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runaroundsue
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 Posted: 12/04/05 - 11:45 Post subject: so what happens if the kids don't do their assignment
Madison 3rd Grade Class Asked to Write Anti-War Propaganda Letters
Vicki McKenna reported on it yesterday and it was on NBC 27 last night, but this is utterly ridiculous.:
The Frank Allis third grade assigned the following to students:
The Frank Allis third grade will be writing letters to encourage an end to the war in Iraq. The letter writing will teach civic responsibility, a social studies standard, while providing an authentic opportunity to improve composition skills and handwriting.
The assignment is basically to write 12 letters to everyone from other 3rd graders around the nation to congress, the Senate, and the media.
If the war has not ended by the 12th day [of the letter writing campaign] we will start the whole sequence over again, writing to students in middle school, high school, and college.
The third grade staff then have the audacity to ask parents to send 10 postage stamps and 12 envelopes. The teacher then gives parents the option to opt out of the assignment.
This is a basic problem with Madison and the group-think that exists here. These teachers are politicising THE THIRD GRADE!! A third grader doesn't know what is right or wrong (the age or reason in the State of Wisconsin is 12), so they will take the teacher's bias as FACT. Under no circumstances should children be put in this situation.
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robp
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 12:08 Post subject: Re: so what happens if the kids don't do their assignment
| runaroundsue wrote: | Madison 3rd Grade Class Asked to Write Anti-War Propaganda Letters
Vicki McKenna reported on it yesterday and it was on NBC 27 last night, but this is utterly ridiculous.:
The Frank Allis third grade assigned the following to students:
The Frank Allis third grade will be writing letters to encourage an end to the war in Iraq. The letter writing will teach civic responsibility, a social studies standard, while providing an authentic opportunity to improve composition skills and handwriting.
The assignment is basically to write 12 letters to everyone from other 3rd graders around the nation to congress, the Senate, and the media.
If the war has not ended by the 12th day [of the letter writing campaign] we will start the whole sequence over again, writing to students in middle school, high school, and college.
The third grade staff then have the audacity to ask parents to send 10 postage stamps and 12 envelopes. The teacher then gives parents the option to opt out of the assignment.
This is a basic problem with Madison and the group-think that exists here. These teachers are politicising THE THIRD GRADE!! A third grader doesn't know what is right or wrong (the age or reason in the State of Wisconsin is 12), so they will take the teacher's bias as FACT. Under no circumstances should children be put in this situation. |
True dat. The parents need to take a stand against this yoyo immediately.
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camelia bedelia
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 12:37 Post subject:
I don't see a problem having kids write a letter about the war; most 8-9 year olds are starting to develop an interest in what goes on in the world around them and it is a good time to encourage that awareness. They should be allowed to take their own stance on it; however, whether that is for or against.
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runaroundsue
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 12:50 Post subject:
| camelia bedelia wrote: | | I don't see a problem having kids write a letter about the war; most 8-9 year olds are starting to develop an interest in what goes on in the world around them and it is a good time to encourage that awareness. They should be allowed to take their own stance on it; however, whether that is for or against. |
this isn't encouraging free speech or interest. "if the war doesn't end in 12 days".....you start again. What stance will a 3rd grader take? "please end this war, or I'll have more homework".
I don't mind teachers posting liberal stickers on the classroom doors, but pushing their agendas down my children's throats is NOT acceptable. don't tell my children how to vote, I don't even do that!!
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cherylpf
crazy cat lady
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 13:16 Post subject:
| runaroundsue wrote: |
this isn't encouraging free speech or interest. "if the war doesn't end in 12 days".....you start again. What stance will a 3rd grader take? "please end this war, or I'll have more homework".
I don't mind teachers posting liberal stickers on the classroom doors, but pushing their agendas down my children's throats is NOT acceptable. don't tell my children how to vote, I don't even do that!! |
I agree. I think an assignment writing letters to their senators is a good one encouraging kids to understand their government, but pushing a particular agenda is crossing lines.
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karlene
Canadian Bacon
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 13:58 Post subject:
The teacher is forcing them to take her stance on the war in Iraq?
I see nothing right in this. She can teach them that free speech is their right, and encourage them to write about things that they feel strongly about. But by no means should she be making them write letters...
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Gogirlgo
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 15:05 Post subject:
I don't think it's right to force the teacher's view (although I think ID is the same exact issue) but what if they were all studying the issue from all sides and unanimously, say after studying relevant international war documents, (I realize they're in third grade, but I think they could understand some basic premises) came to the conclusion that the war is wrong? Would you then still have a problem with them writing to everyone until it stops?
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karlene
Canadian Bacon
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 15:07 Post subject:
| Gogirlgo wrote: | | I don't think it's right to force the teacher's view (although I think ID is the same exact issue) but what if they were all studying the issue from all sides and unanimously, say after studying relevant international war documents, (I realize they're in third grade, but I think they could understand some basic premises) came to the conclusion that the war is wrong? Would you then still have a problem with them writing to everyone until it stops? |
Not at all, then it is 'their' decision and not the teachers'
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Noley
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 15:16 Post subject:
I think it's reasonable for a teacher to have students write the letters, as long as the students are able to express their own views. Otherwise, it's not something that should be done.
To answer your question, if they don't do the assignment...no penalty should be imposed.
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megawill
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 16:43 Post subject:
oops. wrong log in.
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camelia bedelia
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Posted: 12/04/05 - 16:45 Post subject:
Like GoGirl said, maybe they are all anti-war. I don't know where Frank Ellis is, but in my sister's neighborhood you'd be hard pressed to find a war supporter. It is Madision, afterall. 
But seriously, I don't think they should be forced to take a particular stance on the war. Having on-going discussions/assignments around it is okay though.
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copteacher
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Posted: 12/05/05 - 12:39 Post subject:
No way would any of my children complete that assignment.
Unless there was an alternative I would gladly have them take the 0.
I would in turn write a long letter to the teacher, principal and school board indicating the assignment and my objections.
The teacher could change the assignment to make it write a letter to a soldier OR anti war or something like that but no way anti war.
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Gogirlgo
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Posted: 12/05/05 - 18:46 Post subject:
It really sounds like we're missing some facts. This sound almost like an urban legend.
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camelia bedelia
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Posted: 12/05/05 - 18:54 Post subject:
| Gogirlgo wrote: | | It really sounds like we're missing some facts. This sound almost like an urban legend. |
No, it really happened, though parents did have a chance to have their kids opt out of the assignment.
WMTV
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sonnylax
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Posted: 12/06/05 - 09:33 Post subject:
Flipped on a live interview with one of the teachers in question this AM on Fox. It was pretty damn hillarious.
The teacher said it was an assignment for the kids to write peace letters. The interviewer asked the teacher about the assignment - "If in fact this was an anti-war letter". The teacher said she didn't remember the exact wording and she didn't have her paperwork with her. The interviewer then says, well I have it right her and it says "anti-war letter". The teacher had no comment and looked like she had just been caught trying to steal something.
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