Dr. Thomas Ramming, Superintendent
Grand Island Central School District
(716) 773-8801
ThomasRamming@k12.ginet.org
Posted on 12/02/2004 3:56:16 PM PST by reportgirl73
I don't care how right we are. We should still shut up about it when it comes to other people's children if we are taxpayer funded employees.
EVERYONE thinks that they are right. Even liberals have articles and studies that they can point to to "prove" their positions. Arguing the point that we discuss "fact" and they lie is ludicrous. They will never believe our facts because they don't want to!
Encouraging our side to start pushing our agenda onto children undermines the very thing you claim you want to accomplish. Libs get away with vote fraud too. Shall we cheat also to "make it an issue"?
What cause?
I can think of a few. So could a good lawyer. Let the district be surprised.
Let me try once more.
The truth does not reside with me, it is solely in the purview of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His truth is the truth and He has seen fit to reveal His thoughts on the subject through His only begotten Son, the living Word, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
I'm ok with it. The reason is that I think she broached the subject deliberately to cause trouble and make noise. She was practically daring the parents to complain so she could then cry, "woe is me! The LIBS get away with it!"
That is my opinion based upon the information in this thread. If you wish to think she had a purer motive, go right ahead.
Frankly, the liberal teachers I've encountered are so involved in their own world view that they cannot even comprehend WHAT we are so angry about. They don't realize how much of what they say is liberal crap and that there IS another side. I lost a long time teacher friend right before the election by trying to explain to her how biased her teaching is. She NEVER got it and was determined to believe that I was just suddenly a mean and awful person (after 10 years).
Firing that type of person is probably ineffective. She wouldn't have gotten it, the teachers left behind probably wouldn't get it and thus change their behavior. I wouldn't cry if they all got fired though.
Definitely the agitator libs ought to be fired. They know exactly what they are doing.
'Fired' bus driver quit, Island school district saysBy EMMA D. SAPONG
News Northtowns Bureau
12/4/2004
A Grand Island school bus driver who said she was fired last month for discussing stem cell research with elementary school pupils actually quit, the district's superintendent said Friday.
But the driver, Julianne Thompson, still maintains she was fired. Superintendent Thomas Ramming initially declined to discuss the case because it was a personnel matter. But he said after the story received local and national publicity, he decided to speak out.
"This particular individual was not fired," he said of Thompson, a bus driver for 21/2 years.
He said after Thompson was warned by Jack Burns, the district's supervisor for transportation, that her Nov. 1 conversation with pupils on stem cell research was inappropriate and against district policy, she decided to step down.
Ramming said Burns told her she can't make those kinds of comments while driving the bus. "If you are telling me that I can't share my views, then find somebody else to drive my bus," the superintendent said she replied.
Thompson, meanwhile, maintains he was sacked because her talk with Burns was abrupt and her suggestion to be replaced was quickly accepted.
"It's a matter of perception," she said. "It's very funny, I didn't think of it as resigning. They immediately dismissed me. I thought I was fired."
In a report that appeared in Thursday's Buffalo News, Thompson, 42, said the district dismissed her Nov. 8 for talking with the pupils about an article in which actor-filmmaker Mel Gibson said that more than 20 years of embryonic stem cell research had not resulted in any disease cures while more than 300,000 cures had been logged using adult stem cells. She also encouraged youngsters to pass the information along to their parents.
Some parents, however, became upset and complained to Ramming.
Thompson, founder of the Erie County chapter of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, a political lobbying group and advocate for the Christian community, said it is her responsibility to provide pupils with educational information. "It's natural for me to share facts and educate," she said. "If I'm just supposed to be quiet and not say a thing, I'll be happy to go."
Ramming said the district does not allow such behavior, and employees have to be "politically neutral."
"There's a time and place for everything," he said. "We do teach about controversial topics in the classroom, using a valid approach, but not on a school bus."
Islam and Isalmic thought had no influence on the founding of this nation. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the primary guiding influence for our founder fathers. There wasn't a Muslim among them. This is without dispute.
Islam, while the basis for many third world oppressive regimes and loudly proclaimed by many Arab bus drivers, is decidely unwelcome in The United States.
Ramming said Burns told her she can't make those kinds of comments while driving the bus. "If you are telling me that I can't share my views, then find somebody else to drive my bus," the superintendent said she replied. Thompson, meanwhile, maintains [s]he was sacked because her talk with Burns was abrupt and her suggestion to be replaced was quickly accepted.
Sounds to me as if they tried to reprimand her, and she told them she could not accept the conditions of employment.
Thompson...said it is her responsibility to provide pupils with educational information.
Actually, it's not. It's her responsibility to get the students to and from school safely. No more, no less.
"It's natural for me to share facts and educate," she said. "If I'm just supposed to be quiet and not say a thing, I'll be happy to go."
If she'll be happy to go under those circumstances, what is she complaining about?
When I am sick I usually call the local butcher.
When I am i legal trouble I do not consult an attorney but instead call the guy at the auto detailing shop.
A vitamin poor diet could be the cause for your apparent confusion. I understand that you have great respect for your butcher, but if I may I would recommend a second opinion from a qualified diagnostician.
Ramming is a liar, my wife never met him or talked to him,
She never said those words, they are full of it.
It is their spin and they continue to try and spin their way out of it.
She was never warned, she asked was was approriate and never got an answer.
Pretty much. Sounds like everyone got what they wanted, so what's the big deal?
I just checked out your FReeper homepage. I realize I'm not familiar with all the latest lingo, but what does the bit about your Yahoo email address mean?
Dr. Thomas Ramming, Superintendent
Grand Island Central School District
(716) 773-8801
ThomasRamming@k12.ginet.org
"ANYTHING" you want to my children? That is a ridiculous straw man you attacked. As for the real AndyTheBear, none of my comments to this thread have implied any such thing, so don't infer it.
To summarize the view I have expressed on this: Being friendly and educational as Ms Mayors appears to have done is fine. Even if there are some unreasonable people who object, even if some of them are parents.
Suppose that some parents were racist and wanted their kids to believe that black people were inferior. Moreover the schools had been promoting this notion. Should you then be very careful not to say anything, even simple factual things, that might contradict this notion? My answer is that a bus drivers like all other human beings, have an intrinsic right granted by God to interact in a reasonable manner with those around them. Moreover, I hold this truth to be self evident.
Did you have anything to add to the topic at hand, or are you done with that and moving on to other things?
Some parents are crack-pots whose opinions should be ignored. This is done quite commonly, and is nothing new. While I am quite the supporter of parental rights, there need to be some reasonable limits. To demonstrate with an extreme example: if I were to suddenly decide that mathematics was a tool of satan, and I did not want anyone around my children talking about anything remotetly connected with mathematics...then what should the school about this?
The parents in question seem to have objections that are manifestly ridiculous.
No, I thought we were free to click on one another's screen name and check out personal information on FReeper homepages. If you choose not to answer my question, I understand.
I'm always happy to address relevant points, should you accidentally stumble across one.
Completely sidestepping the fact that you have no right to try and indoctrinate anyone, especially children, whenever you see fit with whatever you see fit.
You remind me of Marshall Applewhite.
In your previous post to me you were applying a princible that said any subject was off limits if it was divisive to any parent willing to complain. Thus, under your system of justice, a bus driver better keep his trap shut about everything.
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