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GioiaMia
Let's Go Rangers!
Member since 1/07 14818 total posts
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4th grader and politics. . .
My niece came home with an essay assignment to ask her parents who they are voting for and why?
I am not sure what she ended up doing but I told my sister to have her write an essay about how voting is PRIVATE and that is why it is done in a booth but explain how important voting is either way.
I found that so strange, what do you think??
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Posted 10/6/08 5:38 PM  |
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summerBaby10
let's be nice
Member since 9/07 10208 total posts
Name:
Wifey
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
I do think that is strange. Maybe the teacher wanted to use the essays to help explain the positives of each candidate. 
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| Posted 10/6/08 5:47 PM |
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JessInCA
live laugh love
Member since 8/06 5082 total posts
Name:
Jess
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
I'd guess it has less to do with reporting back to the teacher what their political views are, and more to do with getting the families discussing politics in the home... but yeah, it's kind of a weird assignment.
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| Posted 10/6/08 5:49 PM |
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kimbalina
Bring on the glitter and bows!
Member since 6/08 15158 total posts
Name:
Kim
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
I am glad that the have an assignment about politics, however, I dont think they should be asking who the parents are voting for.
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| Posted 10/6/08 5:53 PM |
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jewels
Stop and smell the flowers
Member since 7/06 1538 total posts
Name:
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
sounds like a good intentioned teacher who maybe didn't think his/her plans through very well.
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| Posted 10/6/08 5:55 PM |
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GioiaMia
Let's Go Rangers!
Member since 1/07 14818 total posts
Name:
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
yeah, i agree - i didnt think that the teacher really thought about what they were asking
my niece calls them the old man and the teenager - she thinks obama looks like a teenager next to mccain - she had us cracking up
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| Posted 10/6/08 5:59 PM |
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beautyq115
New Year!
Member since 5/05 13729 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
I teach 4th grade and my students had a writing assignment tonight on politics and it was for the students to write about why it is important to vote.
I would never ever send home something asking for the parents to say who they are voting for or anything like that . I think that is really a ridiculous assignment. You are right voting and who you vote for is a private matter.
Shame on that teacher!
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| Posted 10/6/08 6:36 PM |
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JennZ
MY LIFE!!
Member since 8/05 25463 total posts
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
I find it strange my 11 yr old cousin said Obama is a Muslim and he is "nervous he was a terrorist". I said "what" his teacher told him this. Nice!
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| Posted 10/6/08 6:55 PM |
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Kara
Now Zagat Rated!
Member since 3/07 13217 total posts
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They call me "Tater Salad"
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
That's a very inappropriate assignment and the teacher really should have thought that out better. I am sure that more than one parent will complain about it.
I'm sure there are several other ways the teacher could have achieved her objective with the students.
If it were my child's essay, I would have had the child write about how voting is private and then written a couple of pros and cons of each candidate.
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| Posted 10/6/08 7:14 PM |
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
Posted by JennZ
I find it strange my 11 yr old cousin said Obama is a Muslim and he is "nervous he was a terrorist". I said "what" his teacher told him this. Nice!
Nothing surprises me about this. I was reading a blog and this woman kept calling him "Hussein Obama." It does not help that Sarah Palin is bringing all the William Ayers stuff again.
As for the assignment, I don't think it's appropriate. When I was a kid, my parents would not tell us who they voted for. 
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| Posted 10/6/08 7:22 PM |
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Sunshine30
LIF Infant
Member since 1/08 92 total posts
Name:
Janice
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
OMG! I am a fourth grade teacher and that is embarrassing...
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| Posted 10/6/08 7:29 PM |
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BaroqueMama
Chase is one!
Member since 5/05 27530 total posts
Name:
me
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
I feel like many, many people do NOT understand that voting is a private issue. I mean, I NEVER ask anyone who they are voting for, it's NONE of my business! That being said, I think this assignment just adds to my thoughts that people seriously don't have any boundaries when it comes to voting. I do not discuss my feelings on politics with anyone other than you guys and my husband and family. I would absolutely be having Ava write an essay on why voting is and should be private.
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| Posted 10/6/08 8:18 PM |
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SweetestOfPeas
J'taime Paris!
Member since 3/06 32345 total posts
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
 that's messed up.
if it were my kid, I'd be calling the school to lodge a formal complaint against the teacher.
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| Posted 10/6/08 8:43 PM |
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KarenG2003
My BIG man and my little man!
Member since 4/08 1684 total posts
Name:
Karen
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
Definately inappropriate! What was this teacher thinking? Or, were they thinking?
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| Posted 10/6/08 8:49 PM |
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donegal419
St. Gerard, pray for us.
Member since 7/07 7650 total posts
Name:
K
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
As a teacher that is completely inappropriate! I think the election should be discussed, but i believe that a teacher should not be forcing his/her opinion on the students. we need to allow them to develop their own critical thinking skills. As a parent, I think i would be a bit annoyed at an assignment like that. what if my views were not the same as the teacher's? would he/she hold that against my child in some way?
i think it's inappropriate and i am curious to see what happens. i would think some parents might complain.
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| Posted 10/6/08 9:15 PM |
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browneyedgirl
family is all that matters
Member since 6/06 6513 total posts
Name:
browneyes
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
Posted by SweetestOfPeas
if it were my kid, I'd be calling the school to lodge a formal complaint against the teacher.
seriously???? a formal complaint???? without even giving the teacher the courtesy of speaking to her first? that is beyond wrong. do you realize what that could do???--this is her profession.
that assignment shouldn't have been given. politics is private but many people speak openly about it. may not make it right, but people speak about it all the time.
i'm sure she probably didn't give it much thought that people wouldn't like the assignment or be offended by it. her thought process was probably that it would get the child talking with their parents about something very important in today's world. she probably thought about it as a thoughtful discussion between parent and child.
my goodness...you NEVER go above a teacher's head without giving her the benefit of the doubt with a phone call or note unless your child is being seriously injured mentally/physically/etc by the teacher.
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| Posted 10/6/08 10:13 PM |
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MrsRivera
2 under 2...whew!!
Member since 2/07 9876 total posts
Name:
Beth
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
Posted by browneyedgirl
Posted by SweetestOfPeas
if it were my kid, I'd be calling the school to lodge a formal complaint against the teacher.
seriously???? a formal complaint???? without even giving the teacher the courtesy of speaking to her first? that is beyond wrong. do you realize what that could do???--this is her profession.
that assignment shouldn't have been given. politics is private but many people speak openly about it. may not make it right, but people speak about it all the time.
i'm sure she probably didn't give it much thought that people wouldn't like the assignment or be offended by it. her thought process was probably that it would get the child talking with their parents about something very important in today's world. she probably thought about it as a thoughtful discussion between parent and child.
my goodness...you NEVER go above a teacher's head without giving her the benefit of the doubt with a phone call or note unless your child is being seriously injured mentally/physically/etc by the teacher.
I was just about to write this!!!! 
This would be the EXACT reason I've thought about leaving the teaching profession. In the 3 years I've been teaching I've had to deal with **** like this ALL too often. 
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| Posted 10/6/08 11:36 PM |
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MrsRivera
2 under 2...whew!!
Member since 2/07 9876 total posts
Name:
Beth
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
P.S. I agree with having her write an essay about the privacy of voting. The topic is inappropriate.
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| Posted 10/6/08 11:37 PM |
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GioiaMia
Let's Go Rangers!
Member since 1/07 14818 total posts
Name:
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
Update:
My niece did write about why voting is important and how it should be private. The teacher did not respond and my sister is not following up on it - as long as my niece gets credit for the assignment she is going to drop it.
Glad to see that I was not overreacting!
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| Posted 10/7/08 7:18 AM |
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kimbalina
Bring on the glitter and bows!
Member since 6/08 15158 total posts
Name:
Kim
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
Posted by Tilde
Update:
My niece did write about why voting is important and how it should be private. The teacher did not respond and my sister is not following up on it - as long as my niece gets credit for the assignment she is going to drop it.
Glad to see that I was not overreacting!
I am glad that your sister had her write about that. Maybe it gave the teacher to some insight about what she was asking of 4th graders
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| Posted 10/7/08 7:30 AM |
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BriBri2u
L'amore vince sempre
Member since 5/05 9320 total posts
Name:
Mrs. B
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
Ughhh I just don't understand how people think certain issues need to be blown out of the water.
A parent doesn't agree with their child's homework assignment so they feel that strongly about it, that putting a formal complaint in and having the teacher reap whatever consequences come from their complaint is their answer to it...does it bother THEM that much??
This is ONE of the biggest reasons I never followed through with teaching. I've heard all my friends who are teachers complain about ridiculous things that parents do that make their jobs THAT much harder. Not worth it to me
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| Posted 10/7/08 8:05 AM |
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NYGirl
LIF Infant
Member since 11/05 274 total posts
Name:
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Beaver2be
Ughhh I just don't understand how people think certain issues need to be blown out of the water.
A parent doesn't agree with their child's homework assignment so they feel that strongly about it, that putting a formal complaint in and having the teacher reap whatever consequences come from their complaint is their answer to it...does it bother THEM that much??
This is ONE of the biggest reasons I never followed through with teaching. I've heard all my friends who are teachers complain about ridiculous things that parents do that make their jobs THAT much harder. Not worth it to me
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| Posted 10/7/08 8:49 AM |
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Blu-ize
Plan B is Now Plan A
Member since 7/05 32475 total posts
Name:
Susan
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
Posted by MrsProfessor
Posted by JennZ
I find it strange my 11 yr old cousin said Obama is a Muslim and he is "nervous he was a terrorist". I said "what" his teacher told him this. Nice!
Nothing surprises me about this. I was reading a blog and this woman kept calling him "Hussein Obama." It does not help that Sarah Palin is bringing all the William Ayers stuff again.
As for the assignment, I don't think it's appropriate. When I was a kid, my parents would not tell us who they voted for.
my friend is a teacher and believes it. I'm not sure he would actually come out and say it, but he really believes it and tells me that often. How can you vote for a Muslim..he hangs around with terrorists. Yes, he's also a Senator. He's a terrorist senator.
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| Posted 10/7/08 10:13 AM |
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Emily
Kasey & Me! Lurves it!
Member since 7/06 8703 total posts
Name:
STBHC
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
Wow, that teacher has some nerve asking the parents to divulge who they are voting for. I am proud that your eice went the alternative route, she will make a great lawyer!
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| Posted 10/7/08 10:17 AM |
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nrthshgrl
It goes fast. Pay attention.
Member since 7/05 57538 total posts
Name:
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Re: 4th grader and politics. . .
I'm trying to decide if I acted inappropriately in my office & told my employees I wanted them to write who they are voting for & why, if it would warrant speaking to my boss. Depending on how far I take it, I think it would.
I'm glad your niece handled it well & now understands the reason why voting is private.
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| Posted 10/7/08 11:16 AM |
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