Arkansas Blog

Obviously George Bush learned all he knows about totalitarian tactics when he was in high school and college.

Arkansas schools have given a great lesson this week on the first amendment and how to ignore it.

Hey Rita.....while your already at the court house, why dont you file a Free Speech Suit on behalf of Caleb's free speach rights against Boss Hog???

well, a little different from the 60's but another generation opposed to suppression and tyranny.
Hope they keep up the good fight.

Of course officials are following the example of Bushbots, destroying expression, destroying Constitutional Admendments 4, 5, 6, 8. After all it's "just a peice of paper." Dark clouds everywhere hovering over the Republic.

I have often wondered about the education colleges who turn out these people to be public school administrators. Do they not have mandatory courses in what the Supreme Court has ruled on such issues for public schools and administrators? Do these people just pass these courses without even a hint of what the legal recourses are for such actions?

I have always contended that individual lawmakers should have to pay out of their own pockets the costs of any court cases their laws bring on rather than the taxpayers (such as the 1981 Creation Law that cost us about $900,000). If they did, they might think a lot longer before enacting such stupid laws.

The same thinking should be applied to school administrators and school board members. If they have to pay out of their own pockets (which in some cases they have to) for civil rights violations then they would not rush into such dangerous territory without thinking. But they seemingly never learn.

Perhaps you have caught this story. I think these administrators all graduate (?) from the same school.

http://www.dallasnews.com/cgi-bin/bi/gold_print.cgi

Remember, we must protect the children.Since the shootings in CO and PENN were from outsiders, not students, then why shouldn't all school staff also wear uniforms? Hey, Mr Super have you got your khaki pants and one color polo shirts or should your uniform be a black suit, white shirt and only one solid color tie? Mr. Knight don't you think your pay check of $118k + requires more than telling what type of tee shirts students can wear?

As a former teacher, I always found that what was on the inside of a child was more important than what was on the outside. Also, we were the place where a child learned about freedom, justice, accepting differences, and to be an independent thinker.
Watson's Chapel seems to have lost sight of that. They should likewise follow that ancient oath of medicine: Do no harm. It is the administrators of this policy who need to be suspended for ignoring basic rights granted to all Americans.

Since my Dallas News url doesn't work I will just post the account:

Teacher: Reprisals began after field trip

Frisco ISD: 5th-graders saw nude art; board supports principal

07:38 AM CDT on Thursday, August 24, 2006

By KAREN AYRES / The Dallas Morning News

FRISCO - A veteran Frisco art teacher says school administrators have retaliated against her because a student reportedly saw a nude sculpture during a field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art.

District officials say they are supporting a principal who reprimanded Sydney McGee over the field trip and other performance issues.

At Ms. McGee's request, the situation was aired in public during a school board meeting Monday.

The school board rejected a request that would have allowed Ms. McGee to transfer to another school.

Ms. McGee told the board that the principal of Fisher Elementary School criticized her performance and threatened her job after a parent complained about the April field trip.

Ms. McGee's attorney, Daniel Ortiz, said she didn't receive any negative reports until shortly after the field trip.

"This case is about censorship. ... It's about retaliation front and center," Mr. Ortiz told the board.

Ms. McGee, who has taught in various Texas districts for 28 years, said she visited the museum and spoke with museum staffers before the trip to ensure that it was appropriate for the fifth-grade class. Ms. McGee said she does not know which piece of art offended the parent, and the district did not identify it.

Ms. McGee said principal Nancy Lawson called her into a meeting the day after the trip to admonish her about the parent's complaint. Shortly thereafter, she received a negative review and a series of directives about displaying student artwork and creating lesson plans.

"You have to start somewhere when you've seen things you don't believe are in the best interest of the students," Superintendent Rick Reedy said.

In a memo to Ms. McGee, Ms. Lawson wrote that students were exposed to nude statues and other nude art representations during the trip. Ms. Lawson said she received complaints from parents and other teachers about the trip.

Ms. McGee said Monday that she was afraid of being fired. Ms. Lawson told the board that she planned to have Ms. McGee return to Fisher this fall.

Ms. McGee said she sought to resolve the issue by requesting a transfer.

"There was such hostility, I didn't feel like that was a good environment," she said.

That grievance and another transfer request were rejected by administrators. The school board unanimously upheld those decisions Monday night.

Some board members said it appeared that Ms. Lawson was trying to improve the art teacher's performance and should be allowed to do so.

"It is a principal's job and their duty and responsibility to give directives to the people who work for them, and I don't want to circumvent that process," board president Buddy Minett said.

Board members said there were other performance issues in question beyond the trip complaint.

But Ms. McGee and her attorney said there is a clear connection.

"She made a great effort to see to it that the April 26 field trip was in fact a big success," Mr. Ortiz said. "Apparently one parent complained, and that changed Sydney's work."

You'd think an educated man would appreciate students who've paid attention in civics/history/government classes and appreciate the democratic value of activism.
But evidently this superintendent thinks demanding conformity and obedience is more important than allowing the expression of free speech.

At least they'll be good little Republicans one day.

Not only does Supt. Knight draw more than $118,000 per year in salary, he was T-DROPed in the Teacher Retirement System for the maximum 10 years, and still continues to work.

Maybe he should finally retire and turn it over to someone who is grounded in the 21st century.

I wonder if these kids changed their black arm bands to a American flag would they still be suspended. Hmmm, now if this were to happen kids would have to say the Pledge Allegiance to the flag but would not be able to wear a American flag.

From the Watson Chapel Student Handbook: "1.Principals shall not allow individual exceptions-even for short periods of time-on any basis other than minimal variance to accommodate a documented handicapping condition."
From the Arkansas Code: " 6-18-102(c) Any school uniform policy adopted by a school district shall provide for individual students to make application to opt out of the uniform requirements with parental consent where no other reasonable alternative placement for the student exists." The WC handbook does not allow for this. Also, I find it very interesting that Arkansas law allows the following for teachers: "Any teacher may wear the clothing of any established and recognized religion in the public schools and institutions of this state. " but does not offer this right to students.

Way to go, saywhat, for your research.
I see many problems which hopefully the Courts can settle.

Um, I don't think you are supposed to wear the flag...