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Monday, November 21, 2005
Should popular teachers operate outside the rules?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m a wuss.
At least one reader thought so after Sunday’s column on Ed Youngblood. He’s the popular South Gwinnett High teacher who resigned because he showed “Elizabeth,” an R-rated movie with violence and sexuality, to students. He didn’t follow procedure for getting the movie approved. School system brass decided he had to go.
No teacher, I wrote, is above rules and regulations. No matter how much he or she is respected by peers or revered by students.
Many readers who e-mailed me or posted comments on the Badie Blog (60 as of late Monday) didn’t see it my way. Others did. Read on.
Sally D. Ellis of Loganville suggested I slip on Youngblood’s shoes.
“You would want a chance to apologize, learn from your error, and continue your career,” she wrote. “It’s the Gwinnett students who lose on this one.”
Phil McIntosh of Grayson compared the test-crazy state of public schools to a brainwashing.
“The current micromanaged curriculum and several weeks of standardized testing per year smack of brainwashing, not education. The ridiculous policy of firing successful teaches for trying to keep something of themselves in the classroom sends our kids further down that road.” In the Badie Blog, Marcus Spencer, a former student of Youngblood’s, posted several entries, the first of which defended the right of him and others to support the instructor.
“You’re damn right parents and students are going to rally behind him. Ed Youngblood never once asked anyone to stand up and help him. Not once. I, we, requested his permission to stand up for what we feel is right. He granted it mainly because he feels it is our job to do what we feel is right. Gwinnett County stepped on the wrong David this time. If you look around him, you’ll notice a few thousand people armed with knowledge and democracy preparing to swarm Goliath.”
Daniel Sobczak of Snellville wrote that we can’t afford to lose good teachers like Youngblood and Doc Neace.
“Both could have been suspended without pay and let well enough alone. Neither should have been a terminable offense.”
Denise Benshoof of Snellville majored in British history.
“You are absolutely correct to focus on the organization and its need to meet its own rules in the issue of Ed Youngblood. Tudor images are all over my house, and I applaud any film with historic accuracy. For me, though, I would equate images in “Elizabeth” with soft-core porn and would suggest it as a college-age film.”
On the blog, Dave Oliver of Lawrenceville said Youngblood got his just deserts.
“Mr. Wilbanks was hired to enforce the rules, along with making sure the children of Gwinnett County receive an excellent education. He is enforcing the rules concerning R-rated movies, and as far as we all should be concerned, that’s all there is, there ain’t no more. Bye, bye, Mr. Youngblood.”
• Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
