The Creative Way a ‘Furious’ Teacher Is Directing Her ‘Outrage’ Toward Common Core

A New York teacher who is fed up with the Common Core curriculum says she is venting her outrage through art — specifically painting images that aim to show “how ridiculous and nonsensical” she says the standards are.

Medina High School art teacher Jennifer Ohar Scott explained her unique form of protest to WGRZ-TV.

“As I’m painting, I’m furious,” she said. “I’m almost attacking the canvass with the brush because I’m so angry about what’s going on to these students.”

“I do what I do best,” she added. “I paint.”

The art produced, she explained, is inspired from her outrage with the Common Core standards.

“All of these paintings are put together based on images from the outrage of Common Core and how ridiculous and nonsensical it is,” she told WGRZ.

High school teacher Jennifer Ohar Scott is protesting the Common Core curriculum through art. (Image source: Screen grab via WGRZ-TV)

One depicts a class full of children with a man staring in through a window.

“I wanted almost to paint it like a doll house and the kids were in the school room and the school room is very small and he’s peering through the window of the doll house, kind of enjoying himself seeing the anxiety and frustration the children are going through.”

High school teacher Jennifer Ohar Scott is protesting the Common Core curriculum through art. (Image source: Screen grab via WGRZ-TV)

Another shows a man, not facing the viewer.

“To portray he’s not listening to people. He keep saying that Common Core and everyone likes it, but I don’t think that’s the general consensus. I think I was the most aggravated when I painted it,” she told WGRZ.

Ohar Scott told WGRZ that she thinks students are over tested as it is. She added that she feels the current system places too much pressure on individualized testing and suggested students be tested in groups to alleviate some pressure.

Nevertheless, New York State Education Department commissioner John B. King told WGRZ that the current testing is needed to assess students.

Ohar Scott’s art gallery will be on display in Buffalo’s 464 gallery through June 18.