War On Words: NYC Dept. Of Education Wants 50 ‘Forbidden’ Words Banned From Tests

[RockX]

War On Words: NYC Dept. Of Education Wants 50 ‘Forbidden’ Words Banned From Standardized Tests

'Dinosaur,' 'Birthday,' 'Halloween,' 'Poverty,' 'Divorce' Among Those Suggested

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — George Carlin is rolling over in his grave.


The New York City Department of Education is waging a war on words of sorts, and is seeking to have words they deem upsetting removed from standardized tests.

Fearing that certain words and topics can make students feel unpleasant, officials are requesting 50 or so words be removed from city-issued tests.


The word “dinosaur” made the hit list because dinosaurs suggest evolution which creationists might not like, WCBS 880′s Marla Diamond reported.

“Halloween” is targeted because it suggests paganism; a “birthday” might not be happy to all because it isn’t celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses.


Julie Lewis’ family celebrates Christmas and Kwanzaa, but she told CBS 2′s Emily Smith she wants her children to appreciate and learn about other holidays and celebrations.


“They’re going to meet people from all walks of life and they’re going to have to learn to adjust,” Lewis said.


Words that suggest wealth are excluded because they could make kids jealous. “Poverty” is also on the forbidden list. That’s something Sy Fliegal with the Center for Educational Innovation calls ridiculous.


“The Petersons take a vacation for five days in their Mercedes … so what? You think our kids are going to be offended because they don’t have a Mercedes?

You think our kids are going to say ‘I’m offended; how could they ask me a question about a Mercedes? I don’t have a Mercedes!’” Fliegal said.


In a throwback to “Footloose,” the word “dancing” is also taboo. However, there is good news for kids that like “ballet”: The city made an exception for this form of dance.


Also banned are references to “divorce” and “disease,” because kids taking the tests may have relatives who split from spouses or are ill.

Some students think banning these words from periodic assessment tests is ridiculous.


“If you don’t celebrate one thing you might have a friend that does it. So I don’t see why people would find it offensive,” Curtis High School Sophomore Jamella Lewis told Diamond.


Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said the DOE is simply giving guidance to the test developers.

“So we’re not an outlier in being politically correct. This is just making sure that test makers are sensitive in the development of their tests,” Walcott said Monday.


To which Fliegal responded: “It’s all of life! I don’t know how they figure out what not to put on the list. Every aspect of life is on the list.”


There are banned words currently in school districts nationwide. Walcott said New York City’s list is longer because its student body is so diverse.


Here is the complete list of words that could be banned:


Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological)

Alcohol (beer and liquor), tobacco, or drugs
Birthday celebrations (and birthdays)
Bodily functions
Cancer (and other diseases)
Catastrophes/disasters (tsunamis and hurricanes)
Celebrities
Children dealing with serious issues
Cigarettes (and other smoking paraphernalia)
Computers in the home (acceptable in a school or library setting)
Crime
Death and disease
Divorce
Evolution
Expensive gifts, vacations, and prizes
Gambling involving money
Halloween
Homelessness
Homes with swimming pools
Hunting
Junk food
In-depth discussions of sports that require prior knowledge
Loss of employment
Nuclear weapons
Occult topics (i.e. fortune-telling)
Parapsychology
Politics
Pornography
Poverty
Rap Music
Religion
Religious holidays and festivals (including but not limited to Christmas, Yom Kippur, and Ramadan)
Rock-and-Roll music
Running away
Sex
Slavery
Terrorism
Television and video games (excessive use)
Traumatic material (including material that may be particularly upsetting such as animal shelters)
Vermin (rats and roaches)
Violence
War and bloodshed
Weapons (guns, knives, etc.)
Witchcraft, sorcery, etc.



http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/...ardized-tests/

Welcome to Obama's world

[christiefan915]

ODS.

[cawacko]

This is pretty crazy and the irony that it is in New York City where I think kids learn to swear before they learn to say mommy and daddy. Does anyone think banning words is a good idea?

[SmarterthanYou]

is this some way of NYC education system providing beginner training for homeland security agents?

[Onceler]

This is insane. Would this even fit under the category of "pc"? It seems ridiculously arbitrary, and yet another attempt to limit education instead of expanding it.

And, once again - for the 2nd day in a row! - webbway appears to have actually started a legit sort of thread. I'm not sure what to think of it.

[cawacko]

Back in the day they use to talk about SAT tests being culturally biased but this is really nothing like that. I understand someone saying I wouldn't emphasize these words but banning them?

[Cancel 2018. 3]

pretty dumb...while we are at it...why don't white wash history too.

btw...what does obama have to do with this? this is NYC - state - ed dept.

[Bonestorm]

It makes sense to avoid subject matter that could interfere with the students' ability to focus on the test, but that list is pretty far beyond reasonable and some of the stated concerns are just asinine.