Texas Teacher Suspended for Telling Student 'Go Back to Mexico'

Wow ATS has become a lot more racist since I've been.This thread and that woman behavior are absolutely appalling. She should've actually been fired in my opinion. Threads like this make me worried for the future of america and this site.

Originally posted by Reptius
Wow ATS has become a lot more racist since I've been.This thread and that woman behavior are absolutely appalling. She should've actually been fired in my opinion. Threads like this make me worried for the future of america and this site.

edit on 20-2-2012 by Reptius because: (no reason given)

How is it racist? The boy was being disrespectful as is anyone who goes to a foreign country and expects to be catered to. I want to live in Italy for example, well did before the economy went down but anyway im learning the language because i would be in their country and i should assimilate with them.

If i was being a disruptive ass and demanding they provide me everything in English and they suggest i go back to America I'm supposed to call them bigots?

there is definately too much "political correctness" in the world but this teacher should have not let this child get to her. it is a shame that someone who has dedicated the majority of her life to educating others is removed from that position because she was pushed over the edge (but that also begs the question if she could be pushed over the edge maybe it was time for her to stop?). as for the languages argument well we can't help what language we speak can we? i know i didn't get a choice but then again no one does (until you've mastered your first language), and no one human is programmed to speak one particular language, it is in fact based on the environment, our surroundings (if you took a chinese baby from birth and raised said baby in england what do you think it's first language would be?). i reckon we are a few thousand generations off a universal language and a few more off a naturally unified world (and realistically we'll need the former to obtain the latter) so it's pointless arguing about the language barrier. i am unemployed in the UK and the form you fill in to apply for benefits comes in over 11 different languages but i can't let this get me angry or upset because it's not my fault they speak a different language and come from a country that has a worse system than our own (but thats another argument for another thread).

Originally posted by elevatedone

Shirley Bunn, a math teacher at Barnett Junior High School in Arlington, Texas and two-time "Teacher of the Year" award recipient, has been suspended for telling a student to "Go back to Mexico."

Bunn said she lost her temper on September 30 while passing out Title 1 forms to her eighth grade students.

source

"According to public documents, a student who had a history of being disruptive repeatedly asked his teacher for a form printed in Spanish by saying, “I’m Mexican. I’m Mexican."



The documents said Bunn tried to tell him that he could get the forms in the office but he continued to argue with her and repeat, “I’m Mexican.”



In response, Bunn blurted out “[Then] go back to Mexico.”

This teacher should NOT have been suspended. I think they handled this fine, except for the fact, she should have removed the student from the class for being disruptive and marched them to the office and suspended


them.



Eh you're just as racist if you think there's nothing wrong with the teacher saying that. Also makes me wonder why ATS has such horrible mods

edit on 19-2-2012 by elevatedone because: (no reason given)

reply to post by CaLyps0


First of all, I didn't bring race into this, I said the student was being disruptive and should have been removed
from the class room and suspsended for being disruptive.


This has nothing to do with me being on staff here, you're just using this thread as an easy target to take a shot at staff.

reply to post by WeRpeons


If that is true at all it certainly isn't in every state. My son is in public school, he is also diagnosed with ADHD and ODD (oppositional/defiance disorder), in kindergarten he was removed from the "regular" classroom because he couldn't sit still, stop talking and being generally disruptive to the class. He has been in LAB ever since...he's now in the 6th grade and has been threatened with expulsion or being moved to a school more based on restraint than education.

Now regarding the OP...I think the action of suspending the teacher was justified. She let herself succumb to anger, she may or may not be racist or xenophobic but she lost her temper and it's not okay for those paid to educate our children to do so.

Kudos to Intrepid for being so spot on.

reply to post by elevatedone


If he wants to be mexican, then ship his bum to mexico.

Problem solved.

Give the teacher an award for saying what everyone in the classroom was thinking, too.

Originally posted by paganini

Originally posted by Reptius
Wow ATS has become a lot more racist since I've been.This thread and that woman behavior are absolutely appalling. She should've actually been fired in my opinion. Threads like this make me worried for the future of america and this site.

edit on 20-2-2012 by Reptius because: (no reason given)

How is it racist? The boy was being disrespectful as is anyone who goes to a foreign country and expects to be catered to. I want to live in Italy for example, well did before the economy went down

but anyway im learning the language because i would be in their country and i should assimilate with them.

If i was being a disruptive ass and demanding they provide me everything in English and they suggest i go back to America I'm supposed to call them bigots?

"Mexican" is not a race, thus its impossible for it to have been racism.

"Mexican" is a nationality.

Nope, should not have suspended her. Deport the little bugger, if he's so damned proud of his 3rd world country status!

Should have been awarded a medal.

reply to post by Ixtab


Actually, Mexico attacked the U.S., got their butts kicked both times, and lost lots of land, that they never owned or controlled in the first place.

Illegals are nothing but pawns of the super rich. Wake up and smell the coffee, you are being used.

I'm nearly full blood Irish but I was born in the US. I have never had any type of urge to wave an Irish flag or shove my Irish ancestry down anyone's throat.
I'm not an economist, so I can't say if illegal immigration is a positive or negative in terms of the US economy. But it sure wouldn't hurt anything if they at least tried to assimilate. I think 21st century society can survive with people of different ethnicities living together. However, different cultures is another story.
It seems to me that the white dude can't win a debate against any non-white when race is involved. All the other dude has to do is play the race card and your argument is shot to hell. But I figured I'd throw in my two cents anyway.

reply to post by Ixtab


Oh, you mean the same land stole from the Native Americans by the Spanish. So looks like the white devils and the brown devils from Europe are in the same boat on this one. Not every case is black and white. No pun intended. Have you been anywhere near a class full of students lately? Have you had a chance to speak to any young people. They're a bunch of out of control idiots. It's not always easy to control your temper when you have to deal with crazy kids day in and day out...

Originally posted by paganini
but anyway im learning the language because i would be in their country and i should assimilate with them.

What is the official language of the Untied (sic) States?
What is the percentage of Spanish speakers.

Originally posted by aorAki

Originally posted by paganini
but anyway im learning the language because i would be in their country and i should assimilate with them.

What is the official language of the Untied (sic) States?
What is the percentage of Spanish speakers.

i dont believe there is an official language at the federal level but i recall somewhere around 80 to 90 percent claimed it as their mother tongue or claimed to be fluent in it therefore it should remain as the unifying language here.

My family were descended from Spanish colonists and have a long history in the southwest. Despite living here for many generations they remained in an isolated Spanish community in the boonies thus they didnt need to learn English until three generations ago when they moved to another region of the us They didn't bitch about it they merely got with the program as everyone else should.

reply to post by Ixtab

Well now is that not the pot calling the kettle black? After all was it not Spain that came and conquered the land from the people who were there already, who if all indications are correct were doing such to each other for years to come.

If you are referring to the various wars, Texas did fight a war to break away from the Mexican government, a treaty signed, and every war after that, the US did pay reparations to the country of Mexico, so if you go on that basis, how then did the filthy white devils steal your land, when the reparations were agreed on by treaty that ended every conflict between both countries? As part of those treaties, those who were present were granted and given automatic citizenship if they choose to remain in the US? This is also to include those parts that were legally purchased by the US as part of negotiations in the later years.

The facts are clear cut, the student was being disruptive and ultimately acting up in class. The classrooms today are not that which many of us grew up in, students are shown to be disruptive and any attempt to discipline them often results in law suits. After all who would think that just maybe the students are at fault for what happens?

reply to post by Kali74

She let herself succumb to anger, she may or may not be racist or xenophobic but she lost her temper and it's not okay for those paid to educate our children to do so.

Again, teachers are human whether or not they get paid to educate. Teacher's are paid to "educate" not police disrespectful, rude and disruptive children. Children can't learn if they're constantly distracted by students who feel like they can talk and carry on during presentations, or fighting for attention from their fellow peers. When teachers spend half the day disciplining, reprimanding and writing up behavior forms because of these disruptive students, it's taking away from the teachers time to engage with students who are motivated to learn.

When teachers are risking physical harm to themselves when breaking up fights, or they have to comfort children who are being affected by an abusive home life, drug abuse and being homeless, the teacher can be overwhelmed. Some students can be removed from one school for physically attacking a teacher and than put back into a classroom in another school. How do you think that plays on the minds of a teacher when they should be focused on educating not worrying if this particular kid is going to flip out and attack you when you reprimand him.

Teachers are not robots they have their own threshold of tolerance. That is true for anyone. Some teachers have higher tolerances than others. It's like putting someone in a room and bombard them all day with verbal abuse, and wait for them to crack.

I'm reminded of an interview of an Air Force pilot who flew bombing raids in the Gulf War. He was teaching in a high school and the interviewer asked him, "what is more stressful, flying into battle or teaching." His response was during the bombing raid it can get stressful but you're focused on one job, but after you drop your bombs and leave the theater you have time to relax. He said the stress in teaching is all day. You have so many different kids with different attitudes and personalities that you have to accommodate at the same time and at the same time educate them.

I actually got pissed off at some punk that expected me to respect him while threatening me. Kept on saying "I'm a Mexican (and a not nice word)" at which I said well go back home then, I don't want you here.

That pissed him off and lucky for me either someone called the cops or they were just patrolling the area.

I swear he took off faster than a roach when the light turns on.

Ok, so i've been looking at this post all day and finally I can't stand it. The kid claimed he's Mexican and wanted special treatment sort of. So after a while the teacher got upset. WTF is so upsetting about being told hey go back to that place you are so proud of? just wondering, if i went to canada and someone was like GO BACK TO AMERICA well....yeah ok. People need to grow up and deal with real issues, not 'oh they told me go back to mexico' orrrrr 'oh you cant say n-word but i can' this is all just ridiculous. The kid was proud to be all 'Mexican' until the teacher said go there...then suddenly its a tragedy...seriously...

Originally posted by Reptius
Wow ATS has become a lot more racist since I've been.This thread and that woman behavior are absolutely appalling. She should've actually been fired in my opinion. Threads like this make me worried for the future of america and this site.

edit on 20-2-2012 by Reptius because: (no reason given)

How is this racist? The child claimed what they were so proud of and wanted special treatment, repeatedly. So because of the remark about going back to where he is so proud of than somehow it is racist? The teacher did nothing wrong, the child should have been 'fired' and sent to school in mexico, where he obviously wanted to be instead.

Example: I'm overseas right now and speak NONE of the language, don't read any of it either. Now am I right to go to restaurants and establishments and demand they serve me in English? No, not at all. Are they racist if they say "no english american, this korea?"

Judging from the other replies to this thread, I think it's safe to assume that most here have it right. Your opinion of having the teacher fired is one of the most appalling things i've read about this situation...