Marcus, your family is a "dirty word."

[Bosh]

but a one hour behavior clinic for being honest? Hell, I didn't get anything like then when I called a black kid a n***** when I was 6.... (at least until my mom got her hands on me).

[DRoseDARs]

There are some things that are not the business of the public education system nor it's place to teach. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but aren't religious people the ones who are usually foaming at the mouth and screaming the loudest everytime teachers try to influence what children think outside of just teaching reading-writing-arithmitic?

Teaching discipline (Billy, don't hit Suzy...and don't even think about putting that frog in her desk either!) is necessary to maintain order in the educational environment. It presents the framework for learning right and wrong, but it's up to the parents to form the moral center of their children as they perceive it, not the teachers.

Teachers are there to teach, not preach.

[Q Classic]

activist teachers to go along with activist judges.

don't forget, activism can go both ways. just look at that moore fellow.

[Enigma_Nova]

Pssht crazy Louisiana
These crazy folk don't seem to understand morals all that well... nor child psychology.

"Kept my mouth shut"?
In any given circumstance I would attack those that think they know better for me than I know for myself, and attack those that try to prevent me from doing what I see as best.

Then again a 6 year old with the literary skills of a 1.5 year old (Can't spell 'mouth') probably does not deserve to have their thoughts represented...
Silence demands vengeance. Let the principal be fired, and the gateway to alternative ideas opened.

Bad move on the part of the Principal. Some people are just homophobes, I guess.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

I have been saying over and over how broke Lousiana is.

Oh, the "I like to shoot ducks" governor candidate is apparently falling way behind the immigrant from India guy.

[Stuie]

This was picked up by CNN too:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/12/01/gay.mother.ap/index.html

Fact is, "gay" is not usually classified as a "bad word". I would agree with Enigma_Nova - some people are just homophobes.

[mrmitchell]

So, the summary is he said his mom was gay and then explained when asked that it's when "a girl likes a girl?"

There is NOTHING wrong with that. Now, had he started describing hot gay action, that would be an issue, but not only is saying "gay" okay, but he described it in a damn good way too.

The school staff only made it obvious that they're a group of raging homophobes.

Well, add Lousiana to the list of states to laugh at.

[Stuie]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Well, add Lousiana to the list of states to laugh at.

Weren't they already on the list?

[JohnT]

Then again a 6 year old with the literary skills of a 1.5 year old (Can't spell 'mouth') probably does not deserve to have their thoughts represented...

[Ben Kenobi]

Strongly torn on this case.

This is what I would have done if I were the teacher. I would either have given a note to the child to take home, or called the parents expressing my concerns about the child. I would have said that such discussion would be inappropriate for children in kindergarten.

I would not have involved the child at any point.

[Starchild]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
Strongly torn on this case.

This is what I would have done if I were the teacher. I would either have given a note to the child to take home, or called the parents expressing my concerns about the child. I would have said that such discussion would be inappropriate for children in kindergarten.

I would not have involved the child at any point.

"Dear Sir/Madam (which ever one pretends to be the man in your little 'relationship'),

Today I caught your child explaining to another child the nature of your sin. Your satanic spawn, err, child said that being 'gay' was when a girl 'loved' another girl. He expressed this with tolerance, even love, as he was refering to you, his ab-mum-ination. He he, I made a funny. These are not traits I want present in my class room as they may lead to other children learning to accept things that, while holding a strange fascination for me, are wrong! The image of two women, locked together in passion so fills me with disgust I almost mistake it for passion and longing to embrace my true nature. I fight a daily battle to repress it and so should you! In the future, please teach your child that only our narrow worldview can him what a normal relationship is. This will help me get back to my job of crushing their spirits and making them useful sheep and cannonfodder for the future.

Sincerly,
Little Boy's Teacher
(ps, call me!)"

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
Strongly torn on this case.

This is what I would have done if I were the teacher. I would either have given a note to the child to take home, or called the parents expressing my concerns about the child. I would have said that such discussion would be inappropriate for children in kindergarten.

I would not have involved the child at any point.

No, the teacher should have kept out of it. So long as the child isn't describing graphic sexual or other intimate acts, it's the child's right to describe the nature of his parent's relationship as much as it is anyone else. Why can other children talk freely about having a mommy and daddy, but not one who has two mommies? Nice double standard.

The only reason a teacher or administrator should have gotten involved is if someone had complained about it. All this has done has punished a kid for being honest. Little Marcus is taught to lie. Nice family values.

[DRoseDARs]

Thank you BK, that's exactly what I felt should have been done. While it would have been nice if the teacher hadn't involved herself in the first place, what you described would have been the most prudent course of action for Ms. Sticks-Her-Nose-Into-Other-Peoples'-Business.

[Ben Kenobi]

Starchild:



No, it would probably have been more along the lines of:


As a teacher of your son's kindergarten class, certain comments he made have raised my concerns. Just yesterday, when asked by another child as to his family, he responded that he has two gay moms.

While I do not agree with this arrangement, it is every parent's right to have a say in their child's welfare. Just as I would not wish to interfere with the arrangements of other children, I will not interfere with yours.

That being said, I feel discussion of what it means to be gay as inappropriate for a kindergarten class and will raise the ire of many other parents who wish to protect their children. Therefore, I ask that you instruct your child to talk about his adopted family, because, as we all know, your sexual preferences ought to have no bearing on your child rearing.

[General Ludd]

I wonder if the kid used "gay" in the 'lame' context, would he still of gotten in this much trouble?