The VEA is most definitely NOT a union. It is an professional association that has struggled mightily to advocate for teachers and students in the Old Dominion. Its sole concern is with the ADVANCEMENT of education, the betterment of students, and with support of teachers who are dedicated to the liberal education of the students of Virginia. The Association of American Colleges and Universities defines liberal education as
"a philosophy of education that empowers individuals with broad knowledge and transferable skills, and a strong sense of value, ethics, and civic engagement."The most political it can ever be is as a lobbyist in Richmond for the advocacy of teachers and students in Virginia.
The level of paranoia in the editor's comments is stark and his tone is aggressively partisan. It is, in fact, a simple, ignorant, partisan smear to even suggest that the VEA is a union engaged in inappropriate political activity. Anti-unionism is a right wing signature political issue. To base the whole article on a partisan lie negates the entire argument. To use this lie to accuse teachers (citizens with 1st amendment rights) of partisan political behavior is the ultimate in hypocrisy!
The writer and politicians in this area are very happy to promote blatantly political AND religious right wing policies in our schools. Educators are forced by to "teach the test" to or teach the discredited "abstinence only" sex education program. The "starve the beast" mentality of the anti-tax crowd forces the schools into overcrowding, squeezes teacher salaries, and discourages efforts to help CHILDREN achieve their true potential.
It would be good to remember the true value of education
"When asked how much educated men were superior to those uneducated, Aristotle answered, 'As much as the living are to the dead.'" - Diogenes Laetius
as well as the truly monumental task faced by teachers today in uncertain and often un-supportive school environments.
"It is a greater work to educate a child, in the true and larger sense of the word, than to rule a state." - William Ellery Channing
Liberal education is the antitheses of political propaganda. The religious and political agenda of the editor and his fellow conservatives is message control, the essence of political propaganda. To charge teachers with inappropriate political behavior because of their support of the democratic political process in the United States of America is simple partisan hackery and a tragedy foisted on the children of Virginia.
5 comments:
I don't have a problem with teachers encouraging kids to be educated and involved (in as much as they can) in the political process in our country. My issue with what was proposed was the suggestion of wearing of the blue in support of Obama. And I say that as an Obama supporter.
Brooke,
I understand. The only "buttons" I ever wore were the ones that said "I voted today." In schools, we always tried to be objective about the political process in the classroom. Teachers must teach the democratic process and NOT advocate any party or religious dogma.
That being said, no one expects teachers to remove bumper stickers, or deny their support of one candidate or another as a part of democratic process. No one should expect teachers to limit their participation in the political process of a democratic election.
The email in question may have gone over the line, if it did indeed ask teachers to advocate one candidate. Wearing Blue for Obama should raise a red flag for any teacher seeking to remain objective. I wouldn't have done it.
The attack by the editor went way beyond intelligent criticism and entered the realm of bullying partisanship. Attacking teachers for participating in the democratic process plus the insinuation of the VEA being a union was my issue. The editor was wrong, aggressively wrong.
On that last statement we can agree - I do think the Editor (mis)used the situation to go on a partisan rant, but hey, what's new at the DNR?
(sorry, that last comment was from me, Brooke. It asked me to log in and I chose my work login instead of my personal login. Duh)
Sadly, too true...
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