Support no certainty for gay teachers

The Boston Globe ^ | November 9, 2003 | Laura Pappano

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Teacher John Andrews put it on the table at his Brookline High School job interview three years ago: He's gay.

"I wanted to make sure I came in without any surprises," said Andrews, who teaches 10th- and 12th-grade English. Ditto for Lexington High School guidance director Bob Quist, hired in 2000: "I made the conscious decision when I was hired: I was not going back into the closet."

[thoughtomator]

I can only begin to imagine the liability if one of these guys molests a kid.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Public education isn't what it was 40 years ago. It's no wonder so many parents are fleeing. Public schools have become altars to diversity and LIBERAL activism.

[Bonaparte]

Just what we want to send our kids to school for -- to hear about some teacher's sexual perversion. It's all about them, isn't it?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It's certainly not, "for the children."

[BlueString]

I just don't understand why the Republican Party is so afraid to actively push for vouchers. Ted Kenendy didn't want it in the education bill, so Bush took it out. Some nobody judge declares it unconstitutional and Republicans run away.

This is an issue that if pushed hard enough could not only give us the black vote, but the entire education issue, but they're all afraid. Why? I have no idea.

No way do a majority of parents, even in Boston, want their kids to be taught and be supervised by a pervert. This has got to be a winning issue, but they won't take it.

[horse_doc]

"Once you acknowledge that, you acknowledge they need to be paid attention to," he said.

"And believe me, I just love paying attention to them!", Parroti gushed.

[anniegetyourgun]

"Teacher John Andrews put it on the table at his Brookline High School job interview three years ago: He's gay."

Pity the one who defines himself by how he chooses to have sex.

I'm curious, did he also list how much personal debt he has? Of maybe which political party he is affiliated with? How 'bout whether or not he belongs to NAMBLA? What other non-teaching-related information did he leave out....just in case he wants to indoctrinate the students on that subject?

[anniegetyourgun]

A "winning" issue? I thought most Americans believe that homosexuals are "born that way," are discriminated against, are put-upon by "homophobes," and should be in a protected class?

[trebb]

I can only begin to imagine the liability if one of these guys molests a kid.

The way things are going, if it happened, they would try to blame the kid and the kid's parents for not having open enough minds to make the kid want to be molested.

[StonyBurk]

The local public schools here in western Colorado have
long followed Gay policy (special proteciton for homosexual
students-and teachers?)The schools and school district merely insist they are only following national policy.The
choice of lifestyle another chooses is NOT my concern--
Until it affects my family--and I will protect my family
from any homosexual just as justly as I would protect them
from a drug addict ,or paedofile.If someone chooses an
aberrant lifestyle they ought not insist we let them hold
positions of trust.

[OldSmaj]

"This is just one aspect of me," Andrews said.

You are correct, Mr. Andrews. One aspect of you, which is deviate and we don't care about it, nor do we care about the manner or method you use to cut your toenails, or whether you floss side to side or up and down or which foot you place your socks on first.

In other words, it is a personal matter, keep it to yourself, or, if you must, share it only with like perverts, away from the school environment.

Students "are here to learn about English."

Again correct, Mr. Andrews, so, again, keep your swish to yourself and teach English.

[Kerberos]

""Why should one impose what they do in their private lives onto students?" he said." "Shouldn't we be spending our money on making sure they know American history rather than exploring sexuality?"

Excellent quote!! This needs to be said every time the gay issue and schools is brought up.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The NEA is a very, very powerful lobby. Teachers supply money and muscle to the DNC and agressively work to torpedo education reform advocates. More and more "Leave No Child Behind" is exposing the embarrassing, and tragically high, number ignorant teachers and ignorant students.

So on balance, I do believe the argument is moving the right way politically and scholastically. Close to 50% of all states' budgets go toward education. The bloom is off the rose and education in this country will be changed. If it isn't, we're doomed.

[billorites]

"Teacher John Andrews put it on the table at his Brookline High School job interview..."

My goodness!

[Amelia]

Ron Crews, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute in Newton, said there is no place for talk of homosexuality in schools. "Why should one impose what they do in their private lives onto students?" he said. "Shouldn't we be spending our money on making sure they know American history rather than exploring sexuality?"

That pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. Leave your private life at home, and teach the kids whatever subject matter you are hired to teach.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The Left has taken over education. And as Zel Miller is currently explaining so well to America, the Democratic Party is a collection of radical groups - gays, feminists, racists, environmentalists, etc. Their tenets are the underpinnings of public education. Britain is experiencing the same thing and I'm sure it doesn't stop there. Our schools have become the tool of Marxists.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

If someone chooses an aberrant lifestyle they ought not insist we let them hold positions of trust.

The Episcopal Church is currently being split apart over this.

[BOOTSTICK]

"each teacher said he wanted to give kids a positive image of a gay person".Like what? a 43 year life expectancy?, or a lack of monogamy?, or AIDS?

[Amelia]

I can only begin to imagine the liability if one of these guys molests a kid.

I'm sure it's possible. My experience as a parent and teacher is that most teenaged boys are going to stay as far away as possible from someone who gives the slightest appearance of being gay.

Personally I'm aware of several cases of male teachers losing their jobs for inappropriate relationships with female students, but the only case of a male teacher being involved with male students that I'm personally aware of involved an apparently heterosexual teacher who had a wife and children at home.