[Vision2020] Luna Cautions Teachers About Political Activities

[Tom Hansen]

Very well stated, Sue.

 

SueHovey1969.jpg

Those of us who give a damn are beside, and behind, you 100%.

 

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Sue Hovey [mailto:suehovey at moscow.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 3:05 PM
To: lfalen; Tom Hansen; Moscow Vision 2020
Cc: Penni Cyr
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Luna Cautions Teachers About Political Activities

 

Roger, et al,  This sounds so simple:  be political only after hours.  But a


good teacher, regardless of subject brings herself into her teaching; her 

thoughts, her motives, her political ideology.  And kids are not simple; 

they recognize, and do not necessarily commit to, her ideology.  How could I


not teach slavery was an evil institution or not teach that women are 

entitled to full and equal rights as citizens of this nation? Or that, from 

my perspective the Constitution is a living document, capable of meeting the


needs of a changing culture.   In any classroom discussion of current events


anything that happens is by nature, germane.  I was lucky as a high school 

social studies teacher in Moscow.  I was the recognized Democrat, Bob Weisel


the recognized Republican.  When we had kids working for credit during the 

election seasons he worked with the students who wanted to help the 

Republicans and I with those who sided with the Dems.  What both he and I 

wanted was for all our students to recognize the importance of being 

politically involved.  We tried to make it easy for them to do so, but the 

choice was theirs.  There was a time when I thought ethical teachers had to 

be neutral in class.  I tried so diligently that one of my students came in 

to thank me personally for supporting Steve Symms.  I then decided I had 

carried neutrality much too far.

 

Tom Luna is simply trying to intimidate teachers.  That was the intent of 

the 3 laws.  Not only do they penalize good teachers, they place a terrible 

burden on administrators and school district trustees--and small districts 

are significantly at risk of losing good veteran teachers.  With the loss of


state funding for salaries, districts are going to have to search for ways 

to keep teachers in every classroom.  As seniority can no longer be a 

criterion and with the other criteria much less specific, districts may 

decide to release one, more highly paid teacher to get two for less money. 

That's what Luna's bills are all about--getting teachers on the cheap, and 

rewarding his hardware and software contractors as well as legislators who 

pushed through his bills.

 

  Those of us who are working to carry petitions are doing so out of class 

(well I'm retired, so it's easy,) and through our personal email addresses. 

IEA officers have been adamant--do not use your school email.  What does 

happen is if a parent is interested in signing a petition, the only email 

they probably have access to is the teacher's school email.  In a reply 

teachers always refer them to their personal emails, but the original 

message from the parents comes through the only address they have.

 

I have sent  response to the Trib and the DN hoping it will get printed 

soon.  It's another take on all this, but believe me, every time I reread 

the laws, I find a new issue.

 

There isn't much more time left to get these petitions signed.  Please if 

you haven't done so, consider it and call me.  I will come to your house to 

get your signature, if you need for me to do that.   882-3380 

208-301-2208 or just reply to this by email.

 

Think about it:  You cannot put our students first, if you put their 

teachers last......

 

Sue Hovey

 

 

"Corporations are an oppressed minority forced to move headquarters from
state to state in search of friendlier tax codes--sometimes being forced to
live just off our shores in tiny mailboxes." 

 

- John Oliver, The Daily Show

 

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