Exclusive, Not Inclusive (Conservatism gets no respect in high school)

National Review ^ | January 05, 2006, 6:59 a.m.

[fuyb]

Here is a tale of New York. A young man I know who attends one of the best public high schools in Manhattan recently told me about his adventures trying to start a conservative club. His high school, which also has a highly competitive elementary school, is one that New York parents dream of having their children attend, because a child getting is proof in these parts that he is smart. And, unlike Manhattan's many elite private schools, tuition is free.

Of course, there are lots of other after-school clubs already established at his high school. He told me that to start one that reflects your interests, all you have to do usually is find a teacher who is willing to act as an adviser and get the student government to green-light it.

This young man also tried to start another club at the same time he was trying to start the conservative club — a ping-pong club. (Hey, he's a well-rounded kid.) There was no problem with that one. He says he found an adviser easily and the student government agreed to it lickety-split. And now it is such a hit, he said, "We will have to get more tables."

But he had a lot more trouble with politics, especially conservative politics. First he wanted to call it the "Young Republicans Club." Ten teachers turned him down. He finally found one who would consider being an adviser but only if the name was changed to the "Conservative Club." Then he said he had trouble getting the student government to agree to allow the club. They just, somehow, never got around to approving it during the first semester. And even though most clubs, even before they are official, are announced in an assembly, no one would announce the formation of his club. "They told me it wasn't approved yet. But they announced the knitting club before it was official. I think they announced that twice," he said, somewhat bitterly.

After the holiday break, he intends to do some lobbying with a member of the student government who may be able to get his conservative club approved. "I didn't think it was going to be easy. The teachers are very liberal. In elementary school I had a teacher who told the class he didn't think Mayor Giuliani deserved to live! And they all seem to think President Bush is dumb, and make that very clear to the students. You know," he said, "teachers are not open to ideas they don't agree with." That's why he wanted to remain my anonymous source for this story.

Still, what surprised me when I talked to this smart, energetic tenth grader was his interest in politics at all, since he had been taught so little about American history or civics at this elite public school. In fact, when I asked him if he had ever taken a civics course, he really didn't seem to understand what the word meant.

He also told me he had learned American history only in the fifth grade, but really didn't remember too much about it. He's in tenth grade now. "The fifth grade is five years ago, a third of my life ago," he said. He is taking world history, which he said doesn't include much about America. He explained, "We are a young country so there just isn't much about us in the course."

Is he disturbed about that? Kind of. "One of my teachers who knows a lot about Korea complained that there wasn't enough about Korea in world history. I told her not to feel too bad because there isn't much about America and we are all Americans."

I am writing a book that it is partly about the teaching of American history to kids, and I have discovered how little of our history is taught in so many schools throughout our country. And when it is taught, often what we have done wrong as a nation is emphasized rather than what we have done right. I also have learned that teachers and the textbooks they use are often biased against conservative ideas.

So I am not surprised that this young man had so much trouble finding a teacher who was enthusiastic about his conservative club or even that the student government would drag its feet approving it. I know this young man's father is a conservative and that he has probably heard a lot about politics and government around the dining-room table. But I am surprised that one of the best public schools in New York, full of exceptionally bright youngsters, has given him so little foundation for his beliefs, even making it so hard for him to get an opportunity to discuss such mainstream ideas with his classmates.

[Gordongekko909]

Heh. My senior year of high school, I was the last member of the debate team. Even the coach had stopped coaching because he got a job in Admissions. The administration assigned some baseball coach to be our my "moderator." He saw me wearing my debate letter jacket in the hall one day, asked me if I was on the debate team, and told me that I should just run anything I needed to do by him and he would rubber-stamp it.

I got to play a lot of faculty-sanctioned hookie that semester.

[Alberta's Child]

I could have saved this kid a lot of trouble. Trying to start a conservative club in a Manhattan high school is like trying to start a neo-Nazi group in a yeshiva.

[robowombat]

'I am writing a book that it is partly about the teaching of American history to kids, and I have discovered how little of our history is taught in so many schools throughout our country. And when it is taught, often what we have done wrong as a nation is emphasized rather than what we have done right. I also have learned that teachers and the textbooks they use are often biased against conservative ideas'

Good luck. There are plenty of horror stories around about 'America the Guilty' versions of history. The teaching of US history is evolving towards the way the subject is handled in Canadian schools. The entire context is one of a series of victim groups, The Indians or whatever they are now called, women, children (the Quebec orphanage scandals), the wildlife (environmental crimes)and the RCAF taking part in beastly terror bombings of German cities in WW2. It is just a relentless drumbeat of victimology and bleating about how awful the white men have been. When a special section was somehow added on Canada in World War One students reacted with astonishment at the, to them, completely unknown saga of the huge volunteer force Canada raised rapidly to fight in that war and the epic nature of the courage of Canada's soldiers on the Western Front and at Gallipoli (the Newfoundland Regiment). The generally positive content of the unit was also a surprise. There was some coverage of Socialist CO's being jailed and persecuted but it was a small part (correctly) of a very big picture. US history is turning into the same parade of victims and featuring the same mostly male and white villains. History instruction has been weak in public schools for decades soon it will be nothing but leftist agit prop.

[proud_yank]

An excellent related article from "The Economist" you all might enjoy:

[When do we get liberated?]

"We are a young country"
My money bets that he has no idea we are the longevity winner in Republics.

[Sonny M]

I'd be surprised if student government gives him an okay.

Not because the kids themselves are liberal, but their moderators, and school administrators plus faculty will make life very difficult for them if they do.

[RobbyS]

When I started in graduate school at UT-Austin in 1960, I discovered that the history department in that school was very, very liberal, I also found, to my surprise, that liberal students were very illiberal.

[RipSawyer]

My money bets that he has no idea we are the longevity winner in Republics.>>>>>>>>>>

I would be tickled pink if he has any idea that this is even SUPPOSED to be a Republic or what a Republic is!

[Graymatter]

Happy FR anniversary, fuyb. What does fuyb stand for?

[ccmay]

Trying to start a conservative club in a Manhattan high school is like trying to start a neo-Nazi group in a yeshiva.

Bad analogy. It's much more like starting a yeshiva under the Nazis.

-ccm

[Nova]

Roman republic spanned 510 BC - 49 BC.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

If this kid is ever successful he may be like you, the only kid in the club.

[JasonC]

He means ones that are still around. The statement is true. No other free government on earth has been free as long, and only monarchies with parliaments (which, as monarchies, are of course not republics) even come close. There is no older written constitution in force.

[fuyb]

“Happy FR anniversary, fuyb. What does fuyb stand for?”

I would rather not say but you might get the idea if I tell you a little about myself. I live in IL. and work at a community college where if you are a conservative you are a social outcast. Many of my friends are extremely liberal. Some won’t (not can’t) get jobs, some do but complain and wine all the time with their thumb in places where it doesn’t belong instead of actually doing something with their life. Thus, I am sitting here with a bunch of people with their Finger Up Their B….(fuyb).

[Christopher Lincoln]

Except Switzerland (and perhaps San Marino). It's true that the present Swiss constitution only dates from 1848 and needed a civil war before it was adopted; but I don't see that that puts the U.S. much ahead. Switzerland has been a republic since its founding in 1291 (probably earlier, but that's the date of the founding charter that has survived). It achieved full legal independence in 1648, but was independent for all practical purposes well before then.