Letters To The Editor

You Spoke, We Listened

Reader responses to Teaching Tolerance articles and resources.

Our first summer issue inspired thoughtful conversations on food justice and advocating for change. Readers told us “I Am Asian American” was a needed reminder to get past the labels and see individuals.

MY CLASSROOM IS WELL STOCKED

Thank you for your wonderful publications and classroom ideas! I often use the articles as great nonfiction pieces with my ninth-graders, and have just ordered Viva La Causa for use within our next unit. I very much enjoyed “A Teacher’s Guide to Rerouting the Pipeline” in a recent edition. Thanks so much!
PAULA AMERICO RUGGIERO
VIA FACEBOOK

 

MISLEADING GRAPHICS

Regarding “Religion in the Locker Room,” I understand that the use of graphics in association with an article is a kind of shorthand to get across the main points about to be presented. Unfortunately, your graphic is more misleading than illustrative. I suppose you wanted to capture the idea that many coaches are acting as clergy for their teams. The problem is that by putting a Roman clerical collar on your coach (with hat and whistle) you identified, by that association, the wrong swath of Christians: Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherans, for example, are not the ones routinely blurring the line between public school coach and pastor.
MARK SELLS
SALISBURY, N.C.

 

CHILDREN’S MARCH OPENS CANDID TALK

[Mighty Times: The Children’s March] is an awesome movie and an excellent teaching tool! I show it in class every year, and my kids really like it. It opens up lots of rich, meaningful discussions and appreciation for the civil rights movement and the sacrifices and determination that these brave men, women and, especially, children endured. I highly recommend.
TAMMY BUTCHER GREENE
VIA FACEBOOK

I use [Mighty Times:] The Children’s March every year with my 10th graders when we study the civil rights movement. It’s a great video.
BETH KUBIK-MANTEUFFEL
VIA FACEBOOK

 

DISAPPOINTED IN DIALECT APPROACH

I am feeling confused and saddened by the recent article [“Sound Effects”] regarding language prejudice. I agree with the author’s statements that we all speak a dialect, and that these dialects have a regional, social and ethnic association. However, I am unclear of the meaning of the term “African-America English.” Is this a language that all African Americans speak? How different or similar is it from the Standard American English? Frankly, I am baffled by this comparison and shocked that this publication would print an article that does not have further explanation of the terms used. I hope the goal of your publication is to provide information that may be of benefit to its reading audience. There seemed to be a lot of generalizations and assumptions with very little supportive data. I am disappointed and hope that future articles are informative, clear, concise and balanced.
CATHERINE JACKSON MUHAMMED
Philadelphia, Pa.

 

‘SURVIVOR’ SHOULD BE SHARED

[One Survivor Remembers] is exceptional. I recommend it to all teachers and anyone who needs to learn about the Holocaust. The only thing to improve this film would be to show it to more people. Thank you so very much for doing what you do.
M.S. PATTERSON
Harlingen, Texas

 

CROSS-COUNTRY TT

This site and publication helped me more than I’d ever thought while teaching in Bronx, NY; now I get to take Teaching Tolerance to Kotzebue, Alaska! What you do is vital. Thank you.
TERISCOVKYA SMITH
VIA FACEBOOK

 

Reader Exchange

“Serving Up Food Justice at School” got the online community talking.

Wonderful and relevant! Addressing health as a justice focus, school gardens encourage wellness and (literally) strengthen communities.
–Anonymous via tolerance.org

We also have to beware of the economic elitism being perpetrated by the food sustainability movement. Who are the ones leading it? Not poor black and brown folks, and poor white folks. Rather, wealthy whites who can dabble in so-called sustainable eating because they have the economic means to do so.
–Anonymous via tolerance.org

 

LISA JORGENSEN

[“I Am Asian American” is a] great article, and an important reminder to get to know the individual ... not just the label. 

 

SUSAN ANDERSON MACK

Teaching Tolerance has been a tremendous resource for a culture and identity class I teach called Teaching for Diversity. I am a changed educator ... far different than when I taught my first class in 1968. Thank you.

 

HENRIK EGER

Congratulations on your willingness to speak up during difficult times in the history of the United States. The times they are a-changing and you, TT, have been contributing greatly to social change that brings us toward a more humane society. I salute you and everyone who supports you.

Tell Us What You Think!

Have an opinion about something you see in Teaching Tolerance magazine or on our website? Contact us or mail a letter to 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104.

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