A depressing reality check in Edwards' back yard

[dsc]

I have moved to North Carolina in a town about an hour from Raleigh. I have started work as a teacher in a school which serves around 65% AA students, 30% white students, and around 5% Latino students. Given the market down here these teachers are clearly choosing to work in a racially mixed school. So far I have spent nearly all my time with fellow math teachers or alone in my room (we have several work days before school starts). We have 10 math teachers of whom I have met 8. Those 8 are five whites, three blacks. All five of the whites are Republicans and pretty conservative ones at that. I am the only white Democrat (and I am gay) in that department. I know it is a small sample but it is distressing none the less. Teachers, especially females who work in racially mixed schools, should be part of any liberal candidate's base. Instead, the are part of Bush's base. I hope against hope that this is just a fluke. I don't think it is though. I haven't a clue what whites will vote for Democrats down here if teachers won't.

[TNMOM]

1. I know a couple of teachers in Milwaukee, same story

I don't know how to explain the attitude. They blame the parents for the children's behavior. And I think there is a hint of racism involved.

[moosedog]

2. Please.....

When & If you find out what makes anyone want this outfit to continue to ruin our world, will you please let us all know. It is so obvious, that they have no concern for the average citizen, and yet some just don't see it. I guess people just follow tradition and want someone, thief, or whatever, to lead them wherever.....

[JI7]

3. what kind of school is it

middle school, high school , what grades do they teach ?

[dsc]

4. High school

and 9 through 12. Nearly all of us have some 9th graders due to how the algebra classes are structured and then the other two classes are assigned. In my case I will have geometry which will have some freshman, a good number of sophomores, and some juniors and seniors.

[LibDemAlways]

5. I have a repuke cousin

who taught at several "minority" schools in New Jersey. She didn't even try to hide her racism - constantly doing nasty impressions of the kids she taught and demonizing them. Not someone you'd want teaching your kids.

[grannyfran]

6. I've seen the same

attitude in white teachers in Chicagoland's racially-mixed, poorer neighborhood schools. Also, seen (both African American and white)Republican-supporting social workers. I think a lot of religious-right people think they are doing God's work by opting to work in poorer neighborhoods, but feel superior to the people they should be trying to help.

[LibDemAlways]

7. "feel superior" - You nailed it.

The cousin I mentioned earlier comes from the freeper wing of my family. They despise anyone who isn't white and buy into every stereotype imaginable. Amazingly, as much as they rail against "lazy" minorities and "welfare queens" who "feed at the public trough," every last one of them has had a government job with union benefits.

By the way, the same cousin adopted a baby girl from China, and I've heard her tell the little one she'll "send her back" if she misbehaves. Repuke compassion in action.

[Jane Austin]

8. That's child abuse.

Emotional child abuse.

[Sugarbleus]

14. You really brought out a real hypocracy they don't even "see"

I like this line:...'public trough," every last one of them has had a government job with union benefits.

Add to that: Cops, Judges, social workers, prison workers, teachers (though I appreciate our teachers a great deal), county workers, federal workers, IRS workers, politicians...ad infinitum...

All paid by our tax dollars with ample benefits yet many among them think they are superior to other's who might need assistance in some form. Thbbbbbbbbb

The bit about the adopted child is atrocious! I agree with the other poster that it's emotional/psychological abuse and worse than a beating....!!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

26. Public pensions aren't bad either. They really live off the fat

fucking clueless morans living off the "great society".

[belle]

21. Oh my lord. What are they thinking?? Anything?

poor baby...

[LibertyLover]

28. Child abuse doesn't begin to describe it

I cannot believe that your cousin would say such an awful thing to her child. Well, ok, I believe she did it, but I can't fathom the mindset. My husband and I adopted a little girl from China 9 months ago and I would never say something like that to her. We joke about how we're going to be in trouble when she learns to talk and dial the phone, that she'll call the orphanage and ask why she got sent to such a weird family - liberal Democrats and pagans, but that's it. The damage your cousin is inflicting on that poor child is beyond awful.

[spooky3]

10. I have three relatives you have described perfectly. Very sad.

When one of them comes to visit me I have to stop her (as politely as possible) from trying to chat up every African American she sees, because it is so condescending and quite obvious that she thinks they will be grateful that a white person like her is giving them the great benefit of her attention. I am appalled that some people in my family behave and think this way and that absolutely nothing changes their minds.

[fujiyama]

9. I had a band teacher

in middle school that claimed when Clinton got elected that the economy would get worse and we'd all have a terrible time finding a job. He would rant sometimes about Al Gore's environmental positions.

Well, we all are having a terrible time finding a job, but it's not Clinton in office. It's another Bush.

What a moran!

Anyways, regarding the school you teach at, that's unfortunate. How is the place compared to where you lived in OH? Was it also conservative?

BTW do the other teachers know you're gay? I'm curious how they would react to that.

BTW Good luck with the job.

[dsc]

23. In Ohio

It was at least 2/3 Dem to 1/3 Rep and that was before our pension fund was hit hard by Enron. Now I think it is more like 3/4, 1/4. They don't know I am gay and for at least a few years I will likely keep it that way. I won't have tenure for 4 years and thus can be fired for any or no reason (we don't even have a real union here). I won't lie and make up women I am dating but I won't say the words either. Thanks for the good wishes.

[leyton]

11. Check the other departments.

At my school, the English department is 90% Republican, while the Social Studies department is more left-to-center.

[carpetbagger]

12. Well, Edwards won without them the last time.

And Bowles managed to rake in 45% against a smiling and untouchable sock puppet in a season of heavy warmongering. Not bad. That means there are enough people in the state to counter your co-workers.

My first question is this: are the teachers choosing to work in a majority non-white school, or are they choosing to live in the country? Counties adjacent to suburban counties are usually among the most conservative in an area.

Dude, help is on the way.

[CaTeacher]

13. yes--it is weird--even here in

Ca, I am running into more and more "conservative" teachers. What is going on? It used to be that the teachers unions were strongly Democratic--and that the teachers were pretty much in line with that.

But the last few years--even though the unions have remained liberal--many teachers have become more and more repuke. What is going on? I am quite confused by this....

[spooky3]

15. Here's some (conflicting) hypotheses besides those others have already

stated.

1) Some teachers are the wives of Repukes, and they have chosen to hold what is considered a traditional job for women. Married women, especially those holding traditionally "female" jobs, tend to vote Repuke.

2) Some teachers have an authority complex--I'm not sure if they went into teaching for this reason or if they developed it on the job. Because they are dealing with children, maybe, they portray the world in black and white terms to simplify it, and they issue orders that must be followed. Some of them have trouble relating to other adults because of this--don't want to be disagreed with, believe they are always right, etc. Seems to fit the Repuke mode.

3) Some teachers are (finally) earning decent salaries though most are underpaid. Especially if they have a spouse who is a high earner, they may see the Repukes as protecting their interests.

These are just my observations from looking at my relatives in this job, and certainly may not hold for even a minority of teachers--or even a single one.

[Pallas180]

16. Any chance of talking to em about how he has cut programs for

children, leaving a lotta children behind...Big Dawg mentioned
3 million children, and cut finances for teachers across the
country?

Here in Florida, jebby even took away the teachers aides.

a lotta teachers are so burnt out they're quitting

[spooky3]

22. You're right, of course, but they don't listen. And congrats, dsc,

on your new job.

[PeaceProgProsp]

17. one hour outside of Raliegh -- that's tells you all you need to know

go one hour outside any metropolitan area and tell me you're not going to find that demographic.

When you tell me that you're seeing that demographic in downtown Chicago, New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco, I'll worry.

[saccheradi]

18. a depressing reality...

There are too many people who define themselves with a
"republican" way of life. it is not a party of choice, but of heritage, of default, and no matter what the party actually does, their base will always think that being a repuke is the only way to protect thïs way of life ...

Too many teachers fit into the same mold. They are tenured and secure, and think that being a republican is protecting their position...

But there are enough forward thinking teachers here to unbalance their status quo... don't you worry about that...

[otohara]

19. This Happens To Cops Too

who work in neighborhoods w/ more AA's - my nephew turned into hateful GOP'er when he worked for LAPD.

[Zomby Woof]

20. I went to public schools in the south

At the dawn of the Reagan era, the teachers were predominantly conservative, no matter the subject. My social studies teacher in 8th grade was openly pro-Reagan, anti-ACLU. Somehow I avoided indoctrination. Still, there were a few I knew were decently liberal.

Anyway, wear your mantle of dissent proudly. Good luck with the classes.

[dsc]

24. Thanks

and I will. I already have Kerry bumper stickers on my car next to Dean ones.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

25. Could it be a matter of more fundamentalists going into teaching?

There's a whole generation that has grown up with suburban megachurches.

[qwlauren35]

27. I would be happy....

to mail you a bumpersticker if you don't have one.

I have 35 of them at home for a Kerry party I'm giving tomorrow here in Greensboro, NC, and I won't miss one.

Write to me at [e-mail].

Yes, NC is a RED state. I've had it explained to me quite a number of times. The Republicans have consistently come through for North Carolinians by supporting big business here, and therefore ensuring jobs by the trickle-down theory. Keep in mind, cigarettes and pigs are big industry down here... not the healthiest crops in the world.

I've heard people say that Edwards didn't do enough for NC when he was Senator. And some people down here just aren't going to support him.

It's going to be an uphill battle to swing this state to Kerry/Edwards.

I'm trying not to think about the odds... I'm just trying to do my best to make it happen against the odds.