#13: Scrambling for Voice, Choice, and Agency

Test-prep Workbooks and Abolitionists and Agency

If you missed a couple of episodes, the best way to binge-read Scrambling for Voice, Choice, and Agency is to use the Table of Contents links to previous posts.

Episode #13

From: Chance
How ridiculous is this??
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 7:32 PM

Hi Kerry—

Stan stopped by today with a stack of test prep booklets. Did you even know that workbooks for test prep existed? They are ugly, boring, and filled with sample questions.

Who in the world thinks that this is going to be interesting for a ten-year-old??

Oh, I know the answer to that question: Stan thinks that my students are going to love learning how to get a high score on a meaningless test.

The next unit in the district mandated Social Studies curriculum is about wars in the United States.

I have just started teaching them about the causes and consequences of the Civil War. All of the lessons in the curriculum about the Civil War are ridiculous for 5th graders. I don’t think that reading a poem about Fort Sumter or looking at the truce flag used to signal that the Confederacy surrendered to the Union is going to have any impact on them. They need to understand something about the economics of owning human property in order to get rich and live extravagantly.

I have assigned half of the class to be plantation owners and half of the class to be abolitionists. They are preparing to debate each other. I had a difficult time convincing the plantation owners to take their role seriously and study the reason for continuing the practice of forcing people to work without compensation because you owned them, and they had no power.

Everyone hated that role. They did not want to pretend to advocate for something that they did not believe in. Finally, I got half the class to assume the role of owning humans for the sole purpose of understanding slavery. They are learning so much. They are researching slavery, and they are really understanding the reasons for the Civil War.

Most important, they have learned that you can deeply understand something without agreeing with it. It has been a powerful lesson for the entire class.

I have this wild idea of telling them about the test prep booklets and asking them to help me convince Stan that he is treating me like a person with no rights or ability to defend myself.

What do you think of that idea?

Chance

__

From: Kerry
re: How ridiculous is this??
To: Chance sent - Gmail 4:55 AM

Hi Chance—

I hate your idea……really hate it….Since you asked for my opinion, here it is: Don’t do it……Even if Stan is bossing you around and making you do ridiculous things, you still have rights and the ability to defend yourself.

Because of what your kids are learning, if you assign them to help you with your problems, they might get slavery mixed up with your dilemma. They could get confused about honest facts about the enslavement of people and your problems with Stan.

Besides that, it will be better for you if you figure out a direct and more powerful action.

I am up really early to go over my notes for a meeting with the superintendent about a new principal for the school.

I don’t have time to say more this morning, but I wanted to make sure you did not do something dumb today.

Let’s get together soon.

Kerry