Letters to NY State Education Department Urgently Needed - ANIMAL SLAUGHTER PROJECT

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE FORWARD / CROSSPOST / TAKE ACTION FOR THESE PRECIOUS INNOCENT FEELING BEINGS * INFO BELOW

 

 

apesman2727 <apesman2727Letters to NY State Education Department Urgently NeededTuesday, November 25, 2008, 4:24 PM

 

 

United Poultry ConcernsNovember 25, 2008Letters to NY State Education Department Urgently Needed.Dr. Ann CrottyAssociate in Science EducationOffice of Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional TechnologyNew York State Department of Education89 Washington Avenue, Room 320EBAlbany, NY 12234Email: _ACROTTY (AT) MAIL (DOT) ACROTTY@M_ (ACROTTY (AT) MAIL (DOT) NYSED.GOV) Please OPPOSE Canandaigua Academy Chicken Slaughter Project!See UPC President Karen Davis's Letter following the details of thisalert.Background ( _http://www.upc- http://www. http://wwwhttp: //www.uhttp_ (http://www.upc- online.org/ classroom/ canandaigua. html) )The New York State Education Department is currently reviewing the legalstatus of a chicken slaughter project at Canandaigua Academy, a highschool in upstate New York. The project involves flying 25 or morechicks from Murray McMurry Hatchery in Iowa, as regular, unprotectedairmail like luggage(_http://www.upc- http://www. http://wwwhttp: //www.upc- http://_ (http://www.upc- online.org/ transport/ 71408shippingbir ds.html) ), to beraised and slaughtered by high school students, then cooked and eaten bythe students. In December 2007, students slaughtered 21 chickens and letone little rooster go to Farm Sanctuary following a

meeting with schooladministrators in which Canandaigua animal activist Joel Freedmanpleaded futilely for mercy for all of the birds.Following a vigorous campaign by United Poultry Concerns after thisepisode, Canandaigua Academy principal Lynne Erdle announced in Julythat the slaughter project was being permanently cancelled. But then theschool district reversed its decision and announced that the slaughterproject would be reinstated in Fall 2008.However, in August, New York attorney Elinor Molbegott, legal counselfor the Humane Society of New York, intervened. In a letter to theEducation Department dated August 5, 2008, attorney Molbegott pointedout that under Section 809 - Humane Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals- of the NYS Education Law, "no school district, school principal,administrator or teacher shall require or permit the performance of alesson or experimental study on a live

vertebrate animal in any schoolor during any activity conducted under the auspices of a school wheresuch lesson or experimental study employs termination of life."Attorney Molbegott pointed out that the law "further provides that thecommissioner may upon submission of a written program plan issue awritten waiver to such school for students in grades 10, 11 or 12 whoare pursuing an accelerated course of study in the sciences inpreparation for taking a state or national advanced placementexamination and who are working under the supervision of certifiedscience teachers." Other exceptions in the law are for "vocationalinstruction in the normal practice of animal husbandry or environmentaleducation activities as established by the Department of EnvironmentalConservation. CMolbegott concluded that "The chicken slaughter activity did not fallinto any of the exceptions for the waiver" and urged

the EducationDepartment "to review the chicken slaughter situation and to make itclear to schools that this is not permissible except as provided for inthe law." In subsequent letters to the Education Department (September29; November 13), attorney Molbegott noted that the New York StateDepartment of Education's waiver form specifically makes reference tothe Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), but that"the chicken rearing/killing project would be banned under the ISEFrules" which specifically state that "Research projects which cause morethan momentary pain or suffering to vertebrate animals or which aredesigned to kill vertebrate animals are prohibited."Upon receiving attorney Molbegott's initial letter of August 5, the NYSEducation Department suspended the chicken slaughter project, becausethe Canandaigua City School District had failed to apply for a waiverfrom the

department as required by law. School officials claimed theydidn't know there was a law requiring a waiver to slaughter chickens asa high school activity.On October 16, 2008, the NYS Education Department stamped its receipt ofa waiver application from the Canandaigua City School District for the"Chicken Project." Attorney Molbegott then filed a Freedom ofInformation Law request for a copy of the school district's application,which she received and faxed to United Poultry Concerns. The applicationhas 15 pages but here are the basics:Canandaigua School District APPLICATION:1) Educational basis for requesting a waiver: "With the health of ouryouth and the environment in jeopardy, a high impact, real life lessonto raise awareness is essential. For a sustainable future, our currentpractices and habits need to be examined critically."2) The objective(s) of the lesson or experiment: "To

make studentsaware of the true cost to their bodies, the animals and the environmentof a diet high in animal products."3) The methods and techniques to be used. "The animals will be raisedand slaughtered using current, humane husbandry techniques. Each birdwill be given prescribed space and habitat. They will be slaughteredusing the killing cone method." (See UPC President Karen Davis's letterbelow, regarding use of the killing cone.)In addition, the school district's application states as follows:GOAL: "To enter into an agreement that will encourage the development ofhigher level skills in students by facilitating the transfer of studentsfrom Canandaigua Academy to Finger Lakes Community College."OBJECTIVES:1. "To provide students with the opportunity to earn (3) three credithours for: Ornamental Horticulture- hours for: Ornamental HoConservation Elective . . .2. To

better acquaint students with Finger Lakes Community College ...3. To foster an awareness of baccalaureate transfer programs uponcompletion of associate degree requirements. cCANANDAIGUA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PROGRAM PLAN:"The goal of the project is to make students aware of the true costs ofconsuming large amounts of animal products on their health, the animals'wellbeing and the environment. There are 25 chickens used in thisproject [in] a class size of 75 students. The breed selected is a hybridbird, genetically selected to grow large quickly. The birds reachmaturity [ten pounds as noted elsewhere in the application - UPC Editor]at 8.5 weeks. They die at approximately 12-14 weeks because ofdifficulties due to obesity. A standard chicken is also raised tocompare growth rates. Chickens are chosen because of space limitations.. . . . At the end of the 9-week period, the student groups are

given ademonstration of current proper techniques to slaughter and butcher achicken. The students, working in their groups with parental consent andan opt-out option, are given the opportunity to slaughter and butchertheir chicken. After the birds have been butchered, they are preparedusing various cooking techniques and a class meal of chicken andvegetarian alternatives is enjoyed by all participants. v------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -On November 13, attorney Elinor Molbegott, legal counsel for the HumaneSociety of New York, wrote to the Education Department, pursuant to herreceipt of a copy of the waiver application submitted to the EducationDepartment by the Canandaigua School District under the Freedom ofInformation Law, that "The Humane Society of New York remains stronglyopposed to the proposed project which involves youngsters raising andkilling chickens. We

believe that there is absolutely no soundeducational or legal basis for the issuance of a waiver. . . ."------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -UPC President Karen Davis's Letter to the New York State EducationDepartment via email (_ACROTTY (AT) MAIL (DOT) ACROTTY@M_ (ACROTTY (AT) MAIL (DOT) NYSED.GOV) ) and U.S. Postal Service:November 19, 2008Dr. Ann CrottyAssociate in Science EducationOffice of Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional TechnologyNew York State Department of Education89 Washington Avenue, Room 320EBAlbany, NY 12234Re: Canandaigua Academy Chicken Slaughter ProjectDear Dr. Crotty:I have carefully reviewed a copy of the waiver application submitted bythe Canandaigua City School District to the New York

State EducationDepartment seeking approval to slaughter chickens at CanandaiguaAcademy. In the strongest possible terms I urge the Education Departmentto reject this application under New York State Education Law Section809 - Humane Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals.The broadly generalized goal/objectives presented by the school districtfor the proposed slaughter - encouraging development of "higher levelskills in students," facilitating their transfer from CanandaiguaAcademy to Finger Lakes Community College," providing an opportunity toearn credit hours for "Ornamental Horticulture- earn credit hours for or Conservation Elective," and fostering "an awareness of baccalaureatetransfer programs" - can be met by many other means. Killing chickens isneither necessary, nor even relevant, to fulfilling any of thesepurposes.Regarding "(xvi) Termination of life," the school district says on

theapplication: "Chickens will have neck severed using the killing conemethod considered to be very humane." This vaguely worded statement,presented in the passive voice, epitomizes the carelessness of theentire application. Being immobilized in a killing cone while one'sthroat is being sliced with a knife is not humane, let alone "veryhumane." The bird, in extreme pain, cannot even thrash - immobilizationin a cone adds to the terrible death being endured. The only ones being"protected" are the observers and butchers, because they cannot see whatis taking place inside the cone where the death throes and agony ofdying are sealed up inside the container. As for "severing the neck,"does this mean decapitation? Or, if it means severing blood vesselswithin the neck without decapitation of the live bird, which bloodvessels do they have in mind exactly? And what do they know about thevery different

functions and placement of the carotid arteries versusthe jugular veins? Imagine if, instead of chickens, the "vertebrateanimals" being subjected to this brutal treatment were dogs or cats. Ithas been scientifically established - it is no longer debated amongreputable scientists - that the pain receptors and neurophysiology ofbirds and mammals, including human beings and chickens, are in essenceand experientially identical. See, for example, "Pain In Birds" by Dr.Michael J. Gentle, Animal Welfare 1: 235-247, Universities Federationfor Animal Welfare, 1992.The very nature of the waiver application shows how poorly the studentsat Canandaigua Academy are being served by those who should be theirrole models, exemplifying the highest academic standards of thinking,writing and professional character. The Canandaigua School District, vialocal newspapers and the waiver application under review,

hasconsistently advanced as "reasons" for slaughtering chickens everyvague, far-fetched thing it could seize upon - teaching about "life anddeath," about "world hunger,vegetarianism, death," about "world hunger,"factory farming," and now "ornamental horticulture" and whatever elsethey can throw into the pot that will legitimize a wish, in the guise of"education," to inflict death.The teenagers at Canandaigua Academy, instead of being taught to killinnocent and defenseless birds - inhumanely shipped in 2007 from theMidwest to the school for this sad purpose like canned goods and luggage- these impressionable students need instead to be taught by theirelders to respect life and protect living beings from preventable harmand death. There is no necessity whatsoever in the goal/objectives setforth in the school district's waiver application for the infliction ofdeath on vertebrate animals as a

high school curriculum exercise. On thecontrary.I respectfully urge the New York State Education Department to deny theCanandaigua City School District's waiver application to kill chickensunder Education Law 809 - Humane Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals.Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your decision.Sincerely,Karen Davis, PhDPresidentUnited Poultry ConcernsWhat Can I Do?Please write a letter to Dr. Ann Crotty urging the New York StateEducation Department to deny the Canandaigua City School District'swaiver application to slaughter chickens. A decision by the NYSEducation Department could be made at any time now. Our letters aredesperately needed. Please speak up for the birds and humane education!Thank You. United Poultry Concerns.--United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes thecompassionate and respectful treatment

of domestic fowl._http://www.upc- http://www_ (http://www.upc- online.org/) ************ **One site has it all. Your email accounts, your social networks, and the things you love. Try the new AOL.com today!(http://pr.atwola. com/promoclk/ 100000075x121296 2939x1200825291/ aol?redir= http://www. aol.com/? optin=new- dp%26icid=aolcom40van ity%26ncid= emlcntaolcom0000 0001)