Reason 142 to Homeschool your kids...

[Tarfang_Trubasher]

One Blog reviewing it, and another that has updates.

I'm not looking to pick on an Obama supporter, merely the malice this "teacher" has presented her topic. This is from a Finnish documentary on the United States.

-TF

[Lurker]

She crossed a line and should suffer the consequences.

[Embar Angylwrath]

What Lurker means is that she uttered the word Jesus in the classroom, and therefore should be burned at the stake.

Seriously though, I don't think she was too far out of line. If the kids experience a little discomfort when having an opinion that bucks against the Figure Of Authority, then they might learn that the Figure Of Authority isn't always right, and shouldn't be given blanket trust. I hope what happened is the kids went home and told their parents what transpired, and the parents used the conflict to illustrate that differences of opinion are good and healthy.

Having said all that, if that were a HS class of seniors, I don't think we'd be having this discussion. Her topic and comments were ok, I think, but her audience wasn't educated or developed enough to engage her in a debate. That's where I think she went wrong. Same logic as presenting sex ed to 3rd graders... sure, the info is great, but the audience isn't able to process the info.

[Lurker]

What Lurker means is that she uttered the word Jesus in the classroom, and therefore should be burned at the stake.

Ok, that was funny.

I agree she didn't go too far out of line and the buildup for the video on those blogs was over the top.

Still, her actions were inappropriate regardless of the age of the children. She took what could have been a teachable moment (explaining why it's wrong to choose based soley on what their parents thought, or what color of skin the candidate had), and turned it into a session of propaganda and badgering. You don't tell a little girl that her dad is going to be in Iraq for 100 years because she supports McCain. That's not discomfort for having a different opinion, that's inciting fear and worry into a child.

It might not rise to the level of costing her job, but there should be some consequence.

[Garrdor]

Yeah, that's way out of line.

The correct approach (if you're even going to bring up something as 'controversial' as the elections) would be:

Teacher: "Why are ya pullin' fah Mickayn?"

Student: "Cuz my dada in Irack"

Teacher: "Well... (insert accurate portrayal of McCain's proposed military outline for the Iraq occupation) and... (insert accurate reiteration of Obama's exit strategy)... and now (paint a picture of how it MIGHT affect DA-DA's career in active duty status).

[Arkaron]

Uhg, this is why regulations for certifying elementary school teachers need to be a good deal stronger.

[Select]

Uhg, this is why regulations for certifying elementary school teachers need to be a good deal stronger.

Agreed. It would be so much easier to make them stronger if more people wanted to teach.

[wende darling]

True but who wants to teach when every single thing you do is regulated. Teachers are barely teaching now days, they are instructing. Kids aren't learning, they're memorizing. Not to mention we don't allow teachers to discipline the kids in any way, shape, or form (no I don't advocate capital punishment) and they are often confronted with violence from both students and parents.

[Select]

Yep. I forget where, but some school recently allowed their teachers to carry weapons for self defense against students. Damn, I wish I could remember where this was.

[Ddrak]

(no I don't advocate capital punishment)

I suspect you mean corporal punishment. It's generally frowned upon to execute kids at school.

Dd

[wende darling]

Someone remind me not to type when I've not had enough sleep. I'm making myself look like an idiot on a regular basis and Dd is going to make sure you all know it...

Jesus I suck.

[Ddrak]

It was fine - it just gave me a good laugh thinking that a few kids swinging in the breeze from the rafters would go a long way to solving school discipline issues.

I'm actually opposed to removing the option of corporal punishment in schools, but it does need to be an option of last resort.

Dd

[Select]

It was fine - it just gave me a good laugh thinking that a few kids swinging in the breeze from the rafters would go a long way to solving school discipline issues.

[Klast Brell]

Am I the conservative on this one?

She was way way out of line. Public schools are not allowed to endorse a candidate. Period. Even at the high school level her actions would be out of line. She should not have even been wearing that button in the school. I could see a class discussion being lead by the teacher where students were encouraged to share their opinions and debate each other. I could even see her being permitted to correct oblivious false statements. But to campaign for a candidate in the classroom is just wrong. I am just as offended by her as i would be if she was endorsing McCain in the same way.

[Tarfang_Trubasher]

It was the Harrold Independent School District in the great state of Texas.

Here is a link to the story.

The teacher is out of line. She's force-feeding her personal beliefs without the opposition of a pro-McCain (in this instance) supporter. Teaching kids to think for themselves and have friendly debate is one thing. Telling children they're wrong and reducing them to tears with the thought of "daddy will never come home" is bullshit. She's teaching at a school on an Army base for crying out loud. These are children that have to fear if their parent is coming home at all.

-TF

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

I agree with Klast. I think to open a discussion so children can learn both sides is valid, I think personally supporting one candidate and voicing that opinion in school isn't the right way to go about it.

As a side note Texas schools still have corporal punishment, but none of the ones my kids went to had enforced the rule. In fact we had to sign a paper at the beginning of the year stating we knew the rules and agreed to it... I mean i guess if you don't your only other choice is to home school.

[Harlowe]

Am I the conservative on this one?

She was way way out of line. Public schools are not allowed to endorse a candidate. Period. Even at the high school level her actions would be out of line. She should not have even been wearing that button in the school. I could see a class discussion being lead by the teacher where students were encouraged to share their opinions and debate each other. I could even see her being permitted to correct oblivious false statements. But to campaign for a candidate in the classroom is just wrong. I am just as offended by her as i would be if she was endorsing McCain in the same way.

You're not the only one. I absolutely agree.

A person with such piss-poor judgement shouldn't be teaching.

As a side note, I don't think home-schooling is the answer. At. All. Sure there are some great examples of it, but I swear half the parents home-schooling kids are nuts and the kids do not have the same social growth or opportunities that public & private school children do.

Quality teachers in both our public and private schools makes a hell of a lot more sense than promoting wide-spread home-schooling. Parents screw shit up enough.

[Tarfang_Trubasher]

The socialization issue is interesting. In my area, there are so many events and activities by the community, kids can still easily meet up with other kids. Be it 4-H, city-based sports, etc, there's always plenty to do. Also, home school groups host events. But, again, that's in my area. I wouldn't begin to theorize the social aspect in other regions.

There's also a lot of other aspects in this area surrounding religion and political beliefs. Home-schooling is increasing around here because schools are programming (I don't like "indoctrinating" ) the kids instead of teaching them useful, life-forwarding information.

-TF

[Arathena]

The socialization issue is interesting. In my area, there are so many events and activities by the community, kids can still easily meet up with other kids. Be it 4-H, city-based sports, etc, there's always plenty to do. Also, home school groups host events. But, again, that's in my area. I wouldn't begin to theorize the social aspect in other regions.

There's also a lot of other aspects in this area surrounding religion and political beliefs. Home-schooling is increasing around here because schools are programming (I don't like "indoctrinating" ) the kids instead of teaching them useful, life-forwarding information.

-TF

Socialization has very little to do with the problems with homeschooling. Free permission to get away with utter nutshit curricula is much more of a problem - witness the love of the stupidly religious for homeschooling. It allows them to make sure the kid is 18 and working as a cashier at Wal-Mart before he encounters his first extra-biblical thought.

[Harlowe]

That's absolutely the larger issue, but don't knock gaining social skills - they matter in the real world, especially the working one. Home schooled young adults are some of the oddest ducks I've ever met. Of course, more often then not they are seriously religious. Nutters even.