(Conservative) Parents upset over 'censored' message in yearbook

[deadparrot]

Source: 9 News

GREENWOOD VILLAGE – When Carole Altman opened her daughter's yearbook from Belleview Elementary, she expected to see her message congratulating her daughter on completing the 5th grade. What she did not see is what angered her.

"What has been done here, in my opinion, is un-American," Altman said.

The Parent-Teacher Community Organization at Belleview Elementary established a yearbook committee. The committee sent a letter to parents asking them to pay $5 to publish a message to congratulate their students. The letter stated the message will include "all of your wonderful words."

Altman and her husband submitted this message: "So proud of you Remy for achieving fantastic grades, participating in so many wonderful after school activities and surviving so many of the Belleview teachers' liberal teachings. You are what you believe you can be. Aim high, always. Love, Mom & Dad."

Read more: http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=71553

[roguevalley]

1. Lord. Thank god for liberals or we'd all be as stupid as these parents.

[EFerrari]

107. Really. 'Way to teach your kid to disrespect their teachers.

Good luck with that, Mom and Dad.

[walnutpie]

2. Free speech is free speech

If the message space the school was selling was to be subjected to a political litmus test, they should have specified so before taking pament.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. It's called editorial control.

Obviously, the schools not going to publish racist comments, or sexually explicit comments, or just plain rude comments attacking other people.

Ain't got nothing to do with free speech.

[whistle]

20. Not if they sent her $5.00 back

[Ian David]

31. I agree.

And one day, when this young lady is fighting to keep her seat on the board of Lambda Legal or NARAL, someone would dredge up her old yearbook entry and question her credentials.

[Tyler Durden]

34. Welcome to DU....enjoy your stay....REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE.

[Miss Chybil]

66. What does that mean? nt

[anotherdrew]

37. it not free, it's HATE speech n/t

[BrokenBeyondRepair]

46. it's kind of retarded but it's certainly not hate speech

pretty soon saying hello to ppl on the street will be taboo

fuck that

[Rage for Order]

63. Are you serious?

You consider someone saying "surviving teachers' liberal teachings" to be hate speech? Comments like that are what make people nervous of a slippery slope when it comes to hate crimes.

[anotherdrew]

72. not really, but that comment is across the line and has no place in everyone's yearbooks

"surviving teachers' liberal teachings" is bullying behavior at the least

[Tunkamerica]

70. ?

[Bake]

110. HATE SPEECH? Are you serious?

I disagree with the story for a number of reasons, but this is HARDLY hate speech!

Bake

[Barrett808]

39. Welcome to DU, Walnut!

:hi:

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

42. "Congratulations on joining the Army so you can kill godless Iraqis!"

Here's my five bucks. Print that, assh*les!

[Warpy]

45. That was a red rag in front of a bull

and would have insulted teachers and a lot of parents, as well. The message was to be a positive one for the children, not a negative slap at teachers. It also might have brought up some libel issues.

Their money should have been politely but firmly refunded. That negative message did not belong in that yearbook.

Those parents were in the wrong.

[Hekate]

50. Whatever happened to teaching your kids to respect their teachers? A face-slap isn't respectful...

...and this was a slap in the face to the school's teachers, who had labored long years so their kid could make those high grades. And they awarded them, despite the girl's parents being disrespectful jerks.

The adult editor of any yearbook K-12 needs to have some control over content. This remark was not called for.

If you've read this far, let me tell you about a GRADUATE student at our local UC campus. His doctoral dissertation was accepted by his committee, but he was so irate at the number of years it took and the number of revisions required that he inserted a rather vile characterization of these science scholars in the space usually reserved for saying thank you.

Unsurprisingly, everyone involved in publication refused to let him do it, and they held up printing until the matter could be resolved. He, being a bitter jerk, wouldn't let it rest and wouldn't drop it, and thanks his behavior we all got to read about it in the News-Press. I have no doubt this brouhaha -- of his own making -- has influenced his subsequent employment opportunities.

This little girl may find some of her own opportunities limited unless her parents refrain from making a public stink every time they simply don't agree with the other adults in her life. Presumably she was not bullied or humiliated for her beliefs.

Hekate

[LeftyMom]

59. The word you're looking for is "payment"

[PittPoliSci]

68. exactly, if you want to humilate your child...

...that's your business! Welcome to DU!

[Toots]

78. Only in "Free Speech Zones"

Apparently the Bush* Cabal has determined ,and no one has objected so far, that Free Speech can be confined to certain areas and completely eliminated from the rest of America. It used to be that when someone quoted a "right" guaranteed by the US Constitution it meant something. Since Bush* that "piece of paper" is fairly meaningless unless you wish automatic weapons in every household...

[Jed Dilligan]

84. Good.

That means I can send pictures of my big dick to the local paper, and they will have to print them as long as I pay for ad space.

[TheWatcher]

93. Enjoy your stay.

I kind of doubt you'll be around for the long haul.

[alfredo]

109. The school has the right to edit any inflammatory content

in their yearbook. Schools have enough trouble with acts of violence against teachers without parents encouraging disrespect of teachers who may teach "inconvenient" truths.

[Downtown Hound]

3. Yeah right. Conservative crybabies.

Like any school would allow a slam on them to appear in their yearbook. I had conservative teachers growing up but I would never have dreamed about doing something like this.

Those poor, poor, oppressed conservatives. :sarcasm:

[depakid]

11. The Supreme Court decision allowing it came from a conservative court

and is just more confirmation of a fundamental truth- Republicans invariably cry and whine the loudest when they think their rights have been trampled- even though they'd deny those rights to everyone else.

[Ian David]

32. Maybe someday, if they try real hard, they'll even have a Conservative President! n/t

[Mojambo]

4. How sad that these parents are USING their 5th grade daughter so shamelessly

Just to try and score a political cheap shot.

Fucking assholes.

[elocs]

9. We can think the parents' behavior is shameless, that they are assholes

and we can totally disagree with what they said, but as was mentioned, free speech is free speech. The difference between a Liberal and a conservative is that the Liberal should actually allow free speech that is critical of it. Consevative would not and that is a big difference. Now if there had been a clause concerning the statement that there should be no mention of politics or religion, then that might have been different.

[Mojambo]

13. Yeah, it absolutely should have been published.

I wish it was. Nothing like having your narrow mindedness forever enshrined in an elementary school yearbook.

[Divine Discontent]

30. LOL

at first, and I still believe, they did the right thing, but your joke is HILARIOUS.. had they allowed it, it would have been funny because the family's arrogance and negativeness would've been in there for people to read for a decade or more to come when people looked back on the messages! lol
www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable

[Zodiak]

75. I'm with you Mojambo

Take their 5 dollars and print it. Then, years later, when this country returns to sanity, some scholar can open this old yearbook and say "yeah, those we're the radical fascist days. People were trained to hate their own teachers".

Censorship in the service of what is now (not offending anyone) may cost us more in the long run.

I probably wouldn't have as much of a problem with it if it were a private publication for a private entity, but it is a school. For the same reason that we cannot allow the Ten Commandments put on the wall of schools (becuse schools are government entities), we should not allow the school to censor the comments of the parents (who are full-blown citizens and not children).

Let their Neandertholism be put on display for the entire neighborhood and for the future derision of generations of better enlightened Americans.

[Mad_Dem_X]

81. Good point. n/t

[TankLV]

76. I abhore everything you stand for and say - but I will defend your right to do so to my death...

a difficult concept for many...

on the other hand, whatever happened to behaving like ladies and gentlemen...

[SemperEadem]

100. saying "fire" in a loud voice in a crowded theatre one's paid their $11 to get in

can be called free speech too but it's not considered that in a court of law were people trampled to death as a result.

in the end, the school has the final word over what gets put into there. To make a disparaging remark regarding the integrity of the entire teaching staff just because they paid $5 was uncalled for and if it's like that for these parents, they can take their child out of the school and pay to have her taught the narrow curriculum they feel she'll need to compete in a global marketplace when she graduates, ie. Walmart greeter.

They can still think/say whatever they want--they just don't get to have their speech disseminated and published. I'm quite sure the school will give them back their measly $5, along with the reminder, which I'll bet went with the notice about the "add a message to the yearbook" that the school, in the end, has the right to edit any message---just like a newspaper's LTE sections.

[Rage for Order]

65. So I guess that means, then...

That any children seen at anti-war or other protests are shamelessly being used by their parents, who are just trying to score a political cheapshot?

The ad was tacky by the parents, but there are 10 year olds who have formed opinions on matters, even conservative opinions. That said, at least a 10 year old has an excuse for being conservative - they're 10 - whereas the parents are probably just assholes with the mind of a 10 year old.

[geardaddy]

5. Jebus H. Crackers

"She wanted her daughter, years from now, to appreciate how well she did in school even though Altman felt teachers were biased. "

So, if the teachers were biased, did her daugther not do well on the teachers' terms?

If they had a problem with the teachers, shouldn't the parents have talked to the school board?

You know the parents put that slam on the teachers in there just to get noticed.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. I wonder if her child will survive being brought up by such a rude woman?

What an awful example to set - both to her own child, and the other children she wanted to see the message.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. I don't think it should have been 'edited'. They should have contacted the parents and suggested

other wording be used. Like, "...and surviving so many of the Belleview teachers' unorthodox teaching methods."

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. That's just as insulting to the teachers

A yearbook isn't the place for parents to publish their criticisms of teachers. They can write a letter to the local paper if they want to complain in public.

[stlsaxman]

74. Or "...and surviving the Belleview teachers' hatred of Our Lord and Master Jesus Chrahst, the One

True God Who Reigns Over All Christians- Who Will Sit At His Right Hand- And Godless Catholics, Mormons, Mooslums, Jews, Bootists and Hindoos- Who Will Burn Forever In The Fiery Pits Of Hell Through Almahty God's Loving Vengeance!"

now THAT may be closer to the original intent of the parents editorial!

:spray:

[Jim__]

12. I think they should have left the statement alone.

It's a stupid statement. You'd think the parents would be embarrassed to put it in a child's yearbook. But, they should have left it in.

[svpadgham]

18. I think

the school did the parents a favor. The parents just screwed it up for themselves. It does seem to be an inappropriate comment to leave in a school yearbook. Too bad the the message didn't just say the teachers were a bunch o' lefty terrist lovin' pinkos, then they couldn't argue over semantics and what the definition of "liberal" is.

[svpadgham]

14. Wonder how

the parents would have felt if some yearbook decried the "conservative" teachings of a particular school.

[THUNDER HANDS]

15. the law is on the school's side on this

though I think the parents should have been consulted first so they could make any changes they wanted to.

[happyslug]

23. But those cases involved Student Newspaper where NO ONE PAID FOR.

Here you have a PAYMENT MADE for something to be printed. No prior restrictions were imposed or the writer, just the $5 payment. I can make the argument that the Parent upon paying the Five Dollars had a PROPERTY RIGHT TO HAVE ITS MESSAGE PRINTED, and as a property right the School had no right to change it.

The other cases you cite involved Free Student newspapers that were forbidden o write about certain topics (often after first printing them). The courts have upheld such restrictions but no one paid for the right to publish. Thus these parents may have the right to sue on property rights issue instead of the Free Speech issue (and the courts have always liked the property angle better than the Free Speech Angle).

[svpadgham]

26. They gave

the five dollars back. What's to sue over? They got a nice little congrats to their daughter printed for free, and it didn't make them look like a couple of conservative idiots. They took care of that afterwards.

[happyslug]

61. That does NOT undo the property issue.

If that was the case, any time the government wanted to take someone's house all the Government will have to pay would be the $1 an acre the land was sold for in the 1800s. Returning money does NOT end the property interest formed when the property right was "Purchased". The courts have LONG held that just returning the money does NOT end the property right. What would be needed is for the group to pay the VALUE of the right to remove such language, a much higher amount than the $5 paid.

[tomhayes]

16. Hmm, they can't jsut sign the book with a pen?

I;d suggest they try getting this inserted "Thank go that no Inner City Urban students shot or robbed you." and then suggesting URBAN means "city dwelling humans".

[svpadgham]

21. Agreed.

Although, I don't see why the parents would sign their child's yearbook.

[happyslug]

17. Parent-Teacher Community Organization?????

One of sign of a bad school district is a lack of a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). The term PTA is copyrighted by the National PTA association and is limited to those Parent-Teacher organizations that meet the requirements of the National PTA. One of those requirements is that PARENTS CONTROL THE ORGANIZATION AND IT HAS REAL POWER INDEPENDENT OF THE SCHOOL. Where you have such Parent input into the school, you have better school. Where the School discourage such input the school is almost always inferior to a school that encourage parental input (Thus schools with PTAs tend to be better schools that schools with PTOs or as it was called here a "Parent-Teacher Community Organization").

My point here, while the School appears to only want to hear input from Parents it wants to hear. That IS NOT A GOOD SIGN. Even if the input is WRONG, the more input the better the school. This school objected to this comment, what else does the Administration do NOT want to hear? This my be an attack from the Right wing, but it shows this school will ALSO NOT ACCEPT ANY ATTACKS FROM THE LEFT, EVEN IF THE ATTACKER IS RIGHT. All together this is a School district to avoid.

[donco6]

22. Actually, it's a very good school and district.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

[happyslug]

25. As a general rule a PTO instead of a PTA is NEVER A GOOD SIGN

Now, you have exceptions, but those are rare, my point is that the Schools with PTOs instead of PTAs are less likely to permit or encourage parental input, which tends to improve the overall quality of the School.

[donco6]

52. PTA is fairly rare out here.

In 18 years, I've never been in a school with a PTA. It may be the case back east, but I wouldn't say it's an indicator of anything out here.

[Demeter]

28. Snide Remarks In a Yearbook Don't Constitute Feedback

and since the book went to all children, the comment was extremely out of line. Ad hominem attacks in a 5th grade yearbook is way over the line of community decency.

[donco6]

53. I totally agree.

That's just not the place. Not appropriate. I don't think the school should even have apologized as they did.

[MissB]

49. Our PTO avoids the national PTA like the fucking plague.

Actually, we're a PTC (club instead of organization) but no difference, really. The biggest stumbling block for us to become a "PTA" is the national organization's requirement that we collect dues from our members. We don't do that - and never have. It isn't an issue of parents not having enough money, it is more our philosophy that all parents are automatic members of the club, rather than being something that parents must buy into.

Our PTC is independent and excellent - and our district is even better.

[whistle]

19. "...and surviving so many of the Belleview teachers' liberal teachings"

...So the school committee objected to that thumb in their eye message? I can't imagine why they would not allow that to be published in a 5th grade elementary school yearbook. Gosh, golly, gee whiz, there wasn't any political message there that any right minded pee-brain fundy wouldn't agree with. As for all those "liberal leftist socialized education teachers" and the "liberal welfare queen moms" being upset, well....hahahaha...let them go to inner city schools, or even better let their children become street urchins! :sarcasm:

Just how liberal do 5th grade teachers get in our elementary schools anyway? I think the Altmans should transfer their daughter to a private school that would fit more with their views which sounds like they are very conservative, perhaps even far right of Attila the Hun. :sarcasm:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attila_the_Hun

[Ishoutandscream2]

87. Exactly, Liberal 5th grade teachers?

there's still a lot of reading, writing, and rithmetic being taught, usually without a lot of critical thought involved. Can you see their child in college taking a philosophy course, or a history of revolutions? This kid doesn't have a chance with parents like these.

I smell a future graduate of Liberty University, or Bob Jones. She won't make it at a real university.

[northzax]

24. first off, what kind of name is "Re'my" (sic)?

second off. if you watch the video clip, her original writing of the section had the word liberal in quotation marks, completely denying her own excuse that she meant 'loose'.

And in her own arguement, that this was not political speech, she admits it was an insult to the school, that despite the unorthodox (reporter's word, not hers) teaching methods of the school, her daughter succeeded. that is a deliberate insult to the school and the teachers, and does not belong in a yearbook.

[Demeter]

29. Remy is French--I Knew a Boy of French Canadian Descent Named Remy

Don't know if it is traditional for a girl.

[northzax]

44. indeed.

but who puts an apostrophe in the middle of the name? (well, besides these parents, I guess)

[DemBones DemBones]

85. Remy can be a girl's name, too. nt

[monktonman]

27. ohhh, Its Colorado, no wonder why.

[hayu_lol]

35. They paid money to have their comment printed...

it should have been printed. That is what free speech is all about. Bottom line is that only the friends of these particular parents would look for the one statement.

As some have said, it would have been an eyeopener years from now.

[monktonman]

40. They got the five frickin bucks back.........

I'm gonna tell my boss to go fuck himself on monday.
Afterall he PAYS me.
After I get fired I'll claim it was a violation of my right to free expression. oh wait a minute....he pays me, so he should tell me to fuck myself and I shouldnt have any problem with that if I accept the money.

If I had paid the five bucks for my kids yearbook pic and then inserted a message that said "raping little boys is cool" should I expect to have that printed in the yearbook??????
Afterall, I paid my five bucks.

You cant put a price on FREE speech. As far as I'm concerned, as soon as you hand over money to pay for your FREE expression you've given up your right to it. Five bucks or otherwise.

p.s. Campaign contributions are not a form of FREE speech. Thats the puke arguement against finance reform. Same frickin thing. Once you pay your right goes away.....

[donco6]

54. No, no, no.

The school is not obligated to print something derogatory to its teachers. The parents were totally out of line.

[Tesha]

90. Try that with your local newspaper and report back.

Heck, try it right here with DU and report back!

"Free Speech" is a more-limited concept than you
may think.

Tesha

[brentspeak]

43. ?????

[samtob]

33. Nonsense, they should have printed it

Since when is "liberal" an insult??? I know that may have been the mind set of the parents mind you, but why be ashamed over being called liberal??? I will never understand being defensive when having that label placed upon me, or any other liberal for that matter!

P.S. I haven't posted here for a couple years...nice to back :)

[purduejake]

62. Congratulations Remy...

For passing the 5th grade without the lesbian teachers converting you. Here's $5. You going to print the comment?

[samtob]

71. Converting was not stated

STILL don't understand why some liberals, or the general public feel it is an insult to be labeled a LIBERAL... I will not defend it, I will wear it with pride thank you!!

[RaleighNCDUer]

73. The key word there is not 'liberal' but 'survived'.

It is a decidedly deliberate slam against the teachers to suggest that the student 'survived' their teaching, particularly their 'liberal' teaching.

It would have been just as bad, and also rejected, if it said 'survived your conservative teachers'. Either way, it implies that the teachers were working against the students' interests, which is real close to slander.

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

77. I hope Remy sees the light and grows up to be a progressive... n/t

[Ready4Change]

36. Hey! Nice use of your kids as political billboards!

Should have printed it word for word. Teach the kids that free speach is free speach, no matter how moronic and arrogant the speaker.

It could have sparked debates, gotten the whole school talking about it.

But now it'll just give these kids nut-job parents more self-victimizing ammunition.

[PA Democrat]

38. In some ways, the parents message was also an attempt at censorship- of the teachers.

I wonder what the dear hearts consider "liberal teachings"? Evolution? Global warming? Science in general?

[Javaman]

41. Oh the ironies abound. nt

[daleo]

47. It was a stupid and tactless thing to do

Some people are like that though. I think it shows a lack of respect for the child, really, using her (possibly) precious memento as a political editorial space. Grade 5? These parents must be a riot to live with.

[Raine]

48. Selfish parents who use their

daughter's special moment to make a nasty hateful slam. It's all about them instead of their daughter who it should be about.

[DemBones DemBones]

86. That's the saddest part of it. They are going to screw up Remy's life

if they keep this attitude going.

[pink-o]

51. The ACLU would've defended those parents' rights

...Free Speech is America's sacred cow, as long as it's not "Fire" in a crowded theatre or incediary hate speech. And we can disagree with the platform or the appropriateness of the comments, but no way is this hate speech. To me, it's typical of RW very, very limited moronic attempts at humour.

The least the school should have done was have a rep phone the parents to engage them in dialogue when they first received the comment. Let's have a meeting, please tell me exactly what you object to in terms of li'l Remy's schoolwork. Most RW's freak out over a one-on-one reasoned debate, but the school should have tried to address their concerns and let them know they weren't printing the comments.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

55. The ACLU might have defended them, but what a waste of $$

The way I see it, is that what they did is no different from someone in the prom committee of a high school decorating with a banner that reads, "This school is a piece of @#$@!" There's a place and time for everything. A celebratory moment that is used for happiness and marking a moment, is not the place to let loose some political rant wind, particularly when the students are little kids and aren't even involved in political bs.

[Tesha]

91. The ACLU has intervened in yearbook cases before, but...

The ACLU (and/or its local affiliates) has intervened
in yearbook cases before, but given that this yearbook
was *NOT* published by the public school but rather
by a parent organization, there may have been no
case here.

The threshold issue would be how much support and
oversight the school district provides to the PTCO;
if it was minimal, the parents will find that they
have no free speech rights over a relatively-
private organization.

Tesha

[BattyDem]

56. Forget about the political nature of the comment ...

the bottom line is this: the school yearbook is a memento for ALL of the students. It is not a place to insult the faculty or the students - I don't care if the parents paid 5 bucks or not. Would these parents have liked it if other parents paid for a message that insulted their daughter's conservative upbringing? Just imagine ... "We're proud of Alyson for doing so well in school and remaining a compassionate, fair-minded individual - which couldn't have been easy for her to do while sitting next to that close-minded, right-wing fundie named Remy." I'm willing to bet that the Altman's would have had no problem with the school censoring that particular message. :eyes:

Sure ... the argument could be made that the school should have notified the parents in advance: any remarks that were racist, political, insulting, inflammatory or in any way deemed inappropriate would not be printed. But you know what? THE SCHOOL SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TELL THEM THAT! It's a yearbook ... FOR THE CHILDREN! Be a responsible parent and leave your stupid shit at the door! It's a celebration of your child's accomplishments, NOT a forum for you to insult other people. GROW UP!

ARRRGHH! :banghead:


edited: typo :blush:

[WillParkinson]

58. Awesome...

And well said.

[DemBones DemBones]

88. You are so right in all that you said. The school should not have to tell adults

to act like adults instead of trying to sneak in a 'nyah nyah nyah nyah' at teachers they didn't like.

If I were one of Remy's teachers, I'd check with my attorney to see if I could sue the Altmans for their attempt to claim that I exhibited bias in my teaching.

I'd settle out of court for a public retraction to be published, at the Altman's expense, in the local newspaper every day for a week or two, maybe a month.

[Iris]

96. "It is not a place to insult the faculty or the students"

This was my first thought. Why should this woman be allowed to undermine the teachers this way? Teachers get enough grief from every angle.

[wageslave71]

57. Lesson: Stick to educating, not selling ad space

[Neurotica]

60. I agree

Situations like this are always problematic in schools, whether it's selling space in a yearbook or the opportunity to inscribe brick walkways with messages or symbols. In my opinion, if a school is going to do something like this, the rules should be clear-cut and the people implementing such a program need to think in advance about unintended consequences.

With the walkway example, a good way to avoid potential problems is to say that you can only inscribe a brick with your name.

[DemBones DemBones]

89. Yearbooks have to sell ads to be able to produce a yearbook.

Yearbooks have sold ads to parents for many years.

[wageslave71]

92. They didn't at my school

I would assume my school paid for production of yearbooks from the sale of the yearbooks. Maybe that's not maximizing profits, but we're talking 5 dollars. Just increase the cost of a yearbook by 5 dollars. That way every student that buys one contributes the extra five, not just the ones with parents willing to do so. If the parents don't like it, point to the right wing jackasses that caused it.

[tammywammy]

98. I was editor of my high school yearbook

I graduated in '99.

If it wasn't for ads, the yearbook would really really suck or there just wouldn't be one.

The yearbook gets almost zero funding from the school. The book itself cost $35 to print. We started off at $40 at the beginning of the year and it was close to $60 at the end. It was also over 300 pages long.

If you want color it costs more.

And it's not just the yearbook we were paying for, it was computers. We had very old early 1990s Apple computers. Within two years of me graduating, the yearbook had sold enough ads to go to Apple G4s and all digital cameras. Within the last couple of years, they've gone almost full color book (minus the student picture pages).

[wageslave71]

99. 5$ per ad

That's what the story says parents pay to put their two cents worth in the yearbook. My opinion: Increase the cost of the yearbook 5 dollars and let parents voice their opinions elsewhere. If it's going to cause a lot of problems, just don't have a yearbook. What's the big deal with that? I'm not even sure where my yearbooks are anymore.

[tammywammy]

101. This story in particular is about an elementary yearbook

So, they're usually much smaller and cheaper to produce in general.

We had ads from parents to seniors in our yearbook. I don't think they should cut them out. But concerning this particular case, when the parent bough said ad, the yearbook staff should have said they will edit it if necessary. They should have also let the parent know said ad was being changed.

Regardless, the parents in this case are just stupid. They shouldn't try to politicize something like the yearbook.

BTW we never had a problem with inappropriate ads from parents. :shrug:

[wageslave71]

103. Totally agreed...

I guess I was just focusing on how future problems could be avoided, but totally agree about the editing and the stupidity.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

64. Even if they meant "unorthodox",

what flipping idiot would think that a school would allow statements published in the yearbook that denigrated its teachers and their methods?

Morans.

[Ellen Forradalom]

67. Annoying liberal-baiters

That was an unnecessarily pissy comment to put in a fifth-grade yearbook. I suspect they knew full well there'd be objections and that they'd get to play victim.

I hope those silly game-players grow the hell up. Liberals, conservatives and everyone else have to live in the same society. A little respect goes a long way.

[kurth]

69. What a bitch - all that attention for $5

[NoodleyAppendage]

79. So, the dumbass Repukes wouldn't have minded this message...?

"So proud of you Johnny for achieving fantastic grades and putting up with Dark Ages idiocy by Jesus-thumping classmates who one day are likely to be the unskilled and underemployed."

If they get their message, then Johnny get his. :)

J

[Iris]

97. Or how about - Congratulations for surviving "No Child Left Behind"? n/t

[Mad_Dem_X]

80. OMFG

Regardless of whether or not it was meant to be political, the message had negative undertones and was not appropriate for a yearbook.

BTW, since when did elementary school kids get yearbooks?? :shrug:

[jazzjunkysue]

82. 5th grade is a little young for this shit, regardless of the party line.

This poor kid will likely be a pawn in her parent's divorce, eventually, too.

[DawgHouse]

83. That message goes beyond congratulating a child.

I'll bet the teachers are glad to see that child graduate, just to be rid of the parents.

[DuaneBidoux]

94. No obscenity. No threats. It should have been published. No point as liberals in acting like...

conservatives and pulling censorship bs.

[Iris]

95. I love the way she tries to explain what she meant by "liberal"

Webster's Dictionary defines liberal in part as "not orthodox." Click here to see Merriam-Webster's definition of "liberal."

Altman says that is what she meant that teachers were not using established and structured teaching practices in her opinion.

"That's not political unless the reason why they took it out was they put a political spin on it," said Altman. "Since when is the word liberal or conservative always to mean political?"

District leaders still believe Altman's motives were about politics.

"If we started to do that, then we would have political messages from every side and every viewpoint," said Amole.

This is on the opposite end of the spectrum from another yearbook

[donco6]

112. She totally lied about her true meaning.

Great parental values, huh?

[treestar]

102. Are they series?!!!111

A yearbook for 5th graders?

[DeSwiss]

104. Mom says....

"Despite all the liberal teachings and so forth, she's come out with a good education," said Altman. Altman says it was not political. "The word liberal means loose. We have to take what the definition of liberal means. I didn't say Democrats," she said.

Good, good Mom. So lil' precious has gotten a good education even though she's been exposed to all those "loose (but apparently brilliant), teachers." Hopefully, your daughter will continue to be educated by more "loose teachers" in the future. Enough so that she'll go onto college and earn advance degrees. And then one day she'll be sitting in her laboratory, when suddenly it'll all come together and she'll yell "Eureka!!! Mom, I've found it."

And that'll be the day that she discovers the long sought-after cure. The cure that will help us heal people mental problems. People just like Mom.


Boy, what will they think of next!

[silverojo]

105. Political slams don't belong in a school yearbook

It's elementary school, for heaven's sake. Furthermore, considering that the message also takes a personal potshot at the school's teachers, it's pretty much guaranteed that the statement would be dropped from the yearbook.

For the record, WTF is an elementary school doing issuing yearbooks, anyway? When I was young, there was no such thing. Maybe this sort of waste is part of the problem with our schools nowadays.... :eyes:

[fujiyama]

106. Using an ELEMENTARY school yearbook for political purposes

is in EXTREMELY poor taste. The parents are pathetic. And it's incredibly amusing how they are parsing words - "I didn't say democrat. I said liberal". Yeah, well fuck you Altman. It's pretty clear that you were just looking to use this as a way to cry about being a fuckin victim, like conservatives always do. He could just as well be Bill O fuckin Reily. Or did I mean republicans? Ah fuck. They're all the same anyways. And they accuse liberals of being whiners...All I hear is "woe is us poor conservative Christians...victimized by evil Godless heathens"

I'm surprised they didn't bitch about their usual favorite - the "liberal media".

The school was not obligated to print anything that could be perceived as being negative or insulting toward the teachers. It's really that simple. And accusing the teachers of having a political bias is very insulting. And as the article points out, the SC ruled that schools can edit their yearbooks as they please.

There's nothing here. The Altmans can take their five bucks and shove it.

[Gin]

108. (IMHO) it was their cheap way to get "THEIR" political message across....

and had nothing to do with congratulating their daughter on her achievements.
What fools!

[ncabot22]

111. Glad the message was not allowed

It was rude and incredibly disrespectful to the teachers.