Another Teacher on Leave for Politically Incorrect Teaching

Originally posted by Tommio
Not learning or being taught about other peoples beliefs contributes to people's current misunderstainding of the muslim faith, interpreting it as a violent and extremist religion which it is not.

I totally agree. I believe (in general) that it all started because Christianity was pretty accepted in schools and other kids (Jewish, Muslim, Pagan) weren't addressed. When the Christians prayed, they just expected the Jewish kids to wait outside or sit in their seats and not participate. Instead of addressing the religions of each kid, they addressed the Christian kids and ignored the rest.

Then at Christmas time, they had the Christian songs, but again, didn't address Hanukkah or any other non-Christian holidays, but they decorated for Easter and so on. Eventually, they took out Halloween because it was a 'Pagan holiday', showing clear preference for Christianity over all other religions.

Naturally, the rest would feel strange, out-of-place, separate from the whole and so their parents complained. It's my hypothesis that the schools, rather than condone all religions, decided to exclude all.

Unfortunately, of course, the schools don't have it all worked out yet and we now see cases where they remove Christianity, but allow Jewish and Muslim expression. It seems so easy to me, but they are still confused by the concept of equal treatment...

Originally posted by Sparkie the Wondersnail
Here is another case that seems to be silly as well--what is it with education these days???

Thank you for this addition.

Silly? I think more likely, it's tragic! He's out for even suggesting something! And heaven forbid these students would see a naked person! This country is completely uptight! No wonder we're so messed up!

From your source:

Specifically, Mr. Panse was charged with making “comments that students could construe as being of a sexual or personal nature...or using [his] position as a teacher to put students into any situation reasonably likely to make them feel uncomfortable because of the injection of sexuality into...the substance of [his] comments”.

What's going on?

I believe the stories we're seeing are part of a larger movement to get the so-called 'liberal' teachers out of the school system, including college.

I'm glad this thread was moved because it is a subject relating to the larger educational system and we can discuss other cases.

The political correctness in our country has become so extreme that our children are growing up without been allowed to think for themselves.

Is already bad enough that we as parents already have made them make up their minds to our own personal believes but also many parents wants to push those personal believes to others children in schools.

When something is not to a parent’s liking or do not match their pre set believes then is outrage and complaint.

I was a teacher for 9 years, and schools has become so narrow minded in what is allowed or not allowed so as not to offend anybody that is just ridiculous.

You have to teach without feelings and with a blank stare on your face while encouraging prayer in the morning under the banner or one minute silence and before the pleage of the legion.

Information is limited and many important subjects in schools has been omitted, our children are growing up without history unless is the one from the state they live in.

World history, poetry, classics and music are now irrelevant because they are too liberal for the parents.

In other words our children are growing up ignorant on meaningful topics of discussions unless is religion, the bible and was is hot in the malls and who got pregnant last summer.

While we are a nation with education many stay completely illiterate when it comes to debate in world issues and more often than not they have not clue as what the issue is all about.

The media is now educating our children about history when news brakes out in a part of the world that our children and even adults has never seen in a map when they were in schools and usually is with a negative look.

Pity.

Originally posted by Sparkie the Wondersnail
Here is another case that seems to be silly as well--what is it with education these days???

This is a prime example of a teacher doing things right, following the rules, and being sanctioned because of it. I don't know what else he could have done.

What we're seeing is a backlash of frustration at the emasculation of our school system. Parents are tired of having their authority abrogated by liberal agendas, and have tolerated it too long, to the point where they overreact to situations such as this.

This dumbing down of our kids has been happening for the past twenty or so years. Kids can't be kids anymore, to learn and grow at their own pace. Parents can't decide when it's right to expose their own children to alternate lifestyles, such as gay marriage. Instead of just telling your seven year old that Tommy's family is made up of two parents that love him to death, parents are forced to have their child exposed to it - not explained, exposed -by a liberal agenda that forces unwanted books into their reading lists.

They don't care that seven year-old's couldn't care less about Tommy's two moms. They want to make it their duty to have Tommy see it, and accept it as the only way, the right way, to live.

The same goes for religion. The excuse given for suppressing one religion is that it is too common, too popular, so it must be excluded from the schools, and other religions elevated. Sort of affirmative action for religion. Once again, Tommy is free to explore how neat Ahmed's prayer rug is, and how he faces the east when he prays. He can't understand why he can't share his beliefs with his friend. Once again, the liberals are to thank for that.

So, what you're seeing is frustration on the part of the parents. The art teacher was unjustly punished, imo. Instead, the liberals would celebrate an incompetent teacher whose claim to fame is that he breaks the rules and expects to be applauded for it. The cowards blame the kids for speaking out against it.:shk:

Yeah, everything's all the liberals' fault. Troll elsewhere, will ya?

Marg, I agree with you 100%!

Anti-Gay Comments Stir Controversy At Sunset High

Kendall high school about school wide broadcast of a student project on opinions about homosexuality which carried a teacher’s personal comments that homosexuality is wrong, according to the bible. The comments, and their broadcast, are coming under fire from students, school officials, and outside activists.
...
"God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sexual sins, which included homosexuality," said Reddick
...
A teacher who made a tape in support of gay students claims he was denied permission to play the tape schoolwide Friday, because school officials did not want to keep the controversy alive.

Now, somebody tell me why we can't just show kids that some people think being gay is ok and some people don't - and let them make up their own minds?

What's so bad about controversy, anyway? Why must we protect ourselves (and our children) from intelligently discussing a controversial subject?

[edit on 13-3-2006 by Benevolent Heretic]

jsobecky

So liberals are the only ones pushing agendas right? doesn't bother you that the conservative issue has gotten so out of hands that our children while Getting educated in schools can not hold a decent and meaningful comunication with anybody.

Funny is all liberals agenda, but prayers in schools is still the first thing that goes on in the morning before the Pledge of the legion but now is called a moment of silence.

Funny is all liberals agenda, perhaps we should have a chapel in all schools with a resident pastor because our children are not Christian enough.

[edit on 13-3-2006 by marg6043]

Yeah, everything's all the liberals' fault. Troll elsewhere, will ya?

Excuse me? I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your snide comments to yourself. Your anger and venom are uncalled for.

Originally posted by marg6043
jsobecky

So liberals are the only ones pushing agendas right? doesn't bother you that the conservative issue has gotten so out of hands that our children while Getting educated in schools can not hold a decent and meaningful comunication with anybody.

marg, I'd be glad to listen to a) what the "conservative issue" is, and b) how that affects decent and meaningful comunication with anybody.

Funny is all liberals agenda, perhaps we should have a chapel in all schools with a resident pastor because our children are not Christian enough.

So you want all mention of Christianity removed from our lives? Or are you really saying that our children are too Christian and not Muslim enough?

JO you have become so intent into proving this thread and BH wrong that you have lost the point in the hole issue of tittle of the thread.

Pity.

These teachers are being targeted to get the 'fear within our classrooms' campaign kicked off. It is an effort to restrict speech further. Remember if it gets to mainstream news it's scripted not news !...I've got to get home now to watch World Lies Tonight!

Originally posted by YIAWETA
These teachers are being targeted to get the 'fear within our classrooms' campaign kicked off. It is an effort to restrict speech further.

That's a very good point. To get fear indoctrinated into the youth. After all, they are the armies (against terror) of tomorrow. And who wants free-thinking, critical, logical, reasoning, skeptical soldiers?

Originally posted by jsobecky
So you want all mention of Christianity removed from our lives? Or are you really saying that our children are too Christian and not Muslim enough?

Not everyone is a Christian or a Muslim, there are more than 2 religions and a host of others who are eclectic versions of spirituality and the lack thereof. As well, what's wrong with being Muslim if someone so chooses? "Judge not lest ye be judged." You do not have the wisdom of God to know the hearts of the 1 billion plus Muslims in the world.

The only way to truly have freedom of religion is to keep religion out of schools and out of government. Otherwise, you will always have someone claiming to have a religion of their own, and you will have to grant to the minorities the same freedom granted to the majorities. And what are we left with? We are left with a world where noone is to be offended so noone can express themselves. Read Fahrenheit 451.

Originally posted by marg6043
JO you have become so intent into proving this thread and BH wrong that you have lost the point in the hole issue of tittle of the thread.

Pity.

marg
You're accusing me of sidetracking this thread and proving BH wrong? I didn't even post until page 2, and that was after it had been degraded into an anti-conservative rant. I believe you were one of the first, marg:

No, we can not have that, but only when is the right kind of political and religious biases the one that parents wants to heard depending who and what they believe and agree with.

Anything else that they don't agree with their own personal views is either evil, liberal or bias.

If you can prove anything I stated about liberal agendas to be wrong, then prove it. If you can answer the 2 questions I posed to you in my previous post, then do so. Otherwise, go ahead and get your purse full of personal attacks out. I don't care.

Originally posted by Jamuhn
Not everyone is a Christian or a Muslim, there are more than 2 religions and a host of others who are eclectic versions of spirituality and the lack thereof. As well, what's wrong with being Muslim if someone so chooses? "Judge not lest ye be judged." You do not have the wisdom of God to know the hearts of the 1 billion plus Muslims in the world.

I realized after I posted that it would be interpreted incorrectly. I could have easily said Hindu or wiccan. The fact that I said muslim is irrelevant and totally arbitrary. The point was the attack on Christianity and the simultaneous elevation of all other religions.

Originally posted by Jamuhn

The only way to truly have freedom of religion is to keep religion out of schools and out of government. Otherwise, you will always have someone claiming to have a religion of their own, and you will have to grant to the minorities the same freedom granted to the majorities. And what are we left with? We are left with a world where noone is to be offended so noone can express themselves. Read Fahrenheit 451.

Bingo!!!!!

See JS why is so hard for you to get the point of what is all about, I guess becasue you can not stand when is critisism of any kind by the people in these boards that do not agree with your point of view.

Originally posted by jsobeckyThe point was the attack on Christianity and the simultaneous elevation of all other religions.

Secularism including the secularism of federally-funded schools applies to all religions. Prove how other religions are elevated more in public schools as a result of christianity being taken away as a cultural norm. I was under the impression that no religion means no religion, but you seem to think this simply means no Christianity. Please, enlighten me and the rest on how other religions are being taught instead of Christianity. Are Jewish songs replacing the Christian ones during Christmas/Hannukah time? Or is the reality that non-religious songs are replacing religious ones?

[edit on 13-3-2006 by Jamuhn]

In the nine years I worked for the school system here in the south it was not other religion voiced in schools than christianity and Jesus.

Even before lunch children recited their prayers, prayers in schools here in my neck of the woods is as alive as ever.

But anything else is not allowed.

Originally posted by Jamuhn
Secularism including the secularism of federally-funded schools applies to all religions. Prove how other religions are elevated more in public schools as a result of christianity being taken away as a cultural norm. I was under the impression that no religion means no religion, but you seem to think this simply means no Christianity. Please, enlighten me and the rest on how other religions are being taught instead of Christianity. Are Jewish songs replacing the Christian ones during Christmas/Hannukah time? Or is the reality that non-religious songs are replacing religious ones?

I've already stated cases where a nativity scene is prohibited while a menorah and star and crescent are allowed. That is not "no religion". Prohibit the nativity scene if you will, but don't replace it with other religious icons.

And the reason given to condone this discrimination is that Christianity has a favored status since it has long been the prevalent religion in our society. So we must "level the playing field", if you will.

Religious songs are indeed a victim. And it's a real shame, because some religious songs are actually very beautiful and uplifting. But I'm not the person who made that argument to begin with, so I suggest that you address your question to the person that did. I'm not going to argue with a straw man.

Originally posted by jsobecky
I've already stated cases where a nativity scene is prohibited while a menorah and star and crescent are allowed. That is not "no religion". Prohibit the nativity scene if you will, but don't replace it with other religious icons.

The Supreme Court ruled that the menorah and the star-and-crescent are NOT religious symbols, rather cultural symbols. Like a Christmas Tree, which is most definitely allowed in schools.

Source

Your complaint, if you have one, is not with this court or this ruling but with the U.S. Supreme Court which has ruled that the menorah and the star-and-crescent are specifically not religious symbols but rather cultural/secular symbols, just as are virtually all other symbols of Christmas except the nativity scene. In a key paragraph from the ruling, we read:

The Supreme Court has recognized both the Menorah and Christmas tree as secular symbols of the holiday season. On the other hand, the Supreme Court has found that a nativity scene is not a secular symbol and, therefore, it is unconstitutional to display it on public property.

Now, I don't know a whole lot about the use of symbols in other religions besides Christianity, but I do trust that the Supreme Court did their homework before making this ruling.

[edit on 16-3-2006 by Benevolent Heretic]

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic


This seems to be the latest political movement to get 'liberal' teachings out of the schools and replace them with right wing ideals like religion, God, family (the 'right' kind of family) and Christmas Trees.

?????
replace them with christianity and family?
i thought it was going the other way

Regardless of what the SCOTUS said, the star and crescent are not secular symbols:

Star and Crescent of Islam
This emblem, commonly recognized as the symbol of the Islamic faith, has actually acquired its association to the faith by association, rather than intent.
< snip>
Today, the star and crescent is widely accepted as a symbol of the Islamic faith, and is used in decorative arts, jewelry, and national flags- much like the cross in Christian countries.
S&C

And save the "Well, the almighty SCOTUS know best" arguments, please.