Posted on 03/10/2006 7:42:57 PM PST by randita
Article Launched: 3/10/2006 01:43 PM
Controversial teacher keeps job
By DenverPost.com
A Cherry Creek social studies teacher will not lose his job, after a student went public with a tape recording of controversial comments the teacher had made in class.
Superintendent Monte C. Moses said Jay Bennish will be reinstated to his job at Overland High School, and will be teaching on Monday.
At a news conference this afternoon, Moses said Bennish doesn't deserve to be praised, nor does he deserve to be fired. "Jay Bennish has promise as a teacher, but his practice and deportment need growth and refinement," said Moses.
Bennish gave a brief speech after the district's announcement, saying he was looking forward to going back to the classroom.
“I'm very excited to continue encouraging students to think critically, to encourage democratic values in our society, to promote social justice just as I have always attempted to do,” he said. “I will continue trying to prove myself as a teacher, be the most effective teacher I can be.”
David Lane, Bennish's attorney, said Bennish was not suspended and would not lose any pay, though neither he nor the superintendent would discuss whether Bennish was reprimanded. The superintendent did acknowledge that some discipline had occurred, but he would not be specific.
Lane said Bennish planned to be more sensitive to student and parent concerns.
“I think Jay has learned from this experience that when you're dealing with high school students, perhaps you need to be a little bit more sensitive to those kinds of concerns as well,” he said.
“I applaud the Cherry Creek School District for understanding the First Amendment implications involved in this whole issue, for understanding the concept of academic freedom and for being sensitive to those issues of constitutional magnitude,” Lane said.
Lane had threated to sue the school district if Bennish was fired.
Bennish was placed on paid administrative leave last week while officials probed allegations that he was biased after sophomore Sean Allen went public with a recording he made of a Feb. 1 geography lecture.
Bennish had cited "eerie similarities" between Bush's State of the Union address and "things that Adolf Hitler used to say."
Today in Washington, President Bush was asked about the Bennish controversy.
"I think people should be allowed to criticize me all they want. And they do," Bush said.
Governor Bill Owens released a statement this afternoon about the board's decision.
“My first thought is to thank Sean Allen for standing up and voicing his concern over a teacher who was using his classroom as a political soapbox. Second, I hope that Mr. Bennish will learn something from this and actually work to balance and improve his classroom presentation,” said Owens, in the statement.
Denver Post reporters Jennifer Brown, Allison Sherry and Annette Espinoza contributed to this report.
Jay Bennish, the Colorado high school geography teacher whose angry
anti-American rant in his classroom has been the subject of some controversy,
wants everyone to know that his rigorous class has only the best interests of
students in view. To that end, his supporters have circulated the last "pop
quiz" given in his class as an example of the demanding and rigorous education aka leftist "critical thinking" his students receive:
Jay Bennish's Geography Pop Quiz
Dude, you will have 10 minutes to complete this test. Please mark all answers
clearly. You will be judged on your knowledge of world geography, of both the
actual and "holistic" types. Comparisons of George W. Bush with Adolf Hitler
will earn you extra credit, man. Far out!
1. What river did conquistador Hernando DeSoto discover?
a) The Mississippi River
b) The Missouri River
c) The Rio Grande
d) What river did he discover? Discover? I'm calling BULLSHIT, as if there
weren't a diverse and ecologically-sensitive people living there for 10,000
peaceful years of enlightened communal property sharing before. Yeah, kind of
like Hitler "discovered" the Sudetenland, right? You know what I'm talkin'
about.
2. Which of the following natural resources does the US have the least of?
a) Uranium
b) Gold
c) Forestland/Timber
d) Freedom. It's as precious as gold and as bright as diamonds, and that's the
name of that tune. Republicans are Nazis and George W. Bush is a Hitler
wannabe - OK I'm not saying he's exactly the same as Hitler but you have to
admit there are similarities. Instead of drilling in the Arctic for oil, Bush
should be drilling in his own black heart for freedom, baby.
3. What separates England from continental Europe?
a) The Irish Sea
b) The English Channel
c) A history of promoting human slavery, both actual and constructive, in the
form of the vicious capitalism imposed on the world by the cannons of British
warships, and a jingoistic militaristic fascism in the form of a disgusting
monarchy and repressive class system. Tony Blair is looking a bit too much
like Hitler now, too - he's not quite George W. Bush but you have to admit they
both have similarities to Hitler. You should write this shit in your notebook,
kid. This is all pure gold I'm giving you here.
d) Both b and c, but mostly c. They got that Chunnel and shit now to bridge the
first one.
4. I just sparked up big-time before class and I've got a serious case of the
munchies. Wow, man, I'm flyin' high but the munchies are makin' me crazy.
Anyone have any Doritos, Ho-Ho's, or even Chuckles-brand licorice treats?
a) I've got Doritos (bring them up and grade your own test)
b) I've got Ho-Ho's (bring them up and choose your own grade for this semester)
c) I've got Chuckles (stay in your seat; I'm waitin' to see if someone has
anything better; plus, those black ones taste like filth)
d) I've got a fresh cheesesteak sandwich drippin' hot grease in my desk (meet
me out in the parking lot and we'll share some cheestake and spleef; plus, you
can have my sweet ride, a 1984 Chevette with a picture of Marvin the Martian in
the hatchback window)
5. The film "The Wall" seems pretty incomprehensible, but it makes complete and
perfect sense if you watch it while high. Like, man, totally awesome, dude!
a) Not really a question here.
b) I'm just sayin', I got really baked last night and the whole thing just
really gelled for me. How cool....
c) Ralph McQaurrie's animations are really freaky and scary when you're high,
though. Jesus! I swear, that one judge looks like a butt-hole or somethin'. I'm
tellin' you, I think he's a giant dumper in a barrister's wig.
d) I guess no one has a cheesesteak, huh? Okay, how about those Chuckles?
Put down your pencils. Let's skip the rest of this test and go outside and lay
in the sun and just "rap" together about current events. Or other interesting
topics, like if the universe really exists, or if it's just some magical vision
dreamed by a cosmic unicorn. Whose got the drugs???
I know I smell a cheesesteak. Who's holding out on me?
He has shown up stoned in the past? I don't recall reading that. Must have been the Bennish Praise column. On taxpayers' money.
Fired after he was reinstated?? I don't follow.
Brilliant !!!
Jay Bennish = another reason school vouchers should be available in mass quantities.
That is MOST excellent, man.
True, but I don't know of a better answer than the one he gave. Imagine if he'd said, "Teachers should just stick to the facts instead of criticizing me!" or, "People shouldn't be allowed to criticize me at all!"
The howls would be deafening.
Looks like a school board in Colorado needs to be replaced.. if they cannot deal with this..
That's right, he couldn't. If he did, he'd come across as to a lot of people as the kind of person that Bennish said he was. And that would have made the PR irrepairable.
“I'm very excited to continue encouraging students to think critically, to encourage democratic values in our society, to promote social justice just as I have always attempted to do,” he said. “I will continue trying to prove myself as a teacher, be the most effective teacher I can be.”
I'LL CONTINUE ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO HATE AMERICA, QUESTION EVERYTHING (EXCEPT WHAT I TELL THEM), PROMOTE BIG GOVERNMENT AND HANDING OVER EVERYTHING THAT MADE OUR COUNTRY GREAT TO THE UN.
Lane said Bennish planned to be more sensitive to student and parent concerns.
NEXT TIME BENNISH WILL ASK THE UNBIASED MEDIA TO ACTUALLY FUZZ OUT HIS MIDDLE FINGER WHEN HE FLIPS OFF PARENTS.
“I think Jay has learned from this experience that when you're dealing with high school students, perhaps you need to be a little bit more sensitive to those kinds of concerns as well,” he said.
UNFORTUNATELY BENNISH SLEPT THROUGH MY LECTURE AND DIDN'T TAKE ANY NOTES.
“I applaud the Cherry Creek School District for understanding the First Amendment implications involved in this whole issue, for understanding the concept of academic freedom and for being sensitive to those issues of constitutional magnitude,” Lane said.
...NEXT I'M GOING TO SUE SO THAT COPS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL CAN PUT CAMPAIGN MESSAGES ON THEIR VEHICLES...
Lane had threated to sue the school district if Bennish was fired.
CAUSE LEFTIES WHO CAN'T WIN WITH POPULAR SUPPORT ALWAYS LOOK TO THE LIBERAL COURTS FOR BACKUP.
Bennish was placed on paid administrative leave last week while officials probed allegations that he was biased after sophomore Sean Allen went public with a recording he made of a Feb. 1 geography lecture.
CAUSE WE ALL KNOW WHAT A ROTTEN SOB THAT STUDENT IS FOR MAKING THIS RECORDING. WOULD YOU BELIEVE THIS IS THE SAME LEFT THAT WANTS ALL GOVERNMENT RECORDS OPENED CAUSE "THE PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW" ARE NOW PISSED OFF ABOUT THIS?
Bennish had cited "eerie similarities" between Bush's State of the Union address and "things that Adolf Hitler used to say."
...OF COURSE BUSH NEVER ADVOCATED GASING AND KILLING JEWS THE WAY BENNISH'S IRANIAN FRIENDS HAVE...
ROTFL BUMP!
Not anymore than I am allowed to walk into a high school class, tell everyone that we all have sinned and broken God's standard of righteousness, and as such, deservingly will be be judged according to those standards, be found guilty, and sentenced to eternity banished from the presence of the Lord. Then only by the substitutionary death of Christ for our crimes, a sincere turning away from sin, and a desire to relinquish control of our thoughts, emotions, and actions to His Lordship, can we thus gain acceptance into the presence of God for eternity.
Until I can do that, then the MSM and Democrats should not be allowed to "preach" thier ideology, which has become thier "religion", the worship of Mankind.
What the President could have said was: "Although I believe Mr. Bennish has the right to voice his opinoins in America, and I do mean 'his opinion', I must disagree with his take on any similarities between Adolf Hitler and myself.
Unless he is refering to the fact that we both pee standing up, there really isn't much we share. I believe in freedom, Mr. Bennish-excuse me, Hitler believed in Socialism and Communism. I believe in Jesus Christ, Hitler believed in himself although occasionaly attended 'church' for photo ops and other political reasons.
Now if all Mr. Bennish is referring to is that both Hitler and myself have taken our countries into war, then I also must disagree because of the basis of going to war. Hitler conquered the helpless. America is freeing the helpless. Hitler conquered for ethnic cleansing. America is trying to help all ethnic backgrounds, even the Arabs. Hitler conquered for the spread of Communism. America is at war to spread Democracy and Liberty, and to defend her people.
Now part of the problem that Mr. Bennish may be having is that he is trying to teach "Ideologies and Philosophies of Government Historical Leaders" while being a Geography teacher. What I might suggest to him is that he go back to college and possibly get a degree in "Government Histories" and then attaining a job at a college to teach that subject since "Ideologies and Philosophies of Government Historical Leaders" is not in the required High School curriculum established by the Education Department."
All of this could have been added to what he said in his statement. (which you can link to in poat 34)
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