Teacher of kids whose play was censored responds

[proud2BlibKansan]

Student Play Censored for Being Critical of NYC's School Closure Policy

When word came down that school officials would bar the performance of a student play set to perform at Jamaica High School, I was -- as their teacher -- charged with delivering the sad news. Huddled around an old wooden table in the school's library, the young cast reacted with a range of emotions. Some felt despair over the lack of power they seemed to have, others, a deep sense of outrage at not being consulted about the decision.

"Let's go to the press!" said some, realizing they just might have some power after all.

As part of a credit-bearing class at Queensborough Community College, students from Jamaica High School and Queens Collegiate, a smaller school within the same building, spent the fall semester reading and discussing the classic Greek play Antigone and creating scenes that connected the play to their own experiences. In addition to Sophocles' original text, we also read The Island, a play about two political prisoners who stage Antigone to protest the policies of Apartheid South Africa. Having developed a sense of how theatre can function to highlight social and political concerns, the class began to explore possible ways of adapting Antigone to speak to a contemporary issue. We worked on scenes that dealt with SB1070, the controversial Arizona law, as well as the quality of food in public schools. But as Jamaica High School is slated to be "phased out" by the Department of Education and many students in the class remain upset about about the possibility of losing their school, it wasn't long before students suggested the parallel.

In the story of Antigone, King Creon decrees that one of her brothers shall receive proper burial rights, while the other is "left out for the birds to feed on." Within the school building some of the newer small schools are receiving adequate funding and technology, while the older Jamaica High School has seen its teaching staff cut by 30 percent and struggles with large class sizes and a lack of resources. It seemed to be the perfect fit for our project, with many of the characters in Antigone easily finding their modern equivalent -- Antigone and her sister as students at the two schools, Creon as the School Chancellor, and prophet Tireseus as veteran teacher. Even the Greek chorus manifested itself in the guise of a school security guard, the Department of Education secretary, and two janitors who bicker in the hallway over whether or not the school should be closed.

more . . . http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-pickett/student-play-censored-for_b_801032.html

[Voice for Peace]

1. link?

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Oops. Thanks.

[Starry Messenger]

3. k&r

[madfloridian]

4. Kick

[Reader Rabbit]

5. This situation is education deform in a nutshell.

The deformers don't want students who are creative and can think critically. They want drones who can score well on standardized tests and never question those with money and power.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. I heard Diane Ravitch interviewed yesterday

on Thom Hartman's show.

That is just what she said. :)

[pacalo]

6. I like that teacher very much. The students have obviously been inspired to think

& are learning a good lesson in standing up for a good, worthy cause.

And, the teacher's way of expressing her/himself reveals remarkable character.

[knitter4democracy]

8. I e-mailed that original link and text of the play to my mentor teacher.

I've been trying to talk everyone into letting our students put on a play, and this might be the way to do it. For some reason, no one trusts our alternative high school students, and yet, they have powerful opinions and observations about their lives and the schools they've come from.

[LWolf]

9. Talk about an integrated lesson!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I look forward to hearing about the outcome of the meeting, and the performance.