[atari 2600]

Popular art teacher, Sydney McGee, a teacher for 28 years at the Wilma Fisher Elementary School in Frisco, Texas, was suspended from her job on September 22. Her infraction? Exposing her students to "nude art" during a visit to the Dallas Museum of Art. "One of her students saw nude art in the museum, and after the child’s parent complained, the teacher was suspended."
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/offbe...hildren_1.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/4214639.html

[porkmarras]

atari is a way too easy bloke to deconstruct.He's lucky that this is the internet and not my studio's chair.

[HaydenAsche]

That sucks.

[Tokolosh]

Texas... where else. What is it with that place?

[EMMAh]

That's a little unreasonable (about the teacher)

[porkmarras]

Sucks.Place.What.is.

[atari 2600]

From this link, it looks to have been Rodin's The Thinker (of all things) that stirred up the shit.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/offbe...hildren_1.html

Think About The Children!

 

In what might be the most ridiculous fooforaw (or argle bargle) since Marge Simpson brought Michelangelo's David to Springfield, an award-winning Texas art teacher has lost her job after a fifth grade field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art ended with parental complaints that kids had seen a nude sculpture. Sydney Mcgee, who has taught art for 28 years, was first reprimanded, and then relieved of her duties at Fisher Elementary School, Friday, after the school board voted not to renew her contract. Given this precedent, maybe local science teachers should avoid taking students to the zoo just in case the animals are... you know?
Source: Teacher reprimanded after student sees nude art on museum trip

[atari 2600]

Originally Posted by EMMAh

That's a little unreasonable (about the teacher)

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What is that guy doing to the statues butt? Great photo!

Posted by: Kop | September 27, 2006 03:51 PM
I'm so sure if they went to the Alamo no parent would have complained that their kids saw guns or images of dead bodys. Nude statues in a museum heaven forbid!

Posted by: Texas??? | September 27, 2006 06:26 PM
Social Services (if there is such a thing in Frisco, Texas) should look into parents who complained that their child saw a nude statue in a museum. The welfare of the child should be considered first and foremost, and clearly, these parents are not bringing their child up in a world of values based on reality..... and of course, all administrators who support the ousting of this teacher should be shown the door....

Posted by: normanx | September 27, 2006 11:42 PM
Social services won't look into this whitewash job. The whole things gettin covered up like T.Os suicide and JFKs assasignation. You don't mess with texas and expect to survive, just ask the democratic party.

Posted by: Dallas | September 28, 2006 12:15 AM
It looks crazy... Poor America...

Posted by: Anton | September 30, 2006 06:21 AM
I love how the media jumped all over this with absolutely no EVIDENCE except words from a woman with mental issues. Its not about art, shes not an award winning teacher, and this is not her first incident. And fyi, shame on the media for not taking statements from the school board and not taking interviews from the people who actually know something about this story.

Posted by: OMR | September 30, 2006 09:52 AM
According to NYT she won a Monthly Teacher Award in 2004 from a local newspaper http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/30/education/30teacher.html


Posted by: reOMR | September 30, 2006 10:19 AM
Yeah an award a local grocery store gave out to numerous other teachers for the number of years they have taught not their performance. Its interesting to note to, this is not her first suspension from a school district. That will come out in time...

Posted by: OMR | September 30, 2006 03:17 PM
which grocery store?

Posted by: | September 30, 2006 07:13 PM
I think this is totally outrageous. If parents knew their children were going to an art museum, they should have known there would be nudes. They could have denied the child to attend the field trip. I would like to ask what kind of television programming they allow their children to view. There is much more skin on the boob tube than most art museums. It is astounding that people still view the human body as something vulgar and needs to be covered. I am going to do all I can to give this story attention, this school board needs bad press, most definately. I suggest we all write the local paper in Frisco Texas and support this teacher.

Posted by: Michelle | October 1, 2006 06:46 PM
"When it comes out?" If you people have this supposed information about the other side of the story- why not bring it out? According to the NYT McGee has produces her employment reviews and they are all excellent up until this incident. Thats the paper and thats all that ultimately is going to be relevant in any arbitration. The school may have had issues with this teacher, but if they didnt document them they might as well not have happened. The system is designed for exactly this situation- so that when there is a contraversy one side cant go 'oh, we've had all sorts of problems before'. Well, if you did you better have documented them.

Posted by: Mark Buehner | October 2, 2006 12:53 PM
I am amazed that we all really think that the media has not picked up on good controversy and have now run with it. There is a whole other side to this story and I hope it comes out.

Posted by: Momofone | October 2, 2006 06:16 PM
I know this lady. She is awesome. Her father is the one who gave me the nickname JP and her mother, I call her "granny." She is a very sweet and loving person and it is terrible that this has gotten so far. It started in April and we hoped it would be over with by now, I guess not.

Posted by: Jennifer | October 2, 2006 06:40 PM
Where do we draw the line bewteen what's appropriate for children to view and not? I say if parents sign off on the permission slips then anything short of the nudey bar is ok.

Posted by: PM | October 3, 2006 08:06 AM
I am not sure of this teacher's background, being from RI I have only seen media reports, so I am not sure how it relates to the story. I am so grateful to my teachers for exposing me to art and taking us to museums. I grew up and decided to study art history in Florence, Italy...the naked statue capital of the world. When my nephew was in first grade I exposed him to the art I was studying and if anything he is more cultured and more aware of true beauty than any other student in his fifth grade class. Plus, have these parents ever been to an art museum? What did they think their children were going to look at? I think if the teacher did something to the children at the musuem that would warrant her dismissal or susupension but for doing her job and educating children...I just don't understand it.

Posted by: liz | October 4, 2006 12:10 PM
This makes me so sad I could cry and also really scared.
As an artist who have worked from the figure for years, I can only wish that the children of the world would all be taught to have a natural and respectful relationship to bodies, whether in art or in life. When a shameful approach to the body is taught, it would necessarily lead to a need to cover up the body and to black out any nudity from movies, books or art. Is this freedom not what we are claiming to be fighting for across the borders of the world?


Posted by: Anki King | October 4, 2006 02:15 PM
A teacher fired over nude sculptures in a museum - classic... I had a conference with a teacher and she became so rude and disresptectful to me that I filed a written complaint with the school district. Guess what she got - she was "observed" for 30 days. Due to her daily behavior and interaction with children. And, I'm in Texas too so it's not just a Texas thing. Crazy thing is, I just saw the story on inside edition. I know Sydney from years ago. She always had everyone's best interest in mind. These parents should be embarrassed.

Posted by: catbalu | October 4, 2006 04:19 PM
To: OMR
You might want to talk to an Enlish teacher about the differences between "to, too, and two" to improve your own performance before commenting on the performance of others. Just a suggestion.

Posted by: UnionmanHFT | October 4, 2006 04:30 PM
Also would have been a much better choice!

Posted by: unionmanhft | October 4, 2006 04:32 PM
People, there is a whole other side to this story. The reason it hasnt come out yet is because the school district cannot release it. Have patience and realize this is not about nude art. She just wants everyone to think it is.
District officials maintain that McGee's suspension from the classroom is based on other performance issues.
Superintendent Rick Reedy sent a letter to McGee on Tuesday asking for permission to open her personnel file so the district could respond to criticism over her case.
"I believe some of the information being disseminated to the press is not true and is misleading, especially the allegation that the district has disciplined a teacher for exposing students to nude art," Reedy said in a prepared statement. "I think we can all agree that the facts should be made available for full review and open discussion."
"Let's shine a light on Ms. McGee's allegations and discuss whether she was disciplined for a parent complaint regarding what students viewed at an art museum," Reedy said. "This district has been making trips to the Dallas Museum of Art for years and will continue to do so. No teacher has ever been disciplined for the art seen by students, so why would the district start now?"

Posted by: OMR | October 4, 2006 07:30 PM

[atari 2600]

To: UnionmanHFT
I will take that criticism into account. I didn't realize that I needed to proofread on a BLOG!

Posted by: OMR | October 4, 2006 07:38 PM
TO OMR:
Two (2) questions:
1) Do you think its wrong for 10 year-olds to see a nude work of art?
2)Do you think an art teacher should be fired for taking 5th graders to a museum where they see nude sculptures?

Posted by: kel | October 4, 2006 08:26 PM
Frisco, Texas supports the Arts and so does FISD! Plain and simple. A teacher would NEVER be ousted for a field trip to the DMA nor for a parent complaint from that visit. Period. End of sentence. End of debate.


Posted by: A.T. from Frisco | October 4, 2006 10:17 PM
Hot off the press! From the Dallas Morning News. This teacher was paid to leave the McKinney ISD for similar complaints of teaching performance in 1998. Very interesting turn of events that the news media finally sniffed out! Maybe the newly appointed principal at Fisher wasn't going to put up with it in Frisco either? Maybe she values the importants of art and didn't want a substandard teacher.

Posted by: A.T. from Frisco | October 4, 2006 10:47 PM
re: AT from Frisco:
Funny you should say that. Seeing as how in the Denver newspaper, a parent said that they moved to that District because of the wonderful Art program at Fisher Elementary. Oh, and you might want to sniff around the internet a bit. It seems the prinicipal has had other problems with people who teach the arts.
PS: A better parent would have explained to their 5th grader about nude art. Oh, and if your just going to an art museum at age 10 or 11, pity on your parents.
PSS: This ranks right up there with the idiot parent in Georgia who wants Harry Potter books removed...shouldn't you just be glad that your 21st century child is READING!!!!

Posted by: Mengga | October 5, 2006 09:00 AM
To: kel
Answers to your questions...
1) No
2) Absolutely not
What people are not realizing is, THIS IS NOT ABOUT A NUDE SCULPTURE! This was never an issue, the principal never made a comment about seeing nude art. As a matter of fact, the school has had many field trips to the museum and will continue to have field trips to the museum. I can understand how many of you are angry with this story. At first sight its ridiculous, but realize her allegations are obsurd...

Posted by: OMR | October 5, 2006 01:17 PM
To: Mengga
Funny, where have you read that the prinicipal has had other problems with people who teach the arts? I find that interesing since she was a teacher of the Arts herself...

Posted by: | October 5, 2006 01:21 PM
For anyone who is interested...
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100506dnccofriscoteacher.28d02d0.html

Posted by: OMR | October 5, 2006 01:25 PM
I just think that there is some sort of cover up going on. I know Sydney and she is an awesome lady. I don't believe that she has been bad towards parents or students, she is a very loving lady by nature.

Posted by: TxStTeacher | October 5, 2006 06:51 PM
Cover Up! LOL! That's funny. An awesome lady doesn't necessarily make a great art teacher. I have lots of wonderful friends but it doesn't mean I'd hire them all.

Posted by: A.T. | October 5, 2006 07:32 PM
As with all thangs texas the truth lies some wheres enbeteween. Sydney may have been a great teacher but she didna know howta play ball. certain folks just didn like her and she wasnt bout to polish theyre dice. so wat? we got bigger probs out there than kids chekin out some statues package

Posted by: 1/2n1/2 | October 5, 2006 11:04 PM
Does anybody fact check anymore?
She hasn't been teaching at Fisher Elem. for 28 years. Fisher Elem. opened about 6 years ago.
She has 28 years of teaching experience.

[Radioactive Poltergeist]

In 1913 Marcel Duchamps caused an uproar when his 'Nude descending a Staircase' was exhibited at the armory show, despite the fact that the only indication that the model was nude was in the title. It was predicted that many young girls would visit the show to look at nude sculptures. There was even more controversy when it was discovered that a Matisse model only had four toes.

93 years later and this happens. Fuck Texas, give it back to the Mexicans.

[Tokolosh]

Pathetic! There are no explicit body parts to be seen. Not even an arse crack. Texas has opened the gates of hell to Dante's inferno!

[porkmarras]

All i'm left with is these twats.Not fair.

[Glice]

I'm astonished that Atari missed the chance to quote that episode of the Simpsons.

Astonished and pleased, if I'm honest. Still, the copy/pasting thing reared it's tiresome head, so my pleasure was soon removed.

[krastian]

My senior exhibit at my high school's art show was censored not by my art teacher but by the "administration" because I had some charcoal drawings that I did from the nude when I went to art school the past summer....there were a few titties and cocks and they had a cow. So I posted some of these small xeroxed copies of Saddam Hussein's face that I had on all the naughty parts.....that fixed em'.

[Norma J]

I go to an artschool and we always have nude models. I thought that would be standard in any place they 'teach' art?

[Everyneurotic]

nah, i stick with bombing australia

[static-harmony]

This is pathetic man, but what can you do, when these little towns are enforcing Intelligent Design, and all that other religious propaganda.

[sonik death]

I think Texas will probably bomb itself one day, here's hoping anyway!

[Norma J]

Originally Posted by Everyneurotic

nah, i stick with bombing australia

That's because you're an idiot.

[HaydenAsche]

You have yet to show your intelligence, numbskull.

Impress me with your education.