WPHT To Give More Details On Abusive Maine Teachers and National Guard Kids, More Wide Spread

WPHT 1210 AM WEBSITE ^

[Doctor Raoul]

Right now, Dom Giordano is talking about the USMC Major who chose to deploy with his unit rather than staying behind for his infant's heart transplant operation. He and his wife agreed that he should go because to switch leadership of the Marines he trained would risk lives. The Major's mother is scheduled to be interviewed.

In the later part of the show, the Maine teachers abusing the National Guard kids has some new info. It's more widespread, it's 100 incidents. One was some bitch who denied a kid an absense to see his father leave for deployment. She "put her foot down" and said she'd give him an "unexcused absense" and that there would be "consequences".

I want that name. She deserves public ridicule and scorn.

[dokmad]

" Portland Press Herald, Portland maine. 3-4-03 "A few days after a flap over
some educators in Maine
schools allegedly making
inappropriate, negative
comments to members of
military families, the head of the
Maine Army National Guard
says it has been blown out of
proportion. And Maine teachers say educators typically take an
even-handed approach to sensitive issues in the classroom.

"We try to put as many ideas and opinions out there on the table and leave
it up to them to make up their minds," Ogilby said, referring to how
teachers conduct discussions with students on such controversial issues as
the possible U.S. invasion of Iraq.

However, accusations surfaced last week that some Maine educators
were making insensitive comments to the children of guardsmen and their
parents. The story was picked up by national and international media.

Now, National Guard Maj. Gen. Joseph Tinkham is saying that national
media figures, including conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh
and television commentator Bill O'Reilly, exaggerated the extent and
nature of the problem.

National Guard spokesman Maj. Peter Rogers said Monday that one
Washington paper reported that teachers were taunting and harassing kids.
"We never said that," Rogers said.

He said the complaints were only about a tiny proportion of Maine's
educators. "Everyone we know has been tremendous with the kids," he
said. "They're professionals. Many of them are guards themselves."

The complaints were made through National Guard family assistance
centers around the state. They ranged from a claim that an assistant
teacher called the looming war "unethical and immoral" in a high school
classroom debate, to a parent's report that a child had been mocked by
other children on a school bus and school officials said there was nothing
they could do.

There's uncertainty about how many complaints were made. Last week
the office of Gov. John Baldacci - who said he was "disappointed and
disturbed" by the reports - said the complaints numbered 12. However,
Rogers on Monday said the total is 16.

At the same time, some educators are concerned that the National Guard
is releasing very little information about the complaints. Rob Walker,
president of the Maine Education Association, whose 25,000 members
include teachers and other school staff, said that "at this point, there are
accusations out there and there is nothing specific."

Walker said the complaints could be handled as private personnel matters
at the local level. "How do you solve the problem unless you can get at the
whole truth?" he asked.

But Rogers said Monday that the Guard doesn't want to reopen the issue.
He said there have been no more complaints since Education
Commissioner J. Duke Albanese - after being informed about the National
Guard's concerns - issued a memo last week to schools around the state
reminding educators to use a balanced teaching approach and to be
sensitive to all students.

"In our eyes the problem is solved," Rogers said. "The children aren't being
subjected to that anymore."

The National Guard has not said which schools were involved or who the
participants were. And it described just a handful of the 16 complaints.

Albanese on Monday said he has received no details of the complaints. He
said the families and the National Guard have agreed that each family will
make its own decision on whether to share details with local school
officials or the state Department of Education.

Rogers said the complaints were gathered by Maj. Andrew Gibson, a
Guard chaplain, at meetings where relatives of deployed soldiers get
information and support. Rogers said Gibson did not investigate the
complaints but "feels very strongly that they are correct."

In addition to the complaints about the classroom debate and a child being
mocked on the bus, the Guard has described these three other complaints:

A soldier at the Bangor meeting said that when he took his children from
school early to say goodbye, he was told it would be an unexcused
absence.

Another soldier reported that when he asked a school guidance counselor
to watch for changes in his child's demeanor or behavior, the counselor
said, "You're in the Army, aren't you? Your child should be able to deal
with it."

Another parent said that when she told the school principal that her child
had been teased by other children who said her father could be killed in the
war, she was told there was nothing school officials could do because the
other children were right and what the child's father was doing was
wrong.

However, teachers interviewed Monday said they don't know of any
educators who would behave as reported. Tom Major, a history teacher at
South Portland High School, said, "Frankly, I can't imagine what was
suggested happened."

In fact, he said that when his sophomore world history class talked about
the National Guard controversy on Monday, one student asked why
teachers are always asking students for their opinions but don't share their
own.

Major said that airing his own views to students "is not on my agenda. It's
not about me getting out my opinions, it's about me provoking their
thought."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Bulldogs22]

"I'm a reservist, ready to deploy. I have a 10 year old son in public school; 4th grade."


You are what is best in America. You are ready to leave your 10 year old son to protect America. Brave man. Being a father, I can only imagine how hard that is. I wish I was young enough to go with you.

Stay strong.

[ohioman]

You my friend are exactly right. The traitors of America are in for a hard lesson by the patriots, not the Government.

[Momma Lou]

Isn't this child abuse?

[RobbyS]

My son is an Army 2nd Lieutenant just out of armored school and he is about to be deployed. He is thankful that his commander and his platoon top NCO are Gulf veterans and will help square him away. Being with the right men is 99% of it all. God be with your guys.

[MississippiMan]

You my friend are exactly right. The traitors of America are in for a hard lesson by the patriots, not the Government.

I earnestly believe our government is too broken to be fixed at this point. If sanity ever rules again, it will be because of the people having enough.

MM

[RobbyS]

They opponents of war keep talking about keeping the pressure on. But they offer neither men nor money to make that possible, nor do they want to face up to the fact that no Arab state could possibly agree to keep a large force on the borders of Iraq indefinitely.

[dmz]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/856774/posts

this is yesterday's thread on this topic in which the national guard major (I think) states that the issue is not as widespread as the mainstream media (Rush is certainly a member of this group) claims. The number of complaints noted was 16.

unlike the story you have posted, there are statements attributed to actual people with names and the person quoted is the guy who was taking the complaints.

there seems to be a crediblity gap here

[Beck_isright]

The liberals have a standing creedo: They are willing to sacrifice you or your children's life in the name of world peace for them.

[Beck_isright]

"I earnestly believe our government is too broken to be fixed at this point. If sanity ever rules again, it will be because of the people having enough."

Amen.

[sailor4321]

Actually, there are some circumstances wherein it is permissable to hit a woman....this is one of them.

[Beck_isright]

"But - to paraphrase Francisco d'Anconia - what makes you think their goal is freedom?"

I never stated their goal was freedom. Their goal is a centralized dictatorship of "the people" with the vision of Marx becoming a reality worldwide. It's going to be up to that 10% of the nation which believes in freedom to do one of two things:

1. Walk away and let the system collapse on it's own (I'm close to doing that one myself, Galt was right).

2. Fight to the bitter end, win or lose.

[rmvh]

Re your # 16...

Rationality apparently escapes you.

With absolutely no tactical or strategic intelligence concerning the extent and complexity of the physical threat to all of us from Iraq, this pathetic creature has decided that those we have elected to make such decisions, utilizing such information, are evil and stupid and their children must be punished.

[MississippiMan]

Actually, there are some circumstances wherein it is permissable to hit a woman....this is one of them.

The other being any occasion on which one finds one's self standing in front of Hillary?

MM

[Grampa Dave]

Last week someone posted a Maine website that was infested with left wing liberals who tried to blame this on us or deny that anything really happened.

Hopefully someone can post that website again. If they do, go to it and see how the lunatic libs really love the Chilrun.

One of the most despicable lunatic lib poster was a clymer named Dean. If I had a grandchild treated like these children, Dean would get a house call as well as the teachers, principles and superintendents of the school systems.

[Robert_Paulson2]

I am not sure what you mean....

you say I am not rational???
but you agree that the perpetrator of this violence against soldier's children is an idiot?

Sorry, I don't get it.
Nice Graphic by the way....

[Uncle Jaque]

Re: "...religion has an interesting power over the ignorant. I have, for example, brought lying scum airline employees to tears by going into a "trance" and foretelling their descent into hell."

ROTFLMAO!!!

Good Lord!: Can you get that on video tape so that WE can learn how to do it, too? That is SOOO precious! {8^{D~

How DO you get your head to spin around like that, by the way?

[Uncle Jaque]

Re. what should happen to Schrool Administrators who protect the Guilty;

Hold not thy breath, Pilgrim.

I just wrote such a whiz-bang editorial to post on FR about this that I quite amazed myself, actually.

So I just submitted it to the Portland Press Herald as an Editorial.

They used to wrap fish in such unsolicieted contributions, but nowadays they just hit the "DELETE" button instead.

How convenient.

If in the unlikely event it ever got printed you could probably smell the organic compost hitting the rotor blades all the way down to Boston - and that's Upwind of Portland!

People like your humble correspondent don't usually live to be as old as I am... but hey; we're trying!

Roll ON, Mi Amigos!

[harpseal]

Hey I'll bet you could even smell it over the SD Warren Company in Westbrook or the fish gurry plant in South Portland. i am not holding my breath but sometimes when I lived in Portland I used to have to when the wind came in wrong.

I am familiar with thr Portland Press Herald dog training aid.