"Parental Rights in Education" bill

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Yes, I know there is a similar thread, but this one is looking at what the bill actually does say without political bias.
Calling it the "Don't say "gay" bill *is* politically biased, sorry.

Also, I have a rather liberal view on sexuality and the LGBT community, so please, leave your hatred at the door.

https://theweek.com/education/1011116/f ... l-briefing

Same source.

I think the term "non-deranged" was unnecessary.
It weakens the integrity of the opinion.

Same source.

"...at *any* grade level"?
I think that is a stretch and may show political bias on the part of the person who formulated that example.

Same source.

I am not a parent.
Perhaps someone can inform me how much time is spent, in kindergarten, on discussing subject matter about sexual orientation/lifestyles?

As I've noted before, I don't like adding restrictions to what teachers are allowed to talk about. Normal life issues crop up unpredictably in classrooms every day, and teachers should be allowed to address them. And, to me, it's plain fear mongering to think any type of sexuality is discussed in grade 1-3 classrooms, much less sexual orientation, unless a specific incident demands it. It just isn't. Because, you know, age appropriateness.

Zero.

Except, maybe, if a student talks about their two mommies, and another student finding it odd asks the teacher. Or maybe a child starts to bully the child with two same sex parents. In which case a teacher would just say, "all families are different."

There are some children's books out there that include portrayals of same sex parents. The authors make that choice to help children with same sex parents feel represented. But some parents want all such books removed from all classrooms out of fear it will "normalize" gay relationships and, thus, increase the odds their child will be gay.

These laws are mine fields for educators. Do they now have to make sure no same sex couples are in the background illustrations of a book? While most people assume such laws would never go that far, there are parents out there that WILL go that far, that seem to spend their lives looking for a way to get their child's teacher fired. Teachers live in fear of such parents, not just on this type of issue, but all types of issues.

Last edited by DW_a_mom on 17 Mar 2022, 2:20 am, edited 2 times in total.

There definitely are parents in the USA who feel it is inappropriate at ANY grade level, and want ALL depictions of same sex relationships removed classroom libraries and school reading lists, at ALL grade levels.

So the MAGA mantra at the moment is don't mention race or sex in schools?

"Parental Rights in Education".
I think the parents want a vote in what politics is taught at skool.
I am still working out what that actually means.

It is difficult because of all the emotional politics that is creating a smoke haze.

The Oracle of Truth has spoken.

Ever wonder if anything political happens anymore without emotional smoke haze?

The Oracle of truth is correct on this.

I wrote elsewhere what I think the actual core is. Ie nothing at all to do with parental rights and everything to do with politics.

I don't know the US context well enough, but here, "representing parents" and "not dragging children into politics" are buzzwords used by some very, very partizan activists. They're exactly the ones who don't hesitate to sell their propaganda (sometimes in very inappropriate form) as "teaching traditional values".

Sorry, we may be living in different cultural contexts, but here political discourse and all kinds of activisms (conservative and progressive alike) are part of life that kids need to learn to enter social life of adults.

"Representing Parents": Representing people who cannot afford private schooling for their children.

"Not Dragging Children Into Politics": Not considering all sides of political issues.

"Teaching Traditional Values": Teaching history from a dominant perspective of white protestant males.

"Better Teachers": Glorified child daycare workers who work for free and teach only what they are told to teach.

"Better Administrators": Bureaucrats who work for free and strictly enforce Biblical principles.

Like, the majority of the society?

So...the bill bans something that (a) no one would object to being banned, but (b) doesnt exist in the first place. So the problem is not that its mandates something wrong. Its that it is completely unnecessary. ????

We should have guidelines of age-appropriateness, instead.
Otherways, it will indeed be "don't say 'gay' or I sue you" de-facto ban.

Like the majority of society.  No one ever asked me to tutor any charter-school, parochial-school, or private-school students.

Having been a tutor (maths and science), it was not unusual for parents of public-school students to insist I simply give their children the homework answers and let the children figure out the rest.  Fortunately, (1) I was an unpaid volunteer, so they did not "own" me; and (2) I did not have the homework answers (I would work out the problems with the student, not for the student).

Sometimes, the parents treated me like a free day-care operator, expecting me to supervise their children for an entire day, complete with meals and transportation to doctor/dental appointments . . . on Saturdays!

Each child was given one hour of my time, only one hour, and only by appointment.  Some parents would show up without an appointment (or at the wrong time) and demand I turn my full attention to their child alone.

All too often, and despite my best efforts, some students were simply unable (or unwilling) to learn the subject material -- they did no homework, kept no notes, and rarely cracked open their textbooks.  Then the parents would blame me for their child's failing grades.