Multiculturalism Banned?

This news today terrified me in a way that I haven't been terrified in a long time. Rep. Russell Pearce has created a bill to ban multicultural, anti-Western, anti-democratic teachings. It would also ban student organizations at state universities and community colleges from forming clubs based entirely or even in part on race. Bye-bye Native Americans United at NAU.

Does this mean I couldn't teach about Apache culture? Does this mean history teachers can't teach about communism, fascism, socialism, despotism? What does it mean?

The bill states: A primary purpose of public education is to inculcate values of American citizenship. Public tax dollars used in public schools should not be used to denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization.

Who's denigrating American culture? Defendants say this returns us to a melting pot mentality, and if you don't like it, go back to your country. Hahaha! Yeah, Native Americans, go home!!!

Top-ten list

For the sake of posterity, I have to record some of the most outrageous comments that my co-workers or I have received from students. Please note that these are vulgar.

10. "If you have babies they'll all look like Shrek because Mr. B. [the other Language Arts teacher] looks like Shrek."
9. "Bitch," "faggot," "queer guy," "racist."
8. "Hey, bitch, open the gate!"
7. Female student to me: "Suck my ass."
6. To Mr. B. or Mr. F. when standing near me, "Grab it!!!"
5. "Mr. F., you should hook up with Ms. L. You'd make a champ couple. Better hurry up, because I heard Ms. L's still a virgin."
4. "Hey, Ms. L., suck it."
3. Student to a male teacher: "I'm going to go home, get my dad's hunting rifle out, bring it back to school, and shoot you."
2. Student to a male teacher: "Hey, better hurry up and bone [Ms] L. before [Mr.] B. does."
1. Student to a male teacher: "My dick was in your wife's asshole last night."

Teacher Hits Student

A 7th grade student of mine was absent all last week, and on Monday, she returned to school with a scabbed over bruise under her left eye.

Last week, another student told me during class that a teacher had hit him. I took him out into the hallway, and he explained that she asked him to move in the cafeteria line. He cussed, and she slapped him on the back. She hit him so hard that he thought at first that it was one of his friends who'd smacked him. He couldn't believe it was a teacher, but he realized that his friends weren't standing close enough to have hit him. I have a good relationship with this kid and believe him, and besides, a substitute also witnessed (and heard) the hit. I told her that she had to report it to the principal.

As far as I know, she's been officially written up for it. There's a little piece of paper in her file saying that she manhandled a student. But the same day she was written up, she had the tenacity to ask if there were any openings in the district for principal! I told my student that if he has anyone at home whom he trusts, he should talk to him/her and have them come into the school and file a complaint. He responded well to this; hopefully, he doesn't get knocked around at home worse than he does at school.

And that's one of the main reasons I'm so appalled (This would be awful anywhere but here...). These kids are so often knocked around and/or neglected at home. They're poor. They come from broken homes, and they're shuffled around from mom to dad to auntie to grandma. They're parents are often drug/alcohol abusers. And to come to school, where the adults are supposed to lead them, guide them, teach them, help them, and have something like this happen--something that will only add to the racism and distrust in the community against the educational system--disgusts me. But this state and this country are so desperate for educational reform and for making teaching a more competitive and financially beneficial career, and until then, we'll keep these out-of-control teachers for as long as we can. And we'll hire inexperienced administrators who do not know how to lead and do not want to "create waves." After all, something is not a problem until it is a problem, right?