My daughters French teacher -- talk me down!

[Sydnie]

My daughter told me shortly after school started that her French teacher had announced to the class that she was a republican. I tried very hard to get more detail about why the teacher would have felt the need to announce that in a language class but all I could get from my daughter was that the teacher liked to talk about history in language class.

I told my daughter that the teacher shouldn't have been talking about that in a language class and to disregard that tidbit as she knows how I feel about republicans in general. Never having met this teacher, I gave her the benefit of the doubt that my daughter hadn't misunderstood the party confession and tried to over look it.

Today, my daughter told me that the teacher stated in class today that Obama talks "white" when he is speaking with white people but talks "southern" when talking to black people.

She passed out racial bigotry in such a soft ball way that my daughter couldn't remember the exact words that the teacher used, but she sure as hell got the message.

I asked my daughter if there were any black kids in her class and how they reacted to what the teacher had said. She said there were but that no one reacted to what she said in an outward manner. My daughter brought it up to me because she wanted to know if what the teacher said was true or not!!! (Color me surprised that my child would even entertain that idea at all!)

I am angry. I want this teacher to stop spreading this bigotry in a language class and just teach French! I am so angry not just with the teacher but with myself for not calling her out on her party declaration in the first place but she has crossed the line with this one.

I have no problem with teachers that have adult conversations with adults when not in school. I have no problem with teachers being politically active when not in school. That's not the issue.

The issue is the passing on of bigotry and hateful thinking without concern for the students and their feelings or sensibilities.

If you were me, what would you do?

[KamaAina]

1. Jean Marie Le Pen is teaching French over here now?!

Mon Dieu! Sacre bleu!...

[AlCzervik]

2. i would call the principal immediately, if what your daughter said is true this woman

has no place in a classroom.

[dangrsmind]

16. Agree

Call the school and demand to talk to the principal. However don't expect much, you'll almost certainly need to go higher in your school district to get any action on this.

During some protests against the war here in San Francisco the principal of my son's school took all the children out of class, walked them down the street, and led them in various peace related songs on a street corner. Now I didn't support the war, but I also didn't support the school district or staff using the children to promote their personal political ideas. To make matters worse, there was actually rioting going on at this time less than a mile from where the kids were taken.

I had a meeting with the principal and she got extremely aggressive with me claiming she could take my child out of school any day for a "walking field trip" at her discretion because I had signed some form. Only I never signed the form and she was lying about district policy too.

I went to the superintendent and got her sanctioned. I doubt it meant much to her, but I felt better.

Please people leave your kids out of politics and let them form their own opinions!

[Gwendolyn]

3. Of course there was no outward reaction. Kids just shrivel up inside, and that's terrible.

I would call the school.

[Dark]

4. Talk to another (likeminded) parent of a kid in that class, make sure it happened

how your kid said it did. She may have misunderstood the teacher or it may have been part of a lesson, like on dialects or something. (not saying it was right, but you don't want to piss off someone who controls your kids grade without at leaset some evidence.

Then, talk to the teacher and, failing that talk to the principal.

[Fumesucker]

5. You need to talk to the principal..

Calmly and politely but firmly tell them that this will not fly and up with it you will not put.

[firedupdem]

6. I would send her a quick email asking what she meant by her

comments and what exactly is talking white? I've had a similar situation with a teacher my son had last year. He was the only black kid so he felt uncomfortable...he is always told he's talking "white" so I knew what the teacher meant. I got an apology and hopefully the teacher learned something. I would definitely bring it to her attention. She needs to keep her personal opinions out of the classroom.

[EFerrari]

7. First, I'd write it out for myself and then, I'd have a conversation with her boss.

That's completely unacceptable.

[rug]

8. A bas.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

9. See! The skools have been takun over by the libruls!!!!!

Those commie bastards!!!!

[RainDog]

10. Call the principal and complain about the teacher

And the teacher will shut up or be gone.

I do not see any reason for a person who has admitted her racism to be allowed to teach children. Are there no children of color in the school?

She is perpetrating the disgusting stereotype that anyone who is African-American has a particular accent or speech pattern. That's racist to its core and she has no business teaching any class, imo.

I would work to have her fired, in other words.

[Geek_Girl]

11. Notify the principal

and complain. Other parents may have complained already.

[Bryn]

12. How Typical of a Republican Woman

Report her to school princpal. No use to talk to her as you know you can't reason with a repug! It's wrong to feed gross stuff in kids' mind fresh from cosmic.

[aikoaiko]

13. DU is full of tattle tales. Go speak to the teacher directly if don't like what you heard.

Tell her what you understood to have happened and how it concerns you.


You just might hear that the incident was a little different than what precious told you.


eta: I don't think there is anything wrong with talking about politics in a French class as long as its in French. ;) And I don't think there is anything wrong with talking about speech patterns of politicians. Most people speak differently in different settings. I don't like the talking white or southern thing, but there was a way to address that more academically.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

14. Ask why if Dubya's situational drawl is acceptable, why Obama's* isn't.

*Fictional though it may be.

Hiya Sydnie! :hug: :D :loveya:

[JHB]

15. Did she at least say it in French?

et prendre dans "noir" ou "blanc"?

(with apologies to real francophones)

[Orsino]

17. Oh, the irony of a foreign-language teacher...

...decrying Obama for connecting with many different people--just because McCain can't.