Blindfolding Kids at L.A. Unified Schools Banned
The L.A. Unified School District has reacted slowly and sometimes defensively to the horrific Miramonte Elementary School sex abuse scandal.
Wouter Kersbergen
One of the stranger outcomes will be that fourth graders will no longer be blindfolded for an exercise designed to test and strengthen kids senses.
Of course, this has nothing to do with the sex scandal, but:
Deputy superintendent of instruction Jaime Aquino thinks that using blindfolds on kids "may be perceived negatively" following allegations that teacher Mark Berndt blindfolded students and fed them his semen, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Because perception is everything.
We wish this district would focus on how to get rid of bad teachers rather than perception, but so far the Miramonte scandal has been one big P.R. game for the LAUSD.
The community wasn't warned about Berndt even though the district knew of multiple allegations against him. On top of all that, he was paid to retire and will get to keep his pension regardless of what happens with his case.
The blindfolding of fourth graders is a little bizarre, though.
Kids are paired off, with one student blindfolded and another presenting an object that must be felt and described by the pupil who can't see.
In writing about the exercise the Times noted:
There is no tasting involved.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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