Today's Schools... This time, it happened to us!(Michigan)

Self | 09/21/03 | sit-rep and sit-rep's wife

[sit-rep]

Back in the mid 1990's we had our first child and as any new parent you start thinking about education/schools. Since private schools are out of reach we went public biting our lip. So as fate would have it, get a load of this one...

Friday last, our 6 year old daughter came home from school and told us that she had watched a movie in art class today. " A man cut off his ear and 2 days later he killed himself" ...along with the body language of putting a gun to her head. Now, my daughter had never made that guesture prior to friday.

She had told me, then, when my husband came home, she told him with importance. We spoke about it shortly thereafter and both of us were shocked... ... 6 years old!

I called the teacher and spoke of my concern and he said, "The movie on Vangogh's lifestyle is geared towards children and it's a cartoon." I knew right then this is not the avenue to correct this problem. I responded with "I guess all children would remember that part of the movie." (my daughter could not recall the name of the artist)I was bewildered and politely added a "Thank you."

We spoke with a few friends and decided that we are going to ask the principal for a copy of the movie so we can view it.

[sit-rep]

We want to be careful of repercussions that may come if we "intrude" or our we being slightly, oversuspicious?

Thoughts please??

[teeman8r]

a film on van gogh geared to 6 year olds, can focus on the positive artistry and leave out the details of his convictions and his demise...

you have every right to complain to the administration and denounce such information as inappropriate.

teeman

[So Cal Rocket]

I would also be concerned that they're educating the children via videos... which is passive learning - which has been shown time after time in studies to be an ineffective learning tool.

It does, however, give the teacher a 45-minute rest.

[thoughtomator]

I would be livid to find my child had learned how to simulate putting a gun to her head at school. What behavior are they going to teach her next? Homosexuality? Confront this problem before it's too late!

[sit-rep]

a film on van gogh geared to 6 year olds, can focus on the positive artistry and leave out the details of his convictions and his demise...

Very well said.

sit-rep's wife

[SauronOfMordor]

Before approaching the principal, I would call other parents, get verification on exactly what was seen, asking each child independently for the data. I would make notes.

I would then arrange for the GROUP to talk to the principal about seeing the movie. Without laying all my cards on the table ahead of time, I would let the principal make her reassuring noises about there being nothing objectionable in the film, then inform her about what we discovered

Most likely, she won't let you see it

[jocon307]

"Thoughts please??"

My thought is, if it is this bad in first grade, or kindergarden, you have nothing but trouble ahead. I learned about Van Gogh in Second Grade, without the self-mutilation and suicide part. That is obviously NOT the important part of Van Gogh, except to nihilists and perverts.

I suggest you either scrimp and save and find a private/parochial that is affordable, or consider home-schooling. You surely don't want to spend the next 12 years of your life fighting "city hall", and you don't want your child to become known as the one with "the problem parents."

I myself was very lucky. I had my daughter in Salvation Army daycare, they were WONDERFUL, then she was in a few Catholic Schools (even tho' one had a picture of Margaret Sanger!?!?!? on a poster of Great Americans, or some such) which were OK, and our local public schools are good. I live in a very conservative town, very Catholic, and I don't think the schools would dare try to pull this stuff, even if they wanted to. And they certainly wouldn't get away with it, if they did. Bunch of ethnic catholic hell-raisers in this town, to be sure. God love 'em, every one.

If you cannot trust the people you are leaving your child with for the day, don't leave your child there.

[mysonsfuture]

Home school!

[Maceman]

We want to be careful of repercussions that may come if we "intrude" or our we being slightly, oversuspicious?

It is not possible for parents to "intrude" when it comes to their kids' education. Parents are the customers of the public school system, and have every right to know EVERYTHING that goes on in terms of what their kids are being taught in schools, whether the school establishment wants to acknowledge that or not.

These are reasonable concerns that you have. I don't doubt that the education "professionals" in your system will try to intimidate you by making you feel that you are intruding. But that says more about their unbelievable arrogance than it does about your "intruding."

If you feel this movie is inappropriate for your kid (forget about other kids), then you have every right to make an issue of it. If the school officials try to make you feel that your job is to stand aside and let them decide what's best for your kid -- make an issue and don't let go until you are satisfied. If they push you, push back harder.

Never, ever forget that it is ultimately your legal and moral responsibility to be the driver of your kid's education. You are NOT there to help the school. The school is there to help YOU ensure that your kid gets the best education possible.

Do not let them intimidate you into abdicating your responsibilities as a parent.

If this were a private school, there would be no question that you would be within your rights to pursue this, and to remove your kid if the school wouldn't accommodate you. No different with a public school.

[Blessed]

I would be livid to find my child had learned how to simulate putting a gun to her head at school. What behavior are they going to teach her next? Homosexuality?

YES!

[day10]

If at all possible......

[magslinger]

By all means, intrude! The faculty will respect you. They may not like you, but they will respect you. If they won't show you the video, or there are ramifications, see the superintendant. I'm 2 and a half years from the end of our public school experience, and I haven't made an appointment with our superintendant, yet. BTW Wear your Mike Rogers t-shirt, or other Republican/conservative shirt or hat. This lets them know from the outset that you are political and not a friend.

[proxy_user]

Well, at least it wasn't Toulouse-Lautrec.

[tbpiper]

They have invaded your daughter's innocense. Sic 'em! Get passionately in their face!

[Lizavetta]

I suggest you either scrimp and save and find a private/parochial that is affordable, or consider home-schooling.

What you said.

That a parent even has to point out to these 'educators' that the dark side of Van Gogh's life shouldn't be presented to little kids is indicative of the future garbage the schools will be showing your children.

When you homeschool you have full control of what info your child gets and when he gets it.

[Humidston]

With public school it's only going to get worse. My suggestion: If you can't do private, HOMESCHOOL at least for the next couple of years so she gets a sound basic education to build on. And be sure you monitor her, and reinforce her lessons by teaching good sound discernment.

Just remember - This is a battle for your child's mind and you have to win it before she goes to college where they'll REALLY work her over!

[Yeti]

One really has to wonder how appropriate is Van Gogh, either biographically or artistically in the education of a 6 yr old. Maybe in high school, but a 6yr old? That's too early for them to comprehend any significance there may be to his stylistic idiosyncrasies, and way too early to be exposed to the details of his life. Since the only reason to talk about the details of his life is because it relates to our understanding of his art, and since his art is a long way down on a reasonable list of priorities for a child's eductaion, even a gifted 6 yr old in a specialized art curriculum, why are they exposing small children to these ideas?

[Wilhelm Tell]

Since the only reason to talk about the details of his life is because it relates to our understanding of his art ... why are they exposing small children to these ideas?

My guess is that this is an avenue to introduce topics such as mental illness and suicide to young children. Van Gogh's personal problems are the whole reason he is being studied in that school -- it has nothing to do with his art. If children can be taught early to become comfortable with thinking about suicide, it helps the nihilists' agenda. People taught from day one that insanity and suicide are normal can then be programmed to accept almost anything -- they will do the socialists' bidding and will not rebel if what they are told seems harmful or doesn't make sense.

[Marie]

My 11 year old daughter and her class were informed last week (by a school administer) that if they spoke out of turn in class that they were breaking a federal law and could go to jail.

This is after the teacher told the class about how her exhusband slapped her around and equated it to spankings.

I'm pulling her out of this school tomorrow and going back to homeschool. SO much for that experiment.

[Yeti]

If children can be taught early to become comfortable with thinking about suicide, it helps the nihilists' agenda. People taught from day one that insanity and suicide are normal can then be programmed to accept almost anything ...

Thank-you, Wilhelm.

I'll confess that reason I phrased the question the way that I did was in the hope that someone besides myself would say it.

Scary the way things are going, at home and globally. It seems that "They" get more brazen and ambitious in their doings every day.