HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 12-16 Human Relations Commission considering sexism issue REVIEW Human Be
lat
ions Commission
• ' Dee. 16, 1'116—
considering
6, t 16
consldering sexism • ssue
by Scott Carlson model program which other school grad is achievementconted. drops once they
Sexism inarea schools the districts can usethat
brains "are the
me under investigationanRlnbyCom- identify saidsthe problemsnwas through too that women
age risk,"Peek continued.
Maplewood Human Relationswe
mission. questionnaire on sexism in textbooks. "I thiPeek said abut that do sn to have sexual t mean
iden-
Although it is too early to know exactly "It startled the teachers,"Peek said. I tities,"
what the commissioners will do, there think it made them look at things that that I can't do something(a job) because
already has been movement to question they hadn't considered before. Some of bmause youfemale
or
e ayoumacan't do something
the North St. Paul-Maplewood school the books were very sexist."
district about its commitment to af- Last year Peek attacked nhe to problem
blem instance,saids not trying school
forceysystem,
inthis
his
but
firmative action hiring. from the bottom up by helping understandothe change
And in recent weeks members of the curriculum with the teachers. Materials only help people
commission have been reading materials have been added to the social studies that has already taken place in thhew world.
on sk,as consultant onsexismin complishm nts ofnow
woment inout
the labor educate ac- ion has to catch already
up,"she said.
Peek,a part-time as well as in the
the Mahtomedi herob. public schools, to speak course movementnthe home economics depart- tra
ining ning on sexism for adminisk is trators and
about her job.
One commissioner was curious about ment at the
high
school leveltitled working
h
in-
what kind response Peek has received Marriage: fromromance magazine to volemntdoesn'tcome from both ends
from the scofhool staff. Another, chairman reality." (teachers and administrators) there may
Janet ion , wndredwhron- Ngradersaboutprogram for the fade
sideration of sexism schools would the civil rights of minoritiesbut once funding has ceased, Peek said.
public hostility. also women. Physical education classes Peek is encouraged by the progress and
The commissionuiDistrictd 622at it had are assistant and co-recreationalthe industrial arts wherever
instructorssiare everything is rosy,"has
happened."
said. Peek said
Donald Gauvin,
superintendent for personnel,as a recent trying to plan courses which would appeal that cede tiontof staff rear tion to the progller's
ram
guest and he indicated that affirmative to both boys and girls. in p
actionhiring was not a high district Peek trying to said
eliminatethe
sex sexism, is tnot'at- ha"He said that o one third of the people
ry accurate.
priority.
Peek, in her comments to the com- tempting to destroy sexual identities of would be interested, one-third wouldn't
mission,said that the school district may boys and girls.Instead"the main thing is give a damn and one third would be
become the center of unwanted publicity to see if we can get girls treated with the rePeek stent," she concludes that the "most im
if North high Asst. Principal JoAnne same dignity," she said.
Shekleton's discrimination grievance is For example girls often lose their portant thing we're doing is trying to
taken on the U.S. Department of Justice. positive self-identities because they have figure out what can be done because if we
She alsthat s after once models to
pattern
their lives can elementary d strc tot then we can help other school
to
want get a copy of rules and regulation
regarding Title Nine funding and sexism.
Peek, who taught for one semester
several years ago in the North St. Paul-
Maplewood schools, said the school
district should already be dealing with
directives on racism and sexism. "You
could go to the school board and ask what
is being done," she said.
The Mahtomedi school district is doing
something very comprehensive because
there was a push from three women
school board members to examine the
issue, Peek said.
A proposal to reduce sexism in grades
kindergarten through 12 was written by
Mahtomedi and funding authorized by the
Council on Quality Education.
The Mahtomedi program, Peek said,
was designed to accomplish three goals.
One, raise the community and school
awareness about the problems. Two,
develop a curriculum and three,develop a