The appropriateness of political bias in the elementary classroom

[PhilFish]

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/dad-upset-over-anti-republican-homework-assignment-111971082072.html

The above article refers to a recent social studies assignment to 8th graders at a Wisconsin elementary school, in which students were asked to contrast the actions of two characters actions as relates the topic of immigration. (clearly one democrat and one conservative)

Interpretation gives a clear message, and a specific negative connotation to one (R) over the other (D).

Question... Is this appropriate in the elementary setting? or any educational setting for that matter?

Further reference at the end to a biology assignment where kids are asked to try and decipher the parentage of a a baby's father from several options. And another...dispelling the illusion of santa

Are such influences appropriate where a clear bias in introduced?

My opinion: no they are not. they are not the purview of the school, the teacher, or any entity related there to.

 

[fairsheet]

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/dad-upset-over-anti-republican-homework-assignment-111971082072.html

The above article refers to a recent social studies assignment to 8th graders at a Wisconsin elementary school, in which students were asked to contrast the actions of two characters actions as relates the topic of immigration. (clearly one democrat and one conservative)

Interpretation gives a clear message, and a specific negative connotation to one (R) over the other (D).

Question... Is this appropriate in the elementary setting? or any educational setting for that matter?

Further reference at the end to a biology assignment where kids are asked to try and decipher the parentage of a a baby's father from several options. And another...dispelling the illusion of santa

Are such influences appropriate where a clear bias in introduced?

My opinion: no they are not. they are not the purview of the school, the teacher, or any entity related there to.

I think this is too bad. We should be able to teach elementary kids civics and reasoning. It makes sense that we would do so by referring to current events and persons. Alas, the "clever" teacher knows she needs to give these things a wide berth.

 

[as seen on tv]

with the decline of religion in america, the school beaucracy is happy to assume the role of moral guardian.

a more appropriate assignment - "class, if you disagree with a law, is it more appropriate to simply ignore it and do as you wish, or elect representative to change the law? what would happen if everyone ignored the laws they diagreed with - including traffic laws, stealing, sexual assault, etc? Please discuss and give examples"

 

[PhilFish]

I think this is too bad. We should be able to teach elementary kids civics and reasoning. It makes sense that we would do so by referring to current events and persons. Alas, the "clever" teacher knows she needs to give these things a wide berth.

I agree. It is simple enough to ask a kid to reason his/her way through an issue, absent any particular political slant.

 

[PhilFish]

with the decline of religion in america, the school beaucracy is happy to assume the role of moral guardian.

a more appropriate assignment - "class, if you disagree with a law, is it more appropriate to simply ignore it and do as you wish, or elect representative to change the law? what would happen if everyone ignored the laws they diagreed with - including traffic laws, stealing, sexual assault, etc? Please discuss and give examples"

and political indoctrinator.

 

[Zam-Zam]

Ironically, the notion that one political party is "good" and the other is "evil" is so simplistic that only one who thinks as a child could possibly accept it. I'm guessing the average eighth-grader is smarter than that, and many of their adult mentors less-so.

 

[fairsheet]

I agree. It is simple enough to ask a kid to reason his/her way through an issue, absent any particular political slant.

The problem as I see it, is that in order to learn these concepts, they need context. It's hard enough for we adults to pick this stuff up from an entirely theoretical and ethereal perspective. When in my 40's, I went back to U. to finish a degree, I took an upper level class in post WWII American history. It was disappointing to see some of the things that came out of student's (left or right) mouths, that were totally devoid of current context...and the students were oblivious.

 

[as seen on tv]

Ironically, the notion that one political party is "good" and the other is "evil" is so simplistic that only one who thinks as a child could possibly accept it. I'm guessing the average eighth-grader is smarter than that, and many of their adult mentors less-so.

for years, this was the soviet approach to education. and china's. if you disagreed you were "counter revolutionary" and sent to prison.

 

[as seen on tv]

"today''s homework assignment:

juan has 10 undocumented migrant workers in the back of his van, travelling from Nogales Mexico to East LA at an average speed of 45 miles per hour. If an evil texas judge issues an injunction stopping the amnesty without borders program, what sort of carbon footprint would the van have because it wasn't all -electric?"

 

[fairsheet]

Dems hate on GOP classroom "indoctrinators" and GOPs hate on Dem classroom indoctrinators. Imagine that. This goes towards my whole "context" thing.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Common Core seems more agenda driven than teaching. We are letting the school system indoctrinate our kids. We need to end this.
1) End Common core
2) End the teachers Union

 

[Jen]

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/dad-upset-over-anti-republican-homework-assignment-111971082072.html

The above article refers to a recent social studies assignment to 8th graders at a Wisconsin elementary school, in which students were asked to contrast the actions of two characters actions as relates the topic of immigration. (clearly one democrat and one conservative)

Interpretation gives a clear message, and a specific negative connotation to one (R) over the other (D).

Question... Is this appropriate in the elementary setting? or any educational setting for that matter?

Further reference at the end to a biology assignment where kids are asked to try and decipher the parentage of a a baby's father from several options. And another...dispelling the illusion of santa

Are such influences appropriate where a clear bias in introduced?

My opinion: no they are not. they are not the purview of the school, the teacher, or any entity related there to.

Bias complete with lies being perpetuated by one side about the other (I don't need to say which sides are which - everyone knows) are being taught as fact to our children. It has been going on on the college level for a long time, but those on the lying side understand that you have to get the kids while they are young in order to properly indoctrinate them. Attempts of parents to teach children their own values are being thwarted now and I wouldn't be surprised to, in the coming years, discover that children are being taken from any parents who choose not to teach their children the state ordered scripting.

 

[as seen on tv]

Dems hate on GOP classroom "indoctrinators" and GOPs hate on Dem classroom indoctrinators. Imagine that. This goes towards my whole "context" thing.

if prayer is illegal in school, shouldn't teaching kids to ignore the law be illegal too?

 

[gigi]

with the decline of religion in america, the school beaucracy is happy to assume the role of moral guardian.

a more appropriate assignment - "class, if you disagree with a law, is it more appropriate to simply ignore it and do as you wish, or elect representative to change the law? what would happen if everyone ignored the laws they diagreed with - including traffic laws, stealing, sexual assault, etc? Please discuss and give examples"

I remember a homework question just like that. We had to write an essay with examples.

 

[BobbyT]

if prayer is illegal in school, shouldn't teaching kids to ignore the law be illegal too?

Prayer isn't illegal in school. School-sponsored prayer is. Any kid who wants to pray in school may do so.

 

[gigi]

Bias complete with lies being perpetuated by one side about the other (I don't need to say which sides are which - everyone knows) are being taught as fact to our children. It has been going on on the college level for a long time, but those on the lying side understand that you have to get the kids while they are young in order to properly indoctrinate them. Attempts of parents to teach children their own values are being thwarted now and I wouldn't be surprised to, in the coming years, discover that children are being taken from any parents who choose not to teach their children the state ordered scripting.

Hopefully I'll have a chance tonight to find this website I stumbled on. It includes the Rights of the Child and the editorializing by legal minds. Basically, if we adapted this, yes, children could be taken from their parents for any reason at all, including teaching young children any particular faith.

We need to pay very close attention to the attitude with which many school districts engage with parents. Do not ever settle for hearing that THEY are asking to partner with YOU in your child's education. Challenge that everytime you hear it. Tell them that no, THEY WORK FOR YOU and are helping you educate your children...everytime you hear it. Don't give them that inch.

 

[Jen]

Prayer isn't illegal in school. School-sponsored prayer is. Any kid who wants to pray in school may do so.

And yet, some teachers believe otherwise.

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/dad-teacher-told-my-kid-to-stop-lunchtime-prayer.html

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/04/02/school-worker-tells-5-year-old-she-can-t-pray-for-lunch/

 

[Jen]

Hopefully I'll have a chance tonight to find this website I stumbled on. It includes the Rights of the Child and the editorializing by legal minds. Basically, if we adapted this, yes, children could be taken from their parents for any reason at all, including teaching young children any particular faith.

We need to pay very close attention to the attitude with which many school districts engage with parents. Do not ever settle for hearing that THEY are asking to partner with YOU in your child's education. Challenge that everytime you hear it. Tell them that no, THEY WORK FOR YOU and are helping you educate your children...everytime you hear it. Don't give them that inch.

Agreed.
And the parents of my grandson are vigilant and all of my children will not shy away from speaking up if their rights as parents are violated.

 

[BobbyT]

And yet, some teachers believe otherwise.

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/dad-teacher-told-my-kid-to-stop-lunchtime-prayer.html

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/04/02/school-worker-tells-5-year-old-she-can-t-pray-for-lunch/

And? What does the law say? Note that in your first link the principle re-iterated to teachers that students are allowed to pray in school. In the second instance the parents took the kid out of the school, but the State legislature passed an (unnecessary) law broadening religious protection for kids in schools. The law was unnecessary because kids are already legally allowed to pray in schools.

 

[Jen]

And? What does the law say? Note that in your first link the principle re-iterated to teachers that students are allowed to pray in school. In the second instance the parents took the kid out of the school, but the State legislature passed an (unnecessary) law broadening religious protection for kids in schools. The law was unnecessary because kids are already legally allowed to pray in schools.

I know what the law says.
But I pointed out that there are some (Leftists all of them) who think the law says something other than what it says and are enforcing their warped idea of the law. Once it's enforced, the child has already suffered the humiliation involved even if the principal later tells the teacher to cut it out.