But I think you're exaggerating a great deal in describing how atrocious the action is, and since that's the core of your argument why you don't believe it...
Well, 'why I am skeptical about it' is more accurate. I'm not dismissing it out of hand, my initial take is 'exaggerated' and/or 'attributing to rare mistakes a regular and sinister overtone'
For it to be as outrageous as you are saying, the adults would have had to take that food with the conscious notion of "this way, there'll be kids that go without a proper meal today". I agree that *that* is highly unlikely.
This is what's implied though, since the chance of it being an accident or oversight is mostly dispelled as soon as someone tells the teachers 'hey, we've had some kids missing meals, you need to be a bit more careful about grabbing lunches' at which point most people would gasp in self-horror and be leery of touching a bag unless it was absolutely guaranteed all the rugrats had fed. IT's very easy for me to believe a teacher, thinking there was more than enough and/or the kids had eaten, grabbing a bag out of ignorance, then doing it again on hearing they've ordered more to address the issue, 'ah, problem solved' says person more concerned about teaching arithmetic then logistical issues. I just can't see need for external intervention unless one is including sinister motives.
But then, they most likely did not think any such thing when they ate that food. The whistleblower herself is quoted about how it's inappropriate to eat food paid for by federal funds and intended for children. Which it obviously is. But it only becomes outrageous if doing so leaves insufficient amounts for children. Those teachers seem to have taken their food at a point at which they couldn't really see how much was needed for the children, though. And they may just have figured that every child would get a few bites less, then. They certainly wouldn't have thought that children would go without food entirely because of that, which incidentally is a claim I rather doubt anyway.
Agreed, and this of course is very easy to see happening, but her conduct over the event seems weird then, since the easiest and most obviously successful means of correction isn't taking photos but simply telling all the other teachers. If she did this, then for it to continue would require those more sinister motives, and if she did not, then it damages her whistle-blower status since you're supposed to make a reasonable attempt to address issues with reasonably ethical causes before bringing in parents, churches, reporters, etc. Now, details are scarce but the 'reasonable mistake' option just doesn't seem in play for whistle-blowing, either she's accusing them of sinister motives or she's failed to pursue a common sense tactic before going overboard, and in that case it's easier for me to believe the latter.
Now, realistically I'd bet the whole thing is a combination of exaggeration of things that did happen combined with a certain excessive moral outrage on her part, how this led to her firing I don't know, normally I'd say 'that wasn't the reason she was fired' but the recent Sherrod case shows administrative hysteria and overreaction happen too. When she talks of the matter - link to a quick interview with her below - she doesn't seem to attribute it to either minor accident or wicked teachers, nor does she seem in a state of bug-eyed hysteria either, so as I said, I'm not willing to label her a loon either, I just can't see where exactly such a scandal could really fester. Obviously something was handled badly, I'm just leery of snap judgement and saying the other teachers or admins were absolutely doing something bad.
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
Looks like there are things teachers can get fired for after all
28/07/2010 06:14:11 PM
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It sounds too outrageous to be true
28/07/2010 07:32:36 PM
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I partially agree.
28/07/2010 07:57:11 PM
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True
28/07/2010 08:33:52 PM
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