Illinois High School Requires Parents To Self-Identify As Liberal or Conservative

Illinois Review ^ | December 03, 2013 | Illinois Review

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

OAK FOREST - An assignment sent home from an Oak Forest, IL high school government class is raising eyebrows among parents who are shocked by the questionnaire they and their children are required to fill out. The questionnaire (below) has the parents identify their positions on a number of highly-charged issues, and then places them on a "political spectrum."

[GeronL]

The Political Police are the schools I guess

[Mastador1]

Where is the form where the school teachers and administrators identify themselves as A. Socialist or B. Communist or C. Just plain incompetent.

[cothrige]

It seems to me that this is just a survey which the student is meant to have answered by "someone 40 years old or older." Reading at the article I am not seeing any real indication that the student must have their parents answer it, and so I don't know why some might think it is some insidious thing to gather information on the kid's family. It may be that, but I don't see it in the article. If this is so then I can't say I am really bothered or frightened of that kind of a thing.

However, what I think should bother people is blatant intent of the actual survey, and what that would seem to mean as far as what the student will learn. For instance, question number one is "The government should encourage rather than restrict prayer in the public schools" and then offers choice of L or C. How is that for a loaded and leading question, as if those are the two choices. I don't believe that the government has any authority to restrict any prayer anywhere, but neither do they have any role in encouraging it. This question implies a statist position by suggesting that in all cases it is the government that should dictate when we pray, or when we do not. It very clearly comes from a position of seeing the state as the prime mover in matters of belief and faith, and that is insidious.

[CelesteChristi]

Yet another reason...HOMESCHOOL.

[RedWing9]

None of the posters here obviously live within the area: this High School has consistently had a message of “God Bless” something or other for as long as I’ve been in the area (10+ years).

And no one mentions Common Core... It’s all blame the school/teachers...

[riri]

Did you ever have any doubts they’d be the center?

[RedWing9]

I should have said the message is on their kiosk outside the school. Prominent visibility to all who drive by.

[GeronL]

I agree with your second paragraph

[henkster]

Read Max Frisch’s “Biedermann und die Branstifter.” Or the American version: “The Firebugs.”

If you described the Holocaust to the average German of 1928 they would have said “that can’t happen here.” From 1955 to at least 1980 they all asked “how could we have let this happen?”

People go along, don’t make waves and follow orders of those “in authority.” It’s what we’re wired to do.

[GeronL]

not really

[healy61]

That would by my same response. The crowbar is a nice touch.

[coydog]

That’s it. Good, solid plotline, no explicit sexual content or truly pointless violence. Characters on both sides of the conflict are complex and well-realized. It’s fun to watch this and play spot-the-weasel.

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

“I have often wondered how the Germans could sit by and let Hitler 1) come to power at all; and 2) how could ordinary people allow the atrocities of Germany to occur?”

Easy answer...Hitler disarmed them. THEY allowed Hitler to disarm them.

Obama and the Liberals (Leftists) know this is absolutely necessary to follow Hitler’s path...the path they want to follow. It is up to all of us to prevent this from happening.

[Truthoverpower]

I would just lie and say I love Barry and the demo cars with a wry smile

Just move on.. Like your famous stupid website....

Nothing to see here!

Gee whiz !

[goat granny]

this is really not new...back when my oldest boy was in 7 or8th grade he brought home a survey for him to make out. He asked me about it...There was a lot of personal info. they wanted. The one I really laughed at was...how many bathrooms do you have. I told my son that those questions were none of the schools business, put down what ever you want....(we had 6 bathrooms according to him) was one of his answers. He had a ball filling out the questionnaire. Didn't answer even one with the proper information...My neighbor told her kid the same thing. The answers were useless. Even today its none of the schools business. Looks like even some conservatives don't tell them to go to hell with their silly questions. They just worry about what to put down... hope freepers give crappy useless answers also. They wanted a survey, they got one. Full of useless answers. He's over 50 now and an independent thinker. Have a few others that call junk junk It is not anyones business. period

[Ezekiel]

It seems to me that this is just a survey which the student is meant to have answered by "someone 40 years old or older." Reading at the article I am not seeing any real indication that the student must have their parents answer it, and so I don't know why some might think it is some insidious thing to gather information on the kid's family. It may be that, but I don't see it in the article. If this is so then I can't say I am really bothered or frightened of that kind of a thing.

Plausible deniability. The school knows that a student's "social circle" that includes the over 40 demographic is going to be that of close relatives, parents mainly. Normal kids wouldn't pester a neighborhood adult with this kind of junk anyway. That's what family is for.

Soviet Bloc teachers were expert at keeping their eyes and ears alert for rogue anti-government minded parents. Parents were afraid to speak in their own homes within earshot of their children, as the state had ways of discovering unapproved value systems via innocent kids.

The school sent this little survey home. Maybe the cluelessness is so pervasive that it's just that easy. Otherwise, they won't make that mistake again.

[The Antiyuppie]

“Sideways?”

Even better.

[The Antiyuppie]

“Typical. They don’t even spell Reagan’s name correctly ( they write Ronald Regan ). But that is what to expect from “educators” these days.”

Ha ha, great catch. But, you get what you pay for...NOT.

[Girlene]

Common Core Corriculum

[ThunderSleeps]

Sounds like my kind of party when confronted with this kind of stupidity. I’m in.