Posted on 03/18/2006 10:46:26 AM PST by Lunatic Fringe
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - A central Missouri high school drama teacher whose spring play was canceled after complaints about tawdry content in one of her previous productions will resign rather than face a possible firing.
"It became too much to not be able to speak my mind or defend my students without fear or retribution," said Fulton High School teacher Wendy DeVore.
DeVore's students were to perform Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," a drama set during the 17th Century Salem witch trials.
But after a handful of Callaway Christian Church members complained about scenes in the fall musical "Grease" that showed teens smoking, drinking and kissing, Superintendent Mark Enderle told DeVore to find a more family-friendly substitute.
DeVore chose Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," a classic romantic comedy with its own dicey subject matter, including suicide, rape and losing one's virginity.
DeVore, 31, a six-year veteran teacher, said administrators told her that her annual contract might not be renewed.
"Maybe I need to find a school that's a better match," she said.
Both Enderle and the high school principal declined to discuss DeVore's resignation, citing privacy concerns. The resignation must still be approved by the school board.
Publicity over the drama debate, including a front-page story in The New York Times, has cast an unflattering light on Fulton as an intolerant small town, several of DeVore's colleagues said.
"We have become a laughingstock," teacher Paula Fessler told The Fulton Sun.
. The Amish are a novelty that we allow to exist in our midst despite their lack of contributions to society
^^^^^^^^^^^^
You evidently have not lived in an Amish area. They are highly productive on their farms and increasingly in their small businesses.
So, no you can't take your money from a public resource
^^^^^^^^^^^
You want to bet? Yes, government schools can be replaced with a completely private system.
It is IMPOSSIBLE for any government school to be politically, culturally, or religiously neutral. IMPOSSIBLE!
Private schools have every constitutional right NOT to be neutral. But,,,,even if they attempted neutrality it would be impossible because the education of the young can NEVER be neutral.
Did you speak out when a small group of atheists dictated public school policy in Murray v. Curtlett? Have you been idly sitting while the ACLU has systematically removed any references to God from the public schools?
The religious sensibilities of these parents are offended by these plays. While they are certainly not offensive to the majority, they are offensive to the minority. Why didn't the courts merely tell Mrs. O'Hair to take her children to a private school if she was offended by the morning prayer, or references to God?
Yet now that these Christians are offended, they are the ones who must find a private school.
It's a two way street, Lunatic. Either we allow certain people to be offended by the majority, or we cater to every whim of every minority.
I say let the prayers begin.
There is no US law that protects people from being OFFENDED . I think many people foregt that .
Tell that to the Supreme court and the ACLU.
Please, stupid question. All but the oldest of us were unborn. The youngest adults when Murray V. Curtlett was heard is not collecting social security.
Well then how about speaking out when the Supreme Court ruled on Wallace v. Jafree?
Did anyone speak out when the school did nothing but request a moment of silence at the start of school?
Some frgging atheist was "offended" by silence because some students might take the opportunity to pray. Rather than tell the frigging atheists to take a hike and go to a private Atheist school, they told the majority to take their kids out of school if they wanted a moment of silence.
Now how is that differnet than this case? Here some fanatic Christians are offended by a school play because it offends their religious sensibilities. I see no difference. It is a case of minorities dictating to the majority.
Murray v Curtlett set right an unconstitutional tradition. Before the ruling, the Christian Lord's Prayer was recited in schools, and was MANDATORY for all students to participate.
Anyone who believes that such a practice is constitutional is not being intellectually honest.
Christians have no rights anymore Marlowe. You know that.
That Mr. Lunatic is a lie. No student was required to participate. Any "offended" student could opt out and be excused during the bible reading and/or the prayer.
BTW Bible reading in public schools had been a tradition since before the adoption of the first amendment and continued in many schools for 150 years after.
Also, there was a 1948 Pennsylvania law that mandated reciting bible verses in public schools.
And just because something is tradition, that doesn't make it constitutional.
What are you basing this on?
If religion is removed from the schools (and it is), they are religiously neutral (and they are).
Simple.
The only constitutional solution is to begin the process of privatizing universal k-12 education.
We do have private k-12. Free enterprise and all of that...
Wrong. Anyone opposed to the practice was allowed to be excused from the class. Read it. The school accommodated Mrs. O'Hait's child. She wasn't satisfied.
Also, there was a 1948 Pennsylvania law that mandated reciting bible verses in public schools.
And most schools up until the beginning of the 20th Century used the King James Bible as a standard English Textbook. So what? I was required to read Sidhartha in High School. If ever there was an apologetic propaganda piece for Buddhism it was Sidhartha. So what? I got the Cliff notes and aced the class.
Indeed. The Catholics are quite good at it. But even then, parents have to fork over thousands of dollars a year.
Complete privatization of schools will leave the poor out in the cold. Education will by like it was in 18th century America- accesible only to those who can afford it.
Yeah, pretty much. But a lot of folks are intent on tearing down their local schools. Kind of an suicide by infrastructure. Property values go down, quality of the local workforce deteriorates, a demographic shift from young families to older citizens, etc. etc. etc.
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