The parents of more than 100 students at Beaver Ridge Elementary School in Gwinnett County were outraged when their children brought home their assigned math homework two weeks ago. The assignment included slavery based questions which were intended to integrate the students math and history lessons for that week.
Third grade teacher Luis Rivera used slave beatings and picking cotton to link lessons about ex-slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass to the current math curriculum. One of the problems read: “If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week?” and “Each tree had 56 oranges. If 8 slaves pick them equally, then how many would each slave pick?”. Parents gathered in the administration office of the elementary school the next morning demanding answers as to why the third grade teacher was allowed to distribute the assignment.
Rivera stated that he “immediately felt remorse and embarrassment the moment the complaints began coming in”. Despite his apology and remorse, Luis Rivera resigned from his teaching position at Beaver Ridge amid an investigation by the school board as to how the assignment was not reviewed by the grade level chair before it was handed out to the entire third grade class.
Despite the fact that the assignment was not reviewed before distribution, Rivera is taking full responsibility for the incident.
“I did not write those questions with the intent of being malicious or offensive. I wrote poorly written questions in an attempt to enhance student achievement. I have brought shame to my family, and my school. For that, I cannot apologize enough.” Rivera told Channel 2 News.
But parents of the third grade class are still asking why Rivera thought this was an appropriate topic for their age group, or any age group for that matter.
“Something like that shouldn’t be imbedded into a kid of the third, fourth, fifth, any grade.” parent Terrance Barnett told WSB-TV. “I’m having to explain to my 8 year old why slavery or slaves or beatings are in his math problem. That hurts”
Parents of students are pleased with Rivera’s resignation, however they do want a promise from Principal Jose DeJesus that an incident like this will never happen again. DeJesus stated that he “understands the trials and tribulations associated with being a minority, I am a minority myself, but there was no intent to harm, or to offend in this situation”.
Some parents of Beaver Ridge students who received the assignment asked that counseling be made available for kids.
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