My children are in the public schools in Wisconsin. They’ve been in schools in various other states. This article is based on not only my children, but other family member’s children and their experiences.

Political Views and Beliefs

Imagine this. Your child, Little Johnny, is in school, with a wonderful young teacher who’s very up-to-date in her beliefs (in my time, it was called being “hip”). Your family is strong in their beliefs, and you send Johnny to school to get an education. However, when Little Johnny comes home and tells you that the teacher has been bashing your religion or your political or moral views in the classroom, what do you do? Do you let it go, saying to yourself that “educators are idiots”? It doesn’t matter what religion or what views you’ve got. They all get bashed at some time from the front of the classroom in various schools. The older your children get, the worse it gets, too.

This happened to my family. Every year, some teacher gets a bee in their bonnet to use the lectern to promote political or religious platforms. Honestly, I don’t mind if they tell the whole story, or present all sides of the story. But, from what I’ve found, the students have to believe what they’re being told, or they’re bullied in front of the class or failed.

The First Amendment

According to the first amendment, everyone has freedom of speech. I agree with that. What I don’t agree with is the hate speech or bullying that is occurring every day in the classrooms by people who hold power.

Religion

This year, it was a slam to our religion. A student teacher told our son’s classroom incorrect facts about our religion, stating that it was based in “Egyptian mythology”. What was I to do? This was horrible, in my opinion, and this man had no right to spout such hate speech and defamation because it was an out and out lie. Did it have anything to do with the topic he should have been covering? No. He just went off on a tangent and slammed 99% of the students in the community who believe in our religion as well.

I had a choice. I could go to the man, and because he was probably backed by the teacher who never disagreed with him in the classroom, my son would be in trouble. Or, I could complain. Who do I complain to, though? I decided I had to make a stand for my kids, for my community and especially for my religion. I reasoned it out, and talked to my husband. I finally decided I needed to act. I wrote a letter to the principal and asked her what I should do. I didn’t want to have my son persecuted because he didn’t agree with the teacher, yet this type of thing had to stop or it would escalate.

The principal was gracious, offered to take the matter into her own hands and she dealt with it. This would only happen in the Midwest, I’m afraid. I can’t see this happening in communities on the coasts, though.

Bullying

Another story happened to a friend of mine. Her son was in the sixth grade and a teacher asked for the name of the worst president ever in our history. The child raised his hand and said a name. The teacher got into his face, yelled and screamed at him, and made fun of him in the classroom for his beliefs. She said that president was the best president we’d ever had and who was he to believe what he believed? It was horrible and demeaning and that child was thrown into a bad situation, just because of his beliefs. You may agree with the teacher, however, the point is, what if this happened to you or your children? What would you do?

This has to stop. The first amendment is a right, not something to abuse with hate speech, which is nothing more than bullying. Teachers need to be more careful of this type of political maneuvering, because it will, some day, come back to haunt them. Why should someone who teaches music or science be spouting their own personal agendas to the classroom? Who should be regulating this? What can be done?

I think parents need to put pressure on the school districts to get this to stop. However, I’m sorry to say that it won’t stop unless enough parents complain. Hate speech restrictions can never become a law, because of the first amendment. Who’s to say what’s hate speech and what’s considered freedom to speak their minds? I do know that children shouldn’t be afraid to go to a classroom because they have different beliefs, and in my opinion, there should be a law that they have to stick to the lessons they’re to teach…not be a grandstander.