"[Toby] Price told us that last week, he’d been asked to schedule a Zoom meeting for another school official to read to all the second grade classes. But she didn’t show up. After this, Price says, his boss asked him to do the reading. So Price grabbed a nearby book which happened to be the tome on butts. Price said he has read this 'very silly, very funny' book to classes in the past without incident. 'After I read it, the principal called me into her office,' Price says, recounting that she warned him that parents were going to complain. Soon after, he says, he was placed on administrative leave while being investigated, and two days later he was informed that he’d be terminated. As Price put it, he was told that 'choosing this book showed a lack of professional judgment, because it included the words 'butt' and 'fart,' and different examples of butts like a robot butt and a bulletproof butt.' 'Stuff like "Captain Underpants" and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" talks about more suggestive things than this book does,' Price told us."
From "Opinion: Teachers are under fire in increasingly bizarre ways" by Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent (WaPo).
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55 comments:
Second grade is where poop and pee is the extent of sexual interest so the book's perfect.
Wonkette (original one) always made anal sex jokes though but that's well after condom class.
Probably a totally harmless book, but the absolute worst choice for the current political climate.
When I read of this kind of thing, I wonder about what went on before. If (big IF) he was a burr in the saddle for a long time, then the firing is just something that was inevitable, looking for a trigger point.
But what kind of parent would call in to complain about fart humor, anyway? (And why would you listen to that nonsense!) I wonder if that really happened, or if was just used by the principal to justify her firing of him.
I've met some very good School Principals. But I've also met very petty and my-way-or-the-Highway ones.
It's almost impossible to expel a student from school.
However, an assistant principal can be fired for this silly incident.
The Simpsons TV cartoon debuted in 1989. Bart's catch phrase "Eat my shorts" was considered rude, crude, and inappropriate by many. George Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say on Television" debuted in 1972. By 2010 the FCC and courts seem to have stopped caring.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_dirty_words
Our standards for rudeness and indecency changed dramatically over the last 50 years. Good? Bad? Hmmm? However, some of us prefer the old rules while others are offended by "Karens" and "prudishness."
When was the last time you heard someone say "Pardon my French"?
Just end the public education system now and give parents vouchers.
"But, but, I was only reading a book on butts. It's my lifelong dyslexia. When I picked up the book I thought it was a book about buttes."
Teachers are under fire for being racist/sexist/genderist/trans activists. Their job is too teach, not indoctrinate. They are under fire for presenting slanted history, telling black students that they are victims and will always be incapable of succeeding. They are under fire for telling white students that they are oppressors and must always hate themselves.
Unless the subtitle of the book is ... because I've been doing too much anal and now my sphincter is stretched beyond all recognition then the school made the wrong call.
It is the job of the administration to stand up for teachers (or administrators in this case ) when they are in the right, and for school board members to stand up for administrators when they are in the right.
Giving in to a vocal minority of parents who are in the wrong is cowardly.
Can't We ALL Agree,
ONLY teachers (and Administrators) should be permitted ANY say in course material?
Not taxpayers
Not elected officials
and CERTAINLY NOT parents
It is The Teacher's privilege, to decide how and why to corrupt and twist children
That's Why they're paid
I bought that book for my grandsons when they were about 4 and 6. When I was a kid the consequences for saying "butt" would have been scary. The boys thought it was hilarious.
https://www.amazon.com/Flip-Wesley-Dennis/dp/B000N23TJY
Why not good books?
Why butt books?
Wth is wrong w/people these days?
I had/still have this book. I see there are 2more of him.
Gotta get them so if I’m blessed w/Grandkids, I can give them the things that I love. Good books.
Not butt books.
Enigma!! Pardon my French?
Our son got us Season 4 of Yellowstone… just heard that exact phrase.
So weird.
For a while my son’s favorite book was Parts by Tedd Arnold. I recommended it to my husband’s cousin’s wife for their son and he loved it too. In my experience a lot of little boys love gross silly things. The little girls I knew, not so much but most likely some do too.
I want a new butt
One that won't let me down
One that won't sag too much
One that'll stay big and round.
"Butt" and "fart" are still considered mild vulgarities in some circles.
If your clean talking (so far) second grader suddenly starts popping off with butt and fart jokes and you find out he picked it up from a schoolteacher in a class setting then you might be a little pissed off.
Stupid to read the book. Stupid to fire the teacher. Stupid to demand firing the teacher.
That school is over 90% African American so I would guess that the complaints came from religious Black parents trying desperately to raise good children.
I'll add that the school and the district have a largely African American Administration.
This happened in Hinds County School District. Location is probably the butt of many jokes and decided to stir up a shitstorm.
https://nypost.com/2022/03/10/school-official-fired-for-reading-childrens-book-called-i-need-a-new-butt/
I've read the book and it's cute.
One of the less discussed problems with censorship is the capriciousness of the thing. There’s no apparent rhyme nor reason why some things aren’t allowed while others are.
This weeks Matt Taibbi’s Substack is devoted to this. See if you can figure out why three fingers as opposed to a whole hand is allowed explicit material by… hold on to your hats… Visa and Mastercard. Yeah, the behemoth is censoring explicit adult material.
Copy pasta to your browser (for Matt’s audio version of his column) #safeformastercard 👉🏽 https://youtu.be/idOlj2NFWPQ
"And then what?" seems to be a question few people ask themselves.
In some school systems, "I wanna new bullwhip up my butt" is OK, but not this.
Shades of that awful White Supremacist Dr. Seuss.
I believe we have this book at our house and the 5 year old finds it hilarious. Spiller alert: a boy falls on his bottom and it breaks (shatters) and the book is about him looking for a replacement. A little crude, but she enjoys the heck out of it so all it gets out of me is an eye roll when it gets pulled out.
I have a feeling MadisonMan is on the right track, there must be more to the story than just this book.
The Amazon link gives the recommended grades: 1 through 5. There must be some backstory. Does the teacher/assistant principal have a union?
I think the problem is adults focused on children’s buttocks. You have to trust teachers and their general interest in indoctrinating schoolkids about a range of sexual behaviors makes us worry if they deploy a book designed to loosen everyone up with a story about a boy’s ass.
It is the job of the administration to stand up for teachers (or administrators in this case ) when they are in the right, and for school board members to stand up for administrators when they are in the right.
Giving in to a vocal minority of parents who are in the wrong is cowardly.
90% of all that is fucked up about public education is due to cowardice.
If your kid gets attacked at school by the bully, and defends himself, guess what? Both kids get suspended due to zero tolerance. Your kid is supposed to just take it until the fight is broken up. (Which of course doesn't make him look like a victim for the next bully/s) No one wants to defend suspending only the bully to the bully's parents. (or worse their lawyer)
No one gets expelled anymore. Even sexual assault and terroristic threats merely get you assigned to a new school. (Where they hope no one knows who you are) No one gets retained for failing classes. I have a student this year who everyone is pretending is a junior, but has only passed two classes so far. Don't believe me? Call your local school district and ask for how many kids have been expelled or retained over the last ten years.
Last week a kid hit a teacher. Five days suspension and I think he's coming back to our school next week. He was the local hero for half the student body this week. What do you think he's going to be like now?
Grew up in Appalachia, had none of these suburban, elitist, coastal, white-people problems. Mehthinks too many people have too much time and $$ to engage in this type of socio-politics. This wouldn't have happened in the Appalachian hills (or the Ozarks in Missouri/Arkansas) because a teacher would never think to ever utter a phrase about a butt.
I'm a live and let live guy, and extremely anti-censorship.
That being said, it's felling of schadenfreude when liberals get cancelled.
I know the assistant principal is a liberal because he's an assistant principal.
'...if they deploy a book designed to loosen everyone up with a story about a boy’s ass.'
I see what you did there : )
I live in Fairfax County. This county and adjacent Loudon County are ground zero for parents deciding to stop the indoctrination madness. The book may have been read in the past without incident due to blissful ignorance of the parents. Choosing this particular book at this particular moment is a GFY to the parents if he deliberately chose it to provoke a reaction. If he unwittingly chose it at this particular moment he ought to be fired for dumb.
Price says, recounting that Principal warned him that parents were going to complain.
========
what the Principal was saying ===>>> we are going to get threats from Domestic Terrorists [DOJ warning]
Not sure from the excerpt whether any parents actually did complain, none are referenced.
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...
"Probably a totally harmless book, but the absolute worst choice for the current political climate."
I used to think Progressives were the new Puritans. Then I thought they were the new Pharisees. Now I think they are the new Inquisitors.
So Price grabbed a nearby book which happened to be the tome on butts. Price said he has read this 'very silly, very funny' book to classes in the past without incident.
=========
was Price in class with kids? was book on class room bookshelf? what book was Zooming in school official going to read?
The book seems edgy, but generally age appropriate. It is the type of book I would care was available in the library, but one I would hope a teacher would have the better sense not to read to the entire class. I wouldn't fire the teacher, unless they refused to be sensible. Being inclusive means also inclusive of those that are not body positive and don't need reinforcement that they should get a new butt.
I’m Gen X and don’t remember kids books about butts from back in the day. KIDS should joke about butts and farts amongst themselves. It shouldn’t be something adults they aren’t even related to them talk about when there is the entirety of the universe out there to talk about. While I don’t think Captain Underpants is “grooming” material I think it leads to the slippery slope that groomers are all trying to push us down.
If parents want to read butt joke books to their kids at home that is their choice. Schools as public places should be much more circumspect in their choices.
It would be a shame to miss out on that bit of the literary canon.
We have that book. Completely age-appropriate. Our kids loved it.
You have to trust teachers and their general interest in indoctrinating schoolkids about a range of ... behaviors
Exactly. Teaching behavioral protocols is the conventional role of parents, and traditionally, voluntarily of churches etc. Sharing responsibility does not transfer aspirations or relinquish custody. Schools are only temporary guardians by contract or mandate.
That said, parents are under fire in increasingly aggressive modes. Children are a captive audience in a progressively toxic climate. Boys and girls are subject to ever liberal archetypes of sex, gender, and human relations. Teachers can wield administrative leverage to improve the life prospects of children, their own, or both.
This book is totally inappropriate. What ever happened to lifting the tone of the class? This seems headed to the lowest common denominator at best. Wouldn't "Horton Hatches the Egg" be a better choice?
If anyone ever wonders how we got where we are in this society, the idea that this was OK is a good indicator.
It seems likely that the book was designed to engage young boys who are not overly eager to read, much in the way Captain Underpants does. So of course, if it appeals more to boys than girls, it must be bad.
By the way, is the thumbnail picture intended to represent the sun setting on the American educational system?
Don't say butt.
It seems like a relatively harmless book but probably an inappropriate choice for the grade level. Seems OK for home or library use. There are far better choices to read aloud such as classic fairy tales. I agree with Madison Man that it may have been an excuse to terminate him for other unstated reasons, but I’m surprised that he doesn’t seem to have any due process rights to challenge this decision. His termination seems arbitrary.
I am just going to call bullshit on this story. I don't know why he was fired, but he is lying about the reason is my belief.
So we're not quite sure if this is canceled culture we like?
Let's just keep in mind, that these people squander billions of dollars every year on the completely bogus pretext that they are "educating" children. And then they spend most of their time trying to figure out some way to waste the time they are required to spend with those children. Why didn't he pick up his copy of Euclid and read them that? Hah! Like this dweeb has a copy of Euclid. Maybe he could have been teaching them Spanish? Nah, he doesn't know Spanish. In fact, he doesn't know shit. He's got a Teaching Certificate from a diploma mill to prove it.
People are rotting in prison right now because they tried to avoid the taxes that pay this asshole to read his butt book to someone else's kids. That's what this is all about. Losers getting paid to babysit, and maybe do a little pedo on the side. The public schools are a racket run by criminals.
Really sorry to hear this but it is your own teachers union and your peers that have brought it down on your head. Sexualizing 5-8 year olds. Promoting racist dogma. Hiding subjects from parents, enticing children to hide from their parents.
You threw away trust, now you will be given none. You will be forever watched and dictated to now.
On the other hand I’m going to find that book to read to my grandkiddos, they will love it.
A counterrevolution is not a dinner party.
As a parent, discussion of butts at the second grade level is unnecessary. There are many things second graders need to be exposed to that do not require reference to asses.
It's different if a kid picks it out himself at a store or library, but I don't think it's good for an adult to impose it on a child. How would you feel if you hired a babysitter who showed up with that book to read to your child?
Wasn't that the song the got Ray Parker Jr in trouble with the Ghostbusters Theme - Huey Lewis' "I Need A New Butt?"
Ignorance is Bliss said...
Unless the subtitle of the book is ... because I've been doing too much anal and now my sphincter is stretched beyond all recognition...
Damn! Cardi B got a book deal?
It's an opinion piece by two lefties. There probably isn't one factual paragraph in the whole article.
The pork butt consists of parts of the neck, shoulder blade, and upper arm of the pig. Pork ham is mostly glutenous maximus from the back end of the pig. "Sooey" is a cry to get the attention of swine.
Adults who go out of their way to discuss butt cracks with second graders are grooming.
This is how it starts: They desensitize children to sexual topics. It cracks open the door (no pun intended) to further conversations, and erodes privacy boundaries. They also encourage their marks to keep secrets from parents. They maintain 'plausible deniability' and get shocked when someone calls them out on it. They'll even pretend to be a victim (See "Breendoggle.")
This is completely inappropriate from a teacher.
Fine for kids to pick out at a library, but absolutely disgusting for this cretin, who has positioned himself to be in a position of trust for children and have daily access to children not his own over an extended period of time (which is what it takes for the desensitization grooming technique to have an effect.
The idiots opposing the bill in Florida are incredibly naive about how these predators operate.
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