Parental rights

speechlesstx · Jun 2, 2009, 06:27 AM

In another thread I complained of groups like PP imposing their agenda on our children without regard to parental values. Don't worry about it I was told, who's saying the parents can't be the parents? Here we go...

Quote:

Calif. District Creates Primary School Gay Curriculum

Monday, June 1, 2009 3:24 PM

By: Rick Pedraza

Elementary school teachers in Alameda, Calif., will introduce lesson plans to their educational curriculum beginning next year that address gay and lesbian issues, KCBS News in San Francisco reports.

Kindergarten through grade 5 students throughout the county will be exposed to same-sex educational material aimed at promoting tolerance and inclusiveness.

The curriculum –– which will include lessons to introduce students to “LGBT” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual) issues –– will be designed to discourage bullying and teasing based on gay and lesbian stereotypes. The plan will be implemented despite objections by parents who complain children are too young to be exposed to the material.

Many parents are condemning the lesson plan as sex education in disguise and are angered that they will not be allowed to exempt their children from the lessons. Opponents decry the curriculum plan as an effort to advance the gay, lesbian and transgendered agenda.

Those opposed to sexual orientation lessons for children are so upset they are threatening to sue the school board, ABC News reports. Promoting gay, lesbian and sexual orientation should be a parents' rights issue, parents say, and is not an appropriate topic for school children.

The Alameda school district's legal counsel, however, recommended the plan because the curriculum does not deal with health or sex education, which are topics that do require opt-out provisions.

“It was the opinion of our legal counsel that this curriculum was not health or sex education curriculum,” school board president Mike McMahon told CNS New.

“If a student responds that one family in the book is made up of a mother, a father, and two children and a cat, you may acknowledge that some families look like this, but ask students for other examples of what a family can look like.”

School Board Member Trish Spencer, who voted against the plan, said she worries that its implementation could lead to the harassment of students who have religious objections to homosexuality. She cited that bullying due to religion is a bigger problem for the district than bullying based on homosexuality.

Also adamantly opposed to the plan is Randy Thomasson, president of the Campaign for Children and Families.

“This will be done whether parents like it or not, and it shows the hostility against parental rights and traditional family values,” Thomasson, told CNS New.

Last month, the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, the voter-approved initiative to make same-sex marriage illegal that passed in November.

The Alameda school board said it will review its decision to implement the curriculum at the end of next year’s school session.

Is it the public school's place to instill their values in our children in spite of parental objections - or at all? Or does the public 'benefit' outweigh parental rights?

For all of you who think government should get out of the marriage business, should they get out of the parenting business such as this example, too?

spitvenom · Jun 2, 2009, 10:51 AM

My parents didn't get any vouchers and I know they paid alot to send me to a catholic school (i had to take the payments to school and I checked them out) So it is possible.

tomder55 · Jun 2, 2009, 11:01 AM

but if your parents were not using the public school system that they were paying taxes for then why shouldn't they have been able to take some of that money to send you to a school of their choosing ?

Yes some parents can afford it ;but many can't . My sister in Jacksonville took her children out of their school district to home school because the system there sucks and it is dangerous for children. She can't afford private school but she is paying for the public school system regardless .

spitvenom · Jun 2, 2009, 11:11 AM

I actually agree with your point that if you send your kid to a private/catholic school you should not have to pay taxes for public school (or atleast pay a little less).

I used that argument when 8th grade finished and my parents wanted to send me to a catholic high school. I told them you are paying for the public school now so just send me there and the money you save from not sending me to a catholic school you can get me a car. I never got that car.

Skell · Jun 2, 2009, 04:21 PM

Just as long as you have no problem with parents getting money to send their kids to Islamic schools tom??

Altenweg · Jun 2, 2009, 04:56 PM

You're against teaching same sex relationships in school so you want it banned. What about the parents that are all for it?

You can't please everyone.

If you don't like what your child's school is teaching then find a school that teaches your values.

Problem solved.

tomder55 · Jun 3, 2009, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Just as long as you have no problem with parents getting money to send their kids to Islamic schools tom??

If they pay their school taxes then no I have no problem with it . Where I live there is a large Orthodox Jewish community that pays taxes but besides bus services get no other benefit for their school taxes and do not get vouchers. Since they don't ;they are active in the school board and vote in block to vote down the budget . The system is unfair to both them and the rest of the people in the district.

But I argue this more on the grounds that the system now is inequitable. Wealthy parents can choose any school they want for their kids; middle class parents often move to suburbs where better public schools exist; the poor, however, may be left to fend for themselves and restricted to dysfunctional public schools without any choice.

I note again that the Obama's are sending their children to the finest private school in Washington. Michelle Obama went to Bouchet Academy and Whitney Young High School .Justice Sonya Sotomayor is the product of private Catholic School education. The narrative that is told of her families climb from poverty cannot be accurately told without an acknowledgement of the role private schooling played.

speechlesstx · Jun 3, 2009, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Altenweg

You're against teaching same sex relationships in school so you want it banned. What about the parents that are all for it?

Get this, PUBLIC schools. Taxpayer dollars. The same area where all those people throw a fit that any sort of religious (Christian that is) value might cross a student's path want to force feed our children GLBT values without allowing parents to opt out? What about all the parents that WANT prayer or bible courses in school?

Quote:

If you don't like what your child's school is teaching then find a school that teaches your values.

Problem solved.

Problem solved? You say that as if it's just easy as pie. What about those who can't afford it, have to work two jobs to make ends meet, single parents and every other poor soul who can't get a voucher to do something different? Is that your idea of being sensitive to the needs of poor families who work their butts off to provide a meager existence and raise their children with their values - suck it up and accept our agenda or just go somewhere else? Is the agenda more important than a real education, more important than the family itself?

NeedKarma · Jun 3, 2009, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

Is that your idea of being sensitive to the needs of poor families ...

If they are poor it's only because they aren't working hard enough. America is the land of freedom and opportunity. No handouts.

/republican mantra

speechlesstx · Jun 3, 2009, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeedKarma

If they are poor it's only because they aren't working hard enough. America is the land of freedom and opportunity. No handouts.

/republican mantra

Which of us has ever said "If they are poor it's only because they aren't working hard enough?" Which of us has ever said "no handouts?" Would you care to address the actual topic?



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