This was on our local news the other day. I found numerous articles online about it but pulled this one from the Washington Post. Seems the Virginia Education Association sent out a statewide e-mail to all Virginia public school teachers telling them to wear blue on Tuesday to support Obama. Also the e-mail told them to basically tell students who were old enough to vote to vote for Obama also. This is taking it way too far. I'm going to try to find the entire email and post it.


Virginia Teachers: Too Blue For School?
When the Virginia Education Association, the state's 60,000-member teachers union, sent an email to members last week encouraging them to wear blue shirts on "Obama Blue Day," the union says it was merely trying to boost voter registration.

Yeah, right.

The union was actually engaging in a sly, none-too-subtle effort to pressure students into accepting teachers' political choices.

The original email to members was frank enough: "Your next chance to help with the campaign is coming up ... and it is very simple to do. Tuesday is OBAMA BLUE DAY!!!"
Teachers were encouraged to "WEAR BLUE -don't wear an NEA for Obama shirt to school, but wear something else blue. 2) REGISTER TWO VOTERS OR talk to two people who may be on the fence/ or a McCain supporter and sway them to become a Obama Supporter). LETS MAKE OBAMA BLUE DAY a DAY OF ACTION!!!!"

If that wasn't clear enough, the email said it straight out: "There are people out there not yet registered. You teach some of them."

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with teachers encouraging students to register to vote. That should be a part of any civics class, and it's also perfectly right for teachers of other subjects to encourage kids to be active citizens.

But wearing blue as a symbol for a particular candidate, in this case, Obama, crosses the line to partisan activism. There may be a legal problem with soliciting votes in school, but I'm far more bothered by the moral violation, the idea that teachers would abuse their authority by putting even subtle pressure on kids to conform to the teacher's political preference.

Of course unions make endorsements and it is to be expected that teachers' unions would rally around the Democrat. (The state Republican party is all in a tizzy about this incident.) I don't see any problem with teachers pushing for their candidates among their colleagues--that's not a problem in most other workplaces, so it seems fair enough in a school. But the relationship between student and teacher is a delicate and emotionally fraught one, and basic professionalism argues for steering clear of the kind of pressure that this partisan campaign implies.

None of this should in any way discourage teachers from engaging students in probing, difficult conversation and debate about the direction of the country, the quality and content of this fall's campaign, and a good, rigorous critique of our politics.

But this lame explanation from the union just doesn't pass the laugh test: "The Virginia Education Association encourages its members to be politically active, but it does not
encourage teachers to use their classrooms for partisan political purposes.... The email did not encourage teachers to talk with students about voting for any specific candidate.... Teachers hold an important and respected role in our society. We would never encourage them to misuse that role for political purposes."

Of course, that is precisely what the union encouraged teachers to do. We can only hope that most of them knew better than to follow their union's overzealous advice.

What's your thoughts on this? I live in Virginia. Seems like there should be something we can do about this, don't you think? Our taxes at work! Makes me furious!

I see no reason for outrage here. Unions always end up end up endorsing a candidate just as other groups do.

It is way over the line.

Students have been told that they can not wear clothing that supports a canadiate then teacher unions should not be allowed to do this type of things either.

Schools should be the one place that children are given the right to learn about our election process without any type of encourging one canadiate (or party) over another.

Why does this bother you? Are they not allowed to support a candidate? I'm sure not EVERY teacher will be doing this, I'm sure there are plenty that do not support Obama.
If they wore blue to suppport McCain I'm sure you would be singin a different song.

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I think that political values are something that should be kept out of the classroom in public schools. Completely. The job of a teacher is to teach a subject and to behave with credibility and maturity as they interact with their students.

I don't need a math teacher trying to indoctrinate my kids about politics.

The ones present to witness their solidarity behind their union-backed candidate are the very children they are supposed to be influencing intellectually, and I just don't think that influencing them *towards* a specific candidate is a role they should take on.

I feel differently about private schools, since parents can vote with their feet and their dollars if they don't like what's going on there.

Because teachers hold a place of authority over students. . .that's why. I would still have a problem with it even if it was the McCain camp. Unions telling their members who they support is a completely different thing than asking teachers to influence their students through their authority.

The FOP endorses McCain. Would it be ok if they had a "Magenta for McCain Day" where all police officers were asked to wear magenta and when they're pulling over people on traffic stops they are asked to encourage those peolpe to register to vote and try to convince them to vote for McCain??

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I could care less if they have a Magenta for cops LOL! Just because someone would try to convince me to vote for someone doesn't mean I would. By now I think most know who they plan to vote for anyway.

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The student population that is eligible to vote is a small population. Just because a teacher encourages someone to do something, doesn't mean it's gonna happen.

My daughter had a teacher in middle school that was a vegan one year. She tried to tell the kids how horrible it was to eat meat and how bad they should all feel when they eat animals. Now, my daughter listened to her, and then made her own decision. She still liked meat and would continue to eat it.

Someone that is old enough to vote is old enough to think for themselves. Just because a teacher or cop or a parent tells them who they should vote for doesn't mean that they are a brainwashed robot and they will listen.

Our family is mostly Democrat. My twins turned 18 this year and one registered Democrat and one Independent. I have no idea who they will be voting for until they actually vote. We've watched the debates together, and I'm going to depend on the fact that they are pretty well informed for their age and will make the decision they feel is right for them.

Just because you have a position of authority over someone, doesn't necessarily mean you have the ability to make them change their vote . Because my boss is in a position of authority over me, does it mean he can make me vote for McCain? I don't think so.

KWIM?

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But toonces, you're not in your formative years.

At least, I hope you aren't if you have kids old enough to vote!

No, no...not in my formative years...I'm well past that ......lol

But neither are those students that are part of the voting public, they would be 18. Elementary aged children can't vote. These "children" would be old enough to know (I hope) when someone is trying to promote their own agenda (whether it be a candidate, PETA, etc) and to make their own decision as to how to proceed.

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I completely agree with you. My DS is a freshman in college newly registered to vote and I can guarantee you no teacher would be able to influence him who to vote for. Thats why I also think its crazy to make such a big deal about it. In order to vote you must be 18 so I think they can make their own minds up.

Jen

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Fine. . .if that's the case, then why encourage teachers to try and convince them in the first place.

It's just not the place of a teacher to even try. . . that being the whole point.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

Hope they lose their government financing for many years to come.

Whatever gives you the idea they would "even try". As other posters have said, most students of these "teachers" aren't 18 or over. I'd also venture to guess that most students don't notice from day to day what color their teacher's blouse/shirt is -- some of you all are leaping to all kinds of conclusions. There is absolutley nothing preventing Senator McCain's campaign from sending something similar out although I think magenta is not the color he should go with. Surely there are some McCain supporters who teach excluding, of course, the one who is currently on leave for using the "N" word in a social studies class.

Marianna teacher suspended for 'racially charged' comments about Obama | tallahassee.com | Tallahassee Democrat

If you all want to get all upset about something shall we talk about the pastors of some 30 churches who are telling their church members exactly who to vote for this year. BTW, I'm okay with that if they agree to give up their church's tax exempt status.

Washington Times - Churches to defy IRS on sermons

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Ana
The Republicans have been putting lipstick on a pig for 8 years. Is a pitbull wearing lipstick an attempt to keep us from noticing the pig?

I got the idea that they would try given the fact that the e-mail from the union said:

"Your next chance to help with the campaign is coming up ... and it is very simple to do. Tuesday is OBAMA BLUE DAY!!!"Teachers were encouraged to "WEAR BLUE -don't wear an NEA for Obama shirt to school, but wear something else blue. 2) REGISTER TWO VOTERS OR talk to two people who may be on the fence/ or a McCain supporter and sway them to become a Obama Supporter). LETS MAKE OBAMA BLUE DAY a DAY OF ACTION!!!!"

They are being encouraged to sway voter's . . .not just wear blue.

I think the teacher you referred to should rightfully be on leave. That didn't do anything to help McCain. . .just a rogue a*shole that hurt.

I agree with you on the churches too. I hope they lose their tax status.

ETA: Especially with those churches, it is sooo not necessary to tell people how to vote. I'm assuming their opinion has to do with the abortion issue. Just give a passionate sermon on your church's stand about abortion and that that is a church priority. Anybody can figure out where the candidates stand on that.

__________________
"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

Well I'm going to venture to guess that the vast majority of teachers spend their days with a population some years under the legal voting age. That leaves the non-teaching staff of the schools where they work as the target of this campaign. I think some on this thread are pretty determined to remain outraged though so carry on. BTW, I would be p'd if a teacher wore a NEA for Obama shirt to school.

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Ana
The Republicans have been putting lipstick on a pig for 8 years. Is a pitbull wearing lipstick an attempt to keep us from noticing the pig?

Ok. . .I see what you're saying. The person you are suppose to convince may not be a student but another teacher. I don't have a problem with that at all. But the union didn't say. . .don't try to convince a student. Maybe that's the problem. I would hope that teachers wouldn't try to persuade students. . .and most I know would never do that.

See, discussion is good.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

In today's newspaper

Va. Education Association e-mail draws ire of parents, educators - Roanoke.com

Va. Education Association e-mail draws ire of parents, educators
Parents felt pupils were being used as political pawns.


WAYNESBORO -- An e-mail sent by the Virginia Education Association to its members encouraging voter registration of students and support for Democratic nominee Barack Obama was swiftly deleted from Waynesboro teacher e-mail accounts after it was received last week, officials said Friday.

Waynesboro Schools Superintendent Robin Crowder said the e-mail was ordered deleted after a few minutes because "we have no interest in influencing the kids."

Crowder said the school system wants students to take part in the political process, but does not want to sway their votes or opinions.

The e-mail has drawn the ire of the Republican Party of Virginia, a nonunion state teachers association and parents from across the commonwealth.

The e-mail did not go to all Waynesboro teachers, only to those who are members of the Waynesboro Education Association, said Rosemary Wagoner, a Waynesboro Schools technology coach.

VEA President Kitty Boitnott said the e-mail did not ask teachers to talk to students about a specific candidate, but did encourage them to register students and to wear blue.

Boitnott said the VEA does not encourage teachers to use their classrooms for partisan political purposes.

The text of the e-mail said "there are people out there not yet registered. You teach some of them."

The e-mail makes repeated references to Obama.

Tracey Bailey, state director of Virginia Professional Educators, the state's largest nonunion professional teachers association, said his organization has received numerous phone calls and e-mails from parents.

"Parents are understandably upset when they feel students are being used as political pawns," said Bailey.

Jeff Frederick, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said in a statement Wednesday that "teachers are hired to teach, not use their taxpayer-funded positions to coerce and indoctrinate our children to their political agenda."

I just read this article. The very liberal Roanoke Times, however, managed to place this article on the last page of the "Virginia" section. Had it been a negative for Republicans involving the school system, they would have placed it right on the front page.

I'm glad, though, that one superintendent had enough sense to delete the e-mail and not allow it to go through. Good for him!!

I'm not surprised by the superintendent's actions. School districts usually have no tolerance for this type of thing. And apparently these e-mails went to teachers school accounts, not their personal e-mails. I thought that was a no-no too. We get NEA announcements through our mail, but I've never gotten one to my district e-mail.

__________________
"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm