Liberal Teacher what to do?

[Rock and Glock]

I like that idea a lot.

Yep!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[joe/OH]

As much as I would hate to watch Michael Moores propaganda,Why not rent it and study it with your daughter beforehand(Explain the lies).Then when her class is discussing the film after watching it, she can tear that commie teacher up with the truth,in front of the other students.This will do more good than skipping class that day!This will drive her teacher crazy,Screw that class !This late in the school year it would be real hard for the POS teacher to sabatage her grade to much.

If I were in your shoes, I would do something similar to the above. Watch it with her and discuss it beforehand. I think it's healthy for kids to be exposed to this brainwashing garbage in the right forum. When she goes to college you can be guaranteed she will be exposed to even worse.

My wife who is a teacher in Ohio suggested that you also sit in on the class (most states allow you to do this as a parent). And bringing a tape recorder may not be a bad idea.

[Rob72]

As the ex-Chief, you probably know the answer to this one: Is it legal to record a conversation/public presentation with the knowledge of one (the recorder)party? If so, record away, and see about a discrimination suit. Get with the local FOP (though they may be against you on this) and see if they would support a class-action suit against the teacher/board for actions endangering thier constituents.

Honestly, your best bet is to stay low and keep the peace. Starting a fight is only worth it if only one party will be left to describe the events.......

[ExSoldier]

I'm a teacher in an inner city high school. I've been in the inner city for nine of my approx 18 years as a teacher. Different school districts will have different policies, but generally speaking there is enough case law out there that if you object to the content of a film being shown they MUST send the student to the library or other area with an equivalent assignment without prejudice in the grade. They may be antigun (I almost said liberals but as we all know there ARE progun liberals -- lol I'm being sensitive!) but they're usually not into professional suicide which is what a lawsuit for cause does to ones career. This is because the school board is also antigun but very political by nature and a lawsuit costs money they need (even if they win) and it brings attention.

Okay, do what I did with my daughter: Take her aside and ask her to bring home all the materials and arguments given to her. Refute them with facts and logic. Tell her the definition of an AGENDA:

1. Everthing is a subject or topic
2. When ALL sides of a subject are discussed it becomes an ISSUE.
3. When only ONE side of a subject is discussed it becomes an AGENDA or an attempt to unfairly influence the thoughts and later the ACTIONS (by voting usually) of the victims. They are victims when it's a teacher, make no mistake.

Finally, tell her to "play the game" called "School" now and in the future. This is not going to end, ever. The object of the game is to get good grades and graduate with honors. Therefore, tell the bozo exactly what they want to hear as long as you yourself know and acknowledge the truth. This is not the time to stand up for truth & the American way. Students are not empowered in the same way as adults in society. All the cards are stacked against them. SO.....play the freakin' GAME!

[ExSoldier]

Sounds like a call to the NRA might be in order. Do you think they might have some attack dogs to unleash? That way neither you or your daughter get pegged. Might be worth a call.

I'd go with the Rutherford Institute rather than the NRA. NRA has it's litigation hands full.

[ExSoldier]

I can tell you one thing.

Im a newspaper reporter, and if this thing happened in my community, Id be all over it. Give me a week, and I could stop this in my town.

But you're in a state where the first day of DEER SEASON is a school holiday! West Virginia went Republican for the first time in like 50 years in the 2000 election based on Al Gore's antigun views (mostly). You can't assert this in antigun bastions elsewhere.

[Rock and Glock]

Finally, tell her to "play the game" called "School" now and in the future. This is not going to end, ever. The object of the game is to get good grades and graduate with honors. Therefore, tell the bozo exactly what they want to hear as long as you yourself know and acknowledge the truth. This is not the time to stand up for truth & the American way. Students are not empowered in the same way as adults in society. All the cards are stacked against them. SO.....play the freakin' GAME!

By far the BEST advice I've read on this thread, spoken by our esteemed "Resident Professional Educator"!

[flyinghog]

As a university professor in the college of education, former teacher, principal and school board member, here are a few suggestions:

* go to the principal with your daughter (and the parents of any other complaining students) and explain the one-sided ranting of the teacher--give examples.

* contact the NRA for advice about a "program" that could be offered in the teacher's class that would give another point of view.

*offer to come to the class yourself and discuss guns, safety, police and personal responsibilities regarding safety. (I volunteer to "teach" in drivers ed about watching out for motorcylces on the road...kids are always interested in my leathers, bike, and perspective.)

If the principal is unreceptive, tell him you are going to meet with the superintendent and ask if he'd like to be in the meeting. Then schedule the meeting! If the meeting with the supt. isn't satisfying, then ask him/her to put you on the agenda for the next school board meeting to discuss the above.

I'll bet you a cool Coke that one of the above will make life easier for your children who will be taking that class.

Larry

[Lawrence Keeney]

But you're in a state where the first day of DEER SEASON is a school holiday! West Virginia went Republican for the first time in like 50 years in the 2000 election based on Al Gore's antigun views (mostly). You can't assert this in antigun bastions elsewhere.

Trust me when I tell you it doesn't matter where you live...really.

Reporters love to stir stuff up, especially if it's a slow news week. I/They live to irritate people, and cause controversy. I believe that if I haven't pissed someone off, I haven't done my job right this week.

It also really doesnt matter what the political agenda of the reporter is, IF he puts the facts into the article. People will read the paper and see it. Boards of Education don't like bad publicity. They get enough flack over this little Nazi, and believe me, they will put the brakes on him.

They dont want their public funding apple cart to be turned over by indignant gun owning voters.

[mkeBob]

I don't know where in Wisconsin your located, but I'm in Milwaukee and what I'd do is first speak with the principal then the school board if necessary. Your children should also be able to speak and possibly show videos pertaining to their side of the issues.......Bob

[Rock and Glock]

I think all of the responses above are valid, and excellent ideas.

Nevertheless, based on my experiences with two kids that have been through public and private schools, I respectfully beg to differ. There are three children involved that have good parents, and an "Uproar" over this type of issue is going to serve to the detriment of the kids as they progress through the school system, regardless of who "wins or loses" this battle. It is a no-win situation, and trying to win is an illusion. Even if you "won", and even if "Teacher X" were to be terminated (doubtful!), and even if the "Program" more balanced; YOU and your children still bear the burden of very negative "Labels" that will be attached. Fairly OR unfairly, these labels will stick, and rub off, and the whole matter will "poison the well", so to speak, in the school.

ExSoldier had it 100% right:

Finally, tell her to "play the game" called "School" now and in the future. This is not going to end, ever. The object of the game is to get good grades and graduate with honors. Therefore, tell the bozo exactly what they want to hear as long as you yourself know and acknowledge the truth. This is not the time to stand up for truth & the American way. Students are not empowered in the same way as adults in society. All the cards are stacked against them. SO.....play the freakin' GAME!

IMHO, Anything else is "tilting at windmills" a la Don Quixote". I'm sorry about my strong reactions herein, but as you all know personally, old battles scars are a bit sensitive.

[the geezer]

If you have time, rent the movie yourself and view it with your kids. Afterward, discuss their reactions/feelings as well as your own. I have never seen the movie but have a general idea of its content from reading reviews and articles (mostly from the pro-gun side). I would think your law enforcement background would give the kids special insight as well. Then, when they get to school, the mystery will be gone and they will have another viewpoint for respectful discussion.

[ExSoldier]

Trust me when I tell you it doesn't matter where you live...really.

Reporters love to stir stuff up, especially if it's a slow news week. I/They live to irritate people, and cause controversy. I believe that if I haven't pissed someone off, I haven't done my job right this week.

It also really doesnt matter what the political agenda of the reporter is, IF he puts the facts into the article. People will read the paper and see it. Boards of Education don't like bad publicity. They get enough flack over this little Nazi, and believe me, they will put the brakes on him.

They dont want their public funding apple cart to be turned over by indignant gun owning voters.

Sorry I have to disagree, just based on local experience. My neice is a fairly senior editor for The Miami Herald. She has three pulitzers under her belt and she's only in her 30's. I have raised this issue with her a bunch of times...even offered to go on the record in one case and somehow it always seems to get put on the back burner and cancelled. Our board is so corrupt it has been at least once taken into oversight fiscally by the state for misuse of funds...tens of millions of $$$. That is always the focus of the media.

The board went out and purchased the STAR (Straight Talk About Risks) program from the Brady bunch for over 100K and it is all antigun propaganda starting in kindergarten and progressing until senior high. Brain washing plain and simple. Eddie Eagle was offered for free. Both the board and the community turned NRA down flat.

Remember all politics is local. This area goes democrat in nearly every election. If you've ever read the books by Bernard Goldberg ("Bias" for one) you'd realize that overwhelmingly there is a liberal bias in nearly every newsroom, not in the terms of the so called shadow conspiracy, just in the sense that the newsies think that liberalism is really mainstream and everything outside that paradigm is fringe. Media folks vote democrat 92!%

There is definitely selective reporting and even more careful wording inside the stories designed to persuade rather than present.

Here's a glaring example from the last election that I remember verbatim, from an article run by the Miami Herald on a news conference done by Pres Bush (#43). The topic sentence is the only important verbiage: In a carefully orchestrated event today, President Bush defended his policies on..... yada yada yada.
Why does it have to be "carefully orchestrated?" The wording is itself negative and an attempt to portray weakness. Words are like a surgeon's scalpel and those who use them for a living should realize that. There is no excuse for the slant given to 90% of all news stories and the public isn't even aware that it is happening for the most part.

So when I say that going to the press locally will likely yield no result that is not an empty assertion.

You are one of the good guys and that is demonstrated by your presence here. But how many of your bretheren agree with you? Have you discussed this with them (guns I mean)? Because small town reporters usually want to be big city reporters someday and they are unlikely to deviate from the party line in public.

[ExSoldier]

As a university professor in the college of education, former teacher, principal and school board member, here are a few suggestions: If the principal is unreceptive, tell him you are going to meet with the superintendent and ask if he'd like to be in the meeting. Then schedule the meeting! If the meeting with the supt. isn't satisfying, then ask him/her to put you on the agenda for the next school board meeting to discuss the above.

I'll bet you a cool Coke that one of the above will make life easier for your children who will be taking that class.

Larry

Welcome to the forum flyinghog! I like your ideas, but there is no winner here and the only loser as rock and glock suggests is going to be the kids. IMHO, it's not worth the retaliation factor that will be heaped on them to make this point, especially in a system so skewed as the one in which I live, because it won't change over something like this. A big news story one day is dead the next as the next big thing comes along. But for the folks still in the original situation ... Hell comes a'callin......BTDT when I was new to the system and I barely escaped with my skin and job intact. Being an officer on a division general staff when I was active duty schooled me in the art of political warfare! That saved me. Tactics and strategy.

[OldDawg]

I have been in a similiar situation with a school teacher with my Son , when we lived in California. One of his Teachers was making the Students act out a play in calsss that involved Homosexual relationships, the students had no option & would have flunked the required class according to the Teacher. I went to the school board & the local media.. It was a battle that lasted 3 hours , I informed the scholl board president that I would take it to FOX news( I have a contact in the newsroom ) if the Teacher was not stopped by end of the business Day... ( I had a copy of the SKIT. & also a complete background on this anti everything teacher)

The teacher is probably still sweeping floors ... He was replaced that afternoon by a substitute & was not allowed to Teach a class without Approval of the class work by the school board for the remaining years my son went to that school, I do not know if he is still under probation..

National Media scares these school boards... GO FOR IT>!

MY son still brags about how his DAD took on the schoolboard & won!!!!!!!

He is not damaged.

Send me an IM if you want some input on who to contact in the National media... WE have alot of support in the FOX newsroom...