Negligent stupidity. I am a NYC teacher. I teach teenagers from Brooklyn. I was born and raised in Brooklyn. And I cannot swim. I would never, ever take a random trip to the beach with my students. It has bad decision written all over it.
I can't swim. I never had the Need to. I was surrounded by concrete, fences, trees and turnstiles. Not to help perpetuate stereotypes but I do know how to run fast, I've done pull ups on crossing signs, I can hop a fence and climb a tree like nobody's business. To assume that kids can swim is purely suburban naïveté. Really.
Furthermore there was no parent permission, one teacher and two "chaperones" (I'd hardly call some 19 year old a chaperone) with 24 students. All of this was illegal. And yet the trip went on.
With no lifeguard on duty you allow student to use their better judgment as to how far out they can go. The same age group that will skip green beans for now and laters. The same age group that would gladly blow $300 on a gaming console than on books or savings. Kids have parents and teachers because their overall better judgment is still developing, even at 19!
In short as a teacher I am completely outraged at the teacher and administration that allowed a young scholar to drown to her death.
God help her family and friends in the wake of such a tragedy!
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