Art Teacher News

2008-04-04T22:01:00.002-04:00

Student Sues Wisconsin School After Getting a Zero for Religious Drawing

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

A copy of the drawing made by the student 'A.P.'

MADISON, Wis. — A Tomah High School student has filed a federal lawsuit alleging his art teacher censored his drawing because it featured a cross and a biblical reference.

The lawsuit alleges other students were allowed to draw "demonic" images and asks a judge to declare a class policy prohibiting religion in art unconstitutional.

"We hear so much today about tolerance," said David Cortman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal advocacy group representing the student. "But where is the tolerance for religious beliefs? The whole purpose of art is to reflect your own personal experience. To tell a student his religious beliefs can legally be censored sends the wrong message."

Tomah School District Business Manager Greg Gaarder said the district hadn't seen the lawsuit and declined to comment.

According to the lawsuit, the student's art teacher asked his class in February to draw landscapes. The student, a senior identified in the lawsuit by the initials A.P., added a cross and the words "John 3:16 A sign of love" in his drawing.

His teacher, Julie Millin, asked him to remove the reference to the Bible, saying students were making remarks about it. He refused, and she gave him a zero on the project.

Millin showed the student a policy for the class that prohibited any violence, blood, sexual connotations or religious beliefs in artwork. The lawsuit claims Millin told the boy he had signed away his constitutional rights when he signed the policy at the beginning of the semester.

The boy tore the policy up in front of Millin, who kicked him out of class. Later that day, assistant principal Cale Jackson told the boy his religious expression infringed on other students' rights.

Jackson told the boy, his stepfather and his pastor at a meeting a week later that religious expression could be legally censored in class assignments. Millin stated at the meeting the cross in the drawing also infringed on other students' rights.

The boy received two detentions for tearing up the policy. Jackson referred questions about the lawsuit to Gaarder.

Sometime after that meeting, the boy's metals teacher rejected his idea to build a chain-mail cross, telling him it was religious and could offend someone, the lawsuit claims. The boy decided in March to shelve plans to make a pin with the words "pray" and "praise" on it because he was afraid he'd get a zero for a grade.

The lawsuit also alleges school officials allow other religious items and artwork to be displayed on campus.

A Buddha and Hindu figurines are on display in a social studies classroom, the lawsuit claims, adding the teacher passionately teaches Hindu principles to students.

In addition, a replica of Michaelangelo's "The Creation of Man" is displayed at the school's entrance, a picture of a six-limbed Hindu deity is in the school's hallway and a drawing of a robed sorcerer hangs on a hallway bulletin board.

Drawings of Medusa, the Grim Reaper with a scythe and a being with a horned head and protruding tongue hang in the art room and demonic masks are displayed in the metals room, the lawsuit alleges.

A.P. suffered unequal treatment because of his religion even though student expression is protected by the First Amendment, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Friday.

"Students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate," the lawsuit said. "No compelling state interest exists to justify the censorship of A.P.'s religious expression."

2007-08-13T14:55:00.000-04:00

Hungry for a Car Kebab?

Monday, August 13, 2007
By Sara Bonisteel

Is suburban Chicago's "car kebab" going to that junkyard in the sky?

That's what locals are wondering now that a giant spike of eight speared automobiles in a Berwyn, Ill., shopping-center parking lot faces an uncertain future.

The sculpture, "Spindle" by Dustin Shuler, is scheduled to be removed within 60 days to make way for a drug store. And whether or not it will return remains to be seen.

"It is an extremely iconic piece," said Jon Fey, chairman of the Berwyn Arts Council. "Berwyn is, like it or not, known for that 'Spindle.'"

Fans of the artwork learned only last month that the managers of Cermak Plaza planned to relocate the sculpture to make way for a new Walgreens. Tentative plans would move the 1989 piece 300 feet west of the new building.

Hampering the move is a hefty price tag. Michael Flight, the president of Concordia Realty Management Inc., the company that manages Cermak Plaza, estimates it will take around $350,000 to move "Spindle" to its new location.

An even bigger stumbling block, locals say, is the artist's unwillingness to budge when it comes to letting the plaza use the piece to promote the shopping center and the city of Berwyn. While Shuler sold the one-off sculpture to the plaza in 1989, he retained the copyright, meaning he can control how the piece is marketed.

It's a claim California-based Shuler denies.

"It's a work of art and of course I have the copyright — to protect its integrity — otherwise God knows what they'd do in marketing it," Shuler said. "But no, they could have always used it to promote the plaza, and it did promote the plaza. People knew about it around the world."

"Spindle" is the centerpiece of a sculpture menagerie at Cermak Plaza, assembled by the late David Bermant, a managing partner of the development. His old BMW is the car just below the Volkswagen Beetle that tops "Spindle."

"This is there strictly to give pleasure in addition to taking care of the shopping needs of my customers," Bermant said of the sculpture in remarks, made before his death, now posted on his foundation's Web site. "We want our customers to a have pleasant time while they're shopping, and I notice that they barely, rarely even look at the art, but I guess they look at it enough to find it worth coming to."

"Spindle," whose notoriety was aided by a brief appearance in the movie "Wayne's World," has garnered a full-blown cult following.

"That's our little claim to fame," said Maggie Ragaisis, a co-founder of SavetheSpindle.com.

Some 700 people have signed a petition for the "Spindle" and nearly 2,000 bikers rode from a Picasso sculpture in downtown Chicago to Shuler's piece on July 27 — a few even sported "Spindle" tattoos.

At the state level, a senator proposed a resolution urging the city and Concordia Realty Management to keep the sculpture.

"There's a lot of people who don't like it, and they think it's just a bunch of rusty cars on a stick," Ragaisis said. "We respect that. Everybody doesn't like everything; there are some people that say the Mona Lisa isn't pretty either."

Former Illinois treasurer Judy Baar Topinka called the piece the "pipe dream of a gentleman who felt he could impose his taste in art on others" in an Aug. 3 editorial in the Chicago Tribune.

Those who dislike the sculpture are, for the most part, keeping mum about their opinions, Fey said.

"We're trying to get across that it's more than just personal taste — about whether you like it or not — it's a symbol and a landmark in our town and we're really known for it," Ragaisis said. "And if it were to go away, we think it would be detrimental to the town both culturally and economically."

Regardless of the Walgreens construction, a renovation of the sculpture was needed in the next two years to combat nearly two decades of weather decay and pigeon droppings, Flight said.

"We've had it cleaned, and the fire department has gone out there and used it for practice to blast the stuff off, but it doesn't work," Flight said.

If organizers can reach their fundraising goal — they've raised $1,000 thus far — Shuler anticipates he'll be there to orchestrate the "Spindle" renovation which, depending on damage, could include different cars, he said.

"There's only one'Spindle,' I've never tried to do a second one," Shuler said. "Of course, if that one's destroyed, then I would be open to a second one."

Fans hope that the first "Spindle" is good enough.

"I certainly hope we can find a way to save the 'Spindle' and honor the artist's rights, but make it more useful for the community," Fey said. "I think it's a great piece of art."

2007-07-16T20:04:00.000-04:00

Editorial cartoonist Doug Marlette passed away at the age of 57 on July 10, 2007. He died in a pickup truck accident when the truck hydroplaned and struck a tree in Mississippi.

Doug drew cartoons for four decades and his work appeared in most newspapers across the country. He was an equal opportunity cartoonist in that he slammed politicians from all parties and walks of life. Doug Marlette's website has many of his cartoons on display.

Doug's nephew, Andy Marlette, is also a talented cartoonist and has a memorial cartoon he created below:

2007-06-28T13:07:00.001-04:00

Artist Charley Harper dies

Noted Cincinnati wildlife artist Charley Harper, 84, died Sunday. He had been battling pneumonia off and on for the past few months, said son, Brett.

Harper was born in West Virginia in 1922. He arrived in Cincinnati to attend the Art Academy of Cincinnati and never left. He met wife, Edie, also an artist, at the Academy and the two married in 1947 after graduating. They traveled cross country on their honeymoon, using money Charley had won when he was awarded the academy’s first Stephen H. Wilder Traveling Scholarship, which was earmarked for post-graduate travel.

They worked from their Roselawn and later, Finneytown, homes. Brett, their only child, also became an artist and joined them to form Harper Studios.
ADVERTISEMENT

Harper is best known for his pared-down, minimalist depictions of nature, especially birds, which became a signature for him. His work appeared in books and magazines, on posters and prints, in paintings and mosaics, and on an array of merchandise from mugs and Christmas ornaments to aprons and dinnerware.

He illustrated “The Golden Book of Biology” and “Betty Crocker’s Dinner for Two Cookbook,” created a series of posters for the National Park Service depicting the nation’s National Parks, as well as posters for the Cincinnati and Hamilton County park districts, the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and other nature-related organizations.

Harper exhibited widely locally. His work is in the collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum, which will open an exhibit of his and Edie’s work Aug. 18. Botanical works by all the Harpers also are on exhibit now at the Lloyd Library, downtown.

Harper’s work was the subject of the books “Birds and Words,” (1974), “Beguiled by the Wild” (1995) and the new career-retrospective “Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life” (AMMO Books, $200 standard edition, $400 limited edition with silkscreen print) by designer Todd Oldham.

Oldham was in town last week for an appearance at the Contemporary Arts Center, whose Graphic Content exhibit he designed and which featured the work of Charley when it opened in December and now includes work by Edie. Oldham said he visited with the Harpers and gave Charley one of the first copies of the book to come off the presses.

“His work just blew me away,” said Oldham. He has been collecting Harper prints and paintings for decades, used Harper prints on fabric for his La-Z-Boy line and included Harper in his book “Handmade Modern.”

“Most artists slow down and create less complicated work as they get older, they don’t have the energy to do more and more. But not Charley. It almost looks like he worked in reverse, doing bigger and more complicated work.”

2007-06-17T17:24:00.000-04:00

The Arts Help Retain Information

Edgar Dale has come up with what he calls the "Cone of Learning." As you can see by the illustration below, reading and hearing words are the lowest forms of retention. Seeing, viewing exhibits and demonstrations, dramatic presentations, etc. greatly increase retention.

This is another fact that you can use when defending the arts in your community. Research shows that schools with strong arts programs also do well on standardized tests.

2007-04-22T23:34:00.000-04:00

More Cartoonists Pass Away

The year 2007 seems to be a sad year for cartoon lovers. On April 15, cartoonist Brant Parker passed away at the age of 87. Brant was the cartoonist for the Wizard of Id. Coincidently, the writer of the same comic strip, Johnny Hart, died about a week earlier. Below is a picture and short biography of Brant.

Brant Parker's son, Jeff, continues drawing the strip as his father retired a decade ago. "My father will be dearly missed," said Jeff Parker. "Sharing the passion of cartooning with my father was a great gift. It has been a privilege to pass this joy along to others as we continue 'The Wizard of ID.'"

"Brant was a truly innovative mind in the comics world," said Creators Syndicate President Richard S. Newcombe. "The artistry he displayed in 'The Wizard of Id' was remarkable for its consistency and creativity. I join millions of 'Wizard' fans in giving thanks to Brant for being an inspiration to comic strip artists around the world for so many years."

Brant and his longtime friend and collaborator Johnny Hart started "The Wizard of Id" in 1964, and Brant won the National Cartoonists Society's (NCS) Best Humor Strip award a record five times, including back-to-back years in 1982-83. In 1984, he also won The Reuben Award, which is the NCS's highest honor.

In 1987, Brant's son Jeff Parker began working with Brant on the strip, serving under his tutelage for the next decade. In 1997, Brant passed the torch to Jeff, who took over production of "The Wizard of Id" full time. Jeff has been entertaining "Wizard" fans with his own wit and artistic flair ever since.

Obituary

The Creators Syndicate family mourns the passing of Brant Parker on Sunday at the Privette Home in Lynchburg, Va. Parker joined fellow cartoonist Johnny Hart on the groundbreaking comic strip "The Wizard of Id" and was its artist for many years, before his retirement a decade ago.

In addition to Jeff, Brant is survived by his wife, Mary Lou, and his other children, James Parker, Julie Shackleton, Laurie Tannenbaum and Kathie Borkowski, his brother, John Parker, 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother Ted, and two grandchildren, Amy Clemens and Patrick Borkowski.

A memorial service is planned for Wednesday, April 18, at 11 a.m., at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Vienna, Va.

Johnny Hart's Passing

As I mentioned earlier, Johnny passed away a little over a week before Brant on April 7 at the age of 76. In addition to writing the Wizard of Id strip, he was the artist and writer of B.C. As a Christian, Johnny became controversial because he shared his faith and religious beliefs in the strip. Johnny upset the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, among others. The liberal Los Angeles Times has refused to run his cartoons with an explicitly Christian message the past four years.

Obituary

ALBANY, New York (AP) -- Cartoonist Johnny Hart, whose award-winning "B.C." comic strip appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers worldwide, died Saturday while working at his home in Endicott, New York. He was 76.

"He had a stroke," Hart's wife, Bobby, said Sunday. "He died at his storyboard."

"B.C.," populated by prehistoric cavemen and dinosaurs, was launched in 1958 and eventually appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers with an audience of 100 million, according to Creators Syndicate Inc., which distributes it.

"He was generally regarded as one of the best cartoonists we've ever had," Hart's friend Mell Lazarus, creator of the "Momma" and "Miss Peach" comic strips, said from his California home. "He was totally original. 'B.C.' broke ground and led the way for a number of imitators, none of which ever came close."

After he graduated from Union-Endicott High School, Hart met Brant Parker, a young cartoonist who became a prime influence and co-creator with Hart of the "Wizard of Id" comic strip.

Hart enlisted in the Air Force and began producing cartoons for Pacific Stars and Stripes. He sold his first freelance cartoon to the Saturday Evening Post after his discharge from the military in 1954.

Later in his career, some of Hart's cartoons had religious themes, a reflection of his own Christian faith. That sometimes led to controversy.

A strip published on Easter Sunday in 2001 drew protests from Jewish groups and led several newspapers to drop the strip. The cartoon depicted a menorah transforming into a cross, with accompanying text quoting some of Jesus Christ's dying words. Critics said it implied that Christianity supersedes Judaism.

Hart said he intended the strip as a tribute to both faiths.

A November 2003 strip featuring an outhouse and several crescent moons was seen as an attack on Islam. Hart denied the accusation, telling the Washington Post that the strip was nothing more than a "silly" bathroom joke.

His color strip published Sunday, the day after he died, featured dialogue from the Bible.

"He had such an emphasis on kindness, generosity, and patience," said Richard Newcombe, founder and president of Creators Syndicate in Los Angeles.

Newcombe said Hart was the first cartoonist to sign on when the syndicate was created 20 years ago.

"Traditionally, comic strips were owned by syndicates," Newcombe said. "We were different because we allowed cartoonists to own their own work. It was ... Johnny's commitment to this idea that made us a success."

Besides his wife, Hart is survived by two daughters, Patti and Perri. He was a native of Endicott, about 135 miles northwest of New York City, and drew his comic strip at a studio in his home there until the day he died.

2007-02-03T13:54:00.000-05:00

Catherine Davis Hayes was named TEACHER OF THE YEAR 2007, for the State of Rhode Island. She is an elementary art teacher at Oakland Beach Elementary School in Warwick, R. I. This is the first time an art teacher has ever received this award in Rhode Island. Kudos to her for her outstanding achievement! You can congratulate her here.

You can view websites that illustrate her devotion here:

Student Art Gallery

Tops in the Art of Teaching [article]

The Governor's Congratulations

Art teacher named RI teacher of year

WARWICK -- A Warwick art teacher has been named Rhode Island's 2007 Teacher of the Year.

Catherine Davis-Hayes, who teaches art at the Oakland Beach Elementary School, was surprised with the honors in a ceremony this morning that included Governor Carcieri and Education Commissioner Peter McWalters.

Officials honored the veteran teacher for her commitment to arts at a time when state mandates can make elective subjects like this one take a back seat to test preparation.

Davis-Hayes is an 11-year veteran of the school, which has in recent years climbed back from low-performing status.

In a statement, Carcieri praised Davis-Hayes' efforts.

“Cathy’s energy and dedication to the arts and to her students has earned her this important distinction," Carcieri said. "She believes in the power of the arts to help students make connections between ideas from throughout all their areas of study. Rhode Island is very fortunate to have teachers of Cathy's experience, ability, and commitment."

2007-01-18T22:04:00.000-05:00

There seems to be no end to what people consider art. The artist featured below seems to savor the attention his controversial art brings. Not mentioned in the article is if the visitors actually ate his fat. He apparently eludes arrest because he claims they are eating art- therefore it is not cannibalism.

What kind of people buy this kind of art? The National Endowment for the Arts financially supports many artists like this, but don't these artists need to put food on the table? (Pardon the pun) Did he actually sell his meatballs for $4,000? What statement is this artist trying to make? Is he implying that everything is art- including fat?

Artist Serves Friends Meatballs Cooked in His Own Liposuctioned Body Fat

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

SANTIAGO, Chile — "Bon appetit," said Chilean artist Marco Evaristti as he presented his friends with his newest creation: meatballs cooked with fat from his own body, extracted by liposuction.

"Ladies and gentleman, bon appetit and may god bless," said Evaristti, a glass in his hand, to his dining companions seated last Thursday night around a table in Santiago's Animal Gallery.

On the plates in front of them was a serving of agnolotti pasta and in the middle a meatball made with oil Evaristti removed from his body in a liposuction procedure last year.

"The question of whether or not to eat human flesh is more important than the result," he said, explaining the point of his creation.

"You are not a cannibal if you eat art," he added.

Evaristti produced 48 meatballs with his own fat, some of which would be canned and sold for $US4000 dollars for 10.

A veteran at shock-art, in an earlier work Evaristti invited people to kill fish by pressing the button on a blender the fish were held in.

In April 2004 he dyed an enormous iceberg in Greenland with red paint.

2007-01-09T16:14:00.000-05:00

It's always a sad day when a cartoonist dies. One of the greatest losses was Charles Schulz in 2000. For 50 years he inspired people from around the world. His cartoons generated plays, movies, and endless toys. We will always wonder if Lucy ever let Charlie Brown kick the football or the little red-headed girl ever liked Charlie Brown.

Still other artists cause us grief when they cease to create cartoons. The most notable cartoonist who did this was Bill Watterson. His strip, "Calvin and Hobbs" was enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people. Whether it be that they developed a creative block or just plain burned out, they stopped cartooning.

Iwao Takamoto is not a well known name, but his cartoon is. Scooby-Doo has been published in books, movies, and television series. The 1970's flavor to the cartoon remained popular into the 2000's. Jinkies, we'll miss him!

Scooby-Doo Artist Passes Away

Updated: 9:07 a.m. ET Jan 9, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Iwao Takamoto, the animator who created the beloved Scooby-Doo and directed the cartoon classic “Charlotte’s Web,” has died. He was 81.

Takamoto died Monday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Warner Bros. spokesman Gary Miereanu said.

In a career that spanned more than six decades, Takamoto assisted in the designs of some of the biggest animated features and television shows for Disney and the Hanna-Barbera animation team. They included “Cinderella,” “Peter Pan,” “Lady and the Tramp,” “101 Dalmatians,” “The Jetsons” and “The Flintstones.”

2006-12-13T12:33:00.000-05:00

The art teacher in the article below ended up losing his job. The ACLU is defending his actions as free speech. Apparently he did this prior to his teaching career. This brings up the question of how much someone's personal life should be examined if they are in a public position such as a school teacher? My college students were split 50/50 by this man's actions. Some said that his free speech was violated and others said that teachers are held to a higher level because parents entrust their children to them. What about you?

No, I'm not providing a link to his video. You'll have to do a search for it on YouTube. (Warning- some people will be offended when viewing the video. This is not for children)

Virginia Teacher Suspended for Painting With Rump

Wednesday, December 13, 2006
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,236201,00.html
RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia school district has suspended an art teacher who they say may be setting a bad example for students with his own extracurricular activity — rump painting.

Stephen Murmer, a self-described "rump-printing artist," was placed on administrative leave Friday by the Chesterfield County school district.

Going by the name Stan Murmur, the teacher sells floral and abstract paintings that he calls "anthropometric monotypes" created by plastering his rump in paint and pressing it against a canvas. His paintings sell online for upwards of $900.

"I am certainly proud...," Stan Murmur said on a "Unscrewed With Martin Sargent" clip downloaded by FOXNews.com Wednesday on YouTube. "I do have a real job where I do have real clients, and I don't think they'd be too understanding if I was also the guy that painted with my rump."

In the clip, Murmur appeared wearing only a black thong and "Groucho" glasses to demonstrate a style of painting he learned in college.

2006-10-13T16:52:00.000-04:00

The Frisco school district has posted their side of the story. As you can see, it puts an entirely different light on the subject. This proves once again it is important to get both sides of the story:

Frisco School District Responds

http://www.friscoisd.org/news/mcgee_response_06oct.htm

A school district is at an extreme disadvantage in the area of personnel matters due to issues of employee privacy and ethical considerations.

However, since an employee of the district has chosen to express her concerns publicly in a hearing and in the media since that time, it seems fair that a school district can at least point to facts that were stated in that public hearing. Much has been misrepresented.

This is not about a field trip to an art museum. The timing of circumstances has allowed the teacher to wave that banner and it has played well in the media. FISD is a strong supporter of the arts and the Dallas Museum of Arts – our art program is rich and award-winning.

At issue here are performance concerns and the ability of a supervisor to address these concerns. As early as May 2005 the principal verbally brought to the attention of the teacher that there were some areas for improvement. She suggested at that time that a field trip experience might be a way to strengthen the art program and the Dallas Museum of Art was discussed as a viable option – it was not mandated as has been reported.

During the spring of the next school year, 2005-2006, when the teacher began planning the field trip, the principal suggested that the field trip be delayed until the next school year because she was concerned that the planning process was not sufficient.

When the teacher received her evaluation conference, which was in mid May and after the field trip, some issues of concern, unrelated to the field trip, were discussed and the teacher stated that she didn't think it was fair to evaluate her on expectations that had not been clearly communicated to her in writing. The principal did then document the performance areas that needed to be addressed – at the teacher’s request – but the documentation was not brought on by the field trip; the field trip was not a catalyst for anything or the final straw to get her in "hot water." She was never told there would not be a next year for her or that she was not “Frisco material” as has been reported. No teachers’ job status would be jeopardized based on students’ incidental viewing of nude art.

After the memo was provided as requested, the teacher did file a grievance and also asked to be transferred if there was an opening in the district. The transfer was denied because the central administration felt that if you allow a teacher to transfer after a supervisor has given them guidelines for improvement then you have weakened a supervisor's ability to address performance issues by essentially giving the teacher an "escape hatch" to avoid meeting the expectations of the supervisor.

What is getting lost here is that this is not about a field trip, censorship, or a parent complaint. It is not about age, tenure or salary level as has also been suggested in the media. This is about a school administrator working to help an employee improve her job performance and to improve the educational experience of students. Even someone who has taught for a long time can still have opportunity for professional development. Teachers were never directed to “ostracize” her as has been reported and she was never directed to not discuss her “plight.”

As an aside, the Star Award that is being mentioned in the context of the teacher being an award-winning teacher or Star Award Teacher of the Year 2004 is a recognition that took place periodically in the local paper because a local business wanted to sponsor the monthly ad to show support for teachers in the community – someone from each campus was usually represented. There was no set way employees were chosen at each campus for this ad. Some campuses went by tenure for inclusion, others selected based on something that had occurred that month. Teachers were recognized, as were volunteers, custodians, receptionists, others. FISD does not conduct the Teacher of the Year program.

At this time, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave with pay. The Administration and the Board felt that this was the best action for all concerned. A recommendation for the non-renewal of her contract will be forthcoming from the superintendent.

2006-10-13T16:45:00.000-04:00

Additional Information has come out about the art teacher allegedly fired for taking her students to an art museum. This teacher is going to eventually wish she hadn't made this all public. Here is another article:

CHERYL DIAZ MEYER / DMN

Frisco ISD officials say parents have complained about Sydney McGee before

FRISCO – Was a Frisco art teacher pushed out of a job over a flap about nude art, or is the national media spotlight shining in the wrong place?

The case has spawned national squabbles over religion, politics and art. Not to mention stereotypes about conservative Texas.

At issue is Sydney McGee's contention that the school district plans not to renew her contract at Fisher Elementary School after a parent complained that a student saw a nude sculpture during a field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art.

Frisco ISD officials who have been contacted by 16 media outlets including Inside Edition and The New York Times since the case surfaced say she is using the trip to take attention off other performance issues.

Personnel records released this week show the 28-year veteran teacher was paid to leave McKinney ISD after parents complained about her in 1998, a few years before she came to neighboring Frisco.

Ms. McGee's attorney, Rogge Dunn, spoke on her behalf, saying he didn't know anything about the deal with McKinney until approached by The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday. He said he couldn't comment on it until he reviewed it.

"I don't know what her performance in McKinney eight years ago has to do with the issues at hand," Mr. Dunn said.

The Morning News obtained Ms. McGee's personnel record from McKinney ISD through a public information request. A similar filing is pending in Frisco ISD.

The records show that Ms. McGee signed a settlement agreement for nearly $8,300 with McKinney ISD in 1998 to end her employment as a second grade teacher at Glen Oaks Elementary School.

Under the arrangement, Ms. McGee received a positive recommendation from the district. McKinney officials declined to comment on the report Wednesday.

The records do not indicate the reason behind the settlement agreement, but her file contains letters from parents who asked that their children be removed from her class because of personality and learning issues.

Her file also contains complaints from unidentified teachers about planning and field trip preparation issues.

Frisco ISD Superintendent Rick Reedy said Wednesday his district wasn't aware of any problems in McKinney until a recent talk radio report.

Dr. Reedy announced last week that he planned to recommend that the district not renew Ms. McGee's contract. That comes a month after the school board denied her request at a public hearing Aug. 21 to transfer to another school.

Ms. McGee, who is on leave with pay, asked for a transfer after she received a series of directives about her performance, including the parent's complaint about the trip. Spotty lesson plans, professional conduct and classroom art displays were also mentioned in those directives.

Ms. McGee says she never received a negative review or criticisms in Frisco until after she took the 89 fifth-graders to the museum in April.

Her lawyer displayed copies of some positive reviews on Wednesday.

The district maintains there were e-mails and verbal directives about her performance before the trip and that other concerns were put in writing at Ms. McGee's request.

When asked Wednesday why he made the decision, Dr. Reedy replied: "I don't feel it is appropriate to comment on that at this time, although I would say that matters came to a head during and after the Aug. 21 hearing."

Mr. Dunn said the district is violating his client's First Amendment rights by punishing her for speaking out in the media after the hearing.

"This case is not merely about Sydney McGee," Mr. Dunn said. "It's about a teacher broadening kids' horizons by taking them to a museum."

Frisco's lawyers say she isn't protected under the First Amendment because she spoke out about her own employment situation, rather than broader education issues.

Jennifer King said Wednesday she and other fifth-grade teachers who went on the field trip later told their principal it was chaotic and disorganized.

Ms. King said Ms. McGee didn't properly prepare the students for the art they would see or the etiquette involved in going to an art museum.

"Kids are kids and they may snicker a little bit over what they were seeing, but if they had been prepared, this wouldn't have been an issue," Ms. King said.

Since Ms. McGee's case hit the media, Ms. King said staff members at Fisher feel overwhelmed by the negative attention to the school.

Gail Davitt, the museum's education director, said 50,000 school children go through the museum in any given year. The museum has never received complaints from parents in the past, she said.

"I would say the material here is appropriate for anyone at this point definitely for fifth-grade students," Ms. Davitt said.

Pam Laux said her daughter enjoyed the trip to the museum. She said both her son and daughter can't understand why Ms. McGee is no longer in a classroom. Her daughter asked whether she could make T-shirts to support Ms. McGee.

"I don't know why she was reprimanded or the basis of the whole [nonrenewal]," Ms. Laux said. "I know she did well for my kids."

2006-10-13T16:16:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of news relating to an art teacher in Texas who allegedly lost her job due to a field trip. At first glance, it appears to be an outrage that this could happen. Here is the news item when it first came out:

Teacher: Reprisals began after field trip

Frisco ISD: 5th-graders saw nude art; board supports principal
07:38 AM CDT on Thursday, August 24, 2006
By KAREN AYRES / The Dallas Morning News

FRISCO – A veteran Frisco art teacher says school administrators have retaliated against her because a student reportedly saw a nude sculpture during a field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art.

District officials say they are supporting a principal who reprimanded Sydney McGee over the field trip and other performance issues.

At Ms. McGee's request, the situation was aired in public during a school board meeting Monday.

The school board rejected a request that would have allowed Ms. McGee to transfer to another school.

Ms. McGee told the board that the principal of Fisher Elementary School criticized her performance and threatened her job after a parent complained about the April field trip.

Ms. McGee's attorney, Daniel Ortiz, said she didn't receive any negative reports until shortly after the field trip.

"This case is about censorship. ... It's about retaliation front and center," Mr. Ortiz told the board.

Ms. McGee, who has taught in various Texas districts for 28 years, said she visited the museum and spoke with museum staffers before the trip to ensure that it was appropriate for the fifth-grade class. Ms. McGee said she does not know which piece of art offended the parent, and the district did not identify it.

Ms. McGee said principal Nancy Lawson called her into a meeting the day after the trip to admonish her about the parent's complaint. Shortly thereafter, she received a negative review and a series of directives about displaying student artwork and creating lesson plans.

"You have to start somewhere when you've seen things you don't believe are in the best interest of the students," Superintendent Rick Reedy said.

In a memo to Ms. McGee, Ms. Lawson wrote that students were exposed to nude statues and other nude art representations during the trip. Ms. Lawson said she received complaints from parents and other teachers about the trip.

Ms. McGee said Monday that she was afraid of being fired. Ms. Lawson told the board that she planned to have Ms. McGee return to Fisher this fall.

Ms. McGee said she sought to resolve the issue by requesting a transfer.

"There was such hostility, I didn't feel like that was a good environment," she said.

That grievance and another transfer request were rejected by administrators. The school board unanimously upheld those decisions Monday night.

Some board members said it appeared that Ms. Lawson was trying to improve the art teacher's performance and should be allowed to do so.

"It is a principal's job and their duty and responsibility to give directives to the people who work for them, and I don't want to circumvent that process," board president Buddy Minett said.

Board members said there were other performance issues in question beyond the trip complaint.

But Ms. McGee and her attorney said there is a clear connection.

"She made a great effort to see to it that the April 26 field trip was in fact a big success," Mr. Ortiz said. "Apparently one parent complained, and that changed Sydney's work."