Posted on 11/23/2005 6:11:37 AM PST by UB355
Principal rejects anti-war assignment Madison students' planned letters set off dispute By BOB PURVIS bpurvis@journalsentinel.com Posted: Nov. 22, 2005
The principal at a Madison elementary school where teachers assigned third-graders to write a dozen letters urging an end to the war in Iraq sent a letter of apology to parents and ordered teachers to rescind the assignment Tuesday.
A letter sent home Friday with third-graders at Frank Allis Elementary School explaining the assignment to parents said students would be assigned 12 letters to write to third-graders at other Wisconsin and out-of-state schools, federal lawmakers, the media and President Bush.
If the war hadn't ended by the 12th day of letter writing, students would have had to start the process all over again. The letter gave parents an opt-out option and said the assignment was intended to teach civic responsibility, composition and handwriting skills.
The assignment irked U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Wis.), who sent a letter to the school's principal.
"It's a profound misjudgment to use third-grade students as political pawns regardless of the issue," said Green.
"If I received letters from third-grade students saying, 'Dear Congressman Green, please vote for the war,' I would be equally as disturbed."
School Principal Chris Hodge said the third-grade teachers came to her with the proposal last week. She believed it violated district policy but wanted to check with administration officials first.
Hodge said the teachers misinterpreted her comments and sent a letter about the campaign to parents anyway. She immediately canceled the project after finding out.
The campaign violated two district policies: one that bans teachers from promoting their personal political beliefs to students; and another that requires teachers to address opposing views when presenting controversial topics, said district spokesman Joe Quick.
"It was a mistake on the teachers' part," Quick said. "They were very enthusiastic about what they were trying to do and didn't realize it violated School Board policy."
Most of the calls made to the district about the assignment were from media outlets, not angry parents, Quick said.
"This was kind of a moot point by 10 o'clock this morning," Quick said.
The teachers won't face any disciplinary measures, Hodge said, but she planned to remind staff at their December meeting of district policies.
Several of the teachers who signed the letter did not return calls to their home or office phone numbers; another teacher reached at home declined to comment.
Sharon Johnson, Frank Allis Elementary PTA president, said she was disappointed to see that the envelopes and stamps she sent to school with her daughter, as requested in the assignment, were returned Tuesday.
"I got the letter, and I had no objection," Johnson said. "Her world is pretty much made up of the Cartoon Network. I thought it was a good idea to get kids to open up their eyes."
Johnson, a Democrat, had no problem with the assignment but admitted that it if the campaign had promoted the war she would have.
Green sent another letter to Hodge after she canceled the assignment suggesting students write letters to troops thanking them for their service, which he described as a non-political cause that everyone could get behind.
Hodge had not responded to that letter late Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
"In grade school the history teacher told us that there were no homeless or hungry in socialist & communist countries."
Did he make you address him as, "Dear Leader?"
"The "teaching" community is so desperate for teachers, that standards are low. "
That doesn't just apply to k12. I just completed my college degree and the instructor in British Literature always asked me to answer the questions she didn't know how to answer. She called me the 'Jane Eyre expert' when she was the one who did her Master thesis on Jane Eyre! The one smart thing she said was that she couldn't understand the feminist view of Jane Eyre. She couldn't see it and neither could I.
During a horrible family tragedy early this year I went to Cincinnati to be with my sister and her kids. When I went into the kitchen, placed on a shelf with honor was a bell and flag with MY name (maiden) and my service dates and branch, My heart felt joyful. My neice had made it for a veterans day celebration at her school. I cant remember being more touched in my whole life. I bowed up!!!!!
LOL... no... come to think of it, I went home announcing they had no homeless & hungry in Communist & Socialist countries, and was confused when my family reacted as if I'd said I was doing hard drugs. He got mysteriously meek & quiet after that day. :o)
The teacher that "organized" other teachers to participate should be fired immediately.
"In other words, this democrat has no problem with using children as pawns to promote HER political views but would object if the children were being used to promote political views that she finds objectionable. Typical democrat hypocrite."
Excellent observation...
That's what I hoped you meant.
IMHO, you can't "teach" someone how to teach, it's a talent you either have or don't. Knowledge of the subject matter and a passion for sharing it over takes credentials, especially at the high school and college level.
For the younger kid's teachers, I'd add in a need to cherish & encourage full potential of each child; a high tolerance for frustration,(mainstreaming kids who demand much time and attention): and finally, the ability to focus on the goals of the grade you teach.
Those are my thought, for what they're worth....I'm just an interested mom & gram and taxpayer :)
I was polite and asked "please", but you obviously want to start something. I'm not going to play but will remind you of 3 homeschools which weren't so great - Yates, Ludwig, and Borden.
"Don't be fooled, many teachers are Union dolts." You hit that nail square on its head. I never gave my children up to the teachers and will fight for my grandchildren now too. Don't think I didn't make my own mind and now my grandchildren because I do. The union dolts you spoke of want to destroy FAMILIES and America. As long as I am here I will work to keep FAMILIES and AMERICA defended.
These teachers should be summarily fired, and as to this woman in the PTA who said the above... if that is all your 3rd graders world is made up of, then you are a joke of a parent.
She's what, 7 years old for cryin' out loud!?
Besides, this was not an eye-opening exercise, it was political propaganda. If it wasn't whey weren't they given a choice of whether to ask to end the war or congratulate the troops?
"Please don't dump public school. Remember, it's the bad ones that get the headlines."
Yeah, isn't it sad that 95% of public schools give the other 5% a bad name....
Great teacher
Indoctrination of children in state schools is a classic recruitment technique of the Communists, Nazis, Palestinians, Islamofascists and other zealots. These teachers are just clumsy socialists.
From Edward Hunter, Brainwashing (New York: Pyramid Books, 1956):
"EARLY CHILDHOOD TRAINING -- Infant and preschool conditioning
"The only real guarantee for this was to grab a baby from its cradle and then to keep it all its life from the slightest contact with outside ideas or places, so a subversive word can never enter its ego." (184)
"Brainwashing is a system of befogging the brain so a person can be seduced into acceptance of what otherwise would be abhorrent to him. He loses touch with reality. Facts and fancy whirl round and change places.... However, in order to prevent people from recognizing the inherent evils in brainwashing, the Reds pretend that it is only another name for something already very familiar and of unquestioned respect, such as education or reform." Edward Hunter, Brainwashing (New York: Pyramid Books, 1956), pages 185-186)
Goes on all the time, and has BEEN going on for a very long time!
I was a victim of liberal "teachers" for the first "Earth Day", at the time I was too young to realize how I was being manipulated.
But I know better now, and have worked long and hard to overturn the eco-nut agenda ever since.
Yeppp
Well I was kidding, but now I'll have to reread the article to make sure you aren't!
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