Obama T-shirt earns middle school teacher a trip to principal's office

[RandiFan1290]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/11/18/a1b_bino_1119.html#yourpost

Obama T-shirt earns middle school teacher a trip to principal's office

By Frank Cerabino
Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A local middle school history teacher who wore a Barack Obama T-shirt to school after the election has been cited by his principal for engaging in unethical political activity.

Dennis Yuzenas, an American history teacher at Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, has refused to sign a memorandum that his principal, Elizabeth Kennedy, handed him last week, in what has become a showdown between one of the school's most popular teachers and its relatively new principal.

Kennedy saw Yuzenas on the school's TV news show on the Friday after the election. While wearing an Obama T-shirt, Yuzenas said, "It's a good day to be an American," or words to that effect.

A few days later, Kennedy asked him to sign a memo for his file.

[opihimoimoi]

1. WTF??? It was AFTER the Election???? WTF???

[skeewee08]

2. As a former educator the Teachers Union

will not go for this.

[codjh9]

3. The same people who yell 'freedom' the most, want to LIMIT it the most! n/t

[kid a]

4. Sounds like he is a great teacher, had a good rational for his lesson that day nt

[LaurenG]

5. Well then I think that principal had better take down those photos of all the presidents

hanging around the school and oh rip their pictures out of the books too. :sarcasm: Sue.the.district.

[123infinity]

6. How ironic...an American history teacher.

:shrug:

[leftofcool]

7. Yea, how dare he have photos of presidents in his classroom

or teach history by wearing a t-shirt! <sarcasm>

[surrealAmerican]

10. Really. Wouldn't want those students to be exposed to any ...

... current events.

[hamsterjill]

8. That Kennedy must be a Republican!!!

How much you wanna bet that Elizabeth Kennedy voted for McCain/Palin and is a sore loser?

[Egnever]

9. Hah my wife is a history teacher

She has been chomping at the bit to display a picture she has of herself with Michelle in her classroom. As well as being able to put up some pics of Barack.

[MineralMan]

11. Photo in Every Classroom

When I was in school, back in the Dark Ages of the 50s-60s, every classroom had a framed photo of the current president on the wall by the flag that was also there.

Never having had kids, I don't know if schools still do that, but I think it's a good idea. Imagine photos of Barack Obama in every classroom. What an inspiration for all students!

[MissMarple]

12. Ours usually had Washington or Lincoln. I don't know how I'd feel with Bush on the wall for 8 years.

Overall, though, I agree that more current events should be woven into the classroom experience. Too many people really don't know who Washington is, let alone the current occupant.

And regarding the original post, many schools have rules about politicizing the classroom. The teacher would need to be even handed, not proselytizing. It is much the same with religion, a teacher can discuss it but not be for or against. For instance it is easier to do a unit on why so many religions do or do not have holidays in December than have a "Christmas" program. You can't celebrate.

Ideally, the kids shouldn't really know who the teacher supports. Teaching them how to think critically is more important than teaching them what to think.


How would we feel if the teacher wore a McCain, Palin or Bush t-shirt?

[MineralMan]

13. I agree that teachers should not

politicize the classroom. I also believe that a portrait of the sitting President should be on the wall of every classroom...even if it's GWB.

Public school classroom, that is. We have a government, and we choose our Presidents (more or less). Such a photo would be a good thing, IMO.

[LostinVA]

14. Agreed -- he shouldn't have done this

He's lucky he didn't get fired -- he would have in some states and in Federal jobs. He should have been disciplined.

on edit: Okay, I read the article again and am confused: was he written up for wearing the Tshirt to school, or outside of work hours and the school? If the former, I think he should be written, if teh latter, he needs a good attorney.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

15. This won't stand

I work for the federal government and we have to follow very strict hatch act provisions. However, after the election, some of the employees in one of our field offices decided to wear Obama t-shirts to work. Neither our regional office nor management had a problem with this. I mean, the guy is our President-elect!

[gollygee]

16. I think it's reasonable to ask teachers to not wear political things to school

They are there to teach, not to promote any political agenda from either party.