Teacher gets reprimand for classroom remarks (bullied young John McCain supporter)

fayobserver.com ^ | November 29, 2008 | Francis X. Gilpin

[Free ThinkerNY]

A Fayetteville teacher whose classroom encounter with a young John McCain supporter created a stir on YouTube has confirmed that she was given a disciplinary letter.

But Diatha Harris said an internal investigation of her conduct cleared the veteran educator of violating state law or Cumberland County Board of Education policy.

Harris, 53, was videotaped in the spring by a Swedish film crew, leading a classroom discussion about the 2008 presidential election with fifth-graders at Mary McArthur Elementary School.

During the discussion, Harris called the Iraq war “senseless” and told her pupils that U.S. troops could stay in Iraq for 100 years if McCain was president.

“So that means that your daddy could stay in the military for another hundred years,” Harris told pupil Cathy Thompson in the classroom footage.

In other scenes shot outside the classroom, Harris sports a Barack Obama campaign button.

The video aired in a documentary broadcast on Finnish television earlier this month. A blogger posted snippets from the broadcast on YouTube, and Internet viewers responded by bombarding Superintendent Bill Harrison’s office with calls for Harris to be fired.

[BykrBayb]

What happened to zero tolerance for bullying?

This is a perfect example of Zero tolerance. She was just doing what Zero told her to do. Now tolerate it, or you're a racist.

[metmom]

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the “other” articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. This can occasionally be a fairly high volume list. The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.

An update.

[Tax-chick]

Excellent quip!

[jws3sticks]

She is a total piece of crap, IMHO!

[MitchellC]

Thanks for the ping.

[justkillingtime]

no truer statement!

[MitchellC]

Slap-on-the-wrist ping.

Interesting news from freeper 45semi:

Yep...the city where I live, and my sister teaches school.

Sis said that the school board immeadiately sent out a letter to all the districts teachers saying that if anyone else did anything similar to this, they would be terminated. BUT the teacher who did say it got a slap-on-the-wrist because she is black, and the school board didnt want Sharpton and Jackson getting involved in it.

Also, at the end of this FO article:

School officials also are withholding information about possible discipline of another local teacher. Melissa Smith was accused of disparaging an Obama administration in front of her Mac Williams Middle School class after the election.

In a complaint to the school system, a parent quoted Smith as telling the pupils “don’t come crying to me” if the taxes paid by their parents go to “a 13-year-old girl for an abortion.”

Smith later apologized to her class after the complaint was made, according to the parent.

Hey, at least Melissa Smith told the truth and didn't repeat a fairy tail like "100 years of war."

NC *Ping*

Please FRmail MitchellC if you want to be added to or removed from this North Carolina ping list.

[bboop]

She wasn’t fired because: She is in the union; she’s got tenure; that’s what teachers DO — propagandize the young. Any OTHER questions?

[Ciexyz]

Prayers offered up for the future of our country.

[redpoll]

Speaking as a teacher, let me express my embarressment about this person remaining at her desk. I’m sitting here thinking about what it takes to get fired at this job. Here’s a teacher who harasses a child to the point of tears about politics - and insults her parents, no less! - and even though I haven’t seen the entire clip, I’m almost certain that the lesson plan for the day didn’t list “discussion of presidential politics” at that moment in the school day.

My first teaching job came when I was 40 years old. Before that, I saw first-hand what it took to get fired. Here are some examples of some reasons to get fired:
- Didn’t attend a planned company meeting.
- Didn’t do the job I asked you to do.
- New owners, clean out your desk.
- Can’t spell well enough to write at the standards for the company.
- Smoked marijuana at some point during the previous four weeks.
- Questioned the genetic inheritance of a fellow employee.
- Annoyed a customer.
- Did half the job I asked you to do.
- Impolite.

The disturbing thing is that many of these items on my list have been done in my presence by teachers. I used to paraphrase that old Hollywood cliche that the only way I could get fired is if they found me with a dead girl or a live boy, but now I don’t even think that would be case, as long as the boy was 19 or the girl wasn’t a student.

Just another argument for school vouchers. Lord, may I see the day.

[Theodore R.]

Notice the school is “Mary McArthur”, not “Douglas MacArthur” as it might have once been.

[Theodore R.]

No, you won’t see the day because the American people still believe that more funding is the solution to “education”.

[Cate]

Hmm.... my granddaughter lives in Fayetteville. She’s 3 years old and if she is unlucky enough to get this teacher, I assure you, this teacher will know the meaning of ‘overbearing grandmother’. nuff said...

[buccaneer81]

No different than Helen Jones-Kelley, (Ohio Director of Jobs & Family Services) who tried to dig up dirt on Joe the Plumber.

Black. Women.

[buccaneer81]

Nothing like a good stern talking to.

Ha! They probably apologized to her and told her the reprimand would go away in a year if she simply signed it to "humor" the " racists" who complained.

[SunkenCiv]

The parents and the kid should file a civil rights complaint and get the bastard fired.

[nmh]

Why wasn’t she FIRED?

This is ridiculous!

[Mr. Silverback]

Two words: Home schooling.

[2Jedismom]

if she is unlucky enough to get this teacher, I assure you, this teacher will know the meaning of ‘overbearing grandmother’. nuff said...

Heh heh...when I was little, my mom was like that.

When she wasn't around, the teachers made sure my life was miserable.

[MrsLilac]

Nothing new. She’s just one who got caught. They all make me sick.