teacher-asks-14-year-olds-to-renounce-us

[Ichthyologist]

It seems to be saying that the only reason he said that was to create disscusion. I doesn't seem like he really meant anything he said, he was just posing a hypothetical scenario. That is a common thing for history teachers to do, it helps the students relate to the material better. But I agree that he did go over the line with it and does deserve some kind of punishment for it. I am not a school administrator, nor do I know anything about what they could do to him, but something is in order.

[AKIron]

Here we see the difference between an academic exercise and the real world. The original revolutionaries stood by their beliefs and moral convictions unto death for many. This teacher blames it on a misunderstanding when he is called to account for his anti-administration stance. I guess he is brave when posturing before 14 year olds but when faced with adults, not so much.

[PanzerIV]

thought it might be a good time for this
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/04/12/oreilly-easter/

[Rino]

Originally posted by Ichthyologist
It seems to be saying that the only reason he said that was to create disscusion. I doesn't seem like he really meant anything he said, he was just posing a hypothetical scenario. That is a common thing for history teachers to do, it helps the students relate to the material better. But I agree that he did go over the line with it and does deserve some kind of punishment for it. I am not a school administrator, nor do I know anything about what they could do to him, but something is in order.

Wondering what part of the lesson plan involved forcing parents to sign
the letter?  Or was that to get the parents to relate to their children's
material better as well?

Not that I expect much from "educators", but yes, this does indeed
"cross the line".

[AKIron]

Originally posted by PanzerIV
thought it might be a good time for this
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/04/12/oreilly-easter/

Though some are in denial there was most definitely a move among many retailers to make the Christmas shopping season generic. This has largely been defeated by public opposition. Of course none of the retailers want to admit they were opposed to the will of their shoppers which means you won't find them openly admitting it.

[Ichthyologist]

Originally posted by Rino
Wondering what part of the lesson plan involved forcing parents to sign
the letter?  Or was that to get the parents to relate to their children's
material better as well?

Not that I expect much from "educators", but yes, this does indeed
"cross the line".

The parents were not forced to sign it. They were ASKED to sign it. It appears what he wanted from that was to see how many people would do it in the hypothetical scenario, which would in someway be incorporated into the disscusion. I can't be sure as to this being the reason why, but it does appear to me as that is what his intentions were.
I can understand your distrust of teachers, especially if you have been out of school for a while. Today's teachers are, for the most part, much better than those who taught 10 or more years ago. Schools have become more selective of who they allow to teach. There are still some really bad teachers out there, primarily in vastly underfunded school districts, but they are far out numbered by those who genuinly care about the students they are teaching.

[crockett]

Originally posted by AKIron
Wet Dream? You must believe right wingers don't already see a lot of left wingers as anxious to renounce their alignment with the US and join the "global community". MT was right about this being something about nothing though I wouldn't really call it "much" ado but the "again" comment definitely fits.

Yea just the same as there aren't any right wingers whom want to blow up federal buildings and bomb abortion clinics in the name of Jesus.

You want to cherry pick lefties I guess we can cherry pick righties..

I haven't heard of too many Liberal home grown terrorists, yet we see it quite a bit on the Conservative side of the fence now don't we.

[AKIron]

Originally posted by crockett
Yea just the same as there aren't any right wingers whom want to blow up federal buildings and bomb abortion clinics in the name of Jesus.

You want to cherry pick lefties I guess we can cherry pick righties..

I haven't heard of too many Liberal home grown terrorists, yet we see it quite a bit on the Conservative side of the fence now don't we.

Abortion clinics yes, federal buildings no. Some consider blowing up an abortion clinic a small measure to take against the murder of millions of babies. Whatshisname didn't blow up the federal building in Oklahoma for Jesus.

However I will agree and as I mentioned before, some are more willing to take action and endure hardship for their convictions. I won't argue that this isn't one of the distinguishing characteristics between conservatives and liberals.

[midnight Target]

Iron, he didn't renounce his citizenhip, he made a project out of the Declaration of Independence and was trying to show his students the gravity of the Declaration at its time in history by relating it to something current. Holy crap man, I even get it and I'm not in 8th grade anymore.

[texasmom]

He's free to make a jack-*** out of himself, just like the rest of us.

*edit* removed the cursing before skuzzy strolled by.

[AKIron]

Originally posted by midnight Target
Iron, he didn't renounce his citizenhip, he made a project out of the Declaration of Independence and was trying to show his students the gravity of the Declaration at its time in history by relating it to something current. Holy crap man, I even get it and I'm not in 8th grade anymore.

I know that's his story now that he has been challenged. Claiming that innocent people were kidnapped and tortured at Guantanamo leads me to believe he was serious in his tantrum.

[Ichthyologist]

Originally posted by AKIron
I know that's his story now that he has been challenged. Claiming that innocent people were kidnapped and tortured at Guantanamo leads me to believe he was serious in his tantrum.

It seemed to me as if that part of the story was just to build up the situation that he was project, not that he really thinks that it happens. Again he was wrong in doing it as it was taken too seriously by the students. As the article says one girl burst into tears talking about it. I think that he was really just trying to set the students and parents into the mindset of a colonist.

[AKIron]

Originally posted by Ichthyologist
It seemed to me as if that part of the story was just to build up the situation that he was project, not that he really thinks that it happens. Again he was wrong in doing it as it was taken too seriously by the students. As the article says one girl burst into tears talking about it. I think that he was really just trying to set the students and parents into the mindset of a colonist.

I understand this and I know it's possible, I just don't buy it. I think he's too chickens*** to stand up for what he believes in.

[Ichthyologist]

Originally posted by AKIron
I understand this and I know it's possible, I just don't buy it. I think he's too chickens*** to stand up for what he believes in.

That is very possible.

[RedTop]

Originally posted by Mr No Name
Deport him. Remember the old story of the man without a country?

We cant even deport the pople here that have a country but wont frikin stay in it. 1 nutjob teacher in califruitcakonia wont get a sniff.