This is the sickest thing I've read in a long time. Third graders !!!

DC Public Schools tells Fox News on Monday it has launched an investigation after elementary students reportedly were instructed to re-enact the Holocaust, including portraying Adolf Hitler and "digging ditches to serve as mass graves."

The lesson apparently given to third graders at the Watkins Elementary School library on Friday left the students "traumatized," according to one parent who spoke to Fox5 DC.

"Last week, we received a report of a classroom of students receiving a lesson that included portraying different perspectives of the Holocaust. Students should never be tasked with acting out any atrocity, especially genocide and war," DC Public Schools told Fox News in a statement Monday. "Additionally, there were allegations of a staff member using hate speech during the lesson, which is unacceptable and not tolerated at any of our schools."

The district also said the staff member involved in the incident has been placed on leave pending an investigation.

"This was not an approved lesson plan, and we sincerely apologize to our students and families who were subjected to this incident," DC Public Schools said, adding that it is "committed to creating a welcoming environment for all students."

In a letter sent home to parents, the principal of Watkins Elementary School – citing reports he had received – said the lesson included "students being asked to portray participants from the Holocaust like Adolf Hitler, digging ditches to serve as mass graves, and simulated shootings," according to Fox5 DC.

"My husband picked up our child after school and there was a lot of sobbing and crying and distress," one mother told the station.

The mother claimed her child was told to pretend to choke and die inside a gas chamber and had to watch students simulate digging their own graves, Fox5 DC reported.

The parent added that the child instructed to portray Hitler is "not doing well at all" and other kids are struggling as well, based on conversations she has had with other parents.

"They are traumatized. One parent said that their child was worried the teacher in question was hiding at their house," the mother, who wished to remain anonymous, told Fox5 DC. "Children are having nightmares and generally having a very hard time."

The school reportedly is offering counseling for the affected students.

"We just want accountability for this," the mother told Fox5 DC. "Sorry is not enough. And we’re going to lay out what that looks like as parents."

https://www.foxnews.com/us/dc-...ocaust-lesson-report

Disgusting.

Every time I read something like this, I begin by thinking "Nobody would be stupid enough to. . ."

THEN, I am forced to recognize that I was giving them WAY too much credit. There are people out there stupid enough to do these things, and more. . .

I wonder if the feds are going to intimidate/harass/investigate any parents who complain to the school board. THAT would be a REAL 'lesson' on the Holocaust. . .

Problem is that nobody is ever really held accountable.

Sure, the taxpayers will now have to pay for lost lawsuits and other legal fees, but the idiots in charge never pay a dime or really face any personal penalty.

I mean any real, meaningful, penalty.

You mention stupidity and I agree. We are currently in an era of stupidity, which to me seems unprecedented in our history. You can see it in every aspect of our society. Government, politics, health care, education and industry all appear to have embraced stupidity and a lack of common sense. And I think we probably have a more highly educated (College degrees) populace now than in past decades.
Re-enact the mechanics of genocide for third graders? Stupid.

In my opinion, the biggest problem that has brought us to where we are today is the lack of parental involvement.

Before covid, nobody was really showing up to school board meetings. Nobody was really taking a hard look at curriculum. They figured they could do whatever they wanted as nobody really cared. If they cared they would have been there.

Then covid lit a dumpster fire, and as it burned more of this nonsense has been uncovered. The difference is that now there are a lot more parents who not only cared, but who are getting involved. Perhaps this is the moment that these schools get turned around.

Hey! Teachers! Leave those kids alone……

quote:

The mother claimed her child was told to pretend to choke and die inside a gas chamber and had to watch students simulate digging their own graves, Fox5 DC reported.

The parent added that the child instructed to portray Hitler is "not doing well at all"

That's outrageous enough, that I'd want to confirm it actually happened before reacting, because of the reaction it would deserve, if true. I don't distrust everything I hear, but I do apply skepticism liberally, and usually don't regret doing so.

That said, the reaction something like this would deserve is not some 'paid leave' or 'suspension' or 'additional sensitivity training'. Thinking along the lines of epic, permanent, and enough of a deterrent that nobody else tries anything that stupid for another couple centuries.

I've read WWII-era history for five decades and that shit still disturbs me. To not only expose 3rd graders, but to have them play-act?!?!? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

I'm just surprised that the school wasn't teaching the Holocast never happened.

I used to do a lot of work in schools (design, renovation, additions, etc.) and I would frequently have to go in and look at existing conditions, field measure, etc. At an elementary school one day I saw this poster on the wall and had to snap a picture. I am not 100% which school this was but it was in South Fulton County, Georgia.

Obviously, having no context, it's pretty disturbing. Even if I had context, I think it'd be pretty disturbing. They were evidently working on similes as you see a couple of instances of "_____ as a _____."

Some people need a good old fashioned come to Jesus meeting... and never be seen or heard from again.

quote:

portray participants from the Holocaust like Adolf Hitler,

Hitler was NOT a participant, he was the AUTHOR of the Holocaust.

Just what is WRONG with these people?

I can understand how this can be traumatic. On the other hand, at least it wasn't a lesson on how the holocaust never happened which is what I was expecting.

Liberals dominate education at all levels.

No surprises here.

I have been saying it for awhile now.
CAMERAS IN THE CLASSROOM!!!!!!!!

Cameras in the classroom would be a fantastic tool for keeping teachers "honest".

Sadly, it is unlikely to ever happen.

I've written it before and it is my long held belief that teachers are slightly overpaid for the most part.

All of you who are teachers and have relatives who are teachers don't crucify me. I taught middle school for more than a decade.

My point is; if you think about it you probably had 2-3 truly outstanding teachers in your k-12 experience. You probably had the same number you absolutely detested. That means the rest were largely unremarkable.

I'll admit a good teacher is underpaid. An outstanding teacher is grossly underpaid. The system we have that allows mediocre and bad teachers to be compensated on par with good and great teachers is to blame. There is no accountability.

There is a concept in teacher education that 'role playing' is more 'significant' and beneficial as an education 'tool' for students. This was 'taught' in teacher training classes many decades ago. Nothing new here just part of the education indoctrination or pedagogical style of the 'teacher'! Who's teaching the teachers?

The whole thing demonstrates a lack of how Third graders process information. Some idiot at the private school decided third graders would enjoy a visit to the Pediatric Unit at the hospital. Kids had nightmares for weeks.

I am a big believer of never speaking down to my children, if they aska question I give them an adult answer...this means I have to explain a lot and if my older sons are an example they learn more...but

No....just throwing this shit out there to kids unprepared and without someone there to hug them is fucked up.

We visited Auschwitz-Birkenau a couple years ago and my son was 6-7 and he did not go with us....I expected it to be raw and I was very right.....I would have never exposed him to that at that young age....I still tear up thinking about the exhibit of children's shoes....

To the fellow that mentioned the "coming to Jesus meeting"....yup and in Texas we have hogs so the clean up is easy

quote:

Originally posted by trebor44:
There is a concept in teacher education that 'role playing' is more 'significant' and beneficial as an education 'tool' for students. This was 'taught' in teacher training classes many decades ago. Nothing new here just part of the education indoctrination or pedagogical style of the 'teacher'! Who's teaching the teachers?

Universities of education are rotten to the core professors that present their pet projects and non-validated ideas as "the way", and they change it every so often just to feel important. Academic rigor on the form of following the scientific method with controlled testing to determine which teaching methods result in the best outcomes is non-existent. They care more about theory and how teachers "feel" about teaching than how well the kids learn. Yeah "role playing" might be better in theory, but I'm certain they didn't actually test the theory and prove that it is actually better with real data.

What else would you expect of a profession that invented the "Ed.D" so that public school teachers could get pay raises for getting watered down "doctorates" instead of having to put in the actual work and the research to get an actual PhD? NO OTHER DISCIPLINE HAS DONE THIS. Why? Because no other discipline pays SOLELY based on years of experience and degrees attained, regardless of capability or performance. It's socialism in practice, and you get the same results.

https://freebeacon.com/democra...r-and-animal-abuser/

The Washington, D.C., public school librarian who made third graders reenact graphic scenes from the Holocaust is a Democrat who claims she ran for office in New Jersey, where she was convicted of defrauding the state through a tutoring scam and charged with several counts of animal abuse.

Kimberlynn Jurkowski was placed on leave this week after parents complained to Watkins Elementary School that she made students role-play the Holocaust, assigning students to be Jews and pretend to die in gas chambers and dig mass graves, according to the Washington Post. One student was assigned to be Adolf Hitler, who carried out the Holocaust, Jurkowski told the students, "because the Jews ruined Christmas." A Washington Free Beacon investigation found that Jurkowski was hired by the D.C. public school after a scandalous tenure as a librarian in New Jersey, where she ran in 2010 for a local school board as a Democrat, according to an image posted to her Twitter account.

There is no record of Jurkowski serving on the school board for Hamilton Township in Atlantic County, where she says she ran for office. There is record, however, of New Jersey catching Jurkowski bilking taxpayers out of approximately $24,000 through a program designed to help the children of the state's educators. The Hamilton Township district paid for Jurkowski's two children to receive tutoring—but she continued to bill the district for reimbursements once the tutoring stopped. She was convicted of fraud and forced to forfeit her librarian job, according to court records.

Jurkowski's legal problems continued in 2019 when she faced four charges of animal cruelty for leaving her dogs out in the cold. According to coverage at the time from Pet Rescue Report, Jurkowski left five dogs behind to survive frigid temperatures in a dilapidated environment. Body camera footage from police officers called to the site shows "the entire property was completely run down," with "dogs in pens with sheets of plywood leaning against a fence to act as shelter."

The principal of Watkins Elementary School, Scott Berkowitz, did not return a request for comment on Jurkowski. D.C. Public Schools did not respond to multiple requests for comment, including about whether it was familiar with Jurkowski’s criminal record prior to hiring her.

Since working in D.C. Public Schools, Jurkowski has struck an ultra-partisan combative tone online. Her Twitter account is filled with retweets of calls to abolish the police and defend Palestinian terrorism. One Al Jazeera post she shared claims that a Palestinian terrorist named Ahmad Erekat was killed by Israeli police but fails to mention that he was shot after ramming his car into Israelis.

Watkins Elementary School is located just outside a city ward represented by a Democratic lawmaker who claimed that Jews control the weather.