By now I'm sure you've all heard about this high school teacher in Colorado who compared Bush to Hitler. The teacher is currently on leave pending an investigation by the school, and the teacher had filed a 1st Amendment suit to protect his right of free speech.

While I respect everyone's right to free speech, I do draw the line at proselytizing any view to a class without FAIRLY presenting the other side so then there can be a discussion of the issue at hand. But in this case from what we've been told (and I'm sure we haven't been told everything), it appears this was more of a 20 minute Bush-bashing rant by a liberal minded high school teacher made in a persuasive way so as to ensure maximum agreement with his view.

I think many teachers are very careful about how they approach highly volatile issues in the classroom, such as politics, religion, right to privacy issues, etc. But I also think like in any profession there are those that will use this platform of authority to mold eager young listeners to their view and add boots to their army of activists.

If this guy had made a similar speech about, say,.....Hillary Clinton for example. I might agree with him, but I would still think what he did was wrong. School age kids are highly impressionable and it is ALWAYS WRONG when teachers take advantage of their positions to further their own political agendas.

Not on this scale, but when Scytheboy was in elementary school during the last election, the principal played Kerry's concession speech throughout the school, interrupting classes so all could hear what he had to say. But when it came time for Bush to give his acceptance speech....no televisions were on and not one word of what he had to say was heard in school. In this subtle way and in the Colorado teacher's very outspoken way, some of the mainly liberal contingent of teachers and administrators will use different methods to ensure the students "understand" their view.

This is the way it has always been. It is probably the way it will always be. I find the majority of teachers to be very giving, altruistic people and I do believe they think they are doing the right thing by (in their view) teaching the kids what their very idealistic view of the world is to "make them better people". I don't think this is ego-driven in most cases when it does happen.

But I still think it's wrong. It's our job as parents to teach our kids about the way the world IS (on all sides), not the way we would like it to be. We must remain engaged and discuss with our kids why the education establishment presents things in one way and what that view is, then explain to them what our view is (whether we agree or if it is different) and why. And if you do agree and find through your discussion with your kids the other side has not been fairly presented, then you need to explain the other side to them so they clearly understand the differences. And THEN...only THEN....can your kids form their own opinions on the issues.

And...it's the job of educators to at least make a minimal attempt to explain the other side in a factual, untainted way so there can be an open discussion so the kids can expand their capacity to understand the issues.

At least...that's what I think.

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Posted by: Bridget C on March 16, 2006 10:07 AM

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