(Digital phone dialing heard in background...)

Inconvenience?

Inconvenience???

How about being sorry that I am so GD mad that I am coming down right now so we can have a Parent-Teacher Wall-to-Wall conference! Click.

I saw this on Fox News this morning. It is absolutely appalling. I, as a parent was always aware of what (or who) was influencing my child. Where were the parents of these children?

DebbieR:

The parents were probably working and the teacher had a captive audience unitl the end of the day. The kids didn't likely see anything really bad about it.They are 6th Graders, after all ad the teacher is an adult that they listen to all day and might even find funny, entertaining and full of 'interesting' stuff they never knew (not the 3 R's usually).

Truth be told, the public school systems (especially in NYC) are daycare facilities to the parents more so than places of learning.

Let me give you a personal example of 'interesting' knowledge. When my daughter was a freshman in HS a couple years ago, she had to take American History. I looked forward to it, hoping she would ask for help (and hoped that she understood Geometry all on her own...). I was furious at her assignment in the fall of that year (the only essay assignment during their Civil War perioid coverage):

What significant Contributions did Women, African-Americans and other Minorities make to the Civil War?

Not Lincoln or his assassination. Not the Emancipation Proclamation. Not the Slavery issue or even the Underground Railroad. Not significant battles, nor a study of the confederate cecession. Nope. None of that inconsequential fluff.

White Male = Bad, so forget that stuff. You write a paper on anything but that during the period and we'll call it a draw. Apparently that was the plan?

Don't get me wrong, either. I teach and most of my students are kids coming out of High Scools in rough neighborhoods and they come to me with really bad attitudes. They are predominantly not white males (as I am). Everybody owes them and everybody has them under their thumb. It's always 'The Man' and it's always 'They'.

Problem is, no one ever bothered to tell them that they 'Could'. No one ever told them that they 'Could' anything, do anything, be anything.

Not their friends (or "friends"), not their teachers, and with most of them, certainly not their parents. They are all victims. Can I tell you that after 3 hours with me on their first day, their eyes light up like they've just had an epiphany. They realize they are in charge. And every day, I teach them not just how to be a Network Administrator, but how to believe in themselves, how to want something and get something rather than expect something and wait. That they 'Can'. Why not? Says who?

(So if anyone reading thinks I want only the White Male Presidents taught, please dismount the horse you are currently riding.)

I guess what I am trying to say is that there are two aspects to what you ask. (Where are the parents?)

Some dump their kids at the local public daycare facility k-12. Some bring them to school. But even the ones who bring them to school leave them at the mercy of the teachers. And kids don't always like to talk about everything they do with their parents, too.

We pray that we have done a good enough job and left a good enough mark that our young 6th grader can discern the difference between a letter of support and what these kids were coaxed into writing (by teacher or parent).

But sometimes it just isn't up to us.

In my school district, I'd go down and have some words with the principal....

Rest assured that most soldiers are receiving supportive and loving mail from students. My son's 4th grade class wrote over 120 cards to soldiers at Christmas and again recently. Everything from 'what kind of food do you like' to 'thank you for protecting my freedom'. The teacher in this school should be fired. It's not their job to insult our soldiers - the media and senators do fine on their own.

I have a daughter in 8th grade. After the Iraqi elections I asked if her history teacher had talked about the significance of what was going on there. There was no mention of it in history, social studies or any class. They avoid talking about world events. I am upset about the lost opportunity to teach the kids about democracy and courage and the very things that make it possible for us to have the life we do. Well, at least my girls know about those things and understand the sacrifice our troops are making.

Some insignificant citizen got their 15 nano seconds of fame. Tell everyone to stand-up, there are these types in this country, and they can be ignored. What can't be ignored is the state of mind of most teachers and educators in this country. Go to the PTA mtgs., the Principals, and schools and make a bigger stink. Believe me the last thing these people want is to have you and your supports in their faces at every turn. And don't let them tell you it is someone else's fault, issue, or vision. You will probably accept the blame yourself, if you buy any of their excuses.

link texts

After reading this story... I'm sick...sick to think this is the education and support coming from our middle schools. How depressing!!!
Al Adkins

Wow. Unfathomable. I went from first through twelfth grade at Seoul American School in Yongsan, and this type of thing would have been unthinkable. Between teachers with this attitude and the attacks and threats to U.S. military off the base, what could these DOD kids be thinking?
My bro-in-law, now USAF Col. in Camp Casey, says even walking off base is not a good idea.

Why was my posting with the e-mail addresses for Ms. Pell deleted from the blog??? Why the sensorship??? I thought we were fighting and dying for our right to has our say? Yes, I understand that this is your blog, you can sensor anyone or any post you want, but that goes against all the principles of what we stand for. If anyone is interested in email Ms. Pell, do a google search for "Michelle Pell DODDS" and you will find an alumni page/letter where she post three email addresses for herself.

With the right to free speech comes responsiblity. Sorry, don't know legalities of posting personal information. Although it is readily available on the web, if someone wants it they'll have to get it themselves, not here. Would'nt want to be accused of handing it out. Call me chicken, I can handle it. ; )

"Teaching" like this is sypptomatic of a larger problem, as is Political Correctness, which is getting Americans killed.

And did you notice that the Principal's response had spelling errors and grammatical mistrakes? Shazayam, Sam! How'd he get the position? Tips from Ward Churchill?

Symptomatic of a sticky keyboard...

I happened to fall upon this website, along with the other site with Ms. Pell's full letter, when I was looking for news of my friend in Iraq.

It made me really sad to see so many people bashing on each other about this whole ordeal.

I really don't know what do say, but I felt like I had to say something. Since the other site does not offer comments or posts, I decided to write it on here.

Ultimately, what I want to say is... our freedom to write and say what we want is protected by our soldiers and others who serve to protect our country.

People burn our flag and slander our government... and it's not by terrorists alone. Some are by US Citizens.

But even then... even when some US Citizens vilify our government and our country, our troops do what they do so that we can do what we do...even it if means we speak wrongly of them.

Too many people in the US take for granted of the freedom we truly have. But oddly enough, this article and blog helps me remember my freedom of speech, along with every US citizen.

I grew up on Yongsan. I lived more than half of my life in Korea. Yes, guards by the gates, weapons, BDUs and hummers on post was definitely a reminder of military presence, but as a teenager of a Military Soldier that is the closest to the battlefield I will ever go. (Thanks to our soldiers protecting us in foreign lands.) Though many of us lived and breathed a Military life style, we also become desensitized of it. Sometimes, the true depth of the military is lost when all we see is our parents come home faithfully every day. Even when war is happening, our parents still return home. That's good enough for us. We sometimes forget that there others out there on the battlefield so that our parents can come home to us.

I know many people think that what Ms. Pell did wasn't right, but it was a wake up call that many SAHSians need at times. Our parents do such a great job at trying to keep things normal, that we forget the expense of what some military personnel have to go through. Even if Ms. Pell has an alternative lesson plan than many conservative US Citizens, she does care for her students and she does her best to help them realize the true depth of freedom. It comes with a price.

Unlike Ms. Pell or Mrs. Greyhawk, I have no talent in writing eloquant letters or comments. I wish I did so I wouldn't feel like I'm stumbling over my words as I write this.
But what I do have is knowledge; I've learned from my DODDS teachers the true value of freedom of expression, especially when they speak their minds.

To all, I commend your comments. Just remember those who help us have that freedom to say what we want to say.