did not have to be approved by anyone but me. I hope that even though I have kept many of my old fashioned values, I have kept up with the modern teaching methods.
By Anon
November 16, 2005 09:50 AM | Link to this
What possibly happened to this teacher may have been the result of a “safe” Human Resources policy and decision maker. One that adheres to the letter of the law, and attempts to avoid litigation on safe ground. This is common in corporations and it would be no different in school systems. But that does not make it right.
If that is what has happened, I would ask our decison makers to consider the following.
Most employment professionals consider circumstances and intent and carefully consider not only the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law as well.
My guess is that “precedent” for the 2002 case of special education teachers may have been used to determine the outcome for this teacher, as reported in the AJC.
But who is to say that the previous case was exactly like this one ? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Precedent is important, because it helps to eliminate preferential treatment of “favored” employee’s by those in positions of power. But if our decison makers don’t investigate and evalute each case and individual’s past record on it’s own merit, it is unjust as well.
We may never know the full details of this incident, but time and time again in the media, I see county school system level HR policy that is rigidly interpreted & “safely” implemented and supported, thus potentially denying students and teachers appropriate treatment.
As we have seen in so many blogs, how do we teach our children to be critical thinkers and respect rules, if the results of our school system policies result in what appears to be “zero tolerance” policies ?
I would ask this teacher to run for one of the two open school board positions. The deadline is April. We need critical thinkers to influence our county, please consider it.
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 09:54 AM | Link to this
How ironic that a teacher would be fired in Gwinnett County for not following rules when the head of the school system doesn’t even get his hands slapped for falsifying state and federally required reports on school violence.
ONLY IN GWINNETT!
By BLAKE A
November 16, 2005 10:14 AM | Link to this
now we all know that most of these teengers have seen worse movies than this one. I do not know this person and have no bias descion to make, but I really think this is a little extreme. Yes maybe he didnt follow proper procedures, but the man deserves punishment not to be terminated!
By Christian Conservative
November 16, 2005 10:15 AM | Link to this
Although the whining liberals might not like it, this was the correct decision. He broke a rule. He should be fired. Period.
By use to teach
November 16, 2005 10:18 AM | Link to this
Jim, no not only in Gwinnett. Every system has its fair decisions and its unfair decisions. Unless we are privy to the interaction of both sides of a situation, we are only venturing an opinion. In every system, there are those that agree or simply go along (rule keepers). There are those that work within a system to either strengthen or change a rule (rule changers) then there are those that choose to ingore the rules that they do not agree with (rule breaker). Every system needs some of all, but those that fall in the third category (I am not voicing an opinion about this particular teacher) often leave the system or are asked to leave the system. This is the basis of the fundamental structure of systems. Most of us have chosen to be all of these at one time in our lives, but also need to look at and accept what our decision results in.
By Leia
November 16, 2005 10:18 AM | Link to this
To CC - if everyone were fired for breaking a rule at work, the unemployment rate would be sky-high!
Mr. Youngblood did do the wrong thing, but, he did not deserve to be forced to retire. Ultimately, the students are the ones who will suffer.
By Sara
November 16, 2005 10:27 AM | Link to this
Christian Conservative, I do believe your God is a bit more forgiving than you are. Get off the cross, the tempertaure is dropping, we need the wood.
By L Stone
November 16, 2005 10:30 AM | Link to this
Leia, you are absolutely correct in your comments about what would happen if everyone who broke a rule at work were to be terminated. In the private sector, most companies follow a prescribed progressive disciplinary action program for infractions of rules other than those items deemed to be “gross misconduct”. Because I do not teach, I am curious whether written policies like this exist for teachers. If so, does the policy that was violated (the showing of the unapproved movie) state that the violator will be terminated on the first offense? Would this decision be made based on the teacher’s previous possible infractions? Was the decision based on the number of complaints made?
By Danny
November 16, 2005 10:30 AM | Link to this
I am certainly not a liberal, but firing or asking for resignation was way overkill for this particular offense. I am so sick of this zero tolerance crap where a minor offense is treated the same as a major one.
By the way if tacking on the title ‘Christian Conservative’ means that you are mean spirited and judgmental, my opinion of you is no better than what I feel about the extreme liberals you refer to.
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 10:32 AM | Link to this
Use to teach,
Great way of looking at it. Only you have omitted giving consideration to the severity of the infraction.
I was simply pointing out that only in Gwinnett could an administrator get away with violating state and federal laws and a teacher be fired for showing a movie. A school policy that has only been in place for a few years and not been uniformly enforced.
By Melanie
November 16, 2005 10:37 AM | Link to this
As a former student of Mr. Yougblood’s Im not surprised that this happened. He had his own approach to teaching and had the attitude that he took no crap from no one. You were expected to do your work and pass. He favored the smart kids and the jocks but as long as you didn’t disrupt the class and did your work you were fine. Mr. Youngblood treated us like adults and he didn’t take well to immaturity, we were seniors, most of us already 18, so why treat us like babies? Most kids already watch Rated R Movies by then anyway, most parents allow them to watch them in elementary school. But I dont think school’s have to take the Disney approach to learning. In 9th grade we watched Romeo and Juliet. Should he be fired or asked to quit? No. He challenges his students, makes you think. You may walk away mad at him day after day and hate him…but years down the road, you see he was only being a teacher.
By use to teach
November 16, 2005 10:42 AM | Link to this
Thanks Jim. Yes some systems are way over the top and unfair in the way they administer consequences. I hope people like you who want change will work within the system and that your influence would lead to the change in the system that needs to occur. I did not voice an opinion on the severity of this infraction beacause I do not know firsthand the full story. Perhaps we will know, but I suspect the school system will be forced to remain quiet on their version of this saga. I do have an opinion of this situaton but it is based on assumption. If this was his first infraction, I do believe the severity of the infraction was too severe.
By FT
November 16, 2005 10:43 AM | Link to this
I, too, am retired and teaching part-time in the same school system. I too signed off on forms at the beginning of the year attesting to the fact that I was fully cognizant of the policies of GCPS, including the use of videos in the classroom. It’s the same policy I’ve seen in other systems…administrative approval of non-system owned films and parental approval. I obtaianed that parental approval on every film I ever showed at PG or above. It just does not take that long, and it covers everyone. Concerning the comments on the financial benefits to the school system of his leaving: This teacher is earning 74% of his full-time salary in retirement from TRSGA and 49% of that salary as a part-time teacher from GCPS, for a total of 123% of what he was making teaching full-time. He has no benefits from the part-time because he has retirement benefits. So he does not cost the system benefits nor their contribution to his retirement, because he is retired. Also, they pay him for teaching 3 classes for the same amount they would get 2 1/2 classes from a full-time teacher. He is a bargain to the system. Additionally, he has no contract with GCPS because they do not issue contracts to retired teachers. He and I teach at their pleasure. We teach with no contractual rights and we both knew that when we started. I have always believed that if I violated one of the policies such as this, I would be terminated on the spot. At least now I know I would be given the option of resigning gracefully. Finally, who can say how many innovative, gifted, exceptional teachers are out there getting films approved and sending permission slips home? We may not know…because their actions have not put them in the public eye.
By Karen Armsby
November 16, 2005 10:46 AM | Link to this
This is Doc Neace deja vu! So he broke a rule, but was this infraction grounds for being fired or forced to resign? I think the Gwinnett County Public Schools administrators need to take a mediation course, or better yet put a mediator on staff to teach administrators and teachers about the strategies they can use to find a range of solutions that will fit the issues they must resolve.
Firing or being forced to resign should be the solution of last resort and only for repeated serious offenses. A reasonable handling of this situation could have involved a verbal and written apology to the students and their parents for showing the movie without first having it reviewed and approved, and a promise not to make the mistake again.
GCPS wants lock step adherence to rules, and so they cut their noses off to spite their faces. Another veteran and accomplished teacher is publicly humiliated, the school system once again embarrasses itself in the press, and most importantly, the students lose a good teacher. This is a lose-lose situation for all involved.
If a focus on learning is the goal, then GCPS needs to learn this lesson; resolve your conflicts at the lowest transactional level possible, take politics out of your administrative hierarchy, and start supporting your teachers, instead of deserting them whenever a parent complains.
By Former Board Member
November 16, 2005 10:46 AM | Link to this
Videos are shown every day in schools (even in private and home schools) across America, and some of these films are “R” rated. Procedures are in place to make this possible and to protect everyone’s rights and sensibilities.
Procedures need to be followed, not for the sake of the procedure, but because the rule is established for a reason. Unfortunately, this teacher did not follow the appropriate procedure.
All people, from educators to pundits on blog sites, make mistakes, and his was clearly a mistake. Yet, similar mistakes are made everyday without termination or resignation.
How about another sanction — how about two weeks suspension without pay? If you don’t like two weeks, select your own length of time.
By Steve
November 16, 2005 10:54 AM | Link to this
Christian Conservative — I like your thinking. When is Karl Rove going to be fired? Tom DeLay?
By Swangirl
November 16, 2005 10:55 AM | Link to this
Mr. Youngblood broke the rules. He said it himself. I saw him say it on TV last night, too. He’s not saying he didn’t make an error.
My question is this. Why is Gwinnett County so inconsistent in enforcing its policies?
Look at this situation and the Doc Neese one. In both cases, the teacher went against school policy and was not reprimanded for it. All of a sudden, a parent complains and the county is getting rid of them faster than you can say Jack Robinson.
When does Gwinnett County take responsibility for its own poor management? Never, it would appear.
It also seems pretty raw to give the man five minutes to make a choice to resign.
Yes, he definitely should have gotten permission. No doubt about that. But the parents who are squawking about their poor innocent babies watching an R-rated film need to chill out. These are not 12-year-olds. They’ve seen much worse on cable TV or at their friends’ houses. Let’s not be blind.
If I were a teacher in Gwinnett, I’d be watching my back.
By Wilbanks Izzatard
November 16, 2005 11:22 AM | Link to this
Folks, there’s a simple solution to this.
They did it in Dover, PA. We could do it here. We could boot the lot by supporting challengers to the current slugs on the BoE and getting them elected.
But we don’t. Why is that? Why are Gwinnetians so apathetic? Why don’t they understand that the BoE controls one billion-with-a-“B” in public funds every year?
Unless and until that happens, you’ll hear more stories like this one. The kind of stories that make you cringe, and ashamed of where you call home.
In the meantime, I can only hope that there’s enough pressure and embarrassment brought to bear on the morons at the Board of Ed to reverse this imbecilic decision, and offer Youngblood another shot.
By Taxpayer
November 16, 2005 11:28 AM | Link to this
I am sick to death of teachers showing movies in class instead of teaching. Showing an R-rated movie without first getting administrative approval is just dumb.
By Steve
November 16, 2005 11:50 AM | Link to this
To “taxpayer”:
Me, too. And I’m sick to death of them having students read books. If it’s not being said by the teacher and listened to by the students, it clearly isn’t education. The whole Gwinnett school administration should be fired for even having an “approved” list of movies.
By Amazed (Independent Woman)
November 16, 2005 12:03 PM | Link to this
I find it ironic that some people get upset when a parent is involved in their children education and complain that we use the school as baby sitters when we are not involved. I will never “just� turn my child’s education over to anyone or let any one individual\group decide what is appropriate for my child. I want input at all levels of my child’s education and that includes approving what movie my child views while at school. I know that I can’t control everything, but I will make it my business to try.
If I never show up or get involved, then I would be called a bad parent. However, when I do show up and get involved, I am called a troublemaker. We punish children at school everyday for not following the rules. Nevertheless, we act as if being an adult gives us the right to do as we please. Not when it comes to my child and I don’t care at what age.
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 12:15 PM | Link to this
Dear Amazed (Independent Woman)
I fear you’re in for rude awakening as you children become teenagers.
But by all means stay involved in the schools though, we need trouble makers to keep the system straight. (grin)
By SET
November 16, 2005 12:32 PM | Link to this
Best thing said yet is for the fired teacher to run for the open seat on the school board and put his retirement to good use.
Why would anybody want to teach in these government schools the way things are now? It’s time for people with the nerve and the courage to run for school board and fight Political Correctness from that position.
And I still think “Elizabeth” was a great movie even if NOT totally historically accurate. It would make reading about the subject a lot more interesting - it breathes life into the characters including the minor historical characters portrayed.
Part of the assignments a teacher can make from the screening of such movies is to have the class write papers discussing where the movie deviates from historical accounts of the events portrayed (with footnotes and cites).
That is if high school students write papers anymore.
By Amazed (Independent Woman)
November 16, 2005 12:32 PM | Link to this
Jim Dumond:
I was a teenager, I’m involved with teenagers daily and I don’t think it will be too rude. However, my issues is not with what my daughter will grow up to be as a teenager. I have a problem with people who try to instill their value systems upon my child.
I don’t care what values they instill in my neighbors children. I’m perfectly okay with my child going to the library when something is being shown that I might feel is inappropriate.
Just for the record, my child has seen a few R rated movies(Nothing extremely offensive). But, I will always expect permission from me, before anyone else takes my child to a movie or show my child a movie.
My parents were very strict with my sister and I. I know what a rebellious teenager is like. I know what the influence from other children can be like.
My problem with this R rated movie, is not the completely about the movie. It’s about making decisions, that I don’t feel you have the right to make when it comes to my child.
By Steve
November 16, 2005 12:36 PM | Link to this
To “Independent Woman”:
If you won’t let any individual or group determine what’s appropriate for your child, and you want to approve the materials that your child is exposed to, are you saying YOU want to make the decision for ALL of us? Or do you want each parent individually to get to tell the schools and teachers whether his or her child will watch this movie, read this book, listen to this class lecture, and so on?
By Amazed (Independent Woman)
November 16, 2005 12:51 PM | Link to this
Steve,
I don’t care what you do with your child or my neighbors child. I just want you to get permission before you expose my child to something I “Might” feel is inappropriate.
Your over evaluation of my comments, will not make me feel as if I’m asking too much of our school system, to get my permission, when it comes to my child. If you are a responsible adult, you would know better.
The key word STEVE dear is MY, child.
By oldteacher
November 16, 2005 12:54 PM | Link to this
In our school district, we have a group of parents and educators who evaluate textbooks and approve or disapprove. We also invite the communtiy to come in and look at the books and give their opinions. Is this not done in other districts?
By Devil's advocate
November 16, 2005 12:58 PM | Link to this
So if it’s okay to show an R rated movie to 17 and 18 year olds “because they are old enough to see it,” can teachers drink alcohol at school because they are old enough to drink it? It would be in moderation of course… just one drink at lunch…
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 12:58 PM | Link to this
Old Teaacher, It works that way in Gwinnett too. But then—————-We still have our book burners.
By Steve
November 16, 2005 01:05 PM | Link to this
Amazed - I have no idea what you “might” feel is inappropriate. Well, after reading your posts my guess would be “everything.”
And I do wonder whether you are suggesting that I am not a responsible adult. I am in my late 40’s, active in my church (a mainstream Protestant denomination), have had a successful career, and have two very wonderful children who don’t get into any kind of trouble, organize charity drives, are respectful to adults, and are not ashamed to tell their friends they love their parents.
By oldteacher
November 16, 2005 01:06 PM | Link to this
So do we, Jim. There will always be at least one no matter what we use.
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 01:10 PM | Link to this
Oh,Amazed (Independent Woman) You don’t have that RIGHT.
Who decides what children will be taught about sex? The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals served notice on America’s parents this week, ruling that parents of elementary-aged school children have no right to be the “exclusive providers” of sex information to their children.
Read the complete article here http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-11-04
By Steve
November 16, 2005 01:19 PM | Link to this
Oldteacher -
Who decides who gets to be on the censorship committee?
By Laura
November 16, 2005 01:21 PM | Link to this
Well, only to the parents within the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Not all Americans. For that it would need to go to the Supreme Court.
By oldteacher
November 16, 2005 01:25 PM | Link to this
All parents are invited to come and look at the books and give their input. I don’t really know how people get invited to be on the main committee but my guess would be that they are parents that the administration picks and invites. Yes, I know, a rigged committee. So what else is new?
By Amazed (Independent Woman)
November 16, 2005 01:25 PM | Link to this
Steve,
You are right, so get permission about everything.
Jim - I would not send my child to school that day. However, my childs school sent a notice asking my approval to talk with my childs class about sex. That was last year. I feel confortable enough with her principal and this years teacher to know that they would not do anything that would be inappropriate for children, without asking the parents permission.
I don’t see my school system changing that policy, just because the Ninth Court of Appeals said it is okay to NOT get my permission. The people in my community would run that school board out of TOWN.
By Manny
November 16, 2005 01:29 PM | Link to this
Devil’s advocate - what an asinine attempt at an analogy!
Using your thinking - the teacher would offer the students a drink if they were of drinking age!
What a tard!
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 01:38 PM | Link to this
Laura, This case is almost certain to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. There is no assurance that the nation’s high court will take the case, but the Ninth Circuit has one of the worst records of any court in terms of decisions later reversed.
Nevertheless, the big lesson here is the fact that a federal appeals court dared to hand down such a decision and to cloak its assault on parental rights in language that gives government officials virtual carte blanche over the sexual education of children. If this doesn’t lead to outrage among America’s parents, what will?
By Wilbanks Izzatard
November 16, 2005 01:44 PM | Link to this
I’m confused by all the cross talk.
Get back to basics for a moment: Is there anyone here who thinks that Youngblood was treated fairly by the Board of Ed?
Is there anyone who sincerely believes that Youngblood should not get another shot, perhaps after some kind of modest disciplinary action at most?
Didn’t think so…
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 01:46 PM | Link to this
Not me
By Laura
November 16, 2005 01:56 PM | Link to this
Is there something in the GC employee handbook that says if an at will employee violates a rule or procedure they will be terminated?
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 02:14 PM | Link to this
Laura, In Georgia holding a job at your employers pleasure means you can be dismissed without cause.
By Devil's Advocate
November 16, 2005 02:14 PM | Link to this
Manny, Of course it’s a ridiculous analogy…about as ridiculous as people thinking it’s ok to show an R rated movie to seniors because they are of age to watch the movie.
By jim dumond
November 16, 2005 02:17 PM | Link to this
Yo DA, Ever wonder how many of the folks that object to their kids watching an R rated movie just drop them at the mall (or give them the keys)?
By Devil's Advocate
November 16, 2005 02:27 PM | Link to this
Yes I do, as a matter of fact. Many parents are so blind to what their children have the ability to do, and the parents give them the opportunity to do it. It’s like going away for the weekend and leaving a teenager at home unsupervised, and then being surprised that there was a party at home!
By Sara2
November 16, 2005 02:31 PM | Link to this
Some of the posters seem to have forgotten that Youngblood resigned. I know that you are going to tell me that he was given 5 minutes to decide what to do. Well, I guess if that is true, he made the wrong decision, didn’t he.
By Wilbanks Izzatard
November 16, 2005 02:37 PM | Link to this
Sara2, let’s say your East German, c. 1966. The Stasi throw you in stir.
And let’s say they give you a cyanide pill in the cell.
You know that if you don’t take the pill, you’re going to be hauled before a show trial, where you’ll be humiliated publicly. your family will be harrassed. You’ll be executed in the end, and yes, it will be an excruciatingly, physically andmentally horrible end.
Or, you can take the pill.
That’s the kind of choice this BoE gave Youngblood. And if you don’t know that this is more or less how it went down, then you don’t know this BoE.
By Sara2
November 16, 2005 02:44 PM | Link to this
Actually, I don’t know the board of ed nor do I know the saint that some people are making Mr. Youngblood out to be. I don’t think I advocated the death penalty either.
By ohmygoodness
November 16, 2005 02:53 PM | Link to this
Now we are comparing the resignation of a teacher over an R rated video to being painfully executed by the East German Stasi. This has to be a kid to make such an idiotic comparison.
By upyers
November 16, 2005 02:58 PM | Link to this
No fool.
We are comparing the GCPS BOE with the East German Stasi.
By Wilbanks Izzatard
November 16, 2005 03:02 PM | Link to this
Obviously the BoE isn’t the Stasi, folks.
But the “choice” of resignation that was offered to Youngblood was hardly a choice.
I don’t believe, anyway.
By ohmygoodness
November 16, 2005 03:04 PM | Link to this
If that is what is being compared then someone needs some writing lessons. Oh, wait, I bet you graduated from a Gwinnett County school. Idiot.
By Hmmmmm,
November 16, 2005 03:50 PM | Link to this
Okay, Rated-R. If I am not mistaken Seniors should be at least 17 years of age and that is the required age to see a Rated-R movie. Whats the problem here? Sounds like they have a wonderful teacher whom was very interested in showing them something he felt was appropriate for his class to see because he must have thought they were mature enough to handle it. When will we see that being a Senior in High School you are pretty much an adult even if they do not act like it most of the time. They can see Rated-R movies, they can buy cigarettes, they can vote. People give us a break and try and think about the real problems in the world instead of a movie that kids see.
By Emily Ewing
November 16, 2005 04:02 PM | Link to this
ok oldteacher- I apologize for interpreting “old” as meaning not teaching and retired. What I’m trying to say to you is that this teacher has changed the life of very many children. He has worked very hard to get children interested in what they are learning without lowering the stantards of expectancy. I would definately say that he has changed my way of thinking when I present my material to the high school children that I teach. Getting children involved today is very hard and it takes someone special to do it. Ed Youngblood was definately one of those people who made you want to learn about what went on in Gulliver’s Travels. I never once said you were naive and I don’t appreciate you putting words in my mouth. What I am trying to say is that legally these children are allowed to do anything but drink. THey are accessible to these things at home as well as school. No matter what you say in every school system there are many times children are caught looking at porn regardless of whether there is a filter or not. Even with maximum supervision, you can’t stand over every child’s shoulder and watch their every move. What I would like you to do is to respect this teacher for his enthusiasm to teach instead of what rule he broke. If you were fired for every rule you broke, I guarantee you would have been fired a long time ago!! Everyone makes mistakes. If you sit there and worry about a group of seniors watching a movie that compells them to learn more about the world they came from, then I’m not sure what to say to you. A person can do nothing but apologize for the wrong they have done and move on! I know in my heart, because I know this man personally, that this was never intended to sexually excite these people, embarass them, or anything else, but it was used for educational purposes. If we can’t educate these children one way or another, what is society going to look like? Are they all going to pretend they don’t know what is going on? Why shelter those that are going to be in the world just one year later? They are old enough…or at least everywhere else you go seems to think so.
By Emily Ewing
November 16, 2005 04:05 PM | Link to this
ohmygoodness- I would appreciate you not using the word idiot. It is very offensive to me. This word was used as an early term for children that are intellectually disabled. I don’t like that word and nobody deserves to be talked to like that!
By use to teach
November 16, 2005 04:17 PM | Link to this
Emily, you do describe an incredible educator. I just am confused about why he did not simply comply with the protocol and ask for permission. If it was an oversight, it was way too much. If it was intended, by law, it qualifies and premeditated. Either way if this was his first infraction, perhaps, a sanction of some sort was more in order.
By use to teach
November 16, 2005 04:34 PM | Link to this
I think so many participating in this discussion may have wandered off the topic. The issue here is whether a teacher, good, bad,or in between should follow the protocol they agreed to follow when they became a part of the system. Also the issue is not whether the rule is a good one or not,(I personally agree with having a monitoring system) but is whether the not following it was by omission (forgot to ask) or commission (chose not to ask). The other issue is way off. The issue about whether the students should have been free (because of their age) to watch an R rated movie. The decision is not for one person to decide. The decision should be an aggregate decision developed by parents and the school system.
By Emily Ewing
November 16, 2005 04:39 PM | Link to this
He was an incredible educator! I just wish everyone could have sat in his classroom and had first hand experience to his teaching style before they made decisions. And by that, I mean the school board. It’s like legislators making rules such as the fact that children with special needs should learn about Shakespeare! It seems to me that the decision to fire him was abrupt. I’m glad that you agree that he shouldn’t have been fired. I must say that man was NOT one of my favorite teachers. As a matter of fact, I walked out many days hating him. I will say that no other teacher prepared me for college and real life like he did.
By Emily Ewing
November 16, 2005 04:41 PM | Link to this
**or asked to resign
By use to teach
November 16, 2005 04:47 PM | Link to this
Emily, I am so glad you were positively motivated by this educator. I think all of us should be blessed by having at least one teacher who holds our feet to the fire and shows us our potential to learn. I did and sounds like many of you have been by Mr. Youngblood. I did not say he should or should not have been fired or ask to resign. If it was his first infraction my thoughts are NO he should have been given a small sanction and encouraged to follow protocol. If he had by commision on numerous occasions chosen not to follow protocol and thus purposely ignored the contract under which he was hired, then he made the decision that he could not work within that system. Please know that within you is great potential and this educator obviously helped you discover that. Continue to reach beyond mediocracy.
By Hmmmmm,
November 16, 2005 04:48 PM | Link to this
I disagree with that last statement. I am a parent, So, many parents these days leave raising their children up to the teachers and the school system because they spend so much time there than with the parents. True, the teacher may have been wrong by not following protocol, but when you send your child to school you give that teacher and the school system the approval for them to make THEIR best judgement for our children. Whether the movie was Rated-R or not we give them lead way to teach our children the best they can. We all know parenting does not come with a handbook and teaching is something only some of us are cut out for. We won’t go into rules that are broken by people who our children look up to every day whether they play baseball, basketball, or do whatever. They are still given three strikes and THEN you are out. I have seen and read a lot of the things that some of his past and present students have said about him and it sounds like he was a very good teacher. Making him choose that way wasn’t a good thing and very bad judgement on their part.
By Emily Ewing
November 16, 2005 04:58 PM | Link to this
I definately agree. Repeat offenders deserve what they get!
By David Howell
November 16, 2005 05:16 PM | Link to this
My name is David Howell and Mr. Youngblood was one of my teachers at South Gwinnett a few years ago. While I was never thrilled about attending his class, I now see what he was trying to impress upon us. Many teachers do not really care if the students learn or not. Ed Youngblood did. If I half did an assignment, which sadly occured many times, he would not simply fail me, but made me redo the assignment to the best of my abilities. He would not let me settle for being average. He believed in his students and wanted each of them to succeed. For this he must be commended. As someone who grew up in the public school system I saw my fair share of teachers who really didn’t care if the students passed or failed. Many were there just for the paycheck and the benefits. I believe that eventhough he did violate a rule, he should still be teaching because he was one of the best. With the current state of education in Georgia it makes no sense to terminate one of the best for a minor rules infraction. Maybe someone should give him an award for engaging his students and thinking outside the box to grab their attention and really teach them the material.
Youngblood will always have my recomendation.
David Howell
By oldteacher
November 17, 2005 08:28 AM | Link to this
I guess it was ok for you to insinuate that I didn’t know what was going on in the classroom because you thought I was retired. However, it is not ok for me to defend myself and let you know that I am still right in the thick of it and am totally aware of what is and isn’t going on. I think I am just as entitiled to my opinion as you are to your opinion. We don’t agree.
By Andrew
November 17, 2005 08:40 AM | Link to this
I had mr. youngblood when i was a senior at south. He was a great teacher and wanted you to enjoy literature as well. By any means. He used out side information to get you excited. He played Iron Madien one time because it was about the Albatross. Anyways what the news is not telling you is during Elizabeth a womans breast is exposed. A girl went crying home to her mommy. I saw a breast in the original Romeo and Juliet when i was in 9th grade there. Luckily no one went crying home or that teacher ( name withheld) would have been “asked” to resign. He should have known better since the Baptist Church runs snellville. Nudity=Satan!
By Teresa
November 17, 2005 08:55 AM | Link to this
Did Mr. Youngblood break a rule? Yes. Did the punishment fit the “crime”? No. Has the education of his current students or those who may come later been improved? No. Was he dangerous? No. Will his replacement be half the teacher he is in 20 years? Maybe, but probably not. Should the good done by Mr. Youngblood have been weighed against the omission of a procedure? Most definitely!
What Gwinnett County has done is discard a valuable resource. Many things in this life are worth keeping, warts and all. Mr. Youngblood was given an ultimatum, resign or be humiliated in the media. He doesn’t teach for the money. His sacrifices have been such that he probably felt he deserved better treatment, so he opted to resign. He did deserve better treatment.
He loves his students. He loves his job. He knows from experience how to hook his students, how to involve them, how to stimulate thinking at a higher level than anything tested by Georgia’s graudation or end of course tests. He knows most students have seen far worse films than “Elizabeth”, and I imagine he cautioned them before screening the film.
Perhaps the student who complained was one who wasn’t doing so well in Mr. Youngblood’s class. I sincerely question this student’s motives and the motives of his or her parents. There are people in our society who wish to disrupt, to destroy the status quo, without any regard as to what will take its place. This was a political move, not a moral one.
By What Happened
November 17, 2005 09:02 AM | Link to this
What happened in the Doc Neace situation? What school did he teach at?
By Andrew
November 17, 2005 09:37 AM | Link to this
Who was your english teacher What Happened? Ending a sentence with a preposition. Not mean to poke fun but that just really bothers me.He taught at Dacula High School. He would not raise an athletes grade when he(Doc) lowered it because the student “appeared” to be sleeping in class. Doc was removed from class. Just google it for more info.
By Teresa
November 17, 2005 09:40 AM | Link to this
By the way, the film produced by Playboy Productions and shown in practically every high school in America is “Macbeth.” It is bloody; it has lots of nudity; it is rated “R”, and it is the best teaching tool an English teacher can use to transform the amazing words of “Macbeth” and its multiple visual and symbolic layers into a rich, never-to-be-forgotten, always-to-be-remembered and forever-to-be-understood statement about power and the lengths to wish men will go to seize it and to keep it. I suggest screening it immediately for the Gwinnett County School Board and its sycophant administrators.
By new to this
November 17, 2005 09:43 AM | Link to this
It is not the fact that he showed an R rated video, it is the fact that he did not have permission to show the video.
By Karen Armsby
November 17, 2005 09:44 AM | Link to this
Doc Neace was a physics teacher at Gwinnett County’s Dacula HS. Same situation, as this, he was railroaded out! Doc is happily teaching at Apalachee HS in Barrow County now. GCPS is clueless when it comes to managing and respecting their teachers.
By What Happened
November 17, 2005 10:06 AM | Link to this
Andrew - why don’t you clean up your own backyard before you try to clean up mine? I would assume that someone writing to me correcting my grammar what make sure that there comment is grammatically correct. You didn’t. I notice that your comment is full of fragments and english should be English. I made a mistake, sorry. Maybe I should be fired.
By Phish
November 17, 2005 10:07 AM | Link to this
This is ridiculous. I am a South Alumni and I had Mr. Youngblood as a teacher. He is a great person and an asset to the school. His resignation is just an example of the hard times that have fallen on South Gwinnett High since I have been gone.
By Leia
November 17, 2005 10:13 AM | Link to this
The bottom line is, if little Miss South (excuse the pun!) liked Mr. Youngblood, this wouldn’t have happened!!
By RF
November 17, 2005 10:23 AM | Link to this
I hate to see a good teacher leave, and just like Doc Neace, he was treated roughly. But, as teachers we have to know that all it takes sometimes is one complaint. Clearly his leaving is a loss to the school and the system, but unlike a new teacher who could say “I didn’t know”, this is a veteran teacher who knew the procedure. Many violate it I’m sure, and most never receive a complaint. But, as a principal of mine pointed out once, when you get caught you can’t cry foul about it. I hate to see a great teacher get in trouble, but we all know in the profession that it just isn’t smart to bend the rules or ignore them in this day and age.
By Mill Creek Parent
November 17, 2005 10:50 AM | Link to this
Sorry RF but I don’t believe the policy had been enforced evenly since put in place a few years ago. I’ve had a child in the Gwinnett system for many years whose seen close to 100 movies at school and I’ve yet to see a permission slip come home. To me this makes a difference, the responsibility then would lie with the schools administration for failure in enforce their own policies. I do believe Mr. Youngblood’s only real error was not insisting upon a contract when taking the position.
Perhaps the good that will come out of this is that retired educators hiring back in, much in demand, will learn to protect themselves with a contract.
By Karen Armsby
November 17, 2005 10:54 AM | Link to this
GCPS should enforce their policies evenly across the board, get rid of the flawed admins, and make the punishment fit the crime.
By RF
November 17, 2005 11:04 AM | Link to this
As a teacher, I can tell you that in a large system, much of policy enforcement is left up to individual admininstrations. The biggest factor is parental complaint. As long as nobody complains, principals are unlikely to notice. Let a parent or parents complain, and the policy suddenly becomes an issue. I don’t know the whole policy, but I have read that it has to do with only R rated movies, so you’re not likely to see a permission form otherwise. I show movies that relate to our topic of study, and if it’s G or PG, no permission forms are needed. If it’s R, it’s not anywhere close to allowed in my system. At least Gwinnett will allow it with permission. Now that I think about it, My Y’s mistake may have been working without a contract. That probably gave the school the power to fire him without due process. I just can’t imagine showing an R rated movie without covering my butt, so to speak, by having the paperwork in place. That’s like taking a kid on a field trip without permission.
By English Major
November 17, 2005 11:40 AM | Link to this
This is a ridiculous situation and a sad day for education.
I would feel abandoned by the administration if I was this teacher. Why don’t they stand up and support him instead of appeasing parents?
This is on par with the censoring of literature in certain schools. Oh no, Elizabeth has shown naked people and scenes of violence. Lock this man up! He’s corrupting the youth! Don’t these parents need to grow up? Why don’t they look past this psuedo-rating scheme, and what their children are actually being taught?
While they’re are it, why don’t they stop the teaching of Evolution in our schools? That’s pretty racey subject matter too. Also isn’t Shakespeare pretty R-rated? How many people does MacBeth kill? How many sexual puns are used in Taming of the Shrew? Doesn’t the entire dramatis personae in Hamlet get slaughtered at the end?
Teacher: “I just brought in Hamlet because it’s really good play. I thought the kids would learn something.”
Parents: “You didn’t check with us first. This guy contemplates suicide for god’s sake. We’re going to get you fired.”
Three cheers for Learning!
By GeeWhiz
November 17, 2005 11:47 AM | Link to this
Get a grip, folks. He RESIGNED!!!
By RF
November 17, 2005 12:02 PM | Link to this
How ridiculous!! the parents pay taxes to pay us, they send us their children, and the expect us to be accountable to them. What a ridiculous assumption that we should get their permission to show an R rated movie. We should just be free to do anything with their children without permission and be paid to do it. I’m a parent AND a teacher, and while I regret what happened to the teacher, I know enough as a teacher to remember where my accountability lies. As a parent, you better bet I want my concerns addressed and handled. It’s like any other profession folks- you get caught and there’s a price to pay. Would you want a doctor fired if he gave you or your child a medicine without your permission? Of course- and you’d sue him in the process! He resigned rather than be fired and possibly lose his certification. Reasonable choice considering the alternative.
By Andrew
November 17, 2005 01:39 PM | Link to this
What Happened I was waiting for you to say something about that. I could have been creative and say that I did that on purpose. But I wasnt and you caught me. After i submitted it i knew i was screwed. Nice one!
By Andrew
November 17, 2005 01:42 PM | Link to this
Also I am still waiting for someone to bring up how this is George W’s fault. I am pretty sure from class that Youngblood was a liberal type guy. I could see how Bush would want him gone.
By oldteacher
November 17, 2005 01:46 PM | Link to this
Thank you for the laugh, Andrew.
By notso
November 17, 2005 01:48 PM | Link to this
Andrew, One needn’t look that far. We have a republican Board of Education to blame.
By oldteacher
November 17, 2005 01:52 PM | Link to this
Oh, my goodness! I thought it was a joke, Andrew. I guess I was wrong. LOL
By notso
November 17, 2005 01:56 PM | Link to this
GRIN :)
By Andrew
November 17, 2005 04:17 PM | Link to this
I didnt mean to light the political fire. Opps!! LOL. Its funny how that happens.
By Karen Armsby
November 21, 2005 02:53 PM | Link to this
I am reading a wonderful book, “The Great Influenzaâ€? by John M. Barry, published by Penguin Books. I found a wonderful passage that I think relates directly to how the Gwinnett County Public School system (mis)manages its teachers, like Mr. Youngblood, and Doc Neace.. Here’s an abridged passage from Ch. 26, pages 299 and 300:
“Institutions are a strange mix of the mass and the individual… They behave according to a set of rules that substitute both for individual judgments and for the emotional responses that occur whenever individuals interact. The act of creating an institution dehumanizes it, creates an arbitrary barrier between individuals.â€?
“Yet institutions are human as well. They reflect the cumulative personalities of those within them, especially their leadership. They tend, unfortunately, to mirror less admirable human traits, developing and protecting self-interest and even ambition. Institutions almost never sacrifice. They live by rules, they lack spontaneity. They try to order chaos not in the way an artist or scientist does, through a defining vision that creates structure and discipline, but by closing off and isolating themselves from that which does not fit. They become bureaucratic.�
“The best institutions avoid the worst aspects of bureaucracy in two ways. Some are not really institutions at all. They are simply a loose confederation of individuals, each of whom remains largely a free agent whose achievements are independent of the institution but who also shares and benefits from association with others…. Other institutions avoid the worst elements of bureaucracy by concentrating on a clearly defined purpose. Their rules have little to do with such procedural issues as a chain of command; instead rules focus on how to achieve a particular result, in effect offering guidance based on experience. …. They resemble professionals trying to do their jobs and duty; they accomplish their goals.â€?
I read this and immediately thought of the GCPS administration and school board, their authoritarian chain of command, and procedural rules that do not focus on how to achieve a result (enable and support the best teachers to teach our kids), but instead act by “closing themselves off and isolating themselves from that which does not fit,� and defying common sense get rid of the best teachers who did not follow one administrative rule.
It’s time for a change, a change of the school board, and a change of superintendent and the bureaucratic policies and rules that have eclipsed the mission of a focus on learning in our schools.
By jim dumond
November 22, 2005 03:12 PM | Link to this
Don’t know if we’ve ever met Karen, but I link the way you think.
By engineer
November 22, 2005 04:22 PM | Link to this
luvs2teach, Good answer. I am impressed. Keep up the good work.
By luvs2teach
November 22, 2005 04:38 PM | Link to this
engineer - thanks! I actually started using the sci-fi movies this way when kids would come up to me with the craziest ideas or questions - when prompted, the response was always that they “saw it in the ‘fill-in-the-blank-with-the-bad-sci-fi-movie-of-your-choice’”
Have a great afternoon!
By Karen Armsby
November 23, 2005 08:34 AM | Link to this
luvs2teach, Both of my Ga Tech girls studied sci-fi movies in their English classes at Tech, mostly focusing on cyborgs, not so far fetched or far off in the technology that engineers are pursuing.
By luvs2teach
November 23, 2005 04:22 PM | Link to this
Karen - I’m not against sci-fi movies, on the contrary, I love them. But some movies stretch the the truth and some shatter it to pieces. I have some many kids that think they know a science “fact” because they “saw it in a movie.” It happens with historical movies as well, when license is taken with the facts. For so many of my kids, movies and the internet are their main sources of information - they don’t read books or magazines.
I think that we need to understand that this isn’t “book, board, pen, and paper” generation, and to “hook” them, you have to be willing to use popular media - just be careful, plan well, and get permission.
I think what your daughter’s professors are doing sounds great - I’d probably enjoy the classes as well.