AISD Liberal Teachers and their Students

Here's a NYPost article about the teachers who are using their positions to shape the political opinions of their students. Although it would be easy to say that this is an isolated incident. I refer you back to an article I wrote on Feb 11, 2005 regarding the same type of thing here in Austin, TX.

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Additionally, on Feb 18, I was in Austin's LBJ High School. Under the guise of Black History Month, all seniors were required(?) to attend a talk by Texas Senator Barrientos. Though about 70% of his message dealt with a "stay away from drugs, stay in school" message, his talk was littered with comments such as "right-wing nutjobs" and how "whites" needed to recognize that within the next five years, blacks and hispanics would make up over 50% of the TX population.

During the course of my duties, I encountered two boys in the classroom who were doing a history assignment on the computer. One of the questions centered around why the US won the Revolutionary War? The correct answer (according to the computer) was that the French provided loans and troops. Though this seems somewhat subjective, here is a fairly concise history of French involvement in the revolutionary war (centering on Lafayette rather than Rochambeau) that I found interesting. Since it sounded a bit like revisionist history to me, I asked what they knew about Iraq and their fight for freedom?

It was as if I had opened a door and unleashed every liberal idea that has ever been thought of. I heard comments like, "I don't see how Bush can send people to war when he was hiding out in the National Guard". "I don't think we should go around the world killing people". "Under Saddam the people might be imprisoned for speaking their mind, but now they are shot for going outside their homes."

Truthfully, I was floored!(again) You know, I really don't mind it if these kids make up their own mind after getting ALL the facts, but it really rankles me when they either don't explore all the facts, aren't exposed to all the facts, or have liberal facts shoved down their throats.

I'm betting that no Senator besides Barrientos is invited into Austin Schools. Since this is the second school in Austin, and the second incidence of deep liberal bias, I'm betting that the whole school District (AISD) is tainted.

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Virginians struggling over religious beliefs and constitutional change

Well, it appears to me that Virginians are about to wrestle with a huge issue that they don't really understand. As usual, I did a little digging and found the full text of the proposed Virginia constitutional amendment as well as the full text of The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 16 January 1786

As I see it, here are the major issues:

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Christian Viewpoint
1. Christians, especially teachers, have been very afraid to even hint at their beliefs because parents(and kids) have learned that school administrators will not stand up to a parent, but rather will bow and scrape to even the most idiotic complaints.
2. Teachers and school districts fear lawsuits from disgruntled parents and students who are "offended" by words and/or deed.
3. Teachers (and even administrators) have effectively been muzzled over matters of religion/belief.

Status Quo
1. Children(k-12) are highly influenced by their teachers. Therefore any mention of religion or religious principles is essentially the same as proselytizing.
2. Proselytizing in a public school violates the supposed "separation of church and state" clause of the constitution.

The Cat's idea
1. After reading the Washington Post article, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and the proposed amendment, the only possible reaction is that nothing in the proposed amendment is counter to the US Constitution.
2. The proposed amendment strengthens the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom(1786), by explicitely stating that "...the people’s right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including public schools, shall not be infringed;..."
3. The amendment also prevents the state from forcing anyone to participate in religious activity. "The Commonwealth and... public school divisions, shall not compose school prayers, nor require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity."

I wish that those who believe there is a separation between church and state would read the constitution. IT'S NOT THERE! So anyone bringing that up just doesn't have a clue. Now let's talk about reality.

The status quo points are interesting in that teachers do exert an immense influence over kids for both "good" and "bad". What would be the consequences of allowing a Hindu teacher to express her beliefs to her students? Are they the same for a Wickan? or what about any of 100 other "religions"?

Knowing that this could very easily open the floodgates, I expect the Virginia Senate will kill this bill rapidly. The risk is enormous, and the benefit is illusory. An amendment intended to allow the Christian message to be heard in schools would instead expose children to far-out and wild belief systems. With no foundational principle to fall back on, what will the children believe?

That being said, I believe that Christians have been muzzled either out of fear or ignorance. My wife, not an ignorant woman, has been fearful that the music (Christian praise songs) she listens to during her off periods at the local high school would get her in trouble. It is important to protect the civil liberties of Christians in this country who have been muzzled. After all, it was christian beliefs that provided for the freedoms that Americans enjoy.

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Service Academies and McCallum High School

Well, I must be older than I thought! today I substituted at McCallum High School in Austin. I was teaching the AP pre-calculus class which is primarily college bound juniors. So I began asking them where they were planning on going to school. After hearing schools like UT, MIT, Brown, etc. I asked whether they had considered any of the service academies.

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I was truly unprepared for the violent reactions and negativism towards any thought of attending a military academy. At first, I was stunned, but figured that they were just being teenagers. They were still young and trying to figure out what they really thought by adopting and experimenting with the extremes of various positions.

I remember when I was a junior in high school, it was not considered abnormal for teachers to offer advice about their alma maters. If one in particular had not sent my name in nomination to the Air Force Academy, I would never have even known about any of the service academies, and never would have attended Annapolis.

Boy was I taken back when, as I was checking out for the day, the head of the substitutes for McCallum asked whether one of the vice principals had found me because some of the students had complained that I was "recruiting" for the military during class time.

While I stood there dumbfounded, this administrator explained that, "You know, with this whole unjust war, it just doesn't take much to get students and parents upset." As I took as closer look around her office, I noticed that this administrator had a Michael Moore poster hanging in her office. If I had looked a little closer, I'm sure I would have found other evidence of her bias.

I am still mildly shell-shocked that things have changed so much. I feel very wounded that teenagers are being allowed to demonize our country's military with administrator support. It was interesting that some of the students barely stopped short of calling the troops murderers and the like, while others said they supported the troops but felt that "the war was wrong." I looked several students in the eye and told them, "As an American you are allowed to dissent. However, our country elected our leaders and then elected them again. As such, it is important for us as Americans to give our loyalty to our leaders."

Predictably, some of the students replied with the, "Well I didn't elect him." line. I responded that, "As Americans, you enjoy the fruits of this country and the blood of her soldiers keeps you free. It is really important that any person of conscience have truly and deeply considered this state of affairs. Otherwise, they haven't truly considered what even allows them to enjoy their lives in this nation."

These comments, which truly belong in a high school setting, but are to often absent, are probably what led to the complaints by the students.

Oh well, how things change. I don't think that I'm going to like it when this generation comes of age.

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Salute to the Heroes

Since it's been a while since I posted, I thought this was the most appropriate pointer I could place out there. Take a look.

Salute to the Heroes

Thanks Budweiser.