Here is the principal's e-mail address.

shahn@nhcs.k12.nc.us

I wrote her a comment and copied the reported. Perhaps everyone should.

Posted by: Chuck on September 03, 2002

I think what bothers me about this is that there's no way the teacher could have engaged in a discussion like, "Here's a word. It sounds a lot like this other word. Here's how they're different. Here's why one is generally unacceptable and the other is simply not in common usage."

Imagine the uproar had she attempted to do so.

Posted by: GreyDuck on September 03, 2002

I wrote some comments on this over here:
http://www.jacobsen.no/anders/blog/archives/2002/09/03/american_political_correctness_the_word_niggardly.html
http://www.jacobsen.no/anders/blog/archives/2002/09/04/mixed_reactions_on_my_niggardlyposting.html

Posted by: andersja on September 04, 2002

What better forum is there for a child to learn such words? While "niggardly" is not a word that gets alot of use in common, everyday conversation or correspondence (until recently) it is a word that is out there. If Mrs Walker had had someone to teach her such words when she was in fourth grade she would realize how silly her stand is. I hope she enjoys her name in the paper and her face on TV but I think she is making herself look foolish and ignorant.

Posted by: Tony on September 06, 2002

Political correctness sucks. It is because of it that all politicians have to walk on eggshells to get anything done.

Posted by: Greg DWyer on October 02, 2003