I promise you, decent teachers would never ever do what this woman did. Sure it's had to be a teacher. A parent. A customer service person. A human. NO DECENT PERSON would use that excuse. I think this woman probably makes teachers even more angry at her because NONE of us who belong in the profession think this…

Mark - usually, I appreciate posts b/c you're usually rational. The "hook" in your article is sensationalistic. "What is going on in schools lately?" Do you honestly believe that the thousands of educators in our country just abuse kids on a daily basis? Please, please, don't contribute to the national…

I am hopefully positive that if this happened in our district, she would be terminated. Not all districts would let her keep her job. According to law, she may have to get this legal notice and then she may be terminated as soon as the suspension is over. At least, that is what any decent district would do. I hope…

I like what you did their with you're too/tos.

I wish sock with sandals were a hot style choice. I would rock that look.

I'm answering your question seriously because I had a similar reaction. 1. Maybe we've just been so enculturated to believe female nipples should never be shown in public, we react negatively when we see them. 2. Why doesn't Kinja think enculturated is a word; it totally is. 3. Maybe it's just that the material is…

I sort of secretly think most babies are ugly. Baby babies, like newborns. I don't say it out loud though (just anon. post it on Jez)

Yes. Develop a thick skin. The kids actually make it worth it, so try to stick with it. The shit rolls off and makes for some good stories.

Hey, this has been surreal thread. Interesting and eye-opening. Thanks for having decent reading comprehension and a firm sense of sanity, but some of these people are clueless and trollerific. Definitely not getting involved in meerkatx's ravings or the ACLU. This issue is literally last on my list of priorities. …

I know. I posted a similar link yesterday. It would be interesting if anyone actually challenged the school.

Exactly. It's really never been an issue; if they care enough to sit, they care enough to take 10 minutes to explain why.

I actually do clarify in another post. I keep/kept written responses as to why students chose to stay seated in the case of patriotic administrators. My implication there was to justify to said administrator both the child's choice and my reasoning behind not "disciplining" said child. It may see hard to believe,…

Good luck to you! Remember that the kids are the best part of the job. And if you do this, keep the letters in case a patriotic administrator asks why someone is seated..

Exactly. Can you imagine how quickly I'd be terminated if I fostered direct insurrection via the pledge? Don't worry, I encourage critical thinking and questioning within my class; I am an English teacher. It's weird to have so many negative reactions to my comment. And, I would welcome it if the district was…

Absolutely agree with you.

Are you okay? This is a very odd response. Please reread my original comment. The school has a rule about standing; I'm asked to enforce it; I do not require any students say the pledge.

Huh? 4:41 am post, must be delirium.

Thank you. As a teacher, I've never heard completely baseless criticism before. Please, tell me how you could do my job better.

The conversations I've had with children about this issue have always been handled with respect on both sides, mine and theirs. Love that your first response would be to sue me though, way to get the point of anything I've posted.

I'm seeing some comprehension issues in some of these responses. The school"requires" that they stand. I've been asked to enforce this rule. The kids who stand do so because they're just following the rules; I doubt they even think about it. I appreciate Seneca the Younger's idea to have them think about why they…