Jefferson Elementary: Moral Dilemma in Deciding Whether to Change Name

[Karmadillo]

http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=18617

Berkeley’s Jefferson Elementary School may opt to change its name after some teachers felt uncomfortable with the former president having owned slaves.

“Many people realize that Thomas Jefferson was a slaveholder,” said kindergarten teacher Marguerite Talley-Hughes. “That is kind of a dilemma when you call someone a hero, a dilemma when you’re trying to teach children right from wrong.”

Late last month, students, parents and school staff chose the two final contenders—Thomas Jefferson and Sequoia, after the tree—from a pool of about eight names, including Mexican-American activist Cesar Chavez; black abolitionist Sojourner Truth; Rose, the name of the street the school sits on or Ohlone, the name of the tribe that originally resided in Berkeley.

The official district policy for school renaming requires a vote from students, parents and teachers at the school, who will decide on a new name at the end of the month.

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