CDZ Virginia Parents: Runaway Carriage

[OldLady]

Only one poster piped up about the embarrassing consequences of a group of Virginia parents who sparked a wave of mass hysteria that ended up closing their school district Friday due to security concerns. That thread got shut down for swearing, so I'll try my first OP.

Everyone could have done better here.
The teacher should have realized the religious content of the callligraphy exercise would create concerns, especially in December 2015, but maybe she hasn't been watching enough cable news....
The parents should have acted more like grown ups in their communications with the school, but maybe they forgot they weren't on an anonymous message board....
The school should have ... well, it sounds to me as if the school administrators did their best for a week to tamp out the fire, until the hostility spread like a wild fire through social media outside their district and their state....

So now this embarrassing incident has been reported internationally, the parents look foolish, and 10,000 kids missed a day of school. Hopefully, things will have calmed down by Monday...

It isn't so much that some parents had objections to the assignment, but that they created a wave of mass hysteria, that bothers me. Anxiety is high and social media has saturated our lives and our consciousness. It's a nice, dry pile of kindling waiting for any passing spark to ignite. There are many divere opinions on USMB, as it should be. This is just a reminder that your words are very powerful, so aim carefully.

 

[Auld Phart]

Perhaps assigning a Japanese or Chinese script for the next exercise?

 

[SassyIrishLass]

There is nothing wrong with teaching different calligraphy but you don't use the message that was used.

 

[Iceweasel]

Teachers are among the stupidest people around. Not knowing the news isn't believable, it was agenda driven without the ability to see the unintended consequences. I've met principles that probably couldn't get hired serving fast food.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Teachers are among the stupidest people around. Not knowing the news isn't believable, it was agenda driven without the ability to see the unintended consequences. I've met principles that probably couldn't get hired serving fast food.

I've went to the mat with teachers before, the problem with many of them is they honestly believe they are incapable of being wrong

 

[OldLady]

The parents' reaction was equally 'stupid.' Does anyone really think that copying that Arabic phrase (without English translation, btw) would convert their 9th grade children? And to be so hostile the school had to call in additional law enforcement last week? Is THAT acting intelligent?

 

[SassyIrishLass]

The parents' reaction was equally 'stupid.' Does anyone really think that copying that Arabic phrase (without English translation, btw) would convert their 9th grade children? And to be so hostile the school had to call in additional law enforcement last week? Is THAT acting intelligent?

The parents were just being parents, given all the attention on ISIS, Muslims, recruiting etc I can understand why they reacted. To begin with that message was a violation of Church and state, if students had been instructed to write Jesus is the one true God, people's heads would have spun and exploded

 

[OldLady]

The parents' reaction was equally 'stupid.' Does anyone really think that copying that Arabic phrase (without English translation, btw) would convert their 9th grade children? And to be so hostile the school had to call in additional law enforcement last week? Is THAT acting intelligent?

The parents were just being parents, given all the attention on ISIS, Muslims, recruiting etc I can understand why they reacted. To begin with that message was a violation of Church and state, if students had been instructed to write Jesus is the one true God, people's heads would have spun and exploded

I agree. That was pretty dense on the teacher's part; I'm surprised it was even in a published high school workbook. I'm not critical of the parents' reacting. I'm pretty concerned, though, at the intensity of their reaction. How could any parent honestly think their child's religious beliefs were at stake? That's where, it seems to me, the parents went from reasonable to irrational. And then that hopped up fear and hatred spread via social media until strangers outside the district, outside the state, were threatening that classroom (and I'm sure the teacher, as well).
That's where my post was directed, not so much at fingerpointing, because everyone involved could have done better.

 

[Arianrhod]

Teachers are among the stupidest people around. Not knowing the news isn't believable, it was agenda driven without the ability to see the unintended consequences. I've met principles that probably couldn't get hired serving fast food.

It's principals

Well, that changes everything.

No, but it is amusing in the context of someone whose opening sentence is "Teachers are among the stupidest people around."

 

[Arianrhod]

It's amusing to people like you that only make stupid insulting posts. Never saw anything else from you.

Then you haven't looked carefully enough.

I know that isn't proper grammar.

The grammar was fine; it was the spelling that was at issue.

Now, about the topic -?

 

[Arianrhod]

She pointed out the spelling and my grammar was referring to my response to you.

Your grammar in that post was unassailable, though you might ask Santa for a box of commas for Christmas.

Now, would you like to discuss the topic? Do you think the parents overreacted, or would you have been right there cheering them on?

 

[Arianrhod]

You need to ask for a personality. Being a puffed up anus is a poor substitute. You are trying to make the thread all about you, you fool no one.

So still nothing further about the topic. Your contribution has been "Teachers are stupid," and that's all you've got. Not surprising.

It isn't so much that some parents had objections to the assignment, but that they created a wave of mass hysteria, that bothers me. Anxiety is high and social media has saturated our lives and our consciousness. It's a nice, dry pile of kindling waiting for any passing spark to ignite. There are many diverse opinions on USMB, as it should be. This is just a reminder that your words are very powerful, so aim carefully.

Exactly. The problem could have been addressed within the school if people weren't (A) thinskinned and (B) desperate for their 15 minutes of fame on social media.

It's this kind of behavior that is leading to an increasing number of attacks by the ignorant and perpetually outraged on Muslims and Sikhs.

 

[Iceweasel]

Exactly. The problem could have been addressed within the school if people weren't (A) thinskinned and (B) desperate for their 15 minutes of fame on social media.

It's this kind of behavior that is leading to an increasing number of attacks by the ignorant and perpetually outraged on Muslims and Sikhs.

How could that makes any sense to anybody? Why aren't Christians doing jihadi attacks then? LOL!

 

[Arianrhod]

Exactly. The problem could have been addressed within the school if people weren't (A) thinskinned and (B) desperate for their 15 minutes of fame on social media.

It's this kind of behavior that is leading to an increasing number of attacks by the ignorant and perpetually outraged on Muslims and Sikhs.

How could that makes any sense to anybody?

The erroneous presumption of societal approval.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Only one poster piped up about the embarrassing consequences of a group of Virginia parents who sparked a wave of mass hysteria that ended up closing their school district Friday due to security concerns. That thread got shut down for swearing, so I'll try my first OP.

Everyone could have done better here.
The teacher should have realized the religious content of the callligraphy exercise would create concerns, especially in December 2015, but maybe she hasn't been watching enough cable news....
The parents should have acted more like grown ups in their communications with the school, but maybe they forgot they weren't on an anonymous message board....
The school should have ... well, it sounds to me as if the school administrators did their best for a week to tamp out the fire, until the hostility spread like a wild fire through social media outside their district and their state....

So now this embarrassing incident has been reported internationally, the parents look foolish, and 10,000 kids missed a day of school. Hopefully, things will have calmed down by Monday...

It isn't so much that some parents had objections to the assignment, but that they created a wave of mass hysteria, that bothers me. Anxiety is high and social media has saturated our lives and our consciousness. It's a nice, dry pile of kindling waiting for any passing spark to ignite. There are many divere opinions on USMB, as it should be. This is just a reminder that your words are very powerful, so aim carefully.

Disagree, particularly given the fact that the teacher had assigned the same lesson before absent objection.

The school district made its decision in good faith, understandable given the climate of unwarranted hate and fear toward Muslims manifesting mostly among the right, and the rash of hate crimes against Muslims such as vandalizing mosques in recent days.

 

[Elvis Obama]

Very sad. Prayer in schools is banned, but not religious texts. There is a huge difference between practicing a religion and studying a religion. The purpose of the assignment was to demonstrate the value of tolerance. This lesson was included in the curriculum for that very reason. Instead, these children got a much more powerful lesson in intolerance. Neither the teacher nor the school district did anything improper, except overestimating the rationality of their community.

I was curious, so I looked up the statistics on this school. Good academic record. The students are mostly from economically stable households. There is virtually no diversity in the school. It's reasonable to infer that the parents of these students have a reasonable degree of education themselves. Yet they reacted in such a knee-jerk, thoughtless manner. Very sad, and rather scary.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Very sad. Prayer in schools is banned, but not religious texts. There is a huge difference between practicing a religion and studying a religion. The purpose of the assignment was to demonstrate the value of tolerance. This lesson was included in the curriculum for that very reason. Instead, these children got a much more powerful lesson in intolerance. Neither the teacher nor the school district did anything improper, except overestimating the rationality of their community.

I was curious, so I looked up the statistics on this school. Good academic record. The students are mostly from economically stable households. There is virtually no diversity in the school. It's reasonable to infer that the parents of these students have a reasonable degree of education themselves. Yet they reacted in such a knee-jerk, thoughtless manner. Very sad, and rather scary.

Wrong.

Prayer in school is not 'banned,' students and teachers are at liberty to engage in religious expression in schools provided such expression is not done in an official context, where schools (government) seek to endorse or promote religious practice.

And religion may be referenced in schools provided such references pursue a secular purpose, the writing assignment being one such example.

Consequently nothing is 'sad' or 'scary,' save that of the ignorance of many concerning Establishment Clause jurisprudence.

 

[Elvis Obama]

Very sad. Prayer in schools is banned, but not religious texts. There is a huge difference between practicing a religion and studying a religion. The purpose of the assignment was to demonstrate the value of tolerance. This lesson was included in the curriculum for that very reason. Instead, these children got a much more powerful lesson in intolerance. Neither the teacher nor the school district did anything improper, except overestimating the rationality of their community.

I was curious, so I looked up the statistics on this school. Good academic record. The students are mostly from economically stable households. There is virtually no diversity in the school. It's reasonable to infer that the parents of these students have a reasonable degree of education themselves. Yet they reacted in such a knee-jerk, thoughtless manner. Very sad, and rather scary.

Wrong.

Prayer in school is not 'banned,' students and teachers are at liberty to engage in religious expression in schools provided such expression is not done in an official context, where schools (government) seek to endorse or promote religious practice.

And religion may be referenced in schools provided such references pursue a secular purpose, the writing assignment being one such example.

Consequently nothing is 'sad' or 'scary,' save that of the ignorance of many concerning Establishment Clause jurisprudence.

I don't imagine I'm going to enjoy discussing this with you, but I will try nonetheless. Yes, students who fail to study for an exam and who send up silent prayers to all the gods in the Hindu pantheon will not be penalized. You can also have students and faculty who choose to pray in a school, together and separately.

What is banned, and has been since 1963, is school mandated prayer. Some people have misinterpreted this to mean that religious texts cannot be studied in a public school. That is untrue. That is why this assignment was in the official school curriculum.

Therefore, the parents who objected to their little darlings being forced to read a tiny snippet of Islamic religious text did not have any constitutional grounds on which to stand. Therefore their objections are based entirely on bigotry and intolerance, which I find both sad and scary. That the official response to this disgusting display of intolerance is to remove this lesson in tolerance from their curriculum is ironic, sad and scary.

 

[OldLady]

Very sad. Prayer in schools is banned, but not religious texts. There is a huge difference between practicing a religion and studying a religion. The purpose of the assignment was to demonstrate the value of tolerance. This lesson was included in the curriculum for that very reason. Instead, these children got a much more powerful lesson in intolerance. Neither the teacher nor the school district did anything improper, except overestimating the rationality of their community.

I was curious, so I looked up the statistics on this school. Good academic record. The students are mostly from economically stable households. There is virtually no diversity in the school. It's reasonable to infer that the parents of these students have a reasonable degree of education themselves. Yet they reacted in such a knee-jerk, thoughtless manner. Very sad, and rather scary.

Wrong.

Prayer in school is not 'banned,' students and teachers are at liberty to engage in religious expression in schools provided such expression is not done in an official context, where schools (government) seek to endorse or promote religious practice.

And religion may be referenced in schools provided such references pursue a secular purpose, the writing assignment being one such example.

Consequently nothing is 'sad' or 'scary,' save that of the ignorance of many concerning Establishment Clause jurisprudence.

I don't imagine I'm going to enjoy discussing this with you, but I will try nonetheless. Yes, students who fail to study for an exam and who send up silent prayers to all the gods in the Hindu pantheon will not be penalized. You can also have students and faculty who choose to pray in a school, together and separately.

What is banned, and has been since 1963, is school mandated prayer. Some people have misinterpreted this to mean that religious texts cannot be studied in a public school. That is untrue. That is why this assignment was in the official school curriculum.

Therefore, the parents who objected to their little darlings being forced to read a tiny snippet of Islamic religious text did not have any constitutional grounds on which to stand. Therefore their objections are based entirely on bigotry and intolerance, which I find both sad and scary. That the official response to this disgusting display of intolerance is to remove this lesson in tolerance from their curriculum is ironic, sad and scary.

I think the teacher could have been more sensitive to the times; I think parents have a right to object to particular lessons or books they feel are inappropriate. Not every parent can afford to send their kids to private school if the public school doesn't represent their values. I don't think the school's ability to teach tolerance is going to be undermined by substituting a non-religious Arabic writing. Perhaps the school should rename the class "World Geography and Religions" so parents would have a heads up.

That being said, I agree that "There is a huge difference between practicing a religion and studying a religion. The purpose of the assignment was to demonstrate the value of tolerance. This lesson was included in the curriculum for that very reason. Instead, these children got a much more powerful lesson in intolerance..."
To me, that's really sad. I wonder how parents in that school district explained the closure to the young ones? Are those kids going to return to school looking over their shoulder for an outraged parent who will do Bad Things?

 

[bodecea]

Only one poster piped up about the embarrassing consequences of a group of Virginia parents who sparked a wave of mass hysteria that ended up closing their school district Friday due to security concerns. That thread got shut down for swearing, so I'll try my first OP.

Everyone could have done better here.
The teacher should have realized the religious content of the callligraphy exercise would create concerns, especially in December 2015, but maybe she hasn't been watching enough cable news....
The parents should have acted more like grown ups in their communications with the school, but maybe they forgot they weren't on an anonymous message board....
The school should have ... well, it sounds to me as if the school administrators did their best for a week to tamp out the fire, until the hostility spread like a wild fire through social media outside their district and their state....

So now this embarrassing incident has been reported internationally, the parents look foolish, and 10,000 kids missed a day of school. Hopefully, things will have calmed down by Monday...

It isn't so much that some parents had objections to the assignment, but that they created a wave of mass hysteria, that bothers me. Anxiety is high and social media has saturated our lives and our consciousness. It's a nice, dry pile of kindling waiting for any passing spark to ignite. There are many divere opinions on USMB, as it should be. This is just a reminder that your words are very powerful, so aim carefully.

Torches and Pitchforks....is it any wonder there is now a shortage of teachers in this country. Who would want to deal with the crazy parents as well as the lazy out-of-control students.