CNN 2010-05-30

Well, students struggling to make ends meet, but so are schools. We've talked about this for months now and budget cuts mean your kid could soon have more classmates. How many more? The sky's the limit in Georgia where the state Board of Education has voted to lift all limits on class sizes over the next year. Take a listen.

Nobody wants to do this. But again, we really are at a point where we don't have a choice.

And another tough choice? Acting¹ summer school programs. The White House is urging districts to keep classrooms open for summer sessions but a ton of education officials say it's just too costly². The cuts started when the recession began and have worsened, affecting more children and more essential programs that help struggling students.

So, what the heck was she thinking? A history teacher in Georgia giving the green light on white robes, letting students dress like Klansmen for a history project on racism³. The kids were doing a scene like a historical re-enactment, but they got a crash course in current events when they wore the robes outside class and outside context.

Watch this story from Linda Stouffer of WSB TV, then let's talk.

God, we know that it is not acceptable under any circumstances for students to be walking around the halls dressed in offensive attire⁴.

Reverend Markell Hutchins blessed students at the community meeting who told him about their shock in the cafeteria last Thursday.

I’ve seen them walking through the lunchroom in the white sheets and the KKK attire.

Cody Rider was outraged⁵.

Like the white students, they were laughing about it, you know? And everyone is saying we're blowing it out of proportion, we're blowing it out of proportion, but they don't understand the magnitude of the situation.

I am heartily⁶ sorry for making anyone feel uncomfortable.

The US history teacher told me they were in costume for a year-end film project, and their intention was about to teach about historical mistakes.

This is a film about racism. And we have to discuss racism in our society because if we don't, we are condoning⁷ it. And I don't cover it up. And you can't discuss racism and not include the Klan.

She's on paid administrative⁸ leave now, and I asked her what she would have done differently.

I would tell my students if you're going to film the Klan, do it on our own time outside of school.

If there is any hesitation⁹ towards diversity training and cultural sensitivity, then we'll come back to this community if it means we have to protest and march and go to jail and get in the street, we will do that, too.

Thanks to Linda Stouffer for that piece.

So, there's a history teacher who wishes she could go back in time and tell the kids to shoot "Birth of the Nation 2" somewhere besides school. I don't think that she meant any harm. She admits it was a bad idea and bad judgment¹⁰, but I do think she needs a little commonsense¹¹ check. The history teacher got too wrapped up in the past and forgot about the realities of the present.
 

1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

4 attire   

v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装

参考例句：

• He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
• Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。

5 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

6 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

7 condoning   

v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I'm not condoning what he did, all right? 我并不是宽恕他的所作所为，好吗？ 来自电影对白
• Communist Party conservatives abhor the idea of condoning explicIt'sex. 党内的保守势力痛恨对赤裸性爱内容的宽容。 来自互联网

8 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

9 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

10 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

11 commonsense   

adj.有常识的；明白事理的；注重实际的

参考例句：

• It is commonsense to carry an umbrella in this weather.这种天气带把伞是很自然的。
• These results are no more than a vindication of commonsense analysis.这些结果只不过是按常理分析得出的事实。