My daughter told me

[Control-Z]

that her teacher offered her an anti-abortion calendar in class yesterday and suggested she volunteer to help save babies. Well, at least that is how she interpreted it. She politely declined.

I don't want to jump to conclusions - I haven't seen the calendar - but I did a google search to see if any such calendar even existed. This was one of the first hits:



If this really did transpire I don't know that I will be able to let it go. How dare he?

I sincerely hope my daughter was mistaken.

[Buzz Clik]

1. The journalism teacher in my daughter's school has one of those hanging in the classroom.

The knuckledraggers have been so brainwashed that our public schools are hotbeds of liberalism that they refuse to acknowledge that these things exist.

[Control-Z]

7. I just called over to her classroom

Her teacher answered the phone "Happy Good Friday".

Religion in the classroom. I'm beginning to doubt that my daughter was mistaken about this guy.

[havocmom]

Public school? If so, inquire what the admin needs in the way of you observing the class.

And if at all possible, do it from a hall way where you can hear but not be seen by the teacher. A parent learns more about things that way.

Listening in when the teacher doesn't know is a good way to get a feel for how they conduct their classroom. It might give you some insight into the climate of the class and help you better gage whether your daughter got it right. ;)

[Control-Z]

8. I'm in Orange County,

land of the ultra conservative. Ugh! But I don't really have a lot of questions about this guy anymore after calling over to her classroom today (see post #7). I'm just really not up for dealing with him.

[madame defarge]

2. If it's true...

I'd take it to the school board & make a big deal about it. I have no doubt that if it was pro-choice stuff being handed out, the right wingers would make a huge deal about it. This just isn't right for a teacher to be handing out literature like this in school.

[Control-Z]

11. I have a meeting

with him Monday morning. I think I'm going to ask him directly about it and just make it clear that he is not to approach my daughter again with anti-choice, anti-woman sentiments. I hope it will end there.

[Fridays Child]

3. Ask her teacher or go to the administration.

At the very least, the teacher should be disciplined for his behavior and warned to refrain from such activity, in the future.

[Control-Z]

12. I might consider that

if I thought my daughter wouldn't suffer for it. It is probably the ideal way, but not necessarily the most productive, to handle him. I will say something directly to him before going above him, hopefully without getting too emotional.

[snappyturtle]

4. In a journalism class......great!

:sarcasm: I not certain what I would do. I do think this teacher's suggestion to your daughter is out of line. Why would he even have one of these calendars in the classroom? Unless it was used to spur discussion for a writing assignment,"Pro/Con Abortion Issues", I would take great offense to a teacher approaching my daughter with such.

[Control-Z]

14. I have taken great offense

He is most certainly out of line. There was no discussion to be spurred - just an assumption that his opinion was the right opinion and one that would not be questioned, I am guessing. Until I speak with him, though, I can't be sure.

I know I am subject to overreacting when is comes to this kind of stuff. I am ready to go off at anyone who dares advise my children on a subject few understand as well as I, or as well as they, for that matter. This is difficult.

Just letting it go may be best.

[snappyturtle]

19. Oh, dancingalone, I wouldn't let it go.

You don't have to go into the school in attack mode. You have every right to see and hear what the teacher (in loco parentis) is doing. I'll bet that just voicing your honest concern will send a message to this teacher. I wonder if you're worried in the back of your mind that the teacher will try to get even with your daughter. I would worry about that but I think a gentle approach will put the teacher on warning and I bet he will make sure he isn't seen as vindictive in light of your inquisitiveness. If you do nothing....what message does that send.... to both your daughter and the teacher?

[Control-Z]

22. After talking to this man,

both on the phone and face to face, I realized that he would be hostile to anything I could say on the subject. (And, honestly, I was a little worried about what I might say.)

Without confronting him about this particular incident my daughter has been removed from his class. For the moment that is what really matters, both to her and to me.

You said, 'I wonder if you're worried in the back of your mind that the teacher will try to get even with your daughter.'

Yes, that was a big part of it but it's more complicated, and difficult to explain. My children have had a lot to deal with in their young lives because of our family history. The subject of abortion has been an emotional one, and, at times, an awkward one, because of publicity about us within our community. The two younger ones prefer not to bring any more attention to themselves at this point and I can't really blame them.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. My sex ed teacher in 1974 on the first day of class flat out told us:

"Look, I know that about 50 percent of you are already engaging in sexual behavior, don't deny it. The rest of you will likely catch up. My job is to make sure none of you catches any disease or becomes an unintentional mother or father."

I loved him for his honesty. I also hated all the work involved because he rode us. OTOH, we became experts beyond anything our parents knew. We took tests and quizes concerning the five most effective forms of birth control AND their failure rates, naming female and male reproductive systems, the names of diseases along with how they were transmitted and their symptoms and treatment, "safe days" (There AREN'T ANY!), etc.

I'm sure that my experience was an anomaly as I can't believe that our teacher was the precursor to Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

Back to responding to the original post: Report the teacher. Plain and simple and make sure the school guarantees it won't happen again.

[Iris]

13. Had the same type of rigorous sex ed in 1980 . . . in South Georgia!

And I do mean the state . . . not the country!

[Control-Z]

16. Better sex education

in 1974 than 2007. We are in trouble, aren't we?

[patrice]

6. I hope you will consider requesting that Pro-Choice materials should

be distributed also.

Having taught high school myself, I hope people will consider the effect of telling teachers "You can't talk about _______________" as long as _______________ is relevant to the curriculum and the teacher's lesson plan.

If we can say don't talk about Pro-Life, others can say don't talk about Pro-Choice. If we can say don't talk about pro-War, others can say don't talk about anti-War. This is not a good situation for the students.

Both perspectives should be allowed in balanced proportions.

[Control-Z]

15. He called

her aside. It wasn't something he talked about to the class. Just her. That may be why I'm feeling so uncomfortable. I'm not sure. Maybe if it were the whole class I would find it easier to stand up for all the students.

I'm not worried that my daughter will be influenced by what this guy says. She is pro-choice.

[Warpy]

23. Do you expect a pro life nutcase to be balanced?

They can't be.

He's already demonstrated himself to be a nutcase over the phone, with a mind that is not only closed, but nailed shut.

Rabid blivet supporters can't present the other side.

Rabid religious types can't discuss atheism rationally.

The best we can expect out of any of these people is to have them read from a script that presents both sides.

Since nobody's written a script and they lack the ability or intention to present the other side, perhaps they need to zip it.

[dsa]

24. is anyone who's pro-life a nutcase? n/t

[adadem]

9. Go to the principal

if nothing happens go to the next school board meeting.

[havocmom]

10. After reading your other post on this, I second.

They man may be recruiting for his own agenda. NOT on the taxpayers dime! Be calm, but DO NOT LET IT SLIDE.

If your daughter has friends in his class, it might not hurt to order in a mess of pizzas for the group and have a bit of a discussion to find out what else may be going on.

[Control-Z]

17. It does sound

like his own agenda. I'll find out at the meeting.

[Control-Z]

18. I'm not sure that the whole school

doesn't support similar attitudes. I'll be nosing around a bit as well as speaking to him.

[bliss_eternal]

20. How did the meeting go, dancing alone?

I'm curious, what you were told and how this situation was handled. It's inappropriate for teachers to push their personal agendas on their students. I would have been completely outraged by this (sounds like you were).

It's awful that some in Orange County assume that anyone there, attending school, living, etc. subscribes to the belief system that they do. This is a fallacy and they need to realize it.

Hope all went well with this!

:hi:

[Control-Z]

21. Thanks for asking, bliss

I've taken her out of his class. And there was enough reason to remove her without engaging in further discussion about the subject. I don't believe he had any particular knowledge of our family history, or that he singled her out for any specific reason. I suppose I could still have called him on it, but, for the sake of my daughter, I thought it best to avoid confrontation. It's been awkward enough for her over the years just being my daughter.

[bliss_eternal]

25. ...sounds like a smart call, dancingAlone.

For all the reasons you stated. At least now you know she won't be getting anymore material from this guy. Sheesh--I remember a time when no one dare to offer such materials in a classroom. These people are getting obnoxious in their "recruiting efforts." :puke: