Thu Jun 11, 2015, 01:06 PM

Racist Teacher Gives 4th Grade Students "Bum of the Week" Award

I just do not get it. Does "bum" have a new meaning I'm not hip enough to know? Is the term used affectionately in Texas?

From the article about her racism:

Fitzgibbons started the post by saying a McKinney police officer’s resignation after a dispute at a swimming pool made her angry and that the officer should not have to resign.

“I’m going to just go ahead and say it ... the blacks are the ones causing the problems and this ‘racial tension.’ I guess that’s what happens when you flunk out of school and have no education. I’m sure their parents are just as guilty for not knowing what their kids were doing; or knew it and didn’t care. I’m almost to the point of wanting them all segregated on one side of town so they can hurt each other and leave the innocent people alone. Maybe the 50s and 60s were really on to something. Now, let the bashing of my true and honest opinion begin....GO! #imnotracist #imsickofthemcausingtrouble #itwasatagedcommunity,” the Facebook post stated.

Fitzgibbons insisted the post “was not directed at any one person or group.”

http://lubbockonline.com/education/2015-06-10/frenship-isd-teacher-apologizes-after-mckinney-related-segregation-post#.VXm0Xc9Vikq

The write-up included something about an apology which I was unable to locate.

Because her employers haven't acted I visited the school's website. There, on the page for her class, I found her "Bum of the Week" recipients. I'm not linking to that page because of all the sweet faces under the word "Bum". If you must see it, the classroom websites are navigated to easily from school's homepage (which includes contact information for the principal) - http://www.frenship.us/Page/17

Am I nuts? If the awards haven't been contested by parents, am I missing something? Are 4th graders senses of self-deprecating humor that well developed? Or is the teacher's joke just a passive aggressive expression of her previously private racism?

bum 1 (bŭm)
n.
1. A tramp; a vagrant.
2. A lazy or shiftless person, especially one who seeks to live solely by the support of others.
3. An incompetent, insignificant, or obnoxious person: The batter called the pitcher a bum.
4. One who spends a lot of time doing a particular recreational activity: a beach bum; a ski bum.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bum

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12 replies	Author	Time	Post
Racist Teacher Gives 4th Grade Students "Bum of the Week" Award (Original post)	Rose Siding	Jun 2015	OP
Somebody needs	shenmue	Jun 2015	#1
goes beyond insensitive to hurtful and unprofessional in the extreme.	KittyWampus	Jun 2015	#2
BUM must have a meaning to them that we dont know about. But as to her racist garbage	randys1	Jun 2015	#3
It might be an acronym for something.	femmocrat	Jun 2015	#4
Ya know, I considered that	Rose Siding	Jun 2015	#6
Agree. She's not very professional.	femmocrat	Jun 2015	#9
“was not directed at any one person or group"? "it was a personal experience post"?	uppityperson	Jun 2015	#5
That's a form of abuse and it also counters any sensibilities on professionalism as an	Jefferson23	Jun 2015	#7
she's a racist pig and she needs to be fired.	cali	Jun 2015	#8
Meaning of BUM	callinguonit	Jun 2015	#10
Welcome to DU. Where was that that that acronym was used? Thanks.	uppityperson	Jun 2015	#11
BUM--	callinguonit	Jun 2015	#12

Response to Rose Siding (Original post)

Thu Jun 11, 2015, 01:08 PM

shenmue (38,400 posts)

1. Somebody needs

a foot up the butt.

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Response to Rose Siding (Original post)

Thu Jun 11, 2015, 01:09 PM

KittyWampus (55,894 posts)

2. goes beyond insensitive to hurtful and unprofessional in the extreme.

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Response to Rose Siding (Original post)

Thu Jun 11, 2015, 01:10 PM

randys1 (16,286 posts)

3. BUM must have a meaning to them that we dont know about. But as to her racist garbage

fire her and NO the union should NOT protect her

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Response to Rose Siding (Original post)

Thu Jun 11, 2015, 01:14 PM

femmocrat (28,389 posts)

4. It might be an acronym for something.

The school's name starts with a "B". She should have defined it though! The write-ups of each "bum of the week" was very complimentary.

We used to have the "Bug Club" --- It meant Bringing Up Grades or something like that.

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Response to femmocrat (Reply #4)

Thu Jun 11, 2015, 02:21 PM

Rose Siding (32,623 posts)

6. Ya know, I considered that

Bug can be cute to a kid. I have a 5 yr old granddaughter we still call "bug" sometimes because she was so fascinated with lady bugs as a toddler.

I just can't imagine any positive associations for "bum". If it is an acronym, I think it is poorly chosen.

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Response to Rose Siding (Reply #6)

Thu Jun 11, 2015, 06:57 PM

femmocrat (28,389 posts)

9. Agree. She's not very professional.

And, good news -- She has been fired: http://election.democraticunderground.com/10141115558

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Response to Rose Siding (Original post)

Thu Jun 11, 2015, 01:51 PM

uppityperson (115,519 posts)

5. “was not directed at any one person or group"? "it was a personal experience post"?

She “I apologized to the appropriate people"? Unless she did as public an apology as she did such a bigoted post, no. She didn't.

Frenship’s policy states that employees will be held to the same professional standards in their public use of electronic media as they are for any other public conduct. The policy specifically mentions social networking sites Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn.

“If an employee’s use of electronic media interferes with the employee’s ability to effectively perform his or her job duties, the employee is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment,” the policy states.

I am glad that people are being so outspoken about their racism rather than being asses and hiding it. Acknowledging your problem is the first step in learning how to get past being an ass.

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Response to Rose Siding (Original post)

Thu Jun 11, 2015, 02:42 PM

Jefferson23 (30,099 posts)

7. That's a form of abuse and it also counters any sensibilities on professionalism as an

educator. I did not see at the link the bum page.

She taught for 20 years..that is the same person?

Disgusting does not even cover it. There are so many stories on DU these last
several months, I have responded..sue the fuckers so many times I have lost count.

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Response to Rose Siding (Original post)

Thu Jun 11, 2015, 02:44 PM

cali (114,904 posts)

8. she's a racist pig and she needs to be fired.

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Response to Rose Siding (Original post)

Fri Jun 12, 2015, 12:41 PM

callinguonit (2 posts)

10. Meaning of BUM

The system I was in BUM stood for Bringing Up Moral....it was awarded for actions, etc that helped cheer up the grade, hall etc.

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Response to callinguonit (Reply #10)

Fri Jun 12, 2015, 01:48 PM

uppityperson (115,519 posts)

11. Welcome to DU. Where was that that that acronym was used? Thanks.

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Response to uppityperson (Reply #11)

Fri Jun 12, 2015, 04:58 PM

callinguonit (2 posts)

12. BUM--

Thanks for the welcome. IT was in Georgia. Have to be careful, since I still live here.... not to far from where "Look who's leaving...all the Black People" is located.

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