I also find it interesting that Ms. Lawson is new to the school since
2004, and the previous principal seems to have had no problem with Ms
McGee. The official position is that the school's issues with the
teacher went beyond this incident, but they seem to be endemic only to
Ms. Lawson's tenure. Hmm...
Julia Muney Moore
Public Art Administrator
Blackburn Architects, Indianapolis, IN
(317) 875-5500 x230
________________________________
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Tenuth, Jeff
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 3:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: SPAM:Re: [MUSEUM-L] Art Teacher and District Reach Settlement
After weeks of reading about this case, it seems to be true that in the
end one can only shake their head and "simply bow to the absurd." After
all, how much more of this stupidiy can we fight? This entire episode
is so ludicrous as to almost defy common sense. Perhaps because my
parents took me to museums from the time I could walk, I have never seen
exactly what the problem was for Ms. Lawson or any other person who
complains about "nudes" in the Dallas Museum of Art or anywhere else.
If Ms. Lawson was so concerned about what her students would see, she
should have denied the teacher permission to take her students there.
Or she could have explained to them, ahead of time, what kinds of
artworks they would see and would not see and why. It sounds to me to
be more of a case of people who where trying to protect their own jobs
while bowing to archaic, puritanical views about the nature of art. I
wonder if these same people were equally concerned about the video games
their children are playing or the music they are listening to or what
useless, politically correct rubbish they are being taught in school.
Perhaps Ms. Lawson should re-evaluate her curriculum and find more
proper areas of learning to criticize.
Jeff Tenuth
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, Indiana
________________________________
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Ann Meehan
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 12:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Art Teacher and District Reach Settlement
From the New York Times (October 25, 2006)
Texas: Art Teacher and District Reach Settlement by Ralph Blumenthal
A veteran art teacher has reached a settlement with the North Texas
school district that had suspended her after a student caught a glimpse
of nude artwork on field trip. Under the settlement, approved Monday by
the school board, the teacher, Sydney McGee, gave up her job but will be
paid the balance of her $57,600 annual salary through next May. Ms.
McGee, above, and the Frisco Independent School District agreed not to
"disparage" each other, and the district agreed to add to her personnel
file a 2004 letter of recommendation from a previous principal. The
agreement ended a dispute that broke out after Ms. McGee led 89 fifth
graders from Wilma Fisher Elementary School on a visit last April to the
Dallas Museum of Art. Ms. McGee was berated the next day by the
principal, Nancy Lawson, who later complained in a memorandum that
"students were exposed to nude statues and other nude art
representations, and time was not used wisely for learning during the
trip."
Ann M. Meehan
Curator of Education
LUMA - Loyola University Museum of Art
820 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago IL 60611
312.915.7604 (direct)
312.915.6388 (fax)
http://www.luc.edu/luma/
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