[Cincinatus' Wife]

Critics Call Local High School Course Un-American [Full Text] A new elective course in international affairs at Farmington Hills High School has stirred up national interest for its alleged un-American content, Local 4 reported.

The course was brought to light when cable's FOX News Channel aired a story Monday night about some local parents who were angered over the course's content.

According to the cable station's Web site, many of the class readings come from left-wing Web sites like Alternet.org, Indymedia.org, Progressive.org and War-times.org that apparently attack the administration of President George W. Bush. After FOX News aired the story, the Farmington school district began receiving nasty e-mails from outraged citizens across the country, Local 4 reported.

The district's superintendent, Dr. Robert Maxfield, believes the district was misrepresented in the cable station's report. Maxwell defends the new course, calling it fair and balanced.

"To say that we're somehow un-American for teaching kids to think for themselves, for teaching them to become savvy about what it means to be an American citizen in an increasingly complex world is sheer poppycock," said Maxfield.

But Maxfield admits that when the course was initially drafted, there were some concerns.

"(There were) concerns it may be seen as anti-Israeli; concerns it might be seen as pro-Palestinian," Maxwell said. "Of course, our job in a community like this where 85 different languages are spoken by our children is to be sure we balance world affairs as best we can."

Maxfield said the district brought in critics, consultants, professors from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, and people from the Anti-Defamation League to make sure the final course description was balanced.

A group of local parents banded together to try to persuade the school board to hold off the elective, but the school year had already officially begun and the class was on the roster, according to the FOX News Web site. The board approved the course by a four-to-three vote.

The cable station's Web site also reported that after numerous parental complaints, Pro-Bush materials, such as government Web sites like WhiteHouse.gov, were added to the class' reading list.

The Farmington school district has given all 130 students who chose to take the elective course the opportunity to transfer out, but so far no one has taken that option. [End]

[glory]

"To say that we're somehow un-American for teaching kids to think for themselves, for teaching them to become savvy about what it means to be an American citizen in an increasingly complex world is sheer poppycock," said Maxfield.
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Nice code talk for teaching liberal ideas equals teaching the kids to think for themselves. Funny how conservative ideas are considered for followers only. I didn't become a conservative until AFTER I started think. It takes far more courage to be a conservative in a "complex" country full of Maxfield's than a liberal.

[knarf]

" ... our job in a community like this where 85 different languages are spoken by our children is ... " .. to reduce the language of communication down to one ....ENGLISH!

The root to communication is ...

COMMON.