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Is a Redskins-obsesed elementary school teacher ok?
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Anonymous
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Our child is in a young elementary grade in a very well-respected Montgomery County elementary school. At the before-school open house, along with our child, we visited his classroom to meet his teacher and saw some prominently displayed Redskins paraphernalia (flag, poster, etc). and were told by the teacher that if the Redskins win over the weekend, her father will come to class on Monday and lead the children in "Hail to the Redskins."
My husband and I are quite disturbed by this. We find the Redskins name, song, etc. really offensive, and don't want our kid inundated with Redskins stuff at his public school - especially at a young but able-to-understand age. There are entire networks and newspapers that are even refusing to use the name, so we know we aren't crazy. Yet, we also understand that there are lots of people who don't see it as a big deal. We'd like to bring up our discomfort, but how? To whom? We worry both about burning bridges and also not sticking to what we truly believe. Any ideas & opinions are appreciated... |
Anonymous
| I am as liberal as they come but I find this to be insane. |
Anonymous
| Are you kidding? Scratch that. I know you are not. Do your fellow parents a favor and send an email detailing your displeasure over the teacher's football spirit. I know I would appreciate being able to cross you off the birthday party list early. |
Anonymous
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The teacher is bizarre. For kids who don't care about football, it's just a way for them to feel distant from their teacher.
Leave an anonymous clipping about the name controversy. |
Anonymous
| Op you are crazy it's a name. The teacher didn't invent the name. Worry about something else, this is silly. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
Ok. I could care less about football or baseball or hockey. I'm new to the area and moved around my whole life, so no team loyalty for me. But, I must ask, when did the team name "Redskins" start to offend you? I know that this team has been around for at least 20+ years and ALL OF A SUDDEN people are offended by it and needing the teams name to be changed? It's stupid. Really, really stupid. However, if people can not tolerate the mention of God, Jesus, or Christianity in the schools, then football shouldn't be allowed either. It's only fair. Finally, you sound crazy. I'm glad our kids don't go to school together. |
Anonymous
This has to be a joke... |
Anonymous
| Hey everyone, OP is just expressing her discomfort with what many find to be a racist name. What if a teacher called some of her classroom dolls "pica ninnies" or something similarly distasteful. I think it's okay to share with the teacher that you think it's great that she's sharing her passion and enthusiasm with the class, but that you are concerned about the negative connotations of the name. Let her know that you plan to explain to your daughter that in YOUR house that name is not okay, but that some people don't view it negatively at all. This is a chance for both you AND the teacher to demonstrate that people with different perspectives can share and honor them while still getting along. You're helping BOTH to see that life has some fuzzy gray areas and that they need to be negotiated with sensitivity to both viewpoints. If the teacher takes offense, then it speaks to her own inability to do the above, in which case it's all the more reason for YOU to teach your daughter about this concep. Good luck! |
Anonymous
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Having her father come into the class to sing "Hail to the Redskins? WTH?
Talk to the principal. --elem school principal |
Anonymous
| It wouldn't be ok with me. I'm an Eagles fan. |
Anonymous
| I think having the teacher's father come and sing sounds like a huge timewaster. Who the hell cares about him singing? Is he Guy Lombardo? If not, why is he taking up class time? |
Anonymous
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Regardless of whether the name is offensive, this seems a little strange to me. I never had any teachers who would bring their hobbies/interests into the classroom in such an overbearing manner (e.g., bringing in her own parent to lead a song about a team victory? Is that going to be EVERY time they win? So odd! Is the dad somehow connected with the team - why does he need to be there?). This teacher seems a little nutty.
OP, if you are really concerned about the name, I would talk to your child about it, but understand that, for now, the Redskins team name is ubiquitous so it's not like your kid can avoid it. If you do this, note that your kid might tell the teacher that it's a bad name or something. By the way, to the PP who wonders why this is coming up now, it's because of the PTO's Trademark Trial and Appeal decision, but the petition to cancel the trademark was filed way back in 1992, so it's not really a new thing. Just more publicity right now because of the recent decision. |
Anonymous
+1. It's either Fly Eagles Fly or nothing. Damned if I have my child learning Hail to the Redskins. OP, I'd pull my kid out of that school, if I couldn't get him reassigned to a different class. |
Anonymous
| I don't think your child's teacher is all that unusual. Several of my MCPS middle schooler's teachers have made a big deal about the Redskins. Last year his math teacher would base homework on the outcome of Sunday's games - I'd they won, no homework. There were other things like this too. It sort of bugged me, since my kid has no interest in football and it just magnified his social oddity. But I figured that it was a bonding thing for other kids, especially boys. |