What did I do wrong (school)

[B-17engineer]

How'd you know he's a Lt?

I'll have him read tomorrow. He's on here occasionally reading some things posted. Tomorrow he has work so he is asleep. I'll show him and I'll let him answer tomorrow night when he gets back

If he doesn't back me any farther (which is HIGHLY unlikely) I guess I can do it myself. I stand for what I believe was write and will not be down played by this teacher.

 

[Heinz]

She's a music teacher for Godsake. Her educational background is as thin as the paper her diploma is written upon. I hope she fights it. I love it when stupid people get their comeuppance.

As much as I find her actions rather ignorant and somewhat shortsighted lets not start attacking music teachers. I find this attitude towards teachers of music and other creative based subjects like this pathetic. To become a teacher music requires a lot of work, at least in does in Australia. I'm not sure what qualifications you need in the US to become a teacher but I imagine like here it requires a Univeristy degree. And yes there is a heaping of bias in this post as I am a musician.

Anyway Harrison I hope it sorts out all ok. Who knows maybe she'll think twice next time.

Just going to put a little footnote on this guys.

The swastika symbol is far more ancient than the 3rd Reich, it is a common symbol often seen in Hinduism and Buddhism, but it is a sad fact that the modern western world only associates it to one thing.

Thats true Vic, reminds me of my father as he used to be a printer back in the UK in the 70s. He found a lot of border type for posters and letters pre war with the swastika as a decorative pattern. Actually interesting this one of things I've been studying this year, the power of image and association.
Cheers.

 

[RabidAlien]

I don't think it was meant personally, Heinz, but here in the US, a lot of the artsy types (musicians, artists, actors) think that just because they have a gift in a creative field, that they're automatically smarter than everyone else and that their opinions are the only ones that count. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, as there are to every rule out there, but I'd say that a very large percentage are like this. Add to that universities that are teaching politics and personal agendas more than actual curriculum, and the mindset that anyone with a degree is automatically of a higher intelligence than anyone who hasn't proven their intelligence by getting a degree yet (no matter the age), and you end up with a whole lot of elitist pricks. I hope and pray that the US is the exception in this area.

Harrison....please don't make more trouble for yourself than has already been stirred up. Believe me, if you try to take on this teacher by yourself, you will lose. You've got to learn to fight the battles that you have a chance of winning, and avoid those that you have no chance at all. Don't make this your Stalingrad. Explore other options: do you HAVE to take a music class? Is there another music teacher? Could you drop music and take wood shop or something (build a bunch of bookcases for your growing library!)? There are almost always alternatives.

 

[B-17engineer]

I have to RA. School is so small that there are no other options.

 

[109ROAMING]

Harrison if you really don't want to do music with that teacher and can't change subject .Would it be possible for you to arrange with the school for you to go to the school library and just study for that hour you would otherwise do music?

Did this last year with a subject I found I couldn't stand and couldn't transfer either , so I just further studied physics and maths

They may not let you but is it worth a shot? they didn't say no to me ( 'forgot' to ask actually )

Anyway , agree with the guys , let your father handle it , he knows what hes doing

 

[Becca]

OH HELL NO! You're music teacher is a inept tit. Have your dad handle it..just because you are reading a book to gather information?! Give me a break!! What is this?? ORWELL?!! (see 1984) If you were not making a big deal about it, or playing White Supremest..shes being a drama queen..as the art-like folks are like to do! (sadly..cause I am an art-like folk ) Give me an effing break.. Santayana said: 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'. Good, bad, or otherwise this is our past.


And to the gentle soul that tried..the swastika is used in Hindu/Buddhist studies, BUT it is reversed.

Good luck, but it IS school. Try not to make BIG waves, let the adults handle it..and just sit back and watch and learn.

 

[B-17engineer]

Thanks Daniel and Les' Bride

Daniel: I mean I am sure I can ask my parents to see if that would be possible after this whole thing blows over. The only thing about the school is other kids are in classes like art, library, and SYnergy (Computers) and next marking period we switch. This marking just started so it'd be hard to get a class to switch to.

Les' Bride: I agree she over reacted and is a drama queen. She made it so music is a LETTER grade instead of an O- Outstanding S-Satisfactory or N- Needs improvement SHE went to the board and changed it because she said music is just as important as any academic. She's been to the board before. It's going to be tough but were fightin'!

 

[evangilder]

Well, I'm going to play devil's advicote here. Any thing offensive or might hinder the learning process in school is subject to getting taken away or removed from the class room. Its like that in all schools. I would understand if the books were required for one of your classes, or there was a "free reading" time. But, what you have to realize is that probably a few other kids (or teachers) in your school are intrested in WW2, especially ones that know a lot about Hitler and the Nazi's. You have to be carefull if you start flashing books with Swastica's on it, as someone might get offended by it. They migh have had a relative who was in the concentration camps, and that would stir up a lot of emotions. You just never know. People might start associating you with the KKK (which I know you are in now way promoting or are in any relationship with), and thats something im pretty sure you dont want.


On a side note, Keep your head up, I know your dad will figure this all out, and In the end, im sure the books will be of no problem for you to take to school.

While I hear what you are saying, I don't agree that we have to hide something that we think might offend someone. That is part of the whole "political correctness" that is really ridiculous. I work in an office that is full of people from all walks of life and backgrounds. I have worn airplane shirts that show swastikas and no one has said a thing. And even if they did, it wouldn't stop me from exercising my freedom of expression as it is my way of expressing honor to those who fought and died. (The swastikas are the kill marks on the side of a Mustang, BTW).

I don't think carrying a historical book that happens to have a swastika on it is flashing the book around. Yes, the symbol does evoke bad thoughts in some people and that is sad because the symbol is thousands of years old and the time that it was used by the third reich is a small percentage of the time it has been known, reversed or otherwise.

When one teacher okays a book for a reading assignment that another teacher uses as a reason to throw someone out of class, what kind of message does that send to the students? Even Harrison was left to ask "What did I do wrong?". He did nothing wrong, but the mixed message from the teachers does nothing to serve education or history.

 

[Amsel]

Fight back against censorship. Freedom is being eroded more quickly and we need to slow it down by standing up against the idiocy.

Swastikas are offensive to many, but they are not going to cause any physical or lasting harm, or cause ones head to burst into flames by the mere sight of them.

Besides, everyone is way too senstitive these days about everything.

 

[syscom3]

B17 ......as others have said, dont compromise your beliefs on this. Use it as a learning example.

Hey, you can also tell her that her actions were one step below the book burning rallies the Nazi's had.

 

[Butters]

Fight back against censorship. Freedom is being eroded more quickly and we need to slow it down by standing up against the idiocy.

Swastikas are offensive to many, but they are not going to cause any physical or lasting harm, or cause ones head to burst into flames by the mere sight of them.

Besides, everyone is way too senstitive these days about everything.

Well, Amsel, it seems that I owe you an apology.This and some of your posts on other threads show that I unfairly misjudged you. Please accept my apologies, and consider all my offensive remarks retracted.

You've nailed it with, " ...everyone is way too senstitive these days about everything.". As is obvious from many of the posts on this thread.

Responding to one knee-jerk emotional response with another is understandable, but not all that helpful. The teacher is certainly out of line, and definitely needs to be straightened out with a stern reprimand, but I don't think that she really ought'a to be burned at the stake just yet. What she really needs is a course in critical thinking to help her overcome the touchy-feely postmodernist pap she's been spoon-fed.

That the postmodernist neo-liberal PC mindset is largely responsible for this kind of foolishness, is correct. But only to a degree. Blame must be fully apportioned out to all the responsible parties. And this kind of absurdly simplistic 'Zero-tolerance'-type thinking is not exclusive to the Left. There's also plenty of it coming from the Right. Dogmatism by any other name still smells as rank...

I don't think that it's too far-fetched to imagine something similar happening in a conservative Christian school. That an individual teacher might respond the same way if one of his/her students was to come in with a copy of 'Das Kapital', or "The Origin of Species'. Much less a copy of the 'God Delusion'...

B-17's dad is taking the right tack in this matter. And hopefully the music teacher will learn something from her mistake, and apologize to B-17. If not, THEN burn the dogmatic witch.

JL

 

[B-17engineer]

Hi Mr. Case,
Harrison told me to have a look here about our whole 'situation.' At this point I want to let the board of education here know the teacher is a liar because right after I put her on the defensive she changed her story saying, "Kids came and told me the book was distracting." How can that be? When Harrison was in the class first and the teacher was sitting in the middle of the room? Also, its Harrison's first time reading the book so no one had time to complain. This teacher is fairly knew to the school district as it is only her 3rd year, maybe she hasn't even read the 'rules or regulations.' BTW, no where in there does it say anything about not having a swastika. I will await to hear the school boards decision about this, if it works in her favor, it will go from there. If they see we are right and he can have the book, I will demand an apology to my son.

Secondly to answer the question, I don't know how this will stop. I get it all the time when I pull people over or arrest them, "You pulled me over/arrested because I'm Gay/black/asian/Mexican/Jewish the list goes on and on. People are way to sensitive as said before and I am sure it will never stop. So I guess I don't know how it'll stop. I showed the board what happened, they're 'discussing' it and I sent the teacher an email saying very briefly, "I don't think Harrison's choice of Subject matter should be a factor in kicking him out of the class. It wasn't because it was disruptive it's because you saw something in that symbol no one else saw in the room and you kicked him out for that? Seriosuly? " Harrison, will keep you posted on how everything goes.

Thanks for your support guys.

The best,

Steve

 

[B-17engineer]

Well, I'm going to play devil's advicote here. Any thing offensive or might hinder the learning process in school is subject to getting taken away or removed from the class room. Its like that in all schools. I would understand if the books were required for one of your classes, or there was a "free reading" time. But, what you have to realize is that probably a few other kids (or teachers) in your school are intrested in WW2, especially ones that know a lot about Hitler and the Nazi's. You have to be carefull if you start flashing books with Swastica's on it, as someone might get offended by it. They migh have had a relative who was in the concentration camps, and that would stir up a lot of emotions. You just never know. People might start associating you with the KKK (which I know you are in now way promoting or are in any relationship with), and thats something im pretty sure you dont want.


On a side note, Keep your head up, I know your dad will figure this all out, and In the end, im sure the books will be of no problem for you to take to school.

Ok. It's Harrison now. The book is for free read. If they knew so much about WWII why would they get offended? My math teachers parent were in a work camp and she was intrigued about the book not angered.

 

[Lucky13]

I'm to p*ssed off to write anything that would make any sense, other than that I agree with everybody here Harrison!

And now I forgot what I was supposed to say....b*ll*cks!

 

[Airframes]

Hi Steve (Harrison's Dad), great to hear from you. I think you are taking the correct course of action in this situation, and hopefully, things will be resolved. I tend to agree with some of the responses here concerning the teacher in question, and it does seem fairly common among those in a 'creative' profession, for wahtever reason. The bottom line is, this teacher was totally in the wrong for reacting in the way she did, no matter what the reasons, personal or otherwise, behind her actions. The very fact that she is a teacher, and therefore holding a position of responsibility and understanding, should have allowed her to handle this matter in a calm, and private manner, not eject Harrison in a public and demeaning way. Even without the fact that Harrison had the book for legitimate study purposes, under the auspices of another class requirement, this teacher could have, and should have realised that the title (of the book) alone showed that no hint of racial, semantic or political 'incorrectness' was attached, and one would have thought that, in her position and with her education, she would have had the common sense to realise this. Even if there was some deep-rooted personal reason why this teacher was personally offended by the sight of the swastika emblem, and bear in mind it is just that, part of a book cover design, then the incident should have been handled in a totally different manner, in private, and with Harrison given the opportunity to put forward his view.
There is no excuse for the behaviour of this teacher, whatever the school authorities may say, and a public apology should be forthcoming immediately. Whether we like it or not, the swastika symbol was part of history, as the black cross, the red star, the US stars and bars, or the British roundel were part of history, and should not be hidden away just because it might offend some tree-hugging sop. That's not to say it should be flaunted of course, but I'm sure you get my meaning!
I hope you can get a satisfactory outcome from this ludicrous situation, and that the teacher is shown the error of her ways, and trained in how to go about life by doing useful things, instead of wasting everyon's time, including her education and training, on such ridiculous whims.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Besides, everyone is way too senstitive these days about everything.

A-FRICKEN-MEN!

---------------------------

Steve, sounds like you are handling it well!

 

[Matt308]

As much as I find her actions rather ignorant and somewhat shortsighted lets not start attacking music teachers. I find this attitude towards teachers of music and other creative based subjects like this pathetic. To become a teacher music requires a lot of work, at least in does in Australia. I'm not sure what qualifications you need in the US to become a teacher but I imagine like here it requires a Univeristy degree. And yes there is a heaping of bias in this post as I am a musician.
.

Being a musician and being a music teacher can be, but most often are NOT one and the same in the US public school system. Having a piece of paper saying you are qualified to teach music vs being a musician can be mutually exclusive. I knew my post would raise some ire, somewhere. Sorry. I too am biased. A nation is not built by music teachers. And in the US public school system, there is entirely too much emphasis
placed upon classes of marginal vocational/professional use (...and not just music) taught by teachers whose academic background wouldn't qualify them to graduate highschool.

I'm off my soapbox, B. Back to your thread, buddy.

 

[lesofprimus]

Glad to see ur on top of things Steve, so many parents could give a rats ass.....

Sounds like ur Dad has everything in the right spot Harrison, so hopefully this gets diffused and corrected as soon as possible...

An apology is definatly in order...

 

[Njaco]

I wonder if this 'music' teacher teaches Wagner to her students?

 

[vikingBerserker]

....or drives a Volkswagon.