The hoopla has even caught the attention of the artist who created the painting. The artist, Michael D'Antuono, is a well-known contemporary American artist whose provocative paintings on socio-political issues have garnered national and international attention. D'Antuono commented on the reaction to the Nevada high school assignment on his own Facebook page and on news sites. He tweeted, "A high school teacher in Nevada may be fired for showing my anti-racism painting." On his own Facebook page, D'Antuono describes the response this way: "People are offended by a teacher inspiring critical thinking to their kids with my painting, but apparently not racist police officers literally getting away with murder."
In response to a story on Fox New 11 Reno about the reaction of the school to the teacher's use of the image in her assignment, Mr. D'Antuono commented, "As the artist who painted "A Tale Of Two Hoodies" I believe [the Superintendent] was wrong to apologize for a teacher who used that piece to inspire students to question the status quo with critical thinking. A high school is a place where children should be enlightened, not insulated from the real world they are supposed to be prepared to enter as adults. I have been contacted by many students around the country who did reports on that particular painting. Schools in other countries have asked to include that piece in their textbooks. I'm sure the kids at Dayton High have been exposed to numerous videos on the news of police killing unarmed black people their age. Do the parents who want to shield their teenagers from my painting also want to shield them from those news clips in an effort to promote ignorance?It's sad that in our country, Police Chiefs protect officers who commit murder but school superintendents don't protect teachers who creatively spark discourse on important issues and teach young minds to question the the world as it is."
STUDENT CREATES PETITION: Most of the online comments by students who actually completed the class assignment focus on the dedication of the teacher, and the value of the assignment with regards to expanding critical thinking skills. A former student created a petition site in support of the teacher, and urged people to sign it through pleas on social media. The petition includes dozens of comments from among the hundreds who signed in support of the teacher:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-clausen
What was the assignment, anyway? One student who had the same teacher, and a similar assignment in the previous year, patiently tried to explain the assignment to upset adults on a local Facebook group page, posting, "A teacher gave this picture as part of the semester final. The assignment was to analyze the photo and explain how the past has shaped how America is currently...The assignment was to ANALYZE what was happening in the picture and how past racial issues has shaped today...[The teacher] gave her students a thought provoking picture and told them to analyze what was going on with it. Heaven forbid there's some critical thinking happening in the classroom."
Another teen at Dayton High also tried to explain the purpose of the assignment to adults, writing, "This situation has been completely blown out of proportion by some of the adults in this area. This teacher in no way was teaching the bias behind this image as fact, nor were students asked to parallel the political cartoon to slavery as originally reported. Students were only asked to give their opinion on the cartoon and analyze the biases behind the image. I have analyzed many political cartoons as part of classwork, and never has it been a problem, because we all knew the teacher wanted elaboration, not for the students to internalize the message of the cartoon. Some of the people offended over the image think the students in this US History class are too young to understand the bias, and are thus being "brainwashed by the liberal agenda" (an actual phrase I saw used). These are 16-17 year olds who will all be of legal voting age within two years. Teenagers naturally start to question politics and government at this age, so being taught how to identify bias and express political ideals is completely appropriate for the classes' age group. As someone who had [this teacher] for two classes last year and loved both of them, I feel School District would make a huge mistake if they chose to fire her over this. Never has she made me feel she was forcing her opinions onto me through her lessons."
Yet another student explained the assignment this way, "I cannot believe that people are still going on talking about how they don't "agree" with [the teacher] on this picture, what is there even to agree with? Not once did she ever say that this picture was okay or try to make us think it was. And not once did she say this is how she feels about the people in today's society. When she put it on the board she simply said analyze this photo and write down how it makes YOU feel or what YOU see in this picture, not once did she try to shove any opinion down our throats. If you don't have the teacher you shouldn't have an opinion, jumping to conclusions and making false accusations when you know absolutely NOTHING does not do anything but cause controversy between people who have her as a teacher and know that she goes above and beyond to teach us about things in America's history and people who do not have her and haven't even had a conversation and know absolutely nothing about the situation. If your child has a problem or you have a problem with this picture that portrays events that happened in our history take your child out of that class because they obviously cannot handle the truth and neither can you. The only thing [this teacher ]ever did was ask us how we felt about this picture, so before you make false accusations about what you think happened form solid facts and then maybe you can have an opinion."
A student responding to the repeated assertion that the teacher's purpose was to push a particular agenda commented online, "[This teacher] has never tried to force her beliefs on anyone of us, the whole idea behind giving us this photo was to make us think. She is provoking thought in us, which is what a teacher is meant to do in order for us to learn. The amount of people that have resorted to name calling is completely uncalled for, you do not know her and do not know what a wonderful person, as well as teacher, she is. She is teaching us about issues that we face today, and though it is risqué, it's caused all of her students to open their eyes and pay attention to the issues going on around us. Please do not attack her, because you do not know her. She has always had our best interest in mind with whatever she does."
Yet another student posted a passionate defense of the teacher, writing, "As one of this teacher's students, I'm very offended that these accusations are being made about her. Out of all the history classes I've had to take, I've never been so well educated on American History. She has used pictures such as this one all year to get us thinking and analyzing what's going on. She has not once, ever, tried to shove an opinion down our throats. She has always let us openly think for ourselves. This post did not make me or anyone else in my class think the police force is associated with the KKK, nor do we think African Americans should live in fear. This photo portrays a time period in our history. If this offends you, you must be offended by American History. We shouldn't be shielded from these things. We NEED to be informed and that's all this teacher has ever tried to do. Instead of being offended by this picture, you people should realize we're old enough to have our own opinions about things and if we aren't upset about it, YOU SHOULDN'T BE! It's not YOUR class, it's OURS. It's not YOUR education, it's OURS. We deserve to be taught these things. I mean cmon, racism is still a very big problem today."
Another student wrote, "...I don't understand everyone's outrage. If she said "Write a statement saying why all cops are worthless pigs and how they do nothing but harm the black community", I would totally understand. She told her students to analyze the picture. and asked what THEY thought. Had this not OBVIOUSLY been Trayvon, no one would have had a problem with it. Especially if they were discussing civil war. but because the ARTIST (not the teacher) made something so recent everyone is freaking out. She is a wonderful teacher. I had her 2 years in a row twice a day everyday. She never once offered her opinion about anything. She plays devils advocate to spark thought provoking discussions in her class. All of you are very over reactive and you wanna know why NONE OF the kids in her class are offended? BECAUSE IT GOES ALONG WITH BLACK HISTORY. All of you take this out of context and this stupid "radio" show blasting her is immature and the information isn't even correct. But no one will listen to the kids in her class because we are "children and don't know better." We already have our own opinions about this stuff. we are juniors and seniors and can think for ourselves. And we are a hell of a lot more mature than most the adults on this page. The fact that all of you are going out of your way to get her fired is disgusting."
Responses from Adults, Both From the Area and From Other States or Cities
However, many adults, especially ones whose only information about the assignment and the image were framed through misleading admin posts on Facebook pages with names like "Armed Nevada Radio"; "[Confederate] Rebel Community","Adopt your Community Thin Blue Line" and "National Support Of Law Enforcement Day" are responding differently. One man, apparently a weekend Civil War battle re-enactor, posted, "it's even more fun when you have to answer these kids questions on kids day about civil war history. their "educators" mostly never shut up. Always correct what the answer given because its not what they are teaching and in the end, if its white and born with a dick, the enemy.this is what happens when you let marxist human trash educate your kids." Another man posted this comment, "We wonder how we end up with Obama, Clinton, Kerry, Reed, Rubio & Bush. Thank a teacher. As I remember Angla Davis was a teacher." Yet another man responded to the high school student's defense of the assignment with this sentence, "The kid in the hoodie (representing Martin) deserved to be shot."
Many adults (hailing from both near and far) posted comments like this one about the assignment, "This is disgusting, far-left propaganda. It's purpose is to instill shame in white kids for things they haven't done, and further the false meme of "racist" cops persecuting innocent blacks for no reason whatsoever. It is black crime and black violence that fuels racial animus, more than any other factor -- that and blacks' really rotten attitudes and overt racism against non-blacks."
However, there were also many Dayton area adults who posted exasperated statements such as this one, "Here is a stupid question; What was the nature of the assignment? Please let me know before I light my torch. I don't want to jump to conclusions and burn a school down if they are teaching our kids about the narrative of social strife in America today. There are many Americans who feel this way and to ignore that is,well, foolish. Far be it for my Child to have to think abstractly like the artist of this piece. Or perhaps its on a chapter about Free Speech, Whoa I just blew my mind. If we as parents cant handle our children being challenge then we are the ones failing because the real world will smack the crap out of them. I am not defending the teacher but it is scary that not one person thought out of the box here. I do know her though and she seems to be an upstanding person."
Many Dayton residents left messages on the petition comment section in support of teaching critical thinking skills. One woman wrote, "I am a middle age, conservative, respect a person in uniform, God fearing, woman. I do not understand why this teacher was suspended or why the school board apologized. We need critically thinking people. Political art can be disturbing, unsettling, offensive. That's the point." Another wrote, "Dayton High grad here. This is art. If we cannot teach high school students to think critically about opinions possible different from their own, why bother sending them to school at all?"
A school teacher from the same school district commented, "This picture and lesson would have given the students a rich opportunity to discuss, discover, and define their beliefs. They certainly don't have to agree with it. Being uncomfortable in a situation helps people learn about themselves and what they stand for as a human being. This, people, has become our history, we need to know it and understand it in order to choose if we want to repeat it."
A military officer commented, "Your inability to see, or perhaps understand, that there is a very real historic and current problem with the justice system, that spans several decades if not hundreds of years, is kinda the problem. You could argue the extent and the effect it's has on modern society, but to deny that the problem doesn't exist, or that we shouldn't talk about it in school, is - as many people have already stated - ridiculous. And lets be fair here. If you can't separate your profession (which I can only assume is NRA mouthpiece radio DJ / cop) from the Institution of law enforcement, then your critical thinking skills are not nearly as sharp as your alleged memory. Point in case: I've been in the military for a long time, both as a solider and as an officer, and even I can understand that the institution of the military has done some pretty heinous things, both currently and historically. I think it's fine to talk about it and discuss it because, you know, they are things that have happened. They are fact. It's really silly to try and pretend that they never happened or that by talking about them, it's somehow "reprehensible". To circle this back around, if you feel elated that you, in your small part, got a teacher fired: congratulations. You probably ruined somebody's career. Take a moment and do a victory lap because you're awful. But when your kid goes to college and is exposed to new ideas, and facts, and other people of other races that don't have your *clearly* biased ideology, this little stint of yours isn't going to get a professor fired. If anything, your kid is probably going to grow apart from you and just find your false, hyperbolic worldview increasingly wrong."
A teacher from California joined the discussion on Armed Nevada Radio, commenting, "It's a political cartoon. It's a representation of current events, and is inherently laced with artistic liberties. Political cartoons almost exclusively feature visual hyperbole as a way to get the point across. And guess what? Teachers make it a point to use them CONSTANTLY in their lessons. This year alone, I've had lessons that consisted purely of analyzing the political cartoons published by José Guadalupe Posada, Thomas Nast, and Dr. Suess, among others. Each one of these artist contributed to the result of today's society with the use political cartoons. They helped to tear apart monopolies, advocate against nazis, and bring grieving families together. But, nonetheless, they still met backlash. Those reactions, both good and bad, helped change history. You are not the first to be offended. Your reaction is a product of history. And likewise, your reaction will produce history. If these students' responses say anything, it already has. Overall, I think that [the teacher] should make the most out of this situation and use this as an opportunity to compare your reaction to those previously displayed in regards to older political pieces. It would certainly make for an interesting lesson."
Among adults, there were also a surprising number of goofy non-sequiturs like this one from a young mother, who posted on Armed Nevada Radio, "I know this might sound awful, but if you would just think for a second you would know slave owners wouldn't beat their slaves. They thought of them as a tool. Tools need to be in the best condition possible to get the most work done. Say you had a mule, you needed the mule to plow your land. You wouldn't beat the mule so that it wouldn't be able to get the job done. Why do you think slave owners bought the strongest men?" Or this one from a man responding to a Channel 4 story on the controversy, "But let little Johnny draw something like that in school then he would be suspended and forced to undergo diversity training..." And then there was the inevitable "war against Christmas" non-sequitur: "Get in trouble for wishing someone Merry Christmas or wearing a shirt supporting American troops but depict cops as racist KKK members shooting little black kids with Skittles.... no problem. What a joke our schools have become."
Responses from Parents Whose Children Were Actually in the Class:
A parent whose teen had completed a similar assignment commented online, "I sincerely hope this teacher wasn't fired. I know the kids suspect it, as she was asked to gather her things and leave during first period. Perhaps she was suspended until they figure out what to do...She's a dedicated teacher and encourages the students to take interest in current events and hone their critical thinking skills. To fire someone over this seems unjustified and overkill IMO. My son and I have had many, many conversations about what they discuss in her class. Bottom line: she gets them interested, passionate, and makes them think. They don't passively absorb lecture material. She involves them. I can't imagine that this item on a test would be grounds to remove a devoted teacher."
A retired police sergeant from California, who is also a father of one of the students given the assignment involving the painting "A Tale of Two Hoodies" responded to comments on Armed Nevada Radio's Facebook page, posting this comment, "Armed Nevada Radio doesn't speak for me! I'm a white adult, Christian conservative, gun owning/carrying male. I'm also a retired police sergeant from Stockton Ca, who has earned the right to speak out on this matter. In fact I feel I have an obligation to speak up... I have a child in [this teacher's] class who was given this assignment. I have gone over in detail with her the outline of the assignment, and what the teacher has said in class throughout the year. Based on that, I am sure this was not an attack on any group, but simply a way to generate dialogue. I would much rather have a teacher who inspires my child to think than one who teaches them word for word out of a book...This is not offensive to me! The drawing illustrates how many young people of color view law enforcement and how many officers view young people of color. Why is it only offensive that the officer is hooded? Why aren't you offended that the young man is portrayed as a gun toting thug? I thank this teacher for provoking though and dialogue on the subject...The point is many cops view every young black man as a thug and many of young black men see all cops as racist. As for a profound bias, not really sure I'm the one with a profound bias here. It seems to me the people calling for the head of the teacher are those with the profound bias. My point is; as long as we continue to judge all people in a group based on the bad actions of a few in that group, weather it be LEO's or a minority, we are doomed to widen the gap between us."
DETAIL FROM MICHAEL D'ANTUONO'S 2012 PAINTING "A TALE OF TWO HOODIES"
LINKS TO QUOTES:
On a Channel 4 (KRNV) TV news story, D'Antuono comments, "As the artist who painted "A Tale Of Two Hoodies" I have to say it was wrong to apologize for the school to apologize for a teacher who inspired students to question the status quo with critical thinking. A high school is a place where children should be enlightened not insulated from the real world they are supposed to be prepared to enter as adults. I have been contacted by many students around the country who did reports on that particular painting and have been asked permission to use that painting in European textbooks. I'm quite sure these students have been exposed to numerous videos on the news of police killing unarmed black people their age. Do the parents who want to shield their teenagers from my painting also want to shield them from those news clips and promote ignorance? The administration should defend Ms. Clauson's decision to creatively spark discourse on an important issue and teach young minds to question the the world as it is."
http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Dayton-students-speak-out-about-controversial/SD27gZHNhUubq-3CSIEMaA.cspx
On Fox 11 Reno, Mr. D'Antuono commented, "As the artist who painted "A Tale Of Two Hoodies" I believe Mr. Workman was wrong to apologize for a teacher who used that piece to inspire students to question the status quo with critical thinking. A high school is a place where children should be enlightened, not insulated from the real world they are supposed to be prepared to enter as adults. I have been contacted by many students around the country who did reports on that particular painting. Schools in other countries have asked to include that piece in their textbooks.I'm sure the kids at Dayton High have been exposed to numerous videos on the news of police killing unarmed black people their age. Do the parents who want to shield their teenagers from my painting also want to shield them from those news clips in an effort to promote ignorance?It's sad that in our country, Police Chiefs protect officers who commit murder but school superintendents don't protect teachers who creatively spark discourse on important issues and teach young minds to question the the world as it is."
http://www.foxreno.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/parents-outraged-after-students-asked-participate-controversial-assignment-9038.shtml#.Vo33PLYrK71
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