# I pit stupid partisan schoolteachers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 6, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815 "2004-10-06T06:27:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/61 "2004-10-06T23:46:22Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Nah. It’s already known that the NEA is solidly in the Democrat column, and the members, be they Republicans or whatever, are forced to support NEA pro-Dem campaigning efforts. The NEA does not care about appearing impartial, and I don’t doubt that sacrificing one little teacher is an ‘acceptable loss’ to them, to keep the party line going strong. Here’s how unions work. They support their members and any “nonaffiliated” people that are there. They have to. They do support candidates, but are not allowed to “force” anyone to support any partisan activities whatsoever. They can not look at anyone as an “acceptable loss”, because as soon as it got out that even the least “important” person had been thrown to the wolves, it would all be over. Unions do put up flyers and send junk mail supporting candidates that support what the unions want, but they are forbidden from doing more than this. I think I know what they are allowed to do, I’m the VP of my local. “My” union and “my” local supports whoever gives us what we want, or at least promises to, regardless of party affiliation. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/62 "2004-10-06T23:46:47Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > No, I responded to another one of your sadly ignorant blurbs. Oh… so you for some reason took that opportunity to respond to the substance of a post of mine in an entirely different thread? Wow… how generous of you to provide me with such helpful guidance and discourse. > [@](#): > > (Remember the ‘Moore-on’ bit you cried about a while back?) Why, yes, I do remember a previous futile attempt to actually engage you in conversation and convince you to raise the level of your discourse. I may even try again in the future, as I’m stubborn. > [@](#): > > And there is a sunless place you can shove your convoluted ‘cite’ request. Well, given that it’s the same place from which you pulled your claim which cause me to request a cite in the first place, that would kind of complete the circle. There’s a difference between you and me, Brutus, and it’s not that you’re pro-Bush and I’m not. It’s that I respect people who disagree with me, individually and collectively, and attempt to learn from and bridge those disagreements. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/63 "2004-10-07T00:29:48Z")
That was quite a scenario, **Bear\_Nenno**. Perhaps you could forward it to Red White and Blue Films, and they’ll pay you a bunch of money for the rights. One of your “facts” that you are “inclined to believe”: > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > They [**her students – kd99**] know she was at the Convention. Why would you be inclined to believe this? The RNC took place from 08-30-04 to 09-02-04. According to the South Brunswick School District [calendar\*](http://www.sbschools.org/), she wasn’t expected to report to school until September 1. Even allowing for her missing the first two days (which is as much pure conjecture as the rest of your little story), the students weren’t in a position to know that she wasn’t there, because they didn’t report to class until September 7. \*On preview, I learn that you need to click on the “Calendar 2004-2005” link on the site Directory, then select “Download School Calendarand School closing Information”. I understand that .pdf will be invoked during this process. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/64 "2004-10-07T01:31:06Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > I was being serious, you know. Please point out the specific line that refutes what I quoted. I can and will eat crow when proven wrong, as infrequent as that is. Well, let’s see. You quoted: > [@](#): > > Veteran English teacher Shiba Pillai-Diaz says she was shocked when three parents confronted her. The three, insisting the teacher either add John Kerry’s photo to the montage of presidents or remove the Bush photo. Oooh. Let’s see. First, let’s note that the “Veteran English teacher” is actually a **new** language-arts teacher. There was no “montage of presidents” to add Kerry to. The bulletin board (which should have been used for class-relevant materials) had pictures not only of Bush, but also his dog. I’m pretty darn sure that Bush’s dog is not a President or a former President. Therefore, it was not a montage of Presidents. Therefore, by asking for Kerry’s picture to be added to the bulletin board, the parents were in no way implying that Kerry was President or a former President. All of this was easily gleaned by merely reading the OP. Consider yourself served. Eat up. You might try some humble pie, too. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/65 "2004-10-07T01:56:29Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > First, let’s note that the “Veteran English teacher” is actually a **new** language-arts teacher. New to that school, perhaps. [6 years a teacher](http://www.thnt.com/thnt/story/0,21282,1068611,00.html) , though, seems veteranish to me. > [@](#): > > There was no “montage of presidents” to add Kerry to… I still don’t see where even the ass-covering statement from the principal says anything about there not being a montage. In fact, it makes mention of ‘several other Presidential artifacts’. > [@](#): > > Consider yourself served. Holy crap, sure, I’ll consider myself ‘served’. Fo’real, yo! You may want to go up on da sneak-tip to actually check some of da factizzles of the storyizzals, but in the meanwhile, I will be over in the corner, considering myself ‘served’! ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/66 "2004-10-07T02:09:32Z")
You have no proof that the parents ever thought that Kerry is or was the President. You said you’d eat crow if we proved you wrong. We did. Go crying back to the fetid bitch what whelp’d a sorry Rove-wannabe slimester as yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Cerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Cerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerri)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/67 "2004-10-07T02:13:49Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Substance? I was unaware of any substance in your post. If ‘Kerryites are stupid’ are whatever bothers you, you’ll need to get over that, right-quick. There are way too many incidents of ‘Bushies are _x_’ or 'Bushiviks are _x_ at the SDMB for me to give a shit about your impassioned plea. Because, as we all know, 2 wrongs ALWAYS make a right. _nods solemnly_ :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/68 "2004-10-07T02:26:15Z")
> [@Cerri](#): > > Because, as we all know, 2 wrongs ALWAYS make a right. _nods solemnly_ > > :rolleyes: **Brutus** is like zero. No matter what you multiply him by, it still comes out to zero. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/69 "2004-10-07T03:11:08Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > Go crying back to the fetid bitch what whelp’d a sorry Rove-wannabe slimester as yourself. Dag, yo! What up wid da serving, fo real? You ain’t gotta point, you ain’t actually refuterized what I says, and you be crazy, dog! Snaps and props to da GOP! You know, I still find it hard to believe that somebody used ‘Consider yourself served’’ in a non-facetious way. I dunno who you are, but with that one little post, you propelled yourself to near the to near the top of my ‘Idiots List’. Granted, I haven’t laughed so hard at a post in a while, so I should thank you… ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/70 "2004-10-07T03:28:40Z")
Brutus, your nakedly PATHETIC need for attention is so sad. That you feel superior to the rest of us and enjoy spinning bullshit to piss people off just so you can get a thrill would be annoying if it wasn’t such a desperate plea for attention. I’d suggest you get a life, but I figure that with your behavior it is beyond your limited abilities for you to socialize with actual people. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/71 "2004-10-07T04:00:51Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > That was quite a scenario, **Bear\_Nenno**. Perhaps you could forward it to Red White and Blue Films, and they’ll pay you a bunch of money for the rights. One of your “facts” that you are “inclined to believe”:Why would you be inclined to believe this? The RNC took place from 08-30-04 to 09-02-04. Am I crazy, or was the MPSIMS version of this completely erased. Not locked, but erased? Anyway, there was a link on there where it explained how she took off from school to attend the convention. I also believe it said she was serving in some sort of capacity there and not just an observer. I’d like to read that part again, but I don’t know where I read it. Anyway, it wasn’t much of a stretch to think that if she took off from work, that she would be missing class. From there it follows that her students would know she was at the convention and therefore know she is a raging republican. Maybe it came off as “quite a scenario”, but it wasn’t something I completely pulled out of my ass. Again, it won’t break my heart if that’s not the case. It does put more blame on her, but still not completely. She still doesn’t come off as the sole evil entity surrounded by benevolent lefty coworkers and parents. I still think they all let this thing get way out of hand. BTW, I hope you didn’t spend much time looking up that stuff. It really isn’t worth it. I do thank you for adding some facts. But it probably wasn’t worth the time. I’m not a rapid diehard supporter of this woman or her cause. Though I don’t think she is the only person responsible, I’m not claiming that she is any kind of poor little victim. My “scenario” just tried to show a building frustration between teacher, students and parents. One that probably started near the begining of the year. This did not happen because she made a couple comments about the students being democrats. I do believe the students pestered her, and I do believe the parents could have curtailed this. But the hatred from the parents just transfered to the students. So the studenst would say stuff, causing the teacher to say something, causing the parents to get even more pissed and so on. This is a problem that started small and snowballed into a “holy shit” situation. That was the main point. This problem started small and snowballed. And it could and should have been nipped in the bud by the principal at the begining. Or at least at a point before all this crap finally exploded. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/72 "2004-10-07T04:16:59Z")
It was deleted because people were posting personal information about the principal-names and addresses, I believe. (At the very least, e-mail addresses). ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/73 "2004-10-07T04:20:18Z")
Those bastards! :hides head in shame: ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/74 "2004-10-07T04:26:41Z")
**Brutus** , one Republican to another, you’re really making quite an ass out of yourself in this thread. It is quite obvious to me that this “Veteran English Teacher” made some comments and decisions in decorating her class that were certainly inappropriate. Probably not fire-worthy, but perhaps if she continued after being warned. Considering how the College Republicans here at CU want “Affirmative-Action for Conservative Professors” because they think acadamia is simply too liberal, even if they cannot provide examples of actual student discrimination or biased remarks in class, I find this whole thing pretty damned ironic. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/75 "2004-10-07T04:31:26Z")
> [@Mockingbird](#): > > That you feel superior to the rest of us and enjoy spinning bullshit to piss people off just so you can get a thrill would be annoying if it wasn’t such a desperate plea for attention. If you want an example of ‘spinning bullshit to piss people off so you can get a thrill’, look no further than your outrageous behavior [in this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=274533&highlight=milwaukee) ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/76 "2004-10-07T05:02:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Am I crazy, or was the MPSIMS version of this completely erased. Not locked, but erased? Those two situations are not mutually exclusive. However, the original thread _has_ been removed. In a post subsequent to the OP, someone posted a whole list of names and addresses of school administration and board members and suggested spamming them with ire. Several posters reported that they had done just that. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/77 "2004-10-07T05:48:10Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Anyway, there was a link on there where it explained how she took off from school to attend the convention. I also believe it said she was serving in some sort of capacity there and not just an observer. I’d like to read that part again, but I don’t know where I read it. > Anyway, it wasn’t much of a stretch to think that if she took off from work, that she would be missing class. From there it follows that her students would know she was at the convention and therefore know she is a raging republican. All these “woulds” and “coulds” and “shoulds”. They grow tiresome. And they make you look like you’re pulling things out of your ass. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Maybe it came off as “quite a scenario”, but it wasn’t something I completely pulled out of my ass. Meh. See above. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Again, it won’t break my heart if that’s not the case. It does put more blame on her, but still not completely. She still doesn’t come off as the sole evil entity surrounded by benevolent lefty coworkers and parents. I still think they all let this thing get way out of hand. Perhaps. But the OP gave us a television news story that was pretty one-sided in favor of the poor beleaguered Bush supporter surrounded by nasty free-speech-hatin’ liberals. He then proceeded to give a link to another account, one that made clear just how one-sided the first one was. And your little set of conjectures and speculations, far from holding the teacher accountable for stirring shit, continued making her out to be a martyr. I mean, for Pete’s sake, you began by casting the students, with their opinions, as the product of parents who are ignorant, uninformed trash. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > BTW, I hope you didn’t spend much time looking up that stuff. It really isn’t worth it. I do thank you for adding some facts. But it probably wasn’t worth the time. Hey, no sweat. It was the only remotely falsifiable statement you put in your _apologia_. As the father of a third grader (having an idea when school is likely to start), I couldn’t let it go without checking into it, because it just didn’t ring true. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > I’m not a rapid diehard supporter of this woman or her cause. Probably a good thing. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Though I don’t think she is the only person responsible, I’m not claiming that she is any kind of poor little victim. My “scenario” just tried to show a building frustration between teacher, students and parents. Ah. That’s an example of what they call The New Journalism, isn’t it? Afraid I don’t have a lot of use for that. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > One that probably started near the begining of the year. This did not happen because she made a couple comments about the students being democrats. I do believe the students pestered her, and I do believe the parents could have curtailed this. But the hatred from the parents just transfered to the students. So the studenst would say stuff, causing the teacher to say something, causing the parents to get even more pissed and so on. This is a problem that started small and snowballed into a “holy shit” situation. That was the main point. This problem started small and snowballed. And it could and should have been nipped in the bud by the principal at the begining. Or at least at a point before all this crap finally exploded. Dang, man. You’re doing it again. Come back when you can support that with some cites, okay? ---
**Author:** ![Voodoochile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/898d66/32.png) [@Voodoochile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voodoochile)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/78 "2004-10-07T05:59:23Z")
> [@little\*bit](#): > > …Teachers are also not supposed to teach opinion. You teach both sides of the facts of an argument and leave the conclusions to be drawn by the students. Funny how K-12 schools are so far ahead of universities in this respect. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/79 "2004-10-07T06:20:20Z")
Just speaking for myself, I don’t mind if a teacher has a particular political/religious view and wants to share it with the students, as long as he/she equally respects their own differing opinions. I had a teacher who was a devout Christian, and wasn’t afraid of showing his faith in the classroom, but he never made any effort to witness the students or condemn anyone who didn’t believe as he did. Where Ms. Pillai-Diaz crossed the line IMO was when she was telling her students that she was glad they couldn’t vote, and that they should be _ashamed_ :eek: for having a view that differed from her own. That stuff might be borderline acceptable in a public forum for adults, but for captive students in a classroom, led by a teacher who has the power to evaluate your performance, it’s just a situation rife for abuse of authority. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815/80 "2004-10-07T08:12:09Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Dag, yo! What up wid da serving, fo real? You ain’t gotta point, you ain’t actually refuterized what I says, and you be crazy, dog! Snaps and props to da GOP! Your mastery of Git leaves all astounded. Please, keep it up. > [@](#): > > You know, I still find it hard to believe that somebody used ‘Consider yourself served’’ in a non-facetious way. It fit the flow, Holmes. “Eat crow”, “served”. Maybe you need a refresher in Language Arts. > [@](#): > > I dunno who you are, but with that one little post, you propelled yourself to near the to near the top of my ‘Idiots List’. I am honored, sirrah. > [@](#): > > Granted, I haven’t laughed so hard at a post in a while, so I should thank you… Believe me, the pleasure is all mine, you coprophilic seducer of jackals. Have you considered using soap, or do you enjoy smelling that way? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-partisan-schoolteachers/267815.md?page=5)