Military sensitivity sought in schools

Bangor Daily Snooze ^ | 2/25/03 | By Ruth-Ellen Cohen, Of the NEWS Staff

[metesky]

Bangor Daily News - Print this Article

By Ruth-Ellen Cohen, Of the NEWS Staff e-mail Ruth-Ellen
Last updated: Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Military sensitivity sought in schools
Reminder to aid kids with deployed parents

Commissioner of Education J. Duke Albanese said Monday he plans to send e-mails to schools reminding them to be "sensitive" to children whose parents may be involved in the war on Iraq.Albanese said Maj. Gen. Joseph Tinkham, state adjutant general, told him Monday that the Army National Guard had received complaints from parents across the state who felt "people weren't as sensitive as they should be."

When he first heard about the complaints last week, he had been under the impression that parents were upset about teachers making anti-war statements in the classroom, Albanese said.

In fact, according to "anecdotal stories" told to him by Tinkham, the commissioner said only one complaint had to do with a classroom activity in which a child became upset after a teaching assistant "took up the anti-war" side.

Other complaints were from parents on two occasions who thought local school personnel "should have been more sensitive" when a student requested to leave early for a military-related activity and when a student was teased on a school bus because a parent was in the military.

The anecdotes were reported at family assistance centers, where relatives of deployed soldiers can get information and support.

Albanese said late Monday afternoon he would send out an advisory "reiterating the need to be sensitive to the times and to the children who might have a parent who's going to be potentially dispatched to war."

Maine teachers and schools have an "excellent track record" when it comes to supporting families, Albanese said.

"Often teachers act as surrogates ... in support of a child who's concerned about what's happening at home," he said.

Army National Guard spokesman Maj. Peter Rogers said late Monday he was pleased with the department's move.

"That's great news," he said. "I think a lot of it was probably that people weren't thinking and hopefully this will fix the problem," he said. "A lot of teachers may not have known children had parents who were deployed."

As of Friday, his department had received "no phone calls, e-mails or faxes," Albanese said. "Usually parents would come to us and let us know their concerns."

On Monday four e-mails arrived from people who had seen a television report that Maine Army National Guard officials were getting complaints from parents.

"That's not what we consider a huge response to the problem," Albanese said. "That's really minimal."

The e-mails "were about [people] wanting and encouraging us and me in particular to do something about this."

Rogers is hopeful things will be worked out.

"All we're looking for is for educators to be sensitive to the fact that we have family members in the classrooms and these kids have already suffered the trauma of having someone from their family deployed," he said.

"Everyone has the right to free speech, but if it's making kids uneasy and their separation harder, it's not something we're interested in at all."

[metesky]

Maine Education Commissionor does some CYA

[metesky]

On Monday four e-mails arrived from people who had seen a television report that Maine Army National Guard officials were getting complaints from parents.

"That's not what we consider a huge response to the problem," Albanese said. "That's really minimal."

Methinks the Dukester is under reporting the response.

[OpusatFR]

In other words, we got caught.

The power of the internet....

[judicial meanz]

I was on the original thread. He is HUGELY under-reporting it, IMHO, to keep his tail covered.

[metesky]

Oh, yeah....ummmm....right. Teachers with free speech in elementary school classrooms?

Well, their free speech, certainly not your's as a parent.

[metesky]

Bingo!

[Elsie]

"Often teachers act as surrogates ... in support of a child who's concerned about what's happening at home," he said.

 

But MOSTLY, teachers act as CHANGE AGENTS ... in OPPOSION to the values taught at home!

[Lizard_King]

You put your finger right on it. Not only is this man exposing his contempt for *actual* freedom of speech, he is also implying that teachers are free to indoctrinate as long as they aren't making kids "uneasy". Basically, he's telling the teachers not to rock the boat...sickening.

Pity that with the educational climate what it is, some conservatives might see this as progress...

[metesky]

Change agents and facilitators. Imagine how superior they feel running the Delphi Method on little kids.

[skeeter]

Army National Guard spokesman Maj. Peter Rogers said late Monday he was pleased with the department's move. "That's great news," he said. "I think a lot of it was probably that people weren't thinking and hopefully this will fix the problem," he said. "A lot of teachers may not have known children had parents who were deployed."

"People weren't thinking' my arse.

Just tell the traitorous B*stards, if they've got nothing supportive to say, to SFU immediately.

[Eva]

Someone should tell this man that the reason that the parents approached the National Guard representative instead of contacting him directly is because they were not sure of his position and felt they needed an advocate.
It looks as thought they may have been right if the superintendent of schools thinks that elementary school teachers have the right to subject elementary school students to the teacher's personal political bias.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this.

It is time for all vets and conservatives in Maine to blast this rat bureaucRat.

If I had a grandchild in school and Maine, and one of the left wing lunatics harassed her or him, I would have been on the first plane back to Maine. That teacher, her principle, the school board and the Mayor would have a few graphic lessons in what will not be tolerated in America when they harrass a student with a parent called up on active duty.

First I believe the good people in Maine need to respond.

This needs to get on Hannity's and Rush's programs for a nationwide show of the terrorism inflicted by these left wing teachers on these innocent children.

If there is not massive and immediate apologies and new policies, then we can get involved nation wide. We can tell the governor of Maine, that Maine will be treated like France by the rest of us.

[livius]

This needs to get on Hannity's and Rush's programs for a nationwide show of the terrorism inflicted by these left wing teachers on these innocent children.

Absolutely.

I've been thinking a lot about how families feel when they hear the clergy come out and make bizarre left wing statements, too. Why don't teachers and clergy do something useful, like helping families who are undergoing hardship because the bread-winner has been called up. These people are being completely ignored by our stupid, self-satisfied liberal clergy and teachers. It makes me sick.

[Squantos]

On Monday four e-mails arrived from people .......Hmmmm ??? I sent 5.

Stay Safe !

[Butch Moore]

Just in case anyone wants to comment:

http://www.state.me.us/education/eddir/emplist.htm

Commissioner J. Duke Albanese
duke.albanese@maine.gov
(207)624-6620

[Uncle Jaque]

Re: " We can tell the governor of Maine, that Maine will be treated like France by the rest of us."

Oh, NOOOO Grampa Dave!!!

Does this mean that we'll all have to SURRENDER?

Oh; wait! I think we have a white sheet in the linen closet... gosh darn it.. I mean; Sacre' Bluuh!!! EEEi Tabanack!!! Where'd I put that cheese?

Will you be in Lewiston to personally accept our surrender, or should we look for another? Please be humaine! };^{)~

Uncle Jaque in the People's Republic of Southern Maine.

[Grampa Dave]

Clergy should be called on the carpet when they do this.

The second saturday after 9/11, at our church's Saturday evening mass, we had a renta priest.

This Clymer started to tell us that America deserved what happened.

I stood up and told him that I would not allow him to talk like that in my church. My poor wife was petrified. He started back in the same manner, and I told him him to shut up. That he was feeding us lies (he cited the starving of children in Iraq, that if children in Iraq starved it was due to his budddy, the super Rich Saddam.

He tried to say that he and I were probably closer than I than I thought. I told him that he and I were not close on anything and suggested he finish the Mass. Which he did while trembling.

During the peace, everyone in the pew in front of us hugged me and said thank you, and everyone in the pew behind us did the same. Most people were giving me the thumbs up.

I refused to take communion from this clymer. I went outside to wait for my wife to come out. As people left they shook my hand and said thank you. One guy looked at me and about ran to his car.

The next day after church, we were at home, our regular priest called and wanted to know if we were all right. My wife started to semi apologize for my remarks. Our regular priest said no apology was necessary. He said when he heard about the interchange, he said that sounds like Dave, good for him. Then he said, that he still loved us and would see us next Sunday at regular mass. He still jokes about it, when he and I are by ourselves. He is very pro American.

We have had special prayers for our military people since then.

[Grampa Dave]

So Uncle Jaque, do you agree with the terrorism that these teachers did to these innocent children? Does that make you have spasms of joy!

Are you the typical French dna descendent who hates Americans?

You are the one with the sheets in your closet in this situation supporting the terrorist teachers and laughing at the children being terrorized?

Sounds like it to me!

[FreedomPoster]

Reading that made my day.