Posted on 10/02/2004 10:43:17 PM PDT by 11th_VA
SOUTH BRUNSWICK: A middle school teacher walked out on her job after being asked to remove a picture of the president from her classroom, she said.
Though she says he has not resigned, the teacher's situation at Crossroads Middle School South is not yet resolved.
Shiba Pillai-Diaz's walkout involved the local police, left school officials mum and appalled the local Republican Party.
Pillai-Diaz, 33, a volunteer with the Bush campaign and an English teacher, has had a publicity picture of the First Couple hanging in her classroom since the start of the school year, she said.
The photo became an issue last week.
Parents e-mailed an assistant principal accusing Pillai-Diaz of suppressing free speech because the teacher refused to talk to pupils about why the color photo hung in the room.
"Students said, 'You like George Bush? He's killed people,' " Pillai-Diaz said. "As a rule I don't talk about my politics in the classroom."
According to Pillai-Diaz, Assistant Principal Mark Daniels said he had no problem with the photo, which hung next to posters of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. But Daniels told the teacher she should address questions that arose because of the photo.
"He wasn't giving me the power to direct conversation in my classroom," said Pillai-Diaz, who regarded the picture just as an image of the current president.
Thursday, at back-to-school night, the controversy exploded after a parent asked why the picture was up, Pillai-Diaz said.
"The way she asked was a political assault," the teacher said.
Then the parents started their own debate about the picture, and one mother stormed out of the classroom, Pillai-Diaz said.
Friday morning, the teacher, who is in her sixth year of teaching and her first in South Brunswick, was called into the assistant principal's office. Daniels told her to remove the picture, Pillai-Diaz said.
"He said, 'If you care about your job, you'll take the picture down,' " she said.
Pillai-Diaz told the assistant principal to take the picture down himself. Then she sought Principal Jim Warfel, who gave her an upbraiding.
"He said, 'You've caused more disruption, hatred and anger than anyone I've ever known,' " she said.
The teacher said the principal told her to "get out," so she left and headed to the South Brunswick Police Department.
An officer accompanied Pillai-Diaz back to the school because she said she feared for her safety when she went to collect her belongings, police said.
Once Pillai-Diaz felt safe at the school the officer left, police said.
In the school, Pillai-Diaz had a two-hour meeting with Superintendent Gary McCartney and a representative from the teachers' union. Both parties told the teacher she would lose any fight she would try to start about the picture, Pillai-Diaz said.
"They weren't interested in the substance of the issue," she said.
The superintendent said no one has resigned, been fired or suspended. McCartney would not discuss the incident, calling it a personnel matter.
When reached Friday night, Sylvia Lee, president of the teachers' union, said no teacher had been fired and she didn't know about the incident. Lee did not return multiple telephone messages left for her yesterday.
Board of Education President Robert Long declined to comment on the incident, calling it a personnel matter.
He did say he could not find any district policy addressing the presence of pictures of presidents in classrooms. He said it would be too early to tell whether the incident merited a policy change.
"We don't want to develop a policy for something that is not needed," Long said. "Whatever the facts may be, it is something we will certainly take a look at if needed."
Democrats dominate South Brunswick's government, holding the Mayor's Office and three of the four council seats.
Of the 40,000 people living in the township, about 5,000 are registered Republicans. Registered Democrats outnumber them by a 3-to-2 margin, said local Republican officials.
"It's horrible that a teacher was asked to take down a picture of the president of the United States," said Dawn Smith, chair of the local Republican Committee. "It's unconscionable."
Smith said she would expect the same procedures to apply whether it was President Bush or former President Clinton.
"When did we stop honoring our country's leaders?" Smith asked.
Pillai Diaz said the only way school officials may have known she was a Republican is because she could not attend a meeting with teachers on the day she volunteered at the Republican National Convention in New York.
"I never once said 'I am a Republican' or 'I support the president,' " Pillai-Diaz said.
Pillai-Diaz turned in the keys to her classroom on Friday. She packed up the picture and her classroom decorations, taking them with her when she left. She is unsure about her future employment, but said she is supposed to speak with district officials about it tomorrow.
"My ultimate goal is to teach," she said.
Well, I make 15% less than I did 2 years ago, that's it.
moog, is that an actual dollar figure? Are your actual dollars 15% less or are you just whining about not getting a raise? Most teachers won't tell you the dirty little secret - they get "step raises" whether or not they are voted a "pay raise." My industry isn't giving "step raises."
Yes, that is real dollar figures. I thought that I did receive a raise every year. Then I looked at my past wages, and only 2 out of the 9 years, have I received anything other than a negligible raise (we did get one of 0.3 percent this year). There are many more deductions as well (like any other job) so that makes the take home pay even lower.
I work in the computer industry. We have to pay out-of-pocket to keep current on technology just as much as teachers have to pay. Most other occupations also have out-of-pocket expenses.
You are right about that.
I am really sick of whiny teachers.
I am sick of people who complain period, teachers and non-teachers. I am sick of people who complain without trying to say, "Here I am, how can I help?" I am sick of a few teachers complaining about things that don't really matter. I am sick of some people complaining about things like not being able to go on 4 vacations this year. I am sick of us being a complaining society. To be honest, I have learned in the past 2 years to try not to complain too much, as circumstances are teaching me not to do so. It makes me more disappointed than anything to see some of the things we complain about. We always seem to want more, and aren't thankful for the things we do have. I would LOVE to be able to complain about things happening to my kids. Unfortunately, circumstances are that I am not able to have the great opportunity of raising kids like I would like to dearly have. I don't think people appreciate the great opportunity they have to be parents, one of the most special things they could have. I do have many things to be thankful for and am very happy with what I do have. But I will always strive to make myself a better person and to try to help others' lives become better too.
They all say,"we didn't go into it for the money," and then they whine about the money.
I think you are right to an extent. I don't have any sympathy for those teachers who make over 60 thousand dollars, have specialists up the ying yang, and still complain about their salaries. But I think a LOT of people outside of teaching do just that. I know a lady who cried she couldn't pay the mortgage on her 10,000 square foot home at a city council meeting. One of my dentists worried whether he would be able to afford his trip to Bermuda or if he was going to be able to afford his personal foot massager. You get the picture.
Call me old-fashioned, but I just don't understand parents that don't work with the teachers. There are two, 2-hour parent/teacher opportunites each marking period, and I didn't miss one last year. I was absolutley appalled at being only the second parent to sign in with my daughter's teacher, with only 30 minutes left before the PTA meeting which follows each one.
AMEN AMEN AMEN. I can't imagine not working with parents as a teacher. I am fortunate to have a good relationship with my students' parents, though I certainly wish some of them would respond or contact me more. Sometimes the parents become more or less friends. I believe in "first grade solutions," that most problems can be solved in five minutes or less after a little conversation. Oftentimes, I find that to be the case. If a parent requests his/her child be moved to a different seating spot, I do it.
I guess I am old fashioned too. It seems like a lot of people want to blame the other guy nowadays, but doesn't want to make a sincere effort to solve the problem or take responsiblity.
I don't think the solution to education problems is to dramatically increase taxes or to gut the system. I think working together and being on the same page would go a lot longer way without spending a dime, only a little time.
Oh, since when do schools cave in to parents? Only when they agree with them
When parents make a common-sense approach to communicate with the teacher and to establish a positive relationship, it goes a long way. I certainly do listen to the parents of my students. No, I don't do everything that they want, but we do work together to find a solution. I could list a whole page of examples, but won't here for lack of time.
The truth is that we get very little of what we want to in life. I certainly have learned that fact a long time ago. I make the best of my situation and try to strive to make myself a better person (I have a long way to go in that department).
***It's your getting involved that will help your children be a success.***
I work as a volunteer in our literacy program for 2nd and 3rd graders. Mainly it involves just listening and helping children in oral reading. Going into it during my first year, I thought the children just needed a little extra help. One of "my" little girls improved so much over the first few weeks, I made a comment to her about how proud her parents were going to be listening to her read. She very candidly told me that no one will listen to her read at home. She became a special one to me in that moment and has inspired me to stay with the program. I've never forgotten her. It's been four years and she still runs up to give me a hug.
I really, really, really, really, really wish (as my first graders would put it) that we had more people like you who are willing to spend a little time with the kids. It makes a HUGE difference.
Saw her on tv this morning. ABC I think. The interviewer made it a point to ask her "And you were ordered not to discuss it with the media?" (Yet here you are, you little devil.) Of course her political affiliation and behaviors were plumbed thoroughly so we all know she's a partisan, eeeevil Republican.
Exactly.
Do I want the schools to be held accountable? of course I do. But I also believe parents should be held accountable as well.
Education does not end when the bell rings at 3pm, it continues at home. It seems far too many people have forgotten that concept.
Sometimes the parents become more or less friends.
I had to laugh at this comment. We are in the awkward position of actually being social friends with the husband of our daughter's teacher. We drink beer and play NTN Trivia with him a couple times a month, and of course are on first name basis. But any contact with his wife, which is always in her position as teacher, it's all Mr. & Mrs. all the way around. As this is a very small (population) county, it is just a matter of time before we run into them as a couple in a social situation. I already run into her occassionally out shopping.
Funny how the teachers' union is MIA. When it comes to defending teachers who molest students, the union is all over the case.
That's a dumb question. At this point, and in that state, unless all the recent presidents were up there, and all or many of the senators it would be a political statement.
Funny, my grade school principal was also an "ancient New England Yankee" with a pic of Ike on the wall! Detested Kennedy and some of the Supreme Court justices too---and let everybody know it. Public school notwithstanding. (This was in Jersey not far from the South Brunswick school referenced here...which was probably just a harmless cornfield in our youth!)
Do I want the schools to be held accountable? of course I do. But I also believe parents should be held accountable as well.
Man I wish you were in our state legislature here.
Education does not end when the bell rings at 3pm, it continues at home. It seems far too many people have forgotten that concept.
I would agree. I wish that I had control over how many days kids missed or how much reading they did or other things. Unfortunately I don't. However, I am held accountable for mine and parents' actions (which I don't control).
Sometimes the parents become more or less friends.
I had to laugh at this comment. We are in the awkward position of actually being social friends with the husband of our daughter's teacher. We drink beer and play NTN Trivia with him a couple times a month, and of course are on first name basis. But any contact with his wife, which is always in her position as teacher, it's all Mr. & Mrs. all the way around. As this is a very small (population) county, it is just a matter of time before we run into them as a couple in a social situation. I already run into her occassionally out shopping.
I can take it a little farther than that. I live in my school boundaries. I bought my house from a student. I had two of my next door neighbors in my class two years ago and have a neighbor boy in my class this year. I knew about 1/2 of my class last year before they came into my class. If I had kids, I probably would be more involved around here with people, but this is a very family and kid-oriented community (the average age of our city's poplulation is 19). I have always wanted to be able to be in the same community and to serve the kids that I teach. For me, I have the best of both worlds.
What county are you in? I'm in CoCo.
I remember in grade school constantly seeing pictures of LBJ, who almost nobody liked. Now there was a President to hate.
Personally, I think every classroom should have an American flag and a picture of the President, regardless of who it is. It's a sign of respect for the institutions and symbols of the country.
I actually did have a similar experience when I went to back to school night at my daughter's middle school in the fall of 1994. As I examined the decor of the classroom there were rainbows, a picture of JFK, peace posters cluttering the classroom. The morning after election day I told my daughter on the way to school, "Just be patience with your English teacher today, she's gonna be in a real pissed off mood." My daughter looked at me and said, "Why, how do you know?" to which I replied, "Trust me ..."
When she came home from school she said,"Boy dad you were right, our English teacher was in a really bad mood, how come you're so smart?".
When parents make a common-sense approach to communicate with the teacher
So is this considered a "common-sense" approach? These parents shouldn't have gotten beyond the front door of the school. It is despicable that the school system even listened to them. But then again, we hear the schools asking parents to get involved. If this is an example of "getting involved" I think that the school system should reconsider its policy.
By the way, if I saw a picture on a classroom wall depicting Che G. mentioned in one of the posts of this thread, I'd personally tear that commie bastard's photo off the wall and burn it outside.
Trajan88
According to Pillai-Diaz, Assistant Principal Mark Daniels said he had no problem with the photo, which hung next to posters of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. But Daniels told the teacher she should address questions that arose because of the photo.
Yeah, right. And as soon as this teacher defended the President and told the students they were incorrect about Bush "killing people", they would have complained that this teacher was unduly influencing their precious darlings with her politics. You can't win with people like this.
regarding your last paragraph....I had the exact same experience, I went to catholic private schools until 10th grade.
All in all 9th grade was a eye opening experience due only to the fact that abortion was rampant, cocaine was the prevalent drug of choice in use, opposed to weed, and frankly, there wasn't much education going on at the catholic school.
Switching to a public school for 10th-12th grades and saving my parents a small fortune was an easy choice.
And you all thought it was going to end with smoking bans...
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