Vt Teacher Accused Of Anti-Bush Quiz

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breitbart.com

A high school teacher is facing questions from administrators after giving a vocabulary quiz that included digs at President Bush and the extreme right.

Bret Chenkin, a social studies and English teacher at Mount Anthony Union High School, said he gave the quiz to his students several months ago. The quiz asked students to pick the proper words to complete sentences.

One example: "I wish Bush would be (coherent, eschewed) for once during a speech, but there are theories that his everyday diction charms the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes." "Coherent" is the right answer.

Principal Sue Maguire said she hoped to speak to whomever complained about the quiz and any students who might be concerned. She said she also would talk with Chenkin. School Superintendent Wesley Knapp said he was taking the situation seriously.

"It's absolutely unacceptable," Knapp said. "They (teachers) don't have a license to hold forth on a particular standpoint."

Chenkin, 36, a teacher for seven years, said he isn't shy about sharing his liberal views with students as a way of prompting debate, but said the quizzes are being taken out of context.

"The kids know it's hyperbolic, so-to-speak," he said. "They know it's tongue in cheek." But he said he would change his teaching methods if some are concerned.

"I'll put in both sides," he said. "Especially if it's going to cause a lot of grief."

The school is in Bennington, a community of about 16,500 in the southwest corner of the state.
 
That's funny, considering this...

School Runs Contest for Best Anti-Gay Essay

(Farmington, New Mexico) An essay contest at a New Mexico high school asks students to explain why preserving marriage between men and women is vital society and why unborn children merit respect and protection.

The contest, at Farmington's Piedra Vista High School, is being held in connection with an essay contest sponsored by United Families International, an organization whose primary mission is "to strengthen the family by promoting marriage between one man and woman and the protection of human life, including unborn children."

The students were given the option of either writing a response to two questions about preserving marriage and the protection of the “unborn” or submitting a personal narrative.

The parent of a sophomore at the school complained about the contest to the ACLU.

"The contest had nothing to do with encouraging critical thinking," said ACLU of New Mexico staff attorney George Bach.

"It was a tactic to shape students' political views in the guise of an objective school assignment."

The contest also is being criticized by Equality New Mexico, and NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico.

In a letter to Principal Donny Ortiz they say that the contest violates state regulations banning sexual orientation discrimination by teachers.

The groups have proposed offering students a choice of also writing about alternative viewpoints.

Ortiz declined the offer of a competing essay contest saying that New Mexico Secretary of Education Veronica Garcia distributed the original essay contest school districts for interested students only.

"Piedra Vista High School's apparent lack of respect for diversity in thought is troubling," said Alexis Blizman, Executive Director of LGBT civil rights group Equality New Mexico

"Students in taxpayer-funded public schools simply shouldn't be forced to accept one viewpoint over another, regardless of the issue."

Garcia's office did not return calls seeking comment.

So, really, it goes both ways.

Melon
 
:lol:

All this ruckus over an "anti-Bush quiz" is total crap. I mean, the guy obviously just meant it as a joke. I swear, people these days really need to take a chill pill and lighten up, so to speak. The PC police are running rampant.

I can't believe they allowed that Anti-Gay Essay in public schools, though. I mean, if it was a private Catholic school of some sort that holds extremely conservative religious views, I wouldn't be as surprised. But at a public school? Ridiculous.
 
The anti-gay thing offends me a lot more than a teacher taking a potshot at GWB. It probably would even if I was a Republican.

I could potentially see it happening at a private school (legally, anyways - I'd still be morally against it), but at a public school it's completely unacceptable to openly promote discrimination like this. I always thought New Mexico was a fairly liberal state...? :shrug:

Does anyone know if this "United Families International" group is religious (a la Focus on the Family)? If so, isn't that completely illegal?
 
I've heard a LOT worse in high school and college (going in both directions), but I've also never attended a public school...
 
ImOuttaControl said:
As a teacher, let me say that I think it is completely unacceptable to do this sort of crap. Period.

yeah me too.....the classroom isn't the place for this:tsk:
 
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