February 21, 2011

Madison schools will open again on Tuesday — and Jesse Jackson will be there at East High School.

Ridiculous.
Just before classes start at East High School, Jackson plans to march from the corner of First Street and East Mifflin Street to the East parking lot for a rally....

"We could have done a big rally in the gym, but we've got to get kids in the classroom," [principal Mary Kelley said]....

But district policy says teachers can't use their positions to "promote candidates or parties or activities," including protests. [Madison Superintendent Dan Nerad] said principals will determine to what degree teachers will be allowed to discuss the matter in the classroom.
How about following the policy? Seriously. I don't get it. You have a policy. Do the rules apply or don't they? You'd better set the example you expect the kids to follow. You don't accept their explanations for why the rules don't apply to them.
Peggy Coyne, a Black Hawk Middle School reading specialist and president-elect of Madison Teachers Inc., said she plans to ask students to write journal entries Tuesday about what they did while classes were canceled the last four days.
Coyne said teachers might also incorporate recent events into lessons about Wisconsin labor history. Some elementary school teachers have been told not to discuss the political events with younger children, she added.
Ridiculous! Outrageous... and kind of intimidating. What grade does a kid get if he says he demonstrated in favor of Scott Walker? Or if he says he stayed home and played video games? If this isn't deliberate spying on the students and their families it will still feel like it to many students.
"If (teachers are) going to be speaking about the rally and the protest, it really needs to be a planned lesson and it really needs to look at both sides," [Don Johnson, superintendent of the Middleton-Cross Plains School District, said].
Look, the teachers should leave the children out of their political struggle. They've already deprived them of nearly a week of the teaching they signed on to deliver. The students should receive, immediately, substantive educational lessons of the completely normal kind. Leave the politics, indoctrination, ideology, and political discipline out of the classroom. Children are required to attend school. The teachers who hold these young bodies and minds captive owe them pure, rich education. It's a disgusting violation of trust to do anything else.

I can't believe people who are fighting to preserve their job benefits would even think to appropriate the children this way. It's mind boggling.

ADDED: Link fixed.

112 comments:

MayBee said...

But Prof Althouse! This has been the most exhilarating weekend of these teachers' lives. They want to share! They want it to be very important!

Peter V. Bella said...

Rules and policies are for other people. Except when the Left wants them enforced.

Jesse who? Isn't he some kind of preacher with a store front church some place?

Jason said...

"Ridiculous" doesnt do that headline justice.

"You gotta be fuc*ing kidding me" sounds more appropriate.

Jed said...

Bad link

Jason said...

"I can't believe people who are fighting to preserve their job benefits would even think to appropriate the children this way. It's mind boggling. "

-----------------------------

They dont give a shit about the children. No more, no less.

Fen said...

rut-roh, Ann used the I-word.

MayBee said...

They should apologize for keeping the kids out of school, and say they'll not be discussing it further in class.
The end.

Fen said...

I'm hoping you blog about the level of pushback you get on campus.

I think faculty will find ways to retaliate for you unflattering coverage of the Teachers Union.

Lets hope not, but thats the pattern. According to Wisconsin law, do all parties have to be informed you are taping them?

David said...

It's narcissism, Althouse. Yuppie narcissism.

I give A+ to any student who mentions Libya in their essay.

Peter V. Bella said...

Is Jesse Jackson somebody?

Big Mike said...

Jesse Jackson will be be at East High School? I wasn't aware that they taught ancient history at the high school level.

Henry said...

I wonder what the Home Economics lesson will be about.

Jason said...

Seriously...how much is this appearance gonna cost the taxpayers? Its not like Jesse Jackson does anything for free.

section9 said...

I'm told that Weigel retweeted that the UW faculty voted to support a Student walkout in support of the Public employees.

What say you, Professor?

MnMark said...

I can't believe people who are fighting to preserve their job benefits would even think to appropriate the children this way. It's mind boggling.

It's Leftism. The anything-goes, holier-than-thou mentality that mere rules don't apply to them when they are pursuing the sacred grail of Social Justice!.

BJM said...

It's a disgusting violation of trust to do anything else.

Horse + open gate = bolted.

Revenant said...

It's mind boggling.

Is it? It seems normal to me. My high school was like that, and that was back in the 1980s.

Anonymous said...

Rules? How quaint!

There are no rules.

Suck it up, people!

Known Unknown said...

When do the tax-paying parents get to sue for fraud?

I'm wholly serious. I'm not in Wisconsin, so I can't.

Anonymous said...

Rich white farmers in Iowa starve children because of greed.

Believe it, it's not corny, it's a cornucopia of corn-fed cars killing kids because of the rich, white man's greed.

Politicians of both parties don't care one iota, proving (son of a bitch) Howard Dean not totally wrong when he claimed Republicans think children "ought" to starve.

Dean was wrong because Democrats support the fat white Iowa farmers (welfare kings) too, against even Al Gore's best economic understanding of the situation.

Even Al Gore knew ethonal was bogus years ago, and he is no Tom Sowell.

TosaGuy said...

How about this for math class.

If public union employees refuse to pay 5 percent for their retirement and 12 percent of their health insurance and, as a result, 1,500 people get laid off, how many Democrat senators are needed in the capitol building to prevent that? Please show your work.

chuck said...

It's mind boggling.

No, it's perfectly normal for the Left and I wouldn't expect anything else.

Chennaul said...

I can't believe people who are fighting to preserve their job benefits would even think to appropriate the children this way. It's mind boggling.

They have to be stopped.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it racist to attack Jesse Jackson like this?

That poor, poor persecuted man...

It's still Black History Month, btw... So perhaps the schoolkids can get some Rosa Parks and MLK and Bill Clinton, and the teachers can relate those black heroes to their recent protest effort.

Henry said...

I wonder how many not-starry-eyed parents out there decided to run for school board this week.

Question for the Madison residents: Do Madison schools (and Wisconsin schools in general) have their own budgets, voted on by taxpayers? Or are they budgeted by the city?

These teachers have pissed off a lot of parents and I wonder if they even have a clue. Even apolitical parents are going to be asking how a one-day march turned into a four-day vacation, while they, the parents, watched their own work-life schedules go to hell.

TMink said...

But these are progressives Althouse, this is what socialists have always done. The truth and ethics are not their concern.

Trey

Alex said...

The entire purpose of public education is to churn out reliable Dhimmicrats. Finally for Althouse the final gears are clicking...

Almost Ali said...

Well, Professor, I'm not "boggled" in the least. And I'm not really that perceptive. But I know teachers, I know unions, and I know their mentality. And it ain't pretty.

Therefore, I fully expect Wisconsin's students to be severely indoctrinated on the taxpayer's dime. They'll just dress up Karl Marx to look like Norman Rockwell. Their version of Little Red Riding Hood, and all the mommies of Madison will be happy.

Chennaul said...

Althouse

Seriously damn it.

Ask these teachers what they think it costs for the WEAC to collective bargain for them.

How much should the WEAC charge for their services?

Free-out of the goodness of their hearts because they believe in it.

Heck teachers could volunteer and do it right?

Or I don't know let's get generous

$100,000?

Hell let's times that by the members of the council what are there six of them-

How about $600,000?

Well all of that would be wrong.

The WEAC takes in

$25 million mostly in dues.

Now ask them if they think they are getting their money's worth.

Chennaul said...

I mean how much do drum circles cost?

Alex said...

Note - the link is broken.

Unknown said...

you know , zero tolerance is for the little people, literally

WisDad said...

My daughter (a senior in high school) mentioned that 5 of 6 teachers in her classes spent class time last week blasting Walker and this bill in particular and all republicans in general. In addition one teacher questioned the sanity, intelligence and or drug use of any parent who voted for Walker. My daughter mentioned that she was 18 and voted on Nov. 2. Once the teacher heard this she demanded that my daughter tell her and the entire class if she voted for Walker. When my daughter refused, the teacher left the room in huff and returned (quite flustered) 5 minutes later. Calls to the superintendent have not been returned. When I mentioned this story to other teachers last week they said it was wrong but then went on to justify how this should be expected in a WI classroom due to the "extreme measures presented by the governor.' The words gutless, unprofessional and pathetic come to mind.
As a former teacher I am more than disgusted and embarrassed for the entire teaching profession. I am so glad I have left and moved on to another professional (for real) career. While I realize that not all teachers act this way the fact that other teachers would repeat the union rationale for this action rather than do what was right is incredibly disturbing.
Just as concerning is the fact that my daughter who was so thrilled to be able to vote for the first time has confided that she’s not sure she would vote again had she known that this or any other teacher would openly criticize her (and others like her) to her peers.
Sad.

MadisonMan said...

Question for the Madison residents: Do Madison schools (and Wisconsin schools in general) have their own budgets, voted on by taxpayers?

They have their own budgets, I think put together by Committees that include the Super and the School Board, which is elected. The budgets themselves are not voted on. The School board members that approve them are.

The Superintendent just received a 1-year contract extension on a not-unanimous vote.

TosaGuy said...

Collective Bargaining between schools and cities is done behind closed doors. The public who pays the bills is not allowed to see how these contracts are put together. If CB is maintained in its current form then all negotiations must be in the public eye.

TosaGuy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MadisonMan said...

WisDad, that is horrible.

If this happened to my kid (it can't 'cause she's 17 when she graduates, but if), I would request a meeting with the Principal. If the teacher did not very abjectly an sincerely apologize to my kid in front of the entire classroom, after discussing at length the reasons that we have a secret balloting system, I would call, call, call the superintendent. Many times.

MadisonMan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hoosier Daddy said...

Well Jesse Jackson is here so I guess this is the official jump the shark moment.

Unknown said...

This may be old news here but I found this NYT article pretty sympathetic to the Republican side in the Wisconsin debate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22union.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

Brent said...

Peggy Coyne, a Black Hawk Middle School reading specialist and president-elect of Madison Teachers Inc., said she plans to ask students to write journal entries Tuesday about what they did while classes were canceled the last four days.

Ha Ha! Just Kidding! Everyone knows Teacher Peggy's students can't write!

Automatic_Wing said...

I can't believe people who are fighting to preserve their job benefits would even think to appropriate the children this way. It's mind boggling.

Not at all. "The ends justify the means" is one of the basic tenets of leftism. Anything that furthers the cause is permitted.

MadisonMan said...

Obama went to LaFollette. Jesse Jackson goes to East.

I wonder who will visit West. Or JMM.

I'll have to ask my kids tomorrow night what happened. I'm just glad they're back in school. Or supposed to be.

David said...

WDad:

When your daughter gets over the shock, she will have had a good lesson: Fascism in action.

About once a decade do I accuse someone of a fascistic act, since the entire charge is stale and trite but for exceptional cases.

Your daughter's is an exceptional case.

ricpic said...

I'll bet most of the kids eat this up. Anything to get out of conjugating irregular verbs in Spanish (that was my particular bete noir in high school, never got more than a 65 in Spanish). ;^(

Known Unknown said...

WisDad

I'm not a litigious person, but I would consider bringing some kind of harassment action against said teacher. This is beyond the pale, and out of line with the profession.

A civil claim wherein money is involved may finally wake the districts up to this kind of nonsense.

I don't know enough about the law to know if you have a case, but I wouldn't let this go without response.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tom Place said...

This goes on all the time. My oldest has had teachers complain they weren't getting raises due to all the stingy parents who voted against yet another tax increase. The sad part is he was upset because his classmates parents had been laid off and were in some cases losing their homes and the teacher complained he didn't get his 4%.

It is unprofessional. Most people would be fired if they discussed salary or benefits wishes in front of a group of customers.

Maybe the teachers should focus on doing their jobs, not indoctirinating students. Maybe the rest of us would have more sympathy if the union and teachers groups condemned this behavior. And yes, if the kids show any support they will be punished.

I'm Full of Soup said...

What is their policy on any old visitors? Could I call them the day before I wanted to make a speech about ....any old thing? Or do I have to be a psuedo-celeb like Jackson? I am serious.

Real American said...

Sounds like a good week for parents to go to class with their (particularly younger) kids - keep an eye on the "public servants."

Unknown said...

They can have Jesse Jackson or Michael Jackson or even Stonewall Jackson there.

The unions saw the polls and they just blinked.

James said...

Is the Madison school district extending the school year to make up for the instructional hours lost? How are they attempting the reach the minimum 1,137 instructional hours requirement?

I saw on the news tonight that Milwaukee is adding a makeup day. Here in Racine we had two snow days that have to be made up but I haven't heard anything about the missed day on Thursday.

I can see this all having a ripple effect...if you had any plans that school would finish on June 8 you're screwed.

Charlie Eklund said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Steve in Philly said...

I don't live in Wisconsin, so I don't know how grading is done, but I assume that any kid whose parents don't play ball will have academic penalties. I assume that the 'Scott, I teach/inspire your kid' poster wasn't directed to the Governor, but to other parents: 'I'll name your kid. I have your kid. I can make your kid's life a living hell. And if you want your kid to go to a good college you know how to treat me.' I assume that the farther along in high school your child is, the lower your profile as a parent is going to be - unless you're a big time union supporter. Maybe I'm waaay cynical, but I'm astounded that everyone doesn't automatically assume that. Lots of good teachers, etc. - but the ones in front at the demonstration aren't the kind, reasonable ones. I can't tell you how much I'd love to be wrong, but I assume that the demonstration is directed at every parent's heart. (No, I don't want my kids' future to consist of working to pay their high school teachers' pensions.)

garage mahal said...

I thought one less day of teaching young impressionable minds the finer points of communism, the better? Make up your damn minds!

Tari said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tari said...

It's getting ugly here in TX as well. Many of my liberal FB "friends" are all out for Gov. Perry's "gun to go off while jogging and shoot him in the XXXX" - and that's the mildest death wish I've read in the past few days. Meanwhile 1/2 of the public school employees in the state aren't even teachers at all, and TX has a higher public school employee-to-citizen ratio than bloated, ugly, debt-ridden NJ or CA. But everyone wants to get on the bus to Austin to protest the thought of even one layoff. Pathetic. Public employees need to suck it up like those of us in the private sector have to do. I've been to the unemployment office before (as a 35 year old mom of 2, thanks); they can go have fun there, too.

garage mahal said...

The teachers are taking OVER!

Synova said...

I sort of hate to say it but a great deal of political hay can be made by making a REALLY BIG DEAL about the teachers taking this to the classroom.

I suppose that political calculation doesn't mean that it's NOT outrageous for teachers to do it, because it certainly is outrageous, but it's still calculation and calculation often feels sort of icky.

Granted, it's not certain that any given teacher will be inappropriate, but who can know? The whole point of it is that parents *can't* know.

Jason said...

Teachers have been on the gravy train for years now, at least here in Wisconsin. Other than government workers, they are the last remaining sector of people that havent felt the pain of the recession. Its easy to be pissed when you have to start paying for something you got for free for years.

In my school district, which contains about 400 or so kids from K-12, our teachers have gotten raises of 2% over the last 3 years. And the school has put forth 2 referendums totalling $1.5 million over the past 2 elections, both failing miserably. Meanwhile, the school administrator (who pulls in about $150K in salary and benefits, mind you...in a 400 kid district) has whined for 2 years now that the school is broke and cant cut anywhere. And now teachers basically strike for 3+ days because the governor as the audacity to ask them to pay 5% into their pension and 12% into their healthcare.

And they wonder why the public view of teachers is bad?

Synova said...

"Is the Madison school district extending the school year to make up for the instructional hours lost? How are they attempting the reach the minimum 1,137 instructional hours requirement?"

The kids are going to lose spring break or vacation time (today was a regular scheduled school holiday) or they'll have to go farther into June.

Now would be a really *excellent* moment for an auto-call or e-mail poll to parents asking for input on how to make up the days.

Maybe when the demonstrations are discussed in class that tidbit of info can be included as well. Hey, kiddoes... remember your Easter Vacation you used to have?

Bwa ha ha ha.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Synova:
That would a lesson they'd never forget.

KCFleming said...

My kids met with this crap on and off thru school. Ain't worth bitching about, because they control grades and therefore their entrance into universities where they get more of the same, under the glare of a Provost for Diversity and Climate.

Just four more years of the same same same old bullshit.

Then you can have your own kids and do it all over again.

Alex said...

garage - so what the fuck are teachers supposed to teach? Yeah right I already know the answer - social justice.

Scarlett said...

I think you are taking the writing assignment too seriously. As a former teacher, and now a librarian, this is no different than a 'what did you do over summer break' assignment. And I've never known a teacher to use that as a 'spying' assignment. They aren't out to 'get' their students. Besides, they don't ever have extra time to make such elaborate plans against their students. If most are like me, they are too tired, up past midnight, making lesson plans for the next day and using the weekends to catch up on grading papers. They wouldn't be in the job they are in if they were totally insensitive to their students. They would be attorneys. LOL! Sorry...couldn't resist. But surely you can see how unfair your thoughts are, just as all attorneys are unjustly held in a bad light.
But perhaps you just wrote this to shake the blog discussion up a bit...

Alex said...

Scarlett - WisDad was very clear about this teacher and her attempt at intimidation.

Alex said...

The entire purpose of public education is to churn out reliable Dhimmicrats.

PaulV said...

Will the reverend talk about sexual harrassment and how not to get your secretary pregnant. And not to say Hymietown?

former law student said...

If this isn't deliberate spying on the students and their families it will still feel like it to many students.

It starts with the coerced essay, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation," and ends with your kids turning you in to their Junior Spies leader.

Jesse Jackson will be there at East High School. -- Ridiculous

I guess Ron Paul was busy.

As far as the teachers go: this is a teachable moment. Should they pretend that the schools were closed due to snow?

tim maguire said...

Seems to me that in this economy, it should be a pretty simple matter to fire everyone who called in sick, provided a fraudulent sick note, drove a plow around the capital building or broke any law or stole money (including taxpayer dollars) and replace them with fully capable people eager to work for a fair wage.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

If my child were in this abortion of a school district, I would refuse to let her or him go to school at all.

I don't care if she or he played World of Warcraft all day long. That would be a better education than being in the Wisconsin public school system and treated like a pawn.

These teachers are fucking pathetic losers.

Fire every last one of them who called in sick. ALL OF THEM.

Home schooling FTW.

former law student said...

and replace them with fully capable people eager to work for a fair wage.

You'd still be drawing from the same pool of applicants.

KCFleming said...

"You'd still be drawing from the same pool of applicants.

The benefits of a guild that restricts access to employment in a profession that requires few if any skills.

MadisonMan said...

if you had any plans that school would finish on June 8 you're screwed.

Not. It's a simple matter to arrange to be out of town that week. Just takes advance planning and communications with teachers.

I'd rather Madison lost its Spring Break. For some bad reason Madison syncs its Spring Break to Easter, and thus Spring Break is the 3rd week in April. What's the point?

Dust Bunny Queen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MayBee said...

And I've never known a teacher to use that as a 'spying' assignment. They aren't out to 'get' their students. Besides, they don't ever have extra time to make such elaborate plans against their students. If most are like me, they are too tired, up past midnight, making lesson plans for the next day and using the weekends to catch up on grading papers. They wouldn't be in the job they are in if they were totally insensitive to their students.

Wow. It sounds exhausting. You wonder how they found the time to protest in the Capitol all weekend.

And can we dispense with the "teachers are not out to get their students" business. Yes, it is mostly true.
But let's remember it is not always true. The teachers in PA who put spy cams on the students' laptops come to mind.
Pretending teachers are universal saints is not a convincing argument, especially in this case.


Had they stayed out of politics, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

paminwi said...

Parents will not make a big deal about this - they will be too afraid their children will pay the price. I learned the hard way and my child paid the price in the Verona School District.

Also, the media here in Madison will NOT show anything that is a negative about the schools being closed. I am hoping that elsewhere in the state (silly me) the media is willing to tell both sides of the story.

Anonymous said...

Wisconsin public school teachers:
Best argument for school vouchers ever.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MadisonMan said...

The teachers in PA who put spy cams on the students' laptops come to mind.

I thought it was administrators who did that.

I think everyone can agree that many school administrators are not worth the salary they are paid. I bet even many teachers agree with that statement.

Synova said...

I thought it was the IT department that did the spy cam thing. Well, I suppose that IT counts as the "administration".

Wasn't it intended to be a theft prevention thing?

Of course, once they call the cops or CPS over some kid eating candy it became something else no matter what the initial intent so I suppose I'm picking nits for no reason at all.

Anonymous said...

Will Jackson lead them in We Shall Overcome again?

All those oppressed white folks with the lifetime security and gold plated perks?

Zeke said...

What I did on my summer vaction? Went to school until the 4th of July. That is when the chickens come home to roost with their young charges. Now those will be essays worth reading.

MayBee said...

Well, I could have gone the 'teachers having sex with students' route.

The point is, pretending teachers are just TOO GOOD to do anything stupid or vindictive is a non starter.

Anonymous said...

But, Its For The Children !!!!

Michael said...

You know, of course, that the classrooms for the next four days will be nothing but little discussion forums of what the teachers did and why so the little ones will understand that they are a part of a larger movement. The children!!

Shanna said...

As far as the teachers go: this is a teachable moment. Should they pretend that the schools were closed due to snow?

They could teach them about fake calling in sick for almost a week because the elections didn't go like they wanted them to the last go around, but I doubt they'll teach that. I don't think most of the teachers are probably capable of teaching this in a neutral way, thus best avoid it. Of course, the ones who JUST CAN'T STAND NOT TO TALK ABOUT THIS with their students are the ones who are going to be least able to talk about it rationally. So...follow the policy.

As for Jesse Jackson, I'm picturing the south park where he walked in the classroom to defend all the black students and Mr. Garison told him their weren't in and he said "oh" and left.

MarkW said...

As far as the teachers go: this is a teachable moment. Should they pretend that the schools were closed due to snow?

They should do their best to catch up on the material rather than waste even more instructional time on discussions that have nothing to do with the class they're teaching.

And injecting contentious local politics in which they, themselves, have a vested interest and into the classroom is (or should be) beyond the pale.

Clyde said...

Well, it IS Black History Month, and since Martin Luther King and Frederick Douglass are unavailable, they'll just have to settle for J.J. Dynomite!

Unknown said...

Ann,

I teach middle school. At this age, this kind of event would be a big issue for them and they are going to want to talk about it.

My best guess is that there will be teachers these kids will want to discuss this with. Those will be the teachers the kids trust and have a good relationship with. They will ask questions and, despite the three you quoted, I would suspect most teachers will do their best to be honest and even handed in answering them. Sometimes things happen in the world and they need to talk about it; good teachers accept that and answer their questions as fairly and honestly as they can... including saying, "I don't know" when appropriate.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Ha. The left can have him. Jesse Jackson has been exposed for his corrupt shake-down activites. Everyone knows the man is a hack.

Chris said...

Union entitlements aren't about being compensated for doing honest work. They're about being compensated for HAVING to work.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

"Look, the teachers should leave the children out of their political struggle. They've already deprived them of nearly a week of the teaching they signed on to deliver. The students should receive, immediately, substantive educational lessons of the completely normal kind. Leave the politics, indoctrination, ideology, and political discipline out of the classroom. Children are required to attend school. The teachers who hold these young bodies and minds captive owe them pure, rich education. It's a disgusting violation of trust to do anything else."

Agreed.
I doubt the leftwing teachers will act professionally. They are leftwingers, progressives, communists, democrat party union stooges. Rules, laws and policies are for OTHERS.

Fen said...

BarryNetanya: They will ask questions and, despite the three you quoted, I would suspect most teachers will do their best to be honest and even handed in answering them.

How can they be even-handed with a fraudulent doctors excuse in one hand?

I teach middle school.

No offense to you or the other 60% who stayed on the job, but you guys need to do some self-policing. If you stare down at your shoelaces during this, don't expect much sympathy for the claim that you're being unfairly lumped in with the rest.

Fen said...

I also think it shoud be illegal, as in child abuse, for teachers to coerce students into attending a poltical function where they have a conflict of interest.

There's a huge difference between educating them with a field trip VS exploiting them to pad their numbers on the street corner.

Henry said...

Jesse Jackson will be there at East High School

Start with selfishness, end with opportunism.

mrs whatsit said...

Years ago, when I was on the local school board, I voted against the teachers' union on a relatively minor (I thought) issue. The next school day, my son's art teacher (a union officer) called on him in class and asked him, in front of the class, why I had voted that way. He was then in FIFTH GRADE.

She did apologize to him, in front of the class, after she was forced to do so by the principal -- but she also lost his assignments and found other excuses to give him low grades for the rest of the year. Try proving that was vengeful -- what objective standards are there in art class? All he knew, and I knew, was that he was getting As and Bs before my vote and Cs, consistently, thereafter.

It was quite an education for both of us as to just how professional unionized teachers can be and what, exactly, teachers' unions stand for.

My advice to WisDad would be to stop calling the superintendent for now and instead, follow the chain of command: start by calling the teacher herself. Then, if she does not respond or you don't like her response, go to her immediate supervisor -- the principal -- and only then to the superintendent and then to the Board if necessary. Schools are hierarchies and chains of command matter -- this way you WILL eventually get some kind of answer, and you will have made the issue known to every accountable employee all the way along the chain.

Fen said...

Does anyone think that the teachers will use Jackson's appearance to discuss the dangers of race-mongering?

Student: Who is Tiwana Bradley?

Teachable moment my ass.

Known Unknown said...

Or WisDad could have his lawyer call the principal.

I bet he gets a meeting.

I would also, if the time permits (not sure if WisDad can miss work) take the opportunity to "audit" the class in person.

Tina Trent said...

"Leave the politics, indoctrination, ideology, and political discipline out of the classroom. Children are required to attend school. The teachers who hold these young bodies and minds captive owe them pure, rich education. It's a disgusting violation of trust to do anything else."

Do you have any idea what they teach public school children on any ordinary school day? Take a look at the syllabi imposed through widely implemented programs like the Zinn Project, the SPLC, "Teaching Tolerance," etc. It's all about demonizing America, projecting blame for historical events forward onto certain groups, manipulating children to feel guilt and shame, ornately blaming and policing children for alleged behaviors like "bullying" and bias.

Through one of the many tutoring rackets that increasingly suck up tax dollars as a panacea for other failures to learn, I tutored a practically illiterate child in Atlanta a few years ago. He lacked basic skills in every area, but his teacher was having him "study" Pinochet. He was in sixth grade. He didn't know how to read or write or do arithmetic; he didn't know the first thing about American history, but he already knew what the teacher wanted to hear about some dictator who opposed "people power."

It's insane. http://zinnedproject.org/posts/3678

former law student said...

The teachers in PA who put spy cams on the students' laptops come to mind.

It was in fact the school administration that activated the webcam features. An assistant principal viewed the recording of student Blake Robbins at-home activities.

Some of the commenters here have real trouble distinguishing bosses from worker bees.

Duncan said...

Since more than 95% of the elementary, secondary, and tertiary schools in America are hard core Left institutions, political propaganda should come as no surprise.

If you doubt the above, sample a few random school websites. You'll see plenty of multi-culti, eco, social justice clap trap.

former law student said...

And injecting contentious local politics in which they, themselves, have a vested interest and into the classroom is (or should be) beyond the pale.

"Let's just ignore the elephant in the room, class!"

The professor thought the protests were so significant she spent a solid week covering them, but those directly affected -- the students -- should be expected to just ignore them?

Is this a new rule? Only the uninvolved are allowed to care?

Roger J. said...

surprised he had time to show up except for the fact his face time on the media is approaching zero as a limit. Big question is what woman is ole Jesse impegnating now?

former law student said...

Since more than 95% of the elementary, secondary, and tertiary schools in America are hard core Left institutions

You're drawing from the pool of college graduates willing to work for $40K a year teaching the Citizens of Tomorrow. What self-respecting conservative is going to be drawn to a deal like that?

Roger J. said...

FLS--given the ed majors SAT scores they damn sure arent going to be engineers--a self selected and self perpetuating oligarchy of idiots--

Unknown said...

I think Roger Simon is right. This is a deeply reactionary, nostalgic movement.

They are doing all they can to relive and preserve the spirit of adolescent rebellion of the '60s.

test said...

"I can't believe people who are fighting to preserve their job benefits would even think to appropriate the children this way. It's mind boggling."

It's funny Ann still thinks lefties have limits. They've been preaching By Any Means Necessary for decades, but some people just don't listen.

test said...

"Student: Who is Tiwana Bradley?"

Tawana Brawley was Al Sharpton's debacle. Even race hustlers deserve to be ridiculed for only their own crimes.

Alex said...

Marshal - the professor is a bit slow to come around. After all she did fall for "hopeychange".

Meade said...

" It's a disgusting violation of trust to do anything else. "

(Call): WHAT'S DISGUSTING?

(Response): VIOLATION OF ENTRUSTING!

Peter said...

'Henry' said, "These teachers have pissed off a lot of parents and I wonder if they even have a clue."

Or perhaps the point is to reinstate teachers unions to political power so they don't have to care whether parents are pissed?