Tag: Crystal Lake - Illinois Family Institute

Caution: Article includes a graphic description of the “dance.”

I had hoped never to write about the “Vagina Dance” again, but in light of last week’s media coverage, the response of district administrators, a letter to the Northwest Herald from a Crystal Lake health teacher, and a troubling number of ugly emails and Facebook postings by Prairie Ridge students, it seems a follow-up article is in order.

First, District Spokesperson Jeff Puma was quoted in the Northwest Herald as saying, “There is no ‘Vagina Dance.'” I guess that depends on what one’s definition of “is no” is. Here is an excerpt from an email that Principal Humpa sent on Dec. 9, 2010 to the father involved. In it, Humpa refers to the purportedly non-existent “Vagina Dance” four times:

Mr. King:
…
In early November, we had a phone conversation regarding your concerns about the Vagina Dance activity in Health class. At the close of that conversation, I made a commitment to speak to Ms. Loeding, the PE department chairman, and Ms. Levin, your son’s Health teacher, about alternative strategies to teach the female reproductive system. That day, I spoke with both of these individuals about the potential demeaning nature of the Vagina Dance, especially in name, and the desire for alternative instructional strategies to be explored. Everyone was in agreement.

Later that week, you stopped by my office for an update. I shared with you the information detailed above. While I don’t recall the specific series of questions that you asked me, the essence of our conversation was that we would be seeking to discontinue the Vagina Dance activity. We would explore other options.

Let me further clarify my point of view. My request of Ms. Loeding and Ms. Levin was to investigate a variety of alternative instructional strategies to be used to present the female reproductive system in lieu of the Vagina Dance.

Sincerely,

Paul Humpa
Principal

Shortly after the Northwest Herald article appeared, WGN-TV ran a story on the “Vagina Dance.” What’s interesting is that Mr. Puma couldn’t even bring himself to say the word “vagina.” He mentioned “fallopian tubes, ovaries and so on.”

Then a female student began to demonstrate the non-existent “Vagina Dance” that she too had learned in class. Visibly uncomfortable, the student stopped before even arriving at the uterus, let alone the vagina. In addition, she acknowledged feeling “awkward” in class.

Mr. Puma has claimed that the “Vagina Dance” is a nickname given to the dance by students and further claimed that my description of the dance was an “inaccurate misrepresentation,” so in an attempt to be accurate, I will describe it with laser-like precision:

Ms. Levin, who identified the activity as the “Vagina Dance,” told her students that “the ‘Vagina Dance’ is like the Hokey Pokey. It goes along similar to the Hokey Pokey.” She then told her students to stand up with legs apart. She demonstrated the dance; then she did it again with the students; and then she had the students do it two more times, while she observed.

First, she raised her arms parallel to the ground and rotated her hands (which represent ovaries) in circles, saying in a sing-song-y rhythm like the Hokey Pokey, “You’ve got the ovaries.”

Then, she started doing arm circles, saying rhythmically, “You’ve got the fallopian tubes.”

Then she placed both palms against her belly button and sliding them up and down her mid-section, she said “You’ve got the uterus.”

Then she placed both palms against the groin area and sliding them from side to side, she said rhythmically, “You’ve got the cervix.”

Then, with her legs apart, she placed her hands on her inner, upper thighs and sliding them up and down to the knees, she said, “You’ve got the vagina.”

She concluded by putting her weight on her heels and moving the toes of her feet in and out, saying, “You’ve got the labia.”

Funny Mr. Puma didn’t mention “vagina” and “labia” during his WGN-TV appearance.

Crystal Lake Health teacher Helene M. Duda wrote a troubling letter to the Northwest Herald in defense of the “Vagina Dance.” It was troubling for a number of reasons. First, she said that,

The “Vagina Dance” is a learning activity designed by Deb Tackmann…and is included as one of her activities in Glencoe’s “Hands On Health” textbook.

So, clearly “Vagina Dance” is not a nickname that students have given the “dance,” as school spokespersons stated on multiple occasions.Further, Duda said that the

“activity is simply a kinesthetic learning activity that is effective to help students remember the location and attributes of the reproductive system in a scientifically accurate manner.”

Really? Does Duda really believe that the activity detailed above teaches the location and attributes of the reproductive system in a “scientifically accurate manner”?

In addition, neither IFI nor the father involved objected to the “Vagina Dance” on the basis of inefficacy. We objected to it on the basis of its potential to make some students uncomfortable and its undermining of modesty.

Then Duda expressed her view that

Those who deem the activity to ‘take away modesty and [be] disrespectful to women’ obviously have not seen the demonstration. The real disrespect to women here would be to not accurately educate young people about what and where these parts are and how they can be damaged by unprotected sex.”

Duda here implies that those who object to the “Vagina Dance” oppose the accurate teaching of female reproductive anatomy and the risks of unprotected sex. Where, pray tell, is her evidence for that peculiar claim? I was quite clear that it was the manner in which the material was presented that was the issue–not the content.

Finally, Duda refers to IFI as a “prejudiced religious group” that writes articles devoid of credible facts. I’m not sure what precisely she means by prejudiced, since she provides no evidence for that claim. And I don’t know what credible facts can be produced when making the case either that the “Vagina Dance” is inappropriate and may undermine modesty or that it’s appropriate and does not undermine modesty. Apparently, Duda’s belief about the appropriateness of the “dance” is a credible fact and IFI’s belief that it is inappropriate is a prejudice.

There are other aspects to the story that I omitted from last week’s article. The student who did not want to do the “Vagina Dance” asked Ms. Levin for permission not to participate. She told him that he had to do it and that it was required. The father contacted her to discuss his concerns, but she never responded. How do those responses reflect a respect for diverse views?

IFI has been told by Prairie Ridge students that not a single student has found this activity problematic, which I find not believable. But even if it were true, so what? With all due respect to teens, they do not and should not determine curricula for a number of reasons.

First, many teens lack both knowledge and wisdom; that’s why adults run schools.

Second, teens hate limits. No matter how inappropriate, obscene, or politically partisan a text or activity, if it’s challenged by concerned community members, incensed teens will react with unrighteous indignation and often with obscene emails and Facebook messages. IFI has had to spend considerable time removing obscene messages left on our Facebook page by Prairie Ridge students.

In addition to reading a boatload of obscenities and epithets, I learned some interesting things from Prairie Ridge students about their school. Apparently, unconventional mnemonic devices are a specialty among some teachers at Prairie Ridge. One student, self-identified as “Gomorrahmetal,” told me that his psychology teacher used a mnemonic device to help students remember “encoding, storage, retrieval.” That mnemonic device was “Everybody Shoots Rappers.” “Gomorrahmetal,” in a state of high dudgeon about my article, asked rhetorically, “Should we fire my Psych teacher for that violent reference?”

Another student shared that one of his teachers expresses his political opinions in class, particularly his ardent support of President Barack Obama. I don’t know what District 155’s policy is regarding teachers expressing their political views in class, but in many school districts such political advocacy is frowned on — in theory if not in practice.

School districts all over the country should be critically thinking about the kinds of comments teachers make; the resources they choose; the activities they lead; and the degree of commitment they have to honoring the diverse views of all families — even conservative families.

Policy should be established that strictly prohibits teachers from expressing their own political or moral views either directly through their classroom, comments, or the resources they choose. And these policies should be communicated clearly to teachers and enforced by administrators.

In addition, administrators and teachers should critically think about whether modesty is a value; whether teachers have any responsibility to cultivate it; and whether their language, resources, and activities may contribute in small or large ways to undermining it.

Is the “Vagina Dance” the most significant issue facing public schools? Of course not. Is it emblematic of the increasingly vulgar resources and activities that students are exposed to in public education? You betcha. It offers a glimpse into the kinds of curricular and supplementary resources that remain concealed from taxpayers behind schoolhouse doors. And the ensuing “misrepresentation” or dishonesty on the part of the District 155 administration reveals another troubling yet all too common problem in public schools.

Support IFI’s Division of School Advocacy!

Would you prayerfully consider pledging a monthly gift of $25 or more to support this important division of IFI? A promise of this kind will help us form a strategic plan that budgetary constraints often makes impossible. You can become a Sustaining Member with automatic monthly deductions from your checking account or credit card. Click HERE to access the Sustaining Member form.

If a monthly pledge is not feasible at this time, perhaps you could send a one-time, tax-deductible gift. Click HERE to donate today!

If you believe in the mission and purpose of Illinois Family Institute, please send your most generous contribution today. IFI is supported by voluntary donations from individuals like you across the state of Illinois.

Donations to IFI are tax-deductible.

A couple of months ago Crystal Lake’s Prairie Ridge High School Health teacher Jacqulyn Levin decided that the best way to teach her co-ed class of sophomore students the parts of the female reproductive anatomy was to use something she called the “Vagina Dance.” To the tune of the Hokey Pokey, Levin led her class in a puerile dance that involved pointing to and singing about reproductive body parts while prancing about the classroom.

Her selection of this inappropriate instructional activity demonstrated a lack of empathy for those who may have a degree of modesty and self-respect that Levin does not possess. Did she consider that some students might feel uncomfortable participating in or even watching this dance and that they might fear being ridiculed if they chose to opt-out?

Her decision to use this dance as a teaching tool also reveals that she has no commitment to fostering modesty (please don’t be deceived by the attempt of “progressives” to conflate essential modesty with some kind of priggish, neurotic prudery). The very fact that a teacher would consider such an activity reflects how debased and immodest a culture we have. And it reveals that she has no regard for the values of all the families who have entrusted their children to her tutelage.

When a father complained about the dance, she defended it as a “kinesthetic” device to help students memorize body parts. The “kinesthetic” argument is simply a rationalization, an obvious and foolish attempt to conceal the inappropriateness and silliness of the activity with a patina of pedagogical legitimacy. Somehow few teachers in math, science, literature, or social studies feel the need to employ “kinesthetic” activities to facilitate memorization. If ever there was a subject in which “kinesthetic” activities would be inappropriate, it would be seem to be female sexual anatomy in a coed class.

Sounding a wee bit like Professor Irwin Corey, Principal Paul Humpa wrote the following non-sense to the concerned father:

I made a commitment to speak to Ms. Loeding, the PE department chairman, and Ms. Levin, your son’s Health teacher, about alternative strategies to teach the female reproductive system….My request of Ms. Loeding and Ms. Levin was to investigate a variety of alternative instructional strategies to be used to present the female reproductive system in lieu of the Vagina Dance. Through their efforts, I expect that thorough research of effective instructional strategies and activities designed to address different learning styles will be conducted. These strategies would certainly not exclude the potential use of kinesthetic methodologies.

So, Humpa is going to talk about alternative strategies, investigate a variety of strategies, and expect that thorough research of strategies would be conducted. Concerned District 155 parents must feel better knowing that Humpa is going to talk, investigate, and expect research to be conducted.

This is the kind of rhetorical runaround conservative parents regularly experience when challenging inappropriate activities and resources.

Principal Humpa also made the same irrelevant comment to this father that so many administrators tell parents who question the appropriateness of an activity or resource. Humpa told him that he hadn’t received any other complaints. It’s a common strategy on the parts of administrators to say with feigned wide-eyed incredulity: “By golly, Mrs. Smith, yours is the only complaint I’ve received.” It’s an administrative attempt to marginalize and embarrass parents into silence.

It’s irrelevant how few the number of complaints, and here are some reasons why it’s irrelevant:

Many teens don’t share with their parents what takes place in their classes, so it could be that very few parents know about the “Vagina Dance.”
Some parents lack the discernment to know which activities and resources should be challenged.
Some lack the courage to challenge inappropriate activities and resources. Many parents are afraid to address problems because they don’t want to be labeled as puritanical or prudish.Conservatives all too often will not speak truth unless they’re guaranteed that doing so will be cost-free.
And many parents are afraid to address problems because they fear their children will suffer repercussions from teachers.

Parents often rationalize their silence by saying that an offensive activity, or scene in a film, or passage in book is too trivial to address. They fail to realize that cultural change rarely happens through dramatic single events but rather through the slow accretion of little occurrences we ignore or dismiss.

It’s also important to understand that sometimes an administrator’s claim that he or she has received no complaints is a bald-faced lie as was the case with District 113 Superintendent George Fornero several years ago.

A controversy blew up in Deerfield over the teaching of a wildly obscene, homosexuality-affirming play entitled Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. At least three different mothers called Fornero to express their opposition to the teaching of the play, and he told each mother that her complaint was the first he had received.

Perhaps Ms. Levin should make a video of herself and her class performing the “Vagina Dance,” which she could show on Parent Night each Fall. Then she, a paid public servant, could post it on YouTube–all in the service of transparency and accountability.

I wonder what public school teachers would do differently if all of their classes were taped and posted on local access television just like school board meetings. I suspect that many of their resources, activities and classroom commentary would change significantly.

There once was a time when teachers were mature, wise, modest, discreet, respectful, intelligent, dignified, and apolitical enough to deserve the kind of autonomy they enjoy, but no more. So many public school teachers demonstrate such a lack of maturity, wisdom, modesty, discretion, intelligence, dignity, political neutrality, and respect for the values of parents as to warrant greater community oversight.

“Progressive” teachers whose moral compasses have gone awry and who hubristically view themselves as “agents of change,” count on their nearly absolute autonomy, public ignorance, and conservatives’ fear of ridicule. These “educators” must lose all three.

Support IFI’s Division of School Advocacy!

If a monthly pledge is not feasible at this time, perhaps you could send a one-time, tax-deductible gift. Click HERE to donate today!

Donations to IFI are tax-deductible.

Prairie Ridge High School’s “Vagina Dance” Follow-up

The “Vagina Dance” Taught in a Crystal Lake High School