PISD bans teacher from classroom (thanks, Dorothy!!)
Ah, America; land of the free, where independent, free-spirited thinking is cherished and rewarded. Yeah, right...and monkeys are about to fly out of my butt.
It's one thing to get fifth-graders interested in civics. Enlisting them in a letter-writing campaign is apparently quite another, especially if you are unfortunate enough to teach in PISD.
The letters were an assignment given by former Mae Smythe Elementary School teacher Vicki Williams who, without thoroughly reading them, delivered the letters to state legislators during a spring break lobbying trip last year. Williams participated in the trip as the Pasadena Educators Association president and a member of the Texas State Teachers Association.
The Pasadena school board approved her proposed termination in June, but lawyers representing Williams and the district have since worked out the tentative deal that will allow her to remain in the Pasadena Independent School District for the fall semester.
Harsh words the fifth graders aimed at Grusendorf, R-Arlington, was the basis for Williams' proposed termination, said PISD Superintendent Rick Schneider.
Freedom and speech and thoughts are noble concepts that are probably taught somewhere in the Pasadena Independent School District, but Heaven help anyone who actually tries to exercise those free speech rights. Of course, Vicki Williams enlisting her fifth grade class in support of her own political agenda probably wasn't the brightest move, either. This is particularly true if you happen to deliver the letters to legislators without having read them first. Nice move, Ms. Williams. Brainlock, may we presume??
"I'm very sorry that Mr. Grusendorf's son had a bad experience, but that's no reason to make everybody work harder, cut field trips, go to school more days, make our parents buy our textbooks and make the schoolchildren go to private schools and pay thousands of dollars a year."
"Just because you don't like schools because of what happened to your son it doesn't mean you have to punish us. Because it's not are fault. I don't mean to be rude but you don't have to get all offensive."
"Your legislation is stupid because you just blame one teacher you blame them all. You have a brain that does not think. So never blame something to a teacher Kent Grusendorf. So start making your brain think."
Kent Grusendorf (R-Arlington) will never be the poster child for the Texas State Teachers Association. Of that there is little doubt, and a teacher is free to express his or her displeasure. Of course, there are probably more appropriate ways to accomplish this than by getting a group of impressionable fifth-graders to write letters.
Grusendorf, the chair of the House Public Education Committee, supports a school voucher system and introduced legislation during the 78th legislative session allowing a person who holds a bachelor's degree to pass a test and become a certified teacher.
The children's letters addressed both issues, expressing worry that money set aside for their school will go to private schools and that their education will suffer due to unqualified teachers. Grusendorf could not be reached for comment.
Although the district based its decision on Williams' remarks about Grusendorf, Schneider also emphasized the district's responsibility to protect young children from being used to advance a teacher's personal views. In his words, Williams "used poor judgment and clearly crossed the line."
I wonder what lessons we're teaching our children here? That it's not acceptable to buck the majority opinion? That being politically correct is ultimately what really matters? That there is nothing wrong with disagreeing with people in power- just as long as you keep those opinions to yourself?
For demonstrating an appalling degree of intolerance and kowtowing to the Republican power structure, the Pasadena Independent School District is truly deserving of it's DUMASS AWARD. Of course, for her lame-brain scheme, and for her failure to proofread the letters written by her students, Vicki Williams is deserving of an Honorable Mention at the very least. Congratulations, y'all; there's enough stupidity here for all y'all....
