My right to rant.

After reading Darren's post this morning, I decided that I needed to catch up on my Google News reading. So, for the past hour or so, I've been perusing publications from around the world on myriad topics: from Hamas's disinterest in Al'Quaida video-taped support of Palestinian policies to the sentencing of a Californian senator in the biggest corruption trial since the Teapot Dome Scandal. I read about Crash winning a "Best Picture" Oscar, and about Jenny McCarthy earning her Razzie.

The kicker? The reason for a second blog post just hours after the really-really-long previous one?

This story. This, unbelievably, disturbingly, heartbreakingly, confused and ridiculous attempt to somehow justify a woefully inept "educator's" (please note the heavy sarcasm here) pathetic lack of self-control and dearth of teaching ability.

Free speech?? For a teacher?? I don't care about the teacher's opinion; whether I agree or disagree with his comments, or the President's policies, for that matter, is utterly irrelevant. Teachers don't get "Free Speech" in a classroom. Yes, teachers need to lead students to think for themselves, absolutely, but we must never, EVER, not even for one tiny moment, forget that our audience, our students, are not only a captive audience, but are both under our control in the classroom AND rely on us for grades and our "opinion" of their thoughts.

How many of you, my good readers, have ever hedged on an opinion in middle school, high school, or college, because you were uncertain of the instructor's position on the issue? How many of you, and be honest here, have actually adjusted your comments because you wanted to ally (or, better, align) yourself with the overall atmosphere in the classroom? Oh, I'm certain that half of the comments I receive on this post will be the counter-argument, that students, especially in high school and at university, will purposefully disagree with a teacher or professor, for the sake of argument, or of rebellion. Even if one argues that students often take a stand against the teacher, even if one argues that the percentage of these students is greater than 5% (which would be a bit of a stretch, I assure you), why should they need to? Teachers provide an open, safe space for students to submit their opinions and to learn to structure arguments, not to allow students to agree or disagree with the teacher.

I have no clear idea as to the nature of this particular teacher’s (in CA – raise your hand if you’re surprised) infraction on this score, since I do not credit sound/text bites in a mainstream news source. I’d rather read the complete transcript of the student’s recording.* The item that set me off onto this rant is the title of the LA Times article. Teachers are not supposed to be indoctrinators, any more than they are to be baby-sitters, and the obviously established standard in the media – supposedly the “voice of the masses” – is that since parents aren’t teaching their children the correct political attitudes, the teachers are responsible for the civic and moral education of their little charges.

I am torn, as ever I am, between a desire to rush into a public school system and start to repair some of the damage before it’s too late – if it isn’t already - and an overwhelming urge to run in the opposite direction. Fight or flight?

As Mutant Enemy might say, “Grrr. Argh.”

* Although I must say, anyone with an ounce of sense, or a few World History classes, should recognize the absurdity of comparing the conservative president of a Constitutional Republic with the dictator of a fascist state. I mean, really.