Sticks and Stones

Fortunately, most Americans are not stone-throwers. Many for the wrong reason, i.e. Jesus told them not to judge unless they are perfect. Others for the right reason, i.e. If there’s no victim, there’s no crime; if there’s no crime, there is no just punishment.

The bottom line: Most Americans mind their own business.

Because I teach young people still living at home with mom and dad, and I live and work in the Bible Belt, from time to time I am confronted by a stone-throwing parent. The following letter was sent to my principal, who asked me to address the parent’s concerns in writing.

“According to my child, the government teacher is spending a great deal of time on his religious beliefs, or lack thereof, since he espouses atheism. As an educator, I understand that sometimes elements of my personal beliefs find there way into my classroom, however, it’s normally in a certain context. If this were a philosophy class or a literature class, I could accept his staunch position and urging the students to read RNA? However, my child is on the brink of adulthood and needs lessons in government, and thus far, I see very little of that in the notes she is taking in class…My child needs this credit and should be allowed to earn it without undue pressure and guilt for having beliefs that differ from her teacher. Please check this out for me. I hesitate to start with him because I did not want my child to feel the repercussions of my concerns if I had to go to the next level.”

This was actually a pretty polished stone compared to many others I have dodged. I hope you find my response instructional:

Dear My Principal,

Thank you for bringing this complaint to my attention and providing me with the opportunity to respond. I must say, however, that I would prefer to address this parent personally, as I am sure in a face to face encounter she would come to realize that I am in fact a conscientious teacher, a man of integrity, and no threat to their child.

In creating my lesson plans for the week, I refer first to my district standards:

Metropolitan Nashville Public School District (MNPS) Standards
GOVERNANCE AND CIVICS
I. Understands the historical development of structures of power, authority and governance.

The material that the students are required to know [see notes attached] falls under the heading “Human Societies” in the notes. This material was extracted from Jerad Diamond’s, Pulitzer Prize winning, best seller Guns, Germs, and Steel [among other sources]. Students are not required to learn the preceding notes [on the origins of life on Earth and man]. They are not required to agree with me. These notes are included by me in an effort to 1. place the required material in proper context [Human Societies didn’t just appear…they evolved over time.]; 2. spark controversy and interest in the class; 3. and yes, to share with my students modern man’s latest attempts to explain the world around him. Most students enjoy the debate.

Of course, I find 21st Century science answers most compelling, but students are encouraged to share their views, to disagree with me or their classmates and to defend themselves. No one is ever ridiculed or belittled for any view they may hold whether I agree with them or not. And I don’t allow my students to bully one another, either.

I am first and foremost of lover of humanity and of ideas. No ideas under the sun are forbidden in my class. The evolution debate that took place in several of my classes was instigated by students. I was glad to participate, but it was not planned. I did share some of the books I’ve read with my students, including James Watson’s DNA. I explained some of the things we have uncovered since the completion of the human genome project in 2001. I did explain that we can “read DNA” and that in it we have found the proverbial “Missing Link.” I made the chapter explaining these studies available to any of my students who wished to read it, but I gave the supplemental reading materials to no one.

Since 1988, no student of mine has ever been penalized for any view—however irrational—they may hold. Students are tested on the objectives determined by MNPS, only. On opinion papers my students are graded on their ability to state their thesis, organize and present their evidence, argue their case, and write in coherent sentences.

I do not preach Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, or atheism. I am a public school teacher. We study human ideas and institutions. It is not possible to teach a government course without teaching the philosophies that seeded those institutions and shaped our nation’s history. We study both the philosophies the Framers accepted and the ones they rejected. We study the contradictions and the compromises. It is not possible to truly understand the difference between Democrats and Republicans, liberals or conservatives, communists, socialists, mercantilists, or capitalists, without understanding the two competing philosophies at their core: Collectivism and Individualism. I don’t sneak my views into my lessons. I tell my students what I think when controversial topics arise, followed by, “in my opinion.” Most of my students know exactly where I stand by the end of the semester….apparently not, however, in the first week.

When students graduate my class, I believe they are better prepared to find their way on the US’ political stage than most college graduates.

Donn