Posted on 05/30/2013 5:39:20 AM PDT by kimtom
John Dryden
The Batavia school board Tuesday disciplined high school teacher John Dryden, saying he had "mischaracterized" the intentions of teachers and administrators when he advised students they had the right not to incriminate theselves, before administering a survey about risky behavior.
Only one board member, Jon Gaspar, voted "no." He declined to specify why he voted that way, other than to say it was due to his "feelings." Dryden will receive a letter of remedy, which outlines certain actions he must do or face more consequences. Superintendent Jack Barshinger declined to specify what the remedies are, asking instead that reporters request the document via Freedom of Information Act requests.
Dryden, a social studies teacher, told three of his classes that they had a Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate themselves when they took a social-emotional learning survey April 18. Some of the 34 questions asked students about their drug and alcohol use, as well as about their emotions. Their names were on the surveys, as it was intended to identify students who could use help, according to school district officials. Those whose answers raised red flags were called in to the school's student ....
(Excerpt) Read more at dailyherald.com ...
John Dryden intended to teach his students about the rights we have. Instead he taught them about the rights we used to have. Good lesson - I imagine he is proud of accomplishing something so important.
The intentions of the teachers and administratiors are irrelevant. The survey was a state-sponsored instrument that could have created evidence of crimes having been committed. What the school meant to do with the forms has nothing to do with the fact that the students were not (and are not) obligated to provide the state with such evidence.
Right on!
not a bad thing to be persecuted for doing right.
The problem between this teacher and the admin is exacerbated by the fact that many of these students are linked to grants from anti-drug/etc. foundations that will pony up $ amounts to have them distributed.
The teacher is correct though. The students DO NOT need to complete them.
Another reason to homeschool.
Government schools are prisons. Period.
students = surveys
Future Democrat voters.........
Absolutely!!!
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He could have just advised them to consider their fifth amendment rights when filling out the survey, which would have been fine, but apparently he railed against the motives of the other teachers or administration, which is not okay.
Rotten surveys like this have been conducted in elementary classrooms since the 1960s, by outside groups attempting to manipulate students into giving answers the group could then use to influence public policy.
When even young children can tell that a survey is being used to intentionally distort the truth, it is pretty bad.
very invasive
They claim the surveys are anonymous but in Mass. a teacher reported a white boy as a racist for the way in which he answered questions on a nosey race survey. That occurred around the same time I was instructing my boys to avoid incriminating themselves or leaving themselves upon to disapproval on government school surveys. Turned out the "racist" kid thought the constant school race and sex surveys were stupid and a waste of time, so he played around with his answers - not telling the truth. His mom went after them on not keeping the surveys anonymous and presuming the student takes the constant teacher nosey prying via surveys, seriously. A lot of kids answer the questions in a spirit of joking around with/terrorizing the adults.
My responses were mostly negative, as his educational progress has been held up by the move to "Project Based Learning." Students in his class were happy to free ride on my son's efforts. Later I found out that 5th graders are deficient in math, and it's hurting their progress in 6th grade. I lay that at the feet of PBL.
My wife and I are seriously considering a move to a private school. It's a shame, because he's gone to school with all of his friends from K-5, and I was looking forward to seeing that all the way through high school.
Bravo, Mr. Dryden.
I hope his actions inspires countless other teachers across the country.
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