United Federation of Teachers Humane Education Committee Letter September 23, 2008

UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
HUMANE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
52 Broadway, 12th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10004
(212) 410-3095

September 23, 2008

Dr. Ann Crotty
Associate in Science Education
Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional Technology
New York State Department of Education
89 Washington Avenue, Room 320EB
Albany, NY 12234

Re: Canandaigua Academy Chicken Slaughter Project

Dear Dr. Crotty:

I am writing about the fact that high school students at Canandaigua Academy in upstate New York slaughtered twenty-one chickens as an elective classroom exercise in December 2007. It is my understanding that this course may be offered again. As a New York City educator for more than forty years, I was quite shocked to learn that this procedure had taken place in a New York classroom. Are high school students actually watching -- and providing emotional support -- as each one of them in turn chops a chicken’s head off with an ax?

It is my understanding that the program “is designed to acquaint st udents with life’s realities, including the slaughter of food animals.” If it is necessary to expose students to chicken slaughter, there are numerous videos available for this purpose. It is difficult to believe that allowing students to personally raise and kill animals for the purpose of eating them could be considered a valid learning experience in New York State high schools.

It would seem the school is fostering student detachment from the pain and suffering of living beings. Are these same students exposed to the fact that eating animal products contributes to the development of numerous health problems including diabetes and heart problems, and that meat production contributes significantly to global warming? At conferences the United Federation of Teachers Humane Education Committee holds in New York City, teachers and high school students have viewed videos on chicken slaughter. At the same time, they have been introduced to the health, humane and environmental reasons for consuming soy chicken and have been served soy chicken nuggets prepared by United Federation of Teachers in-house catering. Then, after being provided with information and participating in an interactive discussion concerning the wide spectrum of attitudes Americans have toward chicken consumption, they can make informed food choices.

We hope high school student slaughter of chickens is permanently outlawed under Section 809 of the New York State Education Law – the Humane Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals and r eplaced by more compassionate procedures.

Sincerely,

Sheila Schwartz, Ed.D., Chairperson
UFT Humane Education Committee