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terpfan1980
terpfan1980
Join Date 08/2004
+13

Teacher says principal ordered Bush portrait removed...

July 21, 2005 10:09:01 PM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
From The Smoking Gun, originally found via Drudge. Headline is linked. Comments follow article snippet.



Teacher says principal ordered Bush portrait removed from classroom

JULY 21--A New York woman claims that she was forced from her teaching post by an elementary school principal who objected to her Republican activism and last year ordered the removal of a portrait of President George W. Bush from the educator's Long Island classroom. In a federal discrimination lawsuit, Jillian Caruso, 26, claims that she was improperly forced to resign her job by Birch Lane Elementary School principal Joyce Becker-Seddio, the wife of state Assemblyman Frank Seddio, a Brooklyn Democrat. In her U.S. District Court complaint, a copy of which you'll find below, Caruso contends that she was retaliated against by Becker-Seddio because of her political work, which has included volunteering at last year's GOP convention and membership in the Republican National Committee. Caruso, who taught first and third graders at Birch Lane, also claims that when the principal spotted the Bush portrait late last year--it was hanging among photos of other U.S. presidents--she "became outraged and insisted that the picture be removed." Caruso, who complied with that order, has named the Massapequa Union Free School District as the sole defendant in her action, which seeks unspecified monetary damages and a reappointment to her prior teaching post.



What fun.

So now it's the job of liberal principals and school administrators to make sure that photos of the current president are all exorcised out of the school systems?

Damn, I really wish that I could have done that with pictures of Clinton back when I was working on a military installation (as did many others who had absolutely no respect for that clown).

What in the hell is with idiots like this school principal that makes them think that it's acceptable to ban photos of the current president from the classroom?? You may not like the man, but he's the President of the United States. Respect the office, if not the man. Let the man's photo hang with the other Presidents so that students can at least (hopefully) answer the simple man on the street question of: "Who is the current President of the United States?" or "Who is this man, and why should you recognize him?" Given the amount of idiots we have running around the streets that have no clue who their political leaders are, I find it refreshing that a teacher actually would try to make sure their students recognized the President.

For that matter, I could go off on a serious side rant about the total lack of "literacy" (for lack of the proper term) when it comes to most citizens having even a hint of a clue about who their political leaders are. Ask an average person on the street to tell you how many Supreme Court justices there are. Most people have no clue that it's 9. Ask why has the Supreme Court been in the news again lately, and again, probably a clueless response that ignores the fact that Sandra Day O'Connor is retiring. If you are lucky, the respondent might actually know the name John Roberts, or even be able to say that it's O'Connor that is retiring, but for many people, it's not even on the radar.

Ask an average citizen who the Speaker of the House is, many might still say Tip O'Neill or New Gingrich. Who is the Senate Minority Leader... blank stare.

Yup, a nation of under-educated and ill-informed are we.
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terpfan1980
Texas Wahine
Join Date 08/2004
+127
Reply #1 July 21, 2005 10:39:52 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
This seems too bizarre to be true. Wow.

Republican activism, like any other type of advocacy or lifestyle, that is not brought into the classroom and does not affect the quality of the children's learning should not be punished or discouraged. That sort of discrimination is sickening.

As far as the portrait goes...WTF? Even if she had ONLY President Bush's portrait hanging, he is the current President of the United States. And as a group of portraits of American Presidents? Geez. Portraits of US Presidents sure have more educational value than the "hang in there" cat in a tree poster.

I have a bit of a concern about asking for "unspecified monetary damages" from a school district, but more power to her for insisting that she be reinstated. I really feel sorry for her classes, who must be very confused and upset at having the teacher they've relied on abruptly ripped from their classroom.

Wow.
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terpfan1980
terpfan1980
Join Date 08/2004
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Reply #2 July 21, 2005 10:55:10 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Actually Tex, I'm not at all surprised, given the activism by most in the teaching profession (which leans heavily liberal).

The NEA and AFT are both highly liberal and unapologetic in being so. Both have worked hard to try to keep Bush from ever being elected, and from being re-elected.

The rank and file may not be that liberal, but much of the management level people in those unions are very liberal, and rabidly so. Think Democratic Underground types.

Anyway, just another fun day in the educational system...

(Personally, I hope that the individual wins a big pile of money from the school system and that the principal finds herself pounding pavement looking for work...)
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terpfan1980
thatoneguyinslc
Join Date 07/2004
+1
Reply #3 July 22, 2005 12:53:20 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
That would be appointed and THEN elected terp.......But seriously.

I agree that removing a sitting President's portrait from a public school classroom is a load of crap. As long as the teacher in question wasn't inducting the little rugrats into the RNC, i don't understand the logic behind the principal's actions.

Just another example of politics screwing up our educational system even moreso than it already is.
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terpfan1980
lobsterhunter
Join Date 01/2004
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Reply #4 July 22, 2005 1:01:05 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I'm a classroom teacher, and if this had happened to me, I'm not so sure I would have been brave enough to stand up for what is right. This woman deserves a pat on the back for being sensible.
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terpfan1980
Myrrander
Join Date 09/2004
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Reply #5 July 22, 2005 2:13:59 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I remember reading about this. It's insane that she was forced to remove the picture. On the other hand, I have a feeling there's more to this than meets the eye. I'm a liberal classroom teacher, but I teach English and I don't really have an opportunity for any sort of "activism" in my classroom. I'm too busy trying to get that whole "subject-verb" agreement thing across.
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terpfan1980
Phoenixboi
Join Date 05/2004
+3
Reply #6 July 22, 2005 2:24:33 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Ahh who wants to look at his ugly mug anyhow?..
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terpfan1980
Dr Guy
Join Date 09/2004
+129
Reply #7 July 22, 2005 6:43:57 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Ahh who wants to look at his ugly mug anyhow?..

Laura and Barbara.......

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terpfan1980
Myrrander
Join Date 09/2004
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Reply #8 July 22, 2005 7:09:44 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Here's my question: why are most of the conservative blogs here on JU just reprints of what Drudge puts on his site? I mean, I check Drudge once every couple of days and sure enough, it's exactly the same things people like Terpfan, Guy, etc. are posting as "articles."

You didn't need to include "via Drudge" up at the top there Terp, we already know who ghostwrites your blog. Really, the only thing worse is drmiler's cut and paste blog -- at least you wrote some somewhat original commentary.
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terpfan1980
terpfan1980
Join Date 08/2004
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Reply #9 July 22, 2005 8:46:13 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
You didn't need to include "via Drudge" up at the top there Terp, we already know who ghostwrites your blog. Really, the only thing worse is drmiler's cut and paste blog -- at least you wrote some somewhat original commentary.


No Myrr, you don't "already know" who ghostwrites for me.

Nice try at the liberal trick of flinging accussations to see if they stick.

As it turns out, not all conservative blogs are just reprints of Drudge, not all of the people you label as conservatives are, and not all people that even consider themselves conservatives are... but that is a blog rant that will show up momentarily thanks to your mis-placed inspiration here.
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terpfan1980
drmiler
Join Date 09/2004
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Reply #10 July 22, 2005 9:02:22 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
You didn't need to include "via Drudge" up at the top there Terp, we already know who ghostwrites your blog. Really, the only thing worse is drmiler's cut and paste blog -- at least you wrote some somewhat original commentary.


And BTW, if you don't like the way I do things.....here's a suggestion. DON'T read them, asshat! First off I absolutely "hated" english class when I was in school. So I'm not all that good at writing. Secondly, you have NO IDEA how much physical labor goes into it for me, as typing is extremely difficult for me to do with the severity of my MS!
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terpfan1980
Dr Guy
Join Date 09/2004
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Reply #11 July 22, 2005 9:27:04 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

No Myrr, you don't "already know" who ghostwrites for me.

Kind of funny too as I think I have used Drudge maybe once or twice as a source.  Seems that if Drudge has something that any place else carries, us conservatives MUST have pulled it from Drudge.

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terpfan1980
InBloom
Join Date 10/2004
+29
Reply #12 July 22, 2005 12:24:44 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
~When it comes to current events, who gives a damn what the source is, as long as it's generally considered reputable?~

Just something that pops into my head as I read this: But haven't left minded JUsers been given hell in the past for writing articles containing what they also consider qualified sources--such as newspapers, political journals, sites, etc?

Also, as long as the teacher didn't preach her political views at work, there was no legitimate reason for her to have been forced to bring down that portrait.
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