On Halloween Day (Oct. 31,2000) my eleven year-old Son came home from school with an “assignment”. This “assignment” was to bring in all of your Halloween candy that you collected and we will be “doing averages, bar graphs, and ratios”. My Son couldn’t wait. He wanted to bring in the most candy.
That night he Tricked-N-Treated with such drive and intensity. He wouldn’t even eat any candy when we returned home.
The next day at school, the “teacher” was glad to see that almost everybody brought in their “assignments”. She did do “averages, bar graphs, and ratios”. She also taught them about “FAIRNESS”.
The “teacher” “ASKED” all of her students to dump all their candy into a big pile on the table. With some hesitation and a lot of coaxing, she finally had all the candy on the table. She began dividing up the candy, one piece at a time to all of her students. All the students now had “equal” amounts of candy. The odd candy left over the “teacher” kept to hand out later to those who she saw fit.
My son could not believe that his was happening! He tried to protest but the teacher and most of the other students made him feel selfish and greedy. She told him this was the only “FAIR” way to do things. “ It’s not right that some students have more than others. This is the only fair and equal way,” she said.
When I picked my son up from school he was so upset. He told me what happened and I could not believe it. My son said, “ I wish I never went Trick or Treating”
I parked the car and went to his classroom. The “teacher” wasn’t there but another teacher said she would go get her. When she finally arrived I told her who I was and why I came to see her.
“I figured I would hear from one of his parent’s. He was the only one that had a big problem with this assignment.” She said.
“And you think it’s fair that you took his candy from him” I said with disbelief.
“I didn’t take it! They all voluntarily put their candy into the pile. Everyone thought it was fair except your son.” She snapped.
I went to the principal's office but she had already left for the day. I called the principle the next day and she told me “I have no real control over how each teacher conducts their class. I see no real problem with the lesson your son’s “teacher” is trying to convey.”
Let this be a warning to you. If you let this happen now, who is going to stop it later!!
© 2000 Clifford Hallmark
