10-18-2008, 10:32 PM | #1 (permalink) | |
Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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Teachers aren't allowed to wear political buttons in classrooms
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I do think that the judge was correct in barring teachers from wearing buttons. If the teachers are asked and engaged in conversation with students, I'm all for those kinds of teachable moments, but to have a button is no different than a student wearing some sort of slogan which I believe is disallowed in most schools. What do you think?
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10-18-2008, 10:46 PM | #2 (permalink) |
Broken Arrow
Location: US
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I agree. Teachers are role models, and as such they could be seen as pushing a student/class into one form of view over another. If I had a kid, I wouldn't want him/her coming home and spouting Obama crap to me because their teacher said so. Likewise if I was voting Obama, I still wouldn't want that to happen. It's not just what I want to hear, but the whole concept. Stick to teaching. The exception might be gov't class, but then I think the teacher should keep the discussion unbiased. That doesn't happen until high school anyways, and by then I think touching on the subject of candidates and what to look for are good lessons to be learned.
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10-18-2008, 10:59 PM | #3 (permalink) |
Crazy
Location: Where the wild things are.
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I honestly think that they shouldn't wear the buttons (not to necessarily 'not influence children who don't care) but because if kids can't wear slogans on their apparel, then teacher's can't either.
It's more of the 'talking to kids' about it that bothers me. Sure, informing them of the TRUTH only- as in who the candidates are, discuss in easy-to-understand terms on how politics and voting works and why it matters, but in no way should teachers say why they are voting for a certain candidate or bash the other, etc. To me, it's a touchy subject.
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10-18-2008, 11:08 PM | #4 (permalink) | |
The Reforms
Location: Rarely, if ever, here or there, but always in transition
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This doesn't seem like news at all; a previous law was upheld. So what? Is it because of the stipulations the judge added?
Yeah, politicking towards the younger generation is bad, so are our rights to opinions whilst in a learning environment. Not much seems to have changed at all. Quote:
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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves. —Mohandas K. Gandhi |
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10-19-2008, 04:34 AM | #5 (permalink) |
lonely rolling star
Location: Seattle.
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Are you serious?
That's bullshit. I mean, wearing a button? Think about it. A button is usually just an inch in diameter. As long as the teacher isn't like "VOTE FOR THIS PERSON", I think wearing a fucking BUTTON would be okay. Maybe not a teeshirt, but a button? Come on.
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"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials." -Lin Yutang hearts, by d.a. |
10-19-2008, 06:11 AM | #8 (permalink) | |
Metal and Rock 4 Life
Location: Phoenix
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As for the topic, pretty much non-news as it should be common sense.
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You bore me.... next. |
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10-19-2008, 05:26 PM | #10 (permalink) |
lonely rolling star
Location: Seattle.
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Approximately? 21. I know, I'm sure most of the people opposed to BUTTONS are old enough to have kids in school. I guess I just don't see the problem.
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"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials." -Lin Yutang hearts, by d.a. |
10-19-2008, 05:33 PM | #11 (permalink) | |
Kick Ass Kunoichi
Location: Oregon
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But I believe that teachers should set politics aside when it comes to the classroom. Growing up, political signs were always my mom's signs--as an educator, Dad wouldn't advertise his politics. He believed it got in the way of doing what he was there to do--help kids learn.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
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10-19-2008, 05:39 PM | #13 (permalink) |
I have eaten the slaw
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Why is one inappropriate but not the other?
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And you believe Bush and the liberals and divorced parents and gays and blacks and the Christian right and fossil fuels and Xbox are all to blame, meanwhile you yourselves create an ad where your kid hits you in the head with a baseball and you don't understand the message that the problem is you. |
10-19-2008, 06:12 PM | #14 (permalink) |
Please touch this.
Owner/Admin
Location: Manhattan
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I agree with this. In school, my teachers openly informed us that they were not allowed to reveal their political affiliations.
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10-20-2008, 04:33 AM | #17 (permalink) |
Super Moderator
Location: essex ma
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when i teach, i am careful about this.
i don't think it helps anything to operate from an explicit political position--so while i make it clear in general where i'm coming from (because it puts the students in a position to be critical about the information that i am transmitting, to make their own readings of the material) i don't typically have direct discussions about stuff like presidential candidates unless the students decide that they want to have that discussion. if that happens, i am clear about where i stand, but am more interested in questions than statements. i don't have any problem pushing students to articulate and defend where they're at. but teaching seems to me more about getting students to think for themselves and helping them get the skills required to do that. so i'm quite different in my approach than i am here. that said, i don't believe in value-neutrality--i think the political predispositions folk bring to the table surface even if they're pretending they don't. and if that's not explicit, not something that students can go after as a problem, they you're telling them what to think, that they have to agree with you, even as you're pretending to yourself that you're doing the opposite. so it's a balancing act the nature of which runs way beyond whether you do or don'twear a button.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite |
10-20-2008, 10:31 AM | #19 (permalink) |
Evil Priest: The Devil Made Me Do It!
Location: Southern England
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Bingo. Give the man a toffee apple.
The point is not about DEGREE, but is about EXISTENCE of the political influence. Teachers are there to educate students in facts and issues pursuant to completion of the syllabus, NOT to support a political agenda. To say "it's only a small badge" is like saying "I only had one drink" or "I only said one swearword". Whilst politics has its place in certain learning areas, campaigning never should.
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10-20-2008, 06:44 PM | #20 (permalink) |
Walking is Still Honest
Location: Seattle, WA
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Visible politics are pretty much banned in my (WA government) workplace. Unless you're the union, for which membership dues are mandatory - then you have free reign.
Either position wouldn't bother me, really. The mixed standard kinda irks me.
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I wonder if we're stuck in Rome. |
03-14-2011, 12:45 PM | #22 (permalink) |
Eponymous
Location: Central Central Florida
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This is a 3-year old thread, but I'll bite.
No buttons, no tee shirts for teachers. The small Florida town I lived in last had more than one teacher that made their political affiliations known in the classroom setting to their students during the campaign phase of the last election. I knew what the politics were in the area, but didn't expect them to spout their opinions to my high schoolers, some even spouting "facts" to further their platforms. No no no no.
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We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess. Mark Twain |
03-17-2011, 08:08 PM | #23 (permalink) |
Addict
Location: Seattle
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I think so long as politics are taught in an unbiased way, teachers should be allowed to display some personal interest and opinion in their civic role in society.
hopefully a teacher would be able to represent the truth and facts and encourage students learn and think for themselves. my experience was, those particular high school teachers who would have thought these subjects were worthless communicators. I'll also admit that during high school, I could give a shit about politics, so it would hardly matter anyway. I feel like it's a teachers job to get kids interested and thinking, if I had a kid come home wanting to debate me on stuff like politics, hey that's pretty cool, I mean it's better than not coming home and out there smoking his buddies grandparents crushed up pharmaceuticals and stealing cars, ya know ? it's ok for a young person to have different views than their parents, even though they might not like it.
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when you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain't the way. |
03-17-2011, 09:43 PM | #24 (permalink) |
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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Let's tackle creationism and blatant historical revisionism in public schools before we move on to buttons.
Priorities, folks. |
03-18-2011, 12:54 AM | #25 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: Europe
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I like Boink's view point.
What I think about politics, is that not any one political movement is completely right - even though I would give my support to one system. Politics is negotiating and compromising. If the teacher is debating his views and lets the students stand behind their views, there's nothing wrong, when it's openly done and the teacher is not forcing his views on students. Apathy is worse than politics.
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Life is...
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03-18-2011, 04:36 AM | #26 (permalink) | |
Paladin of the Palate
Location: Redneckville, NC
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If you are teaching my kid that a Christian god created the world in 7 days and all those guys/gals in white coats are wrong, they have no right to tell anyone who they are voting for in the next election. |
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03-18-2011, 04:48 AM | #27 (permalink) | ||
Eponymous
Location: Central Central Florida
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I don't think any parent wants to control their child's political views. Parents of teens love to debate with their kids; I've done it with all three of mine.
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We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess. Mark Twain |
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03-18-2011, 09:15 AM | #29 (permalink) | |
Super Moderator
Location: essex ma
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interesting. it's not ok for teachers to wear political buttons, but it is ok for conservative newspaper columnists to hound a university provost into resigning...
Flap Over 'Marxist' Views Leads an Appointed Provost to Withdraw - Faculty - The Chronicle of Higher Education Quote:
great stuff.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite Last edited by roachboy; 03-18-2011 at 09:20 AM.. |
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03-18-2011, 09:24 AM | #30 (permalink) |
warrior bodhisattva
Super Moderator
Location: East-central Canada
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The average American's aversion—if not outrage—towards anything left of centre-right would be funny if it weren't so dangerous.
They can elect a black man as president, but they can't elect a leftist.
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03-18-2011, 11:23 AM | #31 (permalink) |
follower of the child's crusade?
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Its funny how the Political right can be so strongly Christian on the whole, and yet reject the social and political consequences of Christianity so thoroughly.
Should teachers be apolitical? I dont think they can be if they give a shit about what they are teaching. They just should admit their bias and give the kids access to other points of view. Some of my best times at school were long arguments/debates with my Labour Party member sociology teacher (I was of course a communist and considered his position as no better than that of a capitalist bootlick and apologist of the master class...); refusing to complete my Mock A Level and instead writing an essay about the "fallacy of supply and demand"... from that I learned that while I might or might not have a point, it wouldnt hurt the capitalists much if I failed my Economics A Level when I had to take the real one (not that I would have done it in a real exam anyway... I think) I find it incredibly depressing to hear some people here say school should be about learning facts only. That to me is a limited and limiting view. The social, political, and emotional development of the children is just as important. I have no issue with any teacher having any political bias as long as he or she is prepared to be challenged and challenge back.
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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered." The Gospel of Thomas |
03-18-2011, 11:38 AM | #33 (permalink) | |
Eponymous
Location: Central Central Florida
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But the school or a teacher's viewpoints are often inflicted on these kids. My daughter has a regular column on her high school's newspaper. We'd been waiting for the funding to come through so the first issue could finally be printed. Last month, my daughter brought me the periodical and told me that they weren't allowed to distribute it in the school. Apparently, one of the kids wrote about bullying and teen suicides, including information about the group F*ck H8. The Principal was backed by the School Board in his decision to withhold this from the students and their parents. I wrote a letter to the Principal, called the school, emailed the School Board and my daughter's Journalism class circulated a petition, all to deaf ears. It was supposedly about the use of a partial four-letter word. Really?? And no one wore a button.
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We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess. Mark Twain |
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03-18-2011, 11:50 AM | #34 (permalink) | |
follower of the child's crusade?
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I myself think that Darwinism does not provide the telling answers to understanding human life, but to say that it should not be taught is to me ridiculuous. Just as much as to not teach people about the major religious/spiritual views of the world while in school. I do not consider that Christian parents should have (for example) the right to prevent their children learning about Islam, or dinosaurs. Nothing at all exists in vacuum. If a mathematics class is to be reduced purely to learning equations I find this limited and limiting still, when the context of these theories and their creation is ignored.
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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered." The Gospel of Thomas |
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allowed, buttons, classrooms, political, teachers, wear |
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