Reply to How to address biased HS teacher

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DC has a teacher with known conservative views on many social issues (pro-choice, against gay marriage, aligned with groups that do not believe in affirmative action or kids who are trans using their preferred gender bathroom) based on previous advocacy work.

This year DC wrote what we thought was an excellent paper related to about a particular historical moment in the LGBT rights movement, and got a poor grade. When she got the rubric and grading back many items that were marked off did not make any sense. When she tried to inquire with the teacher the teacher was very defensive and kept coming back to the point that the teacher did not agree with the thesis. The teacher also came down on DC for not presenting the other view point which is that LGBT rights are not a good thing. DC did mention that there is opposition from some groups, especially religious groups, but it was not half her paper because the assignment was not to present all sides of an issue but to pick a moment and make an argument about it. One of my good friends is a HS teacher and read the assignment and paper and was shocked about the grade and thought this needed to be brought up to the administration.

We are not sure what to advise DC to do next if anything. Is this something you would bring up and how would you do it? Would you go to the teacher first? The department head or the principal? This is a public school.[/quote]

Obviously report the teacher to Glenn Youngkin.

This is pretty common. [b]I'm so sick of conservative teachers trying to indoctrinate our youth with their version of what is politically correct.[/b][/quote]
What school district are you in?!?! Clearly not Arlington, or just about anywhere in Northern Virginia where it is quite the opposite.  Or are you being sarcastic?  
Our experience is quite different.  Spouse and I are more liberal; but have a child who is not and who constantly struggles to feel comfortable in classroom discussions because they feel it is obvious that the rest of the class has a different view and that the teachers show their very liberal bias and side with the classmates.  Teachers shouldn't be demonstrating bias in their teaching or in their grading - they should be more objective facilitators in discussions to bring out multiple viewpoints in helping students figure out their own thoughts and beliefs.  Assignments are to be graded on how well the assignment was completed, not whether the teacher agrees with the premise.  Both of our kids tend to take the side of an argument in an assignment that most or all of their classmates don't.  One does it because they tend to hold a minority viewpoint; the other does it because they want to be independent and for their work to stand out from everyone else's.

I agree with the comment to report the teacher to Youngkin's hotline.  That's precisely what it's for - reporting teaching that makes a student feel "discomfort" or for teaching things that are divisive....which this assignment clearly is.[/quote]

Yes, I was 100% being sarcastic. Not about the conservative teacher thing -- there are A LOT OF THEM, including in Arlington. This notion of liberal teachers indoctrinating kids is such  a trope.

My sarcasm was aimed at Youngkin's tattle line. We don't need a bloody Stasi state.

Your child, meanwhile, should toughen up. Either have faith in his convictions or be prepared to depend them or don't have them -- he's being a sissy if he feels "discomfort" because others challenge views he cannot defend.[/quote]

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