Latest news with #SocialStudies
The Guardian
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Have you heard of this BDSM trend?' What I learned recording thousands of hours of teens on their phones
Reactions to Lauren Greenfield's documentary series Social Studies tend to fall into two categories. Young people think it is validating; adults think it's a horror show. After all, the screen of a teenager's smartphone is a shiny black hole to which access is rarely granted. 'Our kids are right there,' as Greenfield puts it, 'and yet we don't really know what's going on in their lives.' Her five-part series, which tracks the online and offline lives of a group of teenagers and young adults – the first generation of social media natives – is being tipped for an Emmy. Under the noses of their parents, she captures teenagers climbing out of bedroom windows to spend the night with boyfriends, posting sexually explicit images, tracking their longest-ever fast (91 hours) and living out their experiences of rape, cyberbullying, whitewashing, the tyranny of Caucasian beauty standards and suicidal ideation. She makes adolescence look like the wild west. 'I really tried to go into this as a social experiment,' says Greenfield, speaking on a video call from the Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles, which is hosting a Social Studies photographic exhibition until July. Initially she conducted more than 200 mini-interviews in high schools in LA, and then whittled these down to a cohort of about 25, who let her shoot them at home, at school, at parties, and in discussion groups over the course of the 2021-22 high school year. Crucially, they agreed to screen record, thereby sharing their online lives with Greenfield in real time. The result is a frenetic, immersive collage of a documentary, in which screens are overlaid on in-person lives. It is sometimes hard to keep pace, and hard to know where to look – but that is the point. Greenfield started out in anthropology; her first commission was for National Geographic, photographing Maya people in Mexico. Her mother, Patricia Marks Greenfield, a psychologist, was the writer. But after the project was dropped, she turned her gaze closer to home, to LA, where she grew up. Since her first monograph, Fast Forward: Growing Up in the Shadow of Hollywood, her work has focused on consumerism, extreme wealth, addiction and youth culture. The idea for Social Studies partly came from observing her youngest son Gabriel's phone habits. He was 14 when she started filming the series. 'We had constant battles about screen time.' Arguments? 'Yes,' she says. 'I never could control his access or see the content on his phone. He was super private about his phone, which is probably why I was so obsessed with getting into phones and really seeing what was in there.' Alongside about 1,000 hours of documentary footage, Greenfield also captured 2,000 hours of screen-recorded content. Her son 'helped to figure out the tech'. He was a year younger than most of the young people featured – and filming was personally confronting for Greenfield as a parent. Not least when she ran into him at a party she was filming. Making Social Studies has triggered her own evolution as a parent. 'I was blaming my son for his screen time,' she says. 'And I ended up feeling that's like blaming an opium addict for their addiction. Social media is made to be addictive – purposefully, for maximum engagement, and without any concern for the consequences.' Social Studies 'brought me together with my teenager', she says. Greenfield has previously said that she went into her 2002 monograph Girl Culture with an open mind 'and came out a feminist'. (She later directed the #LikeAGirl Super Bowl commercial.) Was the experience of filming Social Studies transformative too? Did she come out an activist? 'I definitely came out thinking that we were giving a very unsafe environment to our young people and we needed to do something about it,' she says. 'I did come out of it wanting to spread the word, raise awareness. It's about collective action.' She hadn't planned to include parents, which is interesting because those who do feature come off pretty badly. 'All of the parents?' she asks me. All except Vito, who lovingly supports his children through transition and alternative education. But others come across as missing in action or nonplussed. A mother, whose daughter films thirst traps in her bedroom, says: 'I really don't want to look at Sydney's TikTok.' A father stops his daughter using the app – by paying her $50 a day. 'But they really represent all of us,' Greenfield says. 'And not in a way where we can point a finger at them, but in a way where hopefully we are urged to reflect on ourselves. I mean, I didn't know a lot of the questions to ask my own kids until I did this project.' When working on the project, she would go home and ask her sons – the eldest was 20 and already at college – 'Have you heard of this BDSM trend?' For all the devastating revelations, there is humour here, too, as when one female participant says: 'We don't judge each other for [foot pics] but we also don't feel super-empowered.' It is hard to tell if the teenagers are incredibly worldly or incredibly naive. 'You start a TikTok to be in that TV show, movie-type life where everything comes easy for you,' says 17-year-old Keshawn, who soon after becomes a father. The shadow of Kim Kardashian looms large. Fittingly, her career tracks the arc of Greenfield's own, since Greenfield shot a then unknown 12-year-old Kardashian for Fast Forward. In Social Studies, to nods of agreement, one girl announces: 'I would release a sex tape if it made me viral.' Into the vacuum of adult regulation young people step, such as 20-year-old vigilante Anthony, who collects evidence from victims of assault and outs the perpetrators on social media. As he says, wisely and dispassionately: 'I'm part of cancel culture. It kind of works. It kind of doesn't work.' Greenfield implicates herself in the dynamic of absent adults. She asks the teenagers questions such as 'Who here has been sent a dick pic? Who has gone viral?' (Pretty much everyone.) Dressed in unobtrusive navy, she is a peripheral presence, and the only adult hearing, receiving, capturing revelation after revelation. She initially thought about casting a therapist or teacher but 'I realised it had to be me.' Though, she says: 'I don't like being in an authoritarian role at all.' Indeed, her presence sometimes feels like an absence, as when Sofia recounts her experience of being raped. Anthony helped her to gather evidence, but she hadn't felt heard and validated by adults. In the most moving scene, Sydney reaches out and hooks Sofia's fingers with her own. I wonder how Greenfield felt hearing a young woman share her experience of rape. Her attentive silence, while Sofia weeps, is notable. 'Don't I say, 'Are you OK?' and she says 'Yeah, I'm OK'?' she asks. Greenfield does ask 'OK?', but as check-ins go, it's pretty minimal. Given that she's a parent, did it feel hard not to step into the space of the circle? 'I mean, I think that felt very natural. If I could have avoided being in it altogether, I would have,' she says. So she didn't go home burdened by the emotional weight of the stories she had documented? 'It's an interesting question.' She pauses. 'I really love doing this work. It is so hard to get access and gain trust. When I'm hearing the stories, I'm so … fulfilled. My frustration is often if I can't tell the story. When I can actually tell it, I'm so happy. A lot of the young people participated because they wanted to tell a story. And they got to tell that story.' Greenfield has also documented her own addiction to work. At one point in 2018's Generation Wealth, her 16-year-old son Noah tells her she's a workaholic and a 10-year-old Gabriel holds up a piece of paper to the ever-present camera that says: 'You have a problem.' In Social Studies, there is a sense in which Greenfield is present as a person who intimately knows, and was herself a childhood victim of, the addictive comparison culture she documents. In Girl Culture, she writes about her experience, aged six, of looking in the mirror and 'realising that I was unimaginably ugly, and crying hysterically. I understood the pain and shame of not measuring up as a girl.' Maybe this girl, too, is in the circle in Social Studies. 'That was also when my parents were splitting up,' she says. 'So I think that was … maybe my origin trauma.' She would have found social media very hard as a teen. 'I was super insecure as a teenager about my body, about fashion, about fitting in. And I was really looking to other kids. So I zeroed in on this [in Social Studies]. I think the 24/7 comparison culture is not just the end of innocence but the end of joy. You're never happy with yourself.' 'What keeps me honest in my work is really coming from things that have affected me,' Greenfield says. Honesty is her medium – but not for too long on the subject of herself. When I ask about her arguments with her son, she says: 'I feel it's a trap to blame the parents. Really, the tech companies could make this completely different if they wanted to. These [apps] are made by humans, engineered to do exactly what they're doing. They know so well what kids love, what will addict kids, they even know brain science, which I think used to be unethical – to use brain science in the creation of products for young people. We know from the TikTok research that was leaked that [the app] is addictive in less than 35 minutes. 'And I was really struck when I saw last year the Jim Henson movie, Idea Man,' she says. 'The founder of Sesame Street – Joan Ganz Cooney – is talking about how they brought together artists who knew what kids loved – like Henson and the Muppet people – with educators who knew what kids needed to learn, and knew what was good for kids. And I was so moved by that,' she says. 'It almost makes me want to cry.' Given her unflinching calm in the most emotional documentary scenes, I am surprised to see that her eyes are pink and she looks as if she really might cry. 'Because it's another time. When people cared about what young people were getting.' A few weeks ago, she went to Sacramento with some of Social Studies' protagonists, to talk to senators. She has taken the series into schools. 'I do feel [making Social Studies] has activated me,' she says. She mentions how the Australian government has banned social media for under-16s, and Common Sense Media's campaign for health warnings on platforms. As Sydney points out in the series, once governments knew the dangers of smoking, they applied warnings. 'In the US, it is unlikely that [regulation] will be done by government or tech, but there is a critical mass of parents and educators who are getting concerned,' Greenfield says. In the final episode of Social Studies, the group reflects on the experience of taking part. For many, holding a conversation without a phone – they had to leave them in a different room – was a rare liberation. 'We all need to delete social media!' someone says – to the biggest round of applause. But the handclaps falter under existential questioning: 'How do you get off social media without people forgetting that you exist?' 'That really resonated with me,' Greenfield says. 'They are showing us there's a problem. They're giving us a roadmap for how to solve it. But they can't solve it on their own.' So what's the roadmap? 'We've given our communication to companies that not only don't have our best interests in mind and are just thinking about their own profit but maybe have a political agenda. And that is terrifying. We need an independent form of communication where our information is not being marketed, sold.' Some kind of public platform, like a public utility? 'Exactly. It's a radical move to just say, 'I'll be off of [social media].' As a person in the world, I can't be off of it, either.' A public-service communication platform sounds like a pipe dream. Is it possible? 'I feel like my job is to let people know what's going on. I'm not a tech entrepreneur so I don't know if it's possible,' she says. But she is too invested to leave it there. 'I do think it's possible, actually,' she adds. 'I absolutely think it is possible.' Social Studies is streaming on Disney+
Zawya
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Ministry of Education approves mandatory guidelines for teaching Arabic language, Islamic studies, and social studies
To be implemented from the 2025/2026 academic year, across all private schools in the UAE and all approved curricula Arabic Language: Arabic language will be taught daily for 200 minutes per week (40 minutes per day). Instruction time will increase to 300 minutes per week (60 minutes per day) by the 2027/2028 academic year. Islamic Studies: Islamic Studies will be taught to all Muslim students for 90 minutes per week. Instruction may be scheduled as three 30-minute lessons or two 45-minute lessons per week. Social Studies: Private schools must integrate concepts of family, UAE geography, UAE environment, social values, and wider social studies into the kindergarten curriculum. These will be taught through simplified, play-based approaches throughout the daily school programme, both inside and outside the classroom. United Arab Emirates - The Ministry of Education has announced the approval of mandatory guidelines for the teaching of Arabic language, Islamic Studies, and Social Studies for the kindergarten stage in private schools across the UAE. These guidelines will be implemented from the 2025/2026 academic year and will apply to all private schools in the UAE, across all approved curricula. This initiative aims to strengthen the national values of children from an early age, nurturing a generation that is proud of its national identity, proficient in its mother tongue, and well-grounded in the values of family, society, and the geography and environment of the UAE. This move is aligned with the Ministry's vision of enhancing national identity by supporting the teaching of Arabic, Islamic Studies, and Social Studies from the foundational years. The Ministry is committed to developing and delivering specialised educational programmes that foster children's skills in reading, writing, Emirati values, and national identity from an early age, supporting their educational development in later years. To ensure consistent and effective implementation, the Ministry will provide private schools with instructional frameworks and clear learning outcomes for all three subject areas before the start of the 2025/2026 academic year. Implementation of the guidelines will commence in 2025/2026, supported by advisory visits to private schools. In partnership with local educational authorities, the Ministry will also conduct regular inspections starting from the 2026/2027 academic year to verify compliance with the guidelines. Detailed Guidelines Arabic language will be taught daily to all students for 200 minutes weekly initially (40 minutes per day), increasing to 300 minutes weekly (60 minutes per day) by 2027/2028. Arabic will be taught by qualified early childhood teachers using approved educational resources and age-appropriate teaching methods, suitable for both native and non-native speakers. Islamic Studies will be taught to all Muslim students in kindergarten in private schools for 90 minutes per week, delivered as either three sessions of 30 minutes or two sessions of 45 minutes per week. Private schools must integrate concepts of family, UAE geography, the UAE environment, social values, and key social topics into kindergarten education. These concepts will be presented in a simplified, play-based learning approach that is incorporated into the daily routine, both inside and outside the classroom.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What do young Angelenos think of cellphone bans and Instagram age limits? We asked
"If you're a parent, Lauren Greenfield's new doc about teens and social media 'is a horror movie.'" That Los Angeles Times headline ran on an August story about Greenfield's acclaimed five-part docuseries that followed Los Angeles-area high school students during the 2021-22 school year, tracking their cellphone and social media use for a revealing portrait of their online life. Greenfield remembers the headline. "I've heard that from parents," Greenfield says. "And I keep hearing it whenever we screen the series." Greenfield has taken "Social Studies" to schools around the country since its premiere last summer, airing episodes and answering questions, speaking alongside a rotating group of the show's subjects. And, yes, the most common takeaway remains: Parents have no idea what's going on with their teenagers — though "horror" is in the eye of the beholder. Read more: Column: The disturbing new after-school special that parents of teenagers need to see Today, Greenfield and three of the "Social Studies" participants — Cooper Klein, Dominic Brown and Jonathan Gelfond, all now 21 — are in a Venice bungalow, just back from showing the series to some 6,000 teenagers in San Francisco — young people who, by and large, had a much different reaction than their elders to the depictions of online bullying, body-image issues, partying, hooking up and FOMO culture. These teens were sometimes gasping and talking to the screen, laughing at points, fully immersed, fully relating, even feeling nostalgic for TikTok trends that were popping three years ago. In one episode, teenager Sydney Shear is having a text exchange with a guy Greenfield describes as "creepy." We see the message he sends: "Permission to beat." Right after she tells him no, the group of girls sitting behind Greenfield screamed, "You know he did anyway!" "It's really fascinating how differently adults versus adolescents reacted to the show," says Klein, now a junior at Vanderbilt. "Adults are terrified by it, but young people find it funny. It's like watching reality TV." Much has changed for these "Social Studies" subjects since Greenfield stopped filming in 2022. How could it not? The years immediately following high school usually bring about intense growth and change and, hopefully, a little maturity. The world around them is different. Palisades Charter High School, which many of the students in the series attended, was heavily damaged in the January wildfires. ("The show's like a time capsule," says Gelfond, a Pali High grad. "Looking back, the series is even more special now.") Some things haven't changed at all, though. Technology remains addictive, they all agree. Even when you are aware that the algorithms exist to snare your time and attention, it can be hard to stop scrolling, the self-soothing leading to numbness and deepening insecurities. "You can have a greater understanding about the effects, but it still pulls you in," says Brown, who, like Gelfond and Cooper, has worked at teen mental health hotlines. "It's hard to stay away from what is essentially our lifelines." Which is one reason why they all see the value in the Los Angeles Unified School District's cellphone ban, which went into effect in February. "The pull-away from tech only works if it applies to everyone," Klein says. "When a whole group doesn't have access, that's when the magic happens. You're going to start to connect with the people in front of you because ..." She pauses, smiling. "I mean, you want to be engaging with something, right?" Then you have time to do things like read and solve jigsaw puzzles with friends, two hobbies Klein says she has taken up again recently in a conscious effort to disengage from her phone. Reclaiming your time, she says, can only work if you've got a plan. Read more: With 'Adolescence,' Stephen Graham wants you to consider the unthinkable If the takeaway from the series was that parents couldn't fully comprehend how technology shapes and defines their teens' lives ("They're the guinea pig generation," Greenfield notes), watching "Social Studies," either together or alone, has served as a conversation starter. "I have always had a very open relationship with my parents," Gelfond says, "but the way this really explains social media has led to eightfold more transparency." "It made me more grateful for the way my parents navigated all this," Klein adds. "I thought they were overstepping boundaries, trying to protect me too much. And I think this show validated that they did a really great job. Because we were the first generation, they were kind of flying blind." Now Klein wonders what she'd do differently if she ever has kids. She started on Instagram at 12. If she could go back, she'd probably delay that entry, even though Klein says it now seems normal for kids to join the app when they turn 8 or 9. So what would be the ideal starter age? "Maybe I'm crazy for saying this, but I think it should be 16," Brown says. Greenfield nods her head, noting Australia recently banned social media — Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and X — for children under 16. "I got on Instagram when I was 10 or 11, and I had no idea of the world that I had just gained access to," Brown continues. "You should wait until you gain critical thinking skills. Sixteen, 17, 18, maybe." "It is the end of childhood," Greenfield says. "You get that phone and everything that comes with it, and it is the end of innocence." In that respect, Greenfield sees "Social Studies" in conversation with "Adolescence," the Netflix limited series about a 13-year-old boy suspected of killing a girl. The boy had been actively exploring incel culture online. "What's scary about 'Adolescence' is how did they not know he was involved in something so terrible," Greenfield says. "But it makes sense. That's the world we live in now." Get exclusive awards season news, in-depth interviews and columnist Glenn Whipp's must-read analysis straight to your inbox. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
AsiaOne
11-06-2025
- General
- AsiaOne
Students must be more critical, discerning: Experts weigh in on online peer-tutoring channels, Singapore News
To encourage themselves and their peers to hit the books, some Singaporean students have taken to platforms such as Telegram to offer guidance and support. Mohammed Danie Dahlan is one such student. The 18-year-old started a Telegram channel named socialstudieslovers in October 2023 after completing his GCE N-levels, where he shares Social Studies notes and exam strategies. A check by AsiaOne on Wednesday (June 10) showed that the channel has about 1,620 subscribers. While such online platforms can be an effective means to reinforce learning, experts say that students must continue to practice critical thinking and discernment while utilising them. Dr Lee Ai Noi, senior lecturer at the National Institute of Education's (NIE) Psychology and Child & Human Development department, told AsiaOne that peer tutoring can be highly effective when thoughtfully organised. She added that online peer tutoring initiatives, such as student-led groups on platforms like Telegram, offer convenience and immediacy, allowing students to share notes, clarify doubts, and support each other in real time. However, in the absence of teacher supervision or formal quality checks, the reliability and depth of shared content can vary significantly. Pointing out that students at the Primary and Secondary level might not have the ability to assess whether the information they receive is accurate or appropriate, Dr Lee said: "Informal online peer tutoring is most effective when supported by some level of oversight, structure, or moderation. "These elements can help safeguard learning quality and ensure a positive, balanced experience for all participants." Such platforms a 'natural response' Associate Professor Gregory Arief D Liem, a lecturer in the same department, echoed similar views to Dr Lee. "These (services) call for students to be more critical, more discerning and take personal responsibility in terms of to what extent they should engage," he told AsiaOne. He also stated that such online communities and platforms are "a natural response" given the importance placed on academic performance in Singapore and the digital era we are in. "It is understandable that this phenomenon is arising because of the strong motivation for Singaporean students to do well in their studies," he said. Dr Rebecca Chan, also from NIE's Psychology and Child & Human Development department, described the sustainability of such peer tutoring initiatives as a "two-way street". Speaking to AsiaOne, she said: "Teaching is only sustainable when the 'teacher' keeps learning and remains curious about the subject matter to stay current and relevant. "It is a two-way street where student peers raise questions that challenge the tutor... who is motivated and curious enough to delve deeper into areas that initially baffled them in search of answers." "Even if it is not sustainable, it is still a cause for celebration — our youth have initiated and learnt to harness social media for learning and teaching." Managing such channels not easy: Students Speaking to AsiaOne, Danie said that managing his channel is hard work as he has to ensure that it remains active, answer students' questions in a timely manner and ensure that the content he puts out is on-par with the syllabus taught in schools. Despite this, the first-year Polytechnic student said he enjoys juggling multiple responsibilities and thrives in fast-paced environments. To keep himself on task, Danie sets goals such as posting minimally once a week to remind students to revise certain topics or improve their understanding of the subject as a whole. He also began offering tutoring services over Zoom between August and October last year, charging $5 per hour. He has coached around 20 students taking their O and N-level examinations to date. Raina Nafisa, 17, started The Muggers in July last year before her O-level English Oral examination. The channel consolidates study tips, notes, and helpful resources across subjects from various sources in Singapore. Speaking to AsiaOne, the student said that she would manage most matters pertaining to the channel with the help of a few friends. But after a few months of doing so, Raina felt she is dedicating too much time to the initiative. She then decided to hand over the reins of the channel to her friend, Kara Wee, who was already helping to facilitate Zoom sessions, shortly after their O-levels. "I feel that she is more proficient than I was; from finding resources to talking with just managing her time in general," Raina said. Wee, a Year 5 student at St Joseph's Institution, told AsiaOne: "While hosting all the zoom lectures, I developed a profound sense of accomplishment knowing that I was able to help so many of my peers with their academics." She added that many students have even approached and thanked her personally since she took ownership of The Muggers. When asked if the two have any future plans for the channel, they mentioned discussions about turning it into a tuition centre. Otherwise, it will continue to be a network of resources for future students to use, they added. [[nid:718488]]
Fox News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
'Israel-Palestine Conflict' section of study guide for New York high schoolers draws outrage
A New York State Regents Exam study guide intended for 10th graders is making the rounds on social media over its section on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the guide's section on "Decolonization and Nationalism" — which happens to be Unit 10.7 — the section gives its definition of Zionism and includes notes on the United Nations Partition Plan and acts of terrorism. The widely criticized guide calls Zionism an "example of extreme nationalism" and defines it as the "belief that Jews need a homeland in Palestine." Additionally, its example under the category of "Acts of Terrorism by Israel & Palestine" is "settler movement by Jews taking away land from Palestinians." Half Hollow Hills Central School District Interim Superintendent Brian Conboy addressed the issue at a Board of Education meeting on Monday. He said that the material in question was neither created nor approved by the Social Studies Department or the district. He also noted that the material was created before Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre. "As planned and previously discussed, the HHH Social Studies Department will be meeting to conduct curriculum writing over the next two months to address these exact topics. Moving forward, all curriculum relating to these issues, both historical and modern, will be district-wide and vetted by an outside group of experts in the field," Conboy said. He assured parents that all teachers in Global Studies 10 would use "the same materials and language" on this topic next school year. "On behalf of the district, I want you all to know that offensive and inaccurate materials such as this do not meet our standards of excellence and are not something we take lightly. We can and will do better moving forward," Conboy concluded. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) Spokesperson JP O'Hare acknowledged the issue in a statement online and clarified that it "does not create or distribute curriculum or study guides." O'Hare also said NYSED would "continue to monitor and take appropriate action as needed." In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment, O'Hare seemed to take a swipe at critics, saying NYSED takes "issue with anyone attempting to cloak misinformation in the guise of combating antisemitism. That's not advocacy, it's manipulation." Despite the school district and NYSED statements on the issue, the study guide has drawn backlash from both sides of the aisle with Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., condemning the academic materials. Torres said the guide "demonizes Zionism" while failing to "label as extreme the anti-Zionist ideology that inspired the October 7th massacre—the belief that Jews should be violently expelled from the land of Israel." "Anti-Israel indoctrination under the guise of academic instruction is one of the pathologies of modern education," Torres wrote in a post on X. Stefanik — who some believe is preparing to launch a bid for New York governor — slammed N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats. "This New York State Regent Exam is a disgraceful example of the rampant and persistent indoctrination of our children in the K-12 education system perpetrated by radical far-left Democrats," Stefanik said in a statement to Fox News Digital. She also posted a similar message on X, claiming the "aging antisemitism in New York is appeased and promoted by Kathy Hochul and her failing antisemitic NY Democrat Party." In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment on the study materials, Hochul's office said that the NYSED was responsible for the Regents Exam. However, they also noted Hochul's repeated condemnations of antisemitism and actions taken to combat it, including convening "the first-ever summit on antisemitism in education." Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust Director Anne Bayefsky said that, "such indoctrination perpetuates antisemitism." She slammed the guide for teaching hate over "tolerance, respect and coexistence." "Anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism because it teaches that Jewish self-determination is a wrong — instead of the realization of a basic human right. It is time to connect the dots between teaching hate inside the schools and the violence on our streets," Bayefsky told Fox News Digital. As of this writing, the original source of the study guide remains unclear, with neither NYSED nor the school district attributing it to anyone in particular. According to Michelle Herman, a parent at Half Hollow Hills High School East, one teacher who distributed the material did not realize what was in it and has since apologized. Herman emphasized that she does not blame the teacher for the guide.
