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.
CW2 ping.
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.
I must admit that that is an eye opener to me a little bit, though one of my students came to my class in much the same circumstances, leading her father to remark that he was happy because he got a better education for his daughter, she enjoyed coming to school again and had friends, and he payed a lot less.
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
I sure don't think it was a common sense approach and never said as such. I don't think it is an example of getting involved either and never said as such either. You aren't a news reporter, are you?:)
The parents would not have gotten anywhere near my door because they would have known about everything beforehand and the purpose for it. However, it seems like everyone on all sides of the coin wants the school system to conform to their wishes. That should stop.
Nope, I am not a news reporter for the liberal media, or any media for that matter. Now to the debate.
The parents would not have gotten anywhere near my door because they would have known about everything beforehand and the purpose for it.
What explanation is needed? The picture of the President and his wife hanging in the classroom needs no explanation and if a purpose is needed show those parents a ticket to Cuba.
Better to let the autoformat work.
The superintendent's email is: james.warfel@sbschools.org
Keep her in our thoughts and prayers, everyone. It isn't about "Republicans vs. Democrats" anymore, it's about the enemy trying to dismantle the very fabric of our country.
And it sounds like by some of the students comments, its already starting.
Another example of the autoformat:
http://images.blogads.com/ebjmzsfdzdmfshnbjmdpn/dailyrecycler/3202313/thumb?rev=rev_1
Pray for W and Our Troops
When she refused, the matter was taken up by the principal, Jim Warfel, who Pillai-Diaz said accused her of "causing disruption and hatred" with her "inflammatory politics" and told her to "get out" of the building. >>
Typical liberal buzz words that are meaningless and which just goes to show you the liberal bias in the education establishment. I bet nobody ever had a problem with a picture of the stain maker in a classroom. South Brunswick Township Public Schools
Dr. James Warfel, Principal Administrative Offices 4 Executive Drive Telephone: 732.297.7800 Fax: 732.422.8054 Crossroads South Middle School
jwarfel@sbschools.org
Raymond Tucholski, Assistant Principal
atucholski@sbschools.org
Mark Daniels, Assistant Principal
mddaniels@sbschools.org
Sondra Hinson, Assistant Principal
shinson@sbschools.org
P. O. Box 181
Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852
|
Mailing Address:
|
195 MAJOR ROAD
MONMOUTH JUNCTION, NJ 08852 |
| 732-329-4633 |
Board of Education
| ROBERT F. LONG, PRESIDENT Term expires 2006 23 Adams Road Kendall Park, N. J. 08824 732-422-4819 rlong@sbschools.org |
BRYAN J. LAURITA,VICE PRESIDENT Term expires 2006 10 Gillian Drive Kendall Park, N. J. 08824 732-422-7460 blaurita@sbschools.org |
MARTIN ABSCHUTZ Term expires 2005 18 Pullman Loop Dayton, N. J. 08810 732-329-0018 mabschutz @sbschools.org |
HARRY J. DELGADO Term expires 2007 36 Wetherhill Way Dayton, N. J. 08810 732-329-3453 hdelgado@sbschools.org |
|
| DR. MICHAEL MAHAN Term expires 2007 149 Providence Blvd. Kendall Park, N. J. 08824 732-398-1186 michael.mahan@sbschools.org |
BARRY NATHANSON Term expires 2005 40 Dunston Lane Monmouth Junction, N. J. 0882 732-329-2618 bnathanson@sbschools.org |
DR. MATTHEW SPEESLER Term expires 2005 7 Kathy Street Kendall Park, N. J. 08824 732-422-4167 mspeesler@sbschools.org |
ANNA TUPE Term expires 2007 40 Anderson Way Monmouth Junction, N. J. 08852 732-355-1219 atupe@sbschools.org |
DR. DANIEL WATTS Term expires 2006 24 Essex Drive Monmouth Junction, N. J. 08852 732-274-3420 dwatts@sbschools.org |
Dr. McCartney's Bio
Dr. Gary P. McCartney is the former superintendent of Parkland School District near Allentown, PA., a position he has held since 1992.
The South Brunswick Board of Education hired Dr. McCartney on October 14, 2003 after three separate meetings and a visit to Parkland School District.
Parkland School District is similar to South Brunswick, as it educates 8,800 students in ten schools and serves a growing suburban community.
Dr. McCartney's experience has been exclusive to Pennsylvania.
He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from Millersville State University and Master's and Doctorate degrees from Temple University.
Prior to serving as Parkland's superintendent, Dr. McCartney served as Superintendent of Fleetwood Area School District, Assistant Superintendent of Warwick School District and Assistant High School Principal in Lampeter-Strasburg High School. Prior to becoming an administrator, Dr. McCartney taught middle and high school science and coached basketball.
>>>>"Students said, 'You like George Bush? He's killed people,'"
What a sweet child
::slap::
Thank you for the links.
WE SHOULD ALL MAIL THEM A PICTURE OF PRESIDENT BUSH.
Nope, I am not a news reporter for the liberal media, or any media for that matter. Now to the debate.
The parents would not have gotten anywhere near my door because they would have known about everything beforehand and the purpose for it.
What explanation is needed? The picture of the President and his wife hanging in the classroom needs no explanation and if a purpose is needed show those parents a ticket to Cuba.
Exactly my point, sorry there's no debate. I am in agreement with you.
I think it's asinine to take down a picture of any president, even if it's Slick Willy.
Ah,and there we are in agreement.
having worked for one of these individuals and been in a nearby school district of the other I was not at all shocked by the action of the Super. and Principal! Finally more people find out what they are really like. When they left the area, many of us had a good old fashioned "wheels up" party! The Teacher Union Support is also a laugh. The only support they ever gave me was to say "keep quiet, it will go away" when the admin. used some of their tactics against me!
That's pretty standard here in NJ. I don't know why the people here are so devoted to the Democrat Party. NJ homeowners consistently complain about being so overtaxed, and yet they continue to vote the same people back into office again and again.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.