English teacher tells class that JKR is transphobic

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Just that really.
I'm absolutely fuming.
30 kids now "hate" JKR apparently.
This is an abuse of influence surely, not to mention a worrying lack of critical thinking.
I've printed out the "transphobic" tweets so my Y7 child can make up their own mind. With a lot of ranting from me in the background .

I think it could be argued that it’s inciting hatred in a room full of impressionable children

I would request a face to face appointment. Then very calmly explain that you are concerned about damaging stereotypes and thus see the merit in JK's essay. Bring the essay with you and calmly point out where you would expect a reasonable person especially a teacher to agree. For example safeguarding.
I'm in education and I hate it when parents jump on mistakes, but if it's done in a non accusatory calm manner it goes down better. Feigned ignorance could work. "Dd said this was said in class but of course I knew she must be simplify or confused".

Sections 406 and 407 of the 1996 Education Act prohibit the promotion of partisan political views in schools. Teachers cannot actively promote their views in the classroom.

I would be fuming at this. Do they not teach critical thinking at schools any more?

I read that as JFK and had absolutely no idea what was going on

I would take it up with the head. Seriously.

They get enough of this shit on Tik-tok.

Depending on the school, I would imagine there might be other parents who would complain.

@diavlo

I read that as JFK and had absolutely no idea what was going on

Me too. I wondered what JFK could possibly have tweeted.

*ask not what you can do for your country, but why your country thinks that trans women are women^

I'd be inclined to play dumb. Contact the teacher. Say your child came home saying JKR was transphobic. You were curious so you went and found her essay online. You couldn't find anything transphobic in it. Could the teacher please point you to the transphobic statements so you can discuss them with your child?

It might make the idiot actually read the stuff.

Oof I would complain. I used to teach and am painfully, cringeworthily supportive of DS’ school but I’d be up there like a shot, face to face if possible and on the phone if not. I would play it cleverly and not focus so much on the content and more the lack of critical thinking. She cannot state as fact that JK is a transphobe. She can present the essay and argue that she is and encourage the class to debate.

I would also question why gender identity politics was being taught in a year 7 English lesson and exactly when it became approved for a grown adult in a position of authority to push their personal point of view on 11 + 12 year olds.

@eurochick

I'd be inclined to play dumb. Contact the teacher. Say your child came home saying JKR was transphobic. You were curious so you went and found her essay online. You couldn't find anything transphobic in it. Could the teacher please point you to the transphobic statements so you can discuss them with your child?

It might make the idiot actually read the stuff.

I was about to say exactly this. Ideally, I would cc in the head teacher too.

Hmm, not sure. If you do complain I'd go directly to the teacher first rather than the head. Head seems overkill.

Also what is this shameful 'item of Hogwarts merchandise' that the teacher now no longer wears? A sorting hat? An invisibility cloak?

@Helmetbymidnight

I would take it up with the head. Seriously.

They get enough of this shit on Tik-tok.

my dd asked me the other day about JK being 'racist' (she saw accusations of transphobia on TikTok but didn't really understand so assumed they were referring to racism). We had a chat about it and agreed that it is unfair for those people to say things like that with no evidence of that being true. Obviously I said that I had read what JK had said and found nothing transphobic, racist or nasty and obviously she is welcome to read it too.

I was glad we could chat about it as she has discovered the HP books and movies and is loving the whole lot - we've had them in the house for years so I'm delighted she is enjoying them. A visit to HP world might be on the cards

OP, I would be very upset that a teacher had taken it upon themselves to announce such a personal (and utterly biased) opinion like that to the children. I would feel that I wanted to make a complaint.

@eurochick

I'd be inclined to play dumb. Contact the teacher. Say your child came home saying JKR was transphobic. You were curious so you went and found her essay online. You couldn't find anything transphobic in it. Could the teacher please point you to the transphobic statements so you can discuss them with your child?

It might make the idiot actually read the stuff.

Great idea. Write the letter and paste JK's content below. Ask for the teacher to highlight which parts are transphobic and return it to you so you can discuss this with your upset child in an age appropriate manner (noting JK has said herself the content is not suitable for children).

As

I would love one of those idiots to actually highlight the transphobic sentences in her piece.

@eurochick

I'd be inclined to play dumb. Contact the teacher. Say your child came home saying JKR was transphobic. You were curious so you went and found her essay online. You couldn't find anything transphobic in it. Could the teacher please point you to the transphobic statements so you can discuss them with your child?

It might make the idiot actually read the stuff.

I’d also be tempted to do this. It has the added benefit of getting the teacher’s side of the story. I’m not for one moment suggesting your DC is lying but sometimes wires do get crossed.

It doesn’t mean you can’t still then voice concerns to HoD or Head.

I would also be interested in how the conversation came about? Are they studying HP in year 7? What was the topic in class that day.

This makes me so angry!! I’d definitely complain about that!

I can actually imagine how this came up, maybe teacher used to wear a gryffindor necklace or bring a HP bag to school before Christmas. X pupil got something similar for Christmas and brings it to school to show class/English teacher, who says oh I don’t use mine anymore. Class asks why, teacher says with a very serious face and a grave tone ‘well boys and girls, JK Rowling is.... a transphobe’

I can also imagine it coming up quite easily in an English class. All they'd have to do is talk about favourite books and it's likely Harry Potter would come up.
I can imagine a gender enthusiast would be more than eager to rush in and 'educate'.

@eurochick

I'd be inclined to play dumb. Contact the teacher. Say your child came home saying JKR was transphobic. You were curious so you went and found her essay online. You couldn't find anything transphobic in it. Could the teacher please point you to the transphobic statements so you can discuss them with your child?

It might make the idiot actually read the stuff.

You could also approach it from the angle of HP being brilliant at getting kids reading. Surely that's a good thing?

CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien had some pretty unwoke views. Will the teacher be warning her class off Narnia and The Hobbit too?

I'd be worried someone so dim was in charge of educating my child.

Definitely report. Repeating random abuse toward women from social media is not ok.

I'm now wondering if your dd goes to my school OP, as we have an English teacher who I could completely see saying this. However I imagine there are many similar young English teachers across the country.