Physics teacher Moses Rifkin deals with hateful criticism from Fox News

Physics teacher Moses Rifkin was caught in a bitter debate. Started by Fox News and the National Review, it was centered around a unit in his class.

Can you describe your six day learning curriculum?

I do it with my seniors each year in quantum (or senior) physics. It is in March and revolves around the question: Why are there relatively few black physicists? So I looked up the numbers and only 3 or 4% of the physicist population is black. So there is clearly a gap. If your white in America you are about  more times likely to become a physicist.

What do you strive to teach in your class?

I think there are two answers and the first is that the physics I teach my students is more than  how to figure out what the answers and the equations are. I think we should be talking about the people who do physics and the ways in which who they are influences what they define as physics., because in my opinion you will teach physics differently if you are white. I think I am teaching physics but at the same time I am teaching about diversity

What was the process and how did the media catch wind of this and then blew it up?

It was crazy, I basically hit send and posted this blog post which laid out my ideas and plan of the six day curriculum. I sent it out on twitter, the person who controlled the blog sent it out on their twitter and it just got retweeted and retweeted. Next thing I knew a Missouri conservative education blog was talking about it. Basically forty eight hours it had gone from something a few people would see to a having 13,000 comments. Then on wednesday was when Fox News ran their segment.

What has been the worst of the media?

The worst part is really small. The sad part to me is that I did not get a chance to get the thoughtful criticism that I would have hoped for. Nobody wants to talk to me about this,and I do actually want to talk. I want to be better because I don’t think that this curriculum is perfect.

What has the best of the media?

I have just been blown away with the support. I expected the school administration to say okay we support you but take it down. They almost did the opposite by saying we support you now what can we do to help you. Teachers alumni, students, parents that I have never even met, everybody is just extremely supportive.

Would you say that you have benefited from Fox News displaying your opinion?

This has been the other best part is that I really believe in this curriculum and the work that I am doing, and now there is a lot more attention to it. People who can do this work and are frustrated like I was frustrated. I think weirdly it spread what I was trying to say much more widely than I could have ever done on my own so it that sense, thanks Fox, for really getting my education plan out there.

What is the purpose of education in your mind?

I need to be able to answer that if I can’t answer that then it’s like okay well what am I doing. I want to help students become part of this world, you gotta be smart, you got to know what’s out there, you got to know who you are and I am trying to teach students to do that. The other thing is I am trying to help students find out what world they think should be out there for themselves.

Would you still like to incorporate more diversity in your teaching of physics,

I think there is more to the story then we are sharing with you. It does not have to be a full unit to be able to talk about it. If we are not talking about it then we are almost teaching you the opposite, then I feel we are almost saying that if you are not a white dude you won’t be a physicist.

By: Melissa Funes