http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/03/...in1364883.shtml

 

(CBS/AP) About 150 students at a suburban Denver high school walked out of class to protest a decision to put a teacher on administrative leave while the school investigates remarks he allegedly made in class about President Bush, including a comment that some people compare Mr. Bush to Adolf Hitler.

 

The protest came Thursday as administrators began investigating whether Overland High School teacher Jay Bennish violated a policy requiring balancing viewpoints in the classroom, Cherry Creek School District spokeswoman Tustin Amole said.

 

"It was peaceful. The students yelled, but there was no fighting," Amole said. "Most of them did return to class."

 

The suspension, says Amole, is a paid leave and is "not a punitive situation... It just gives us the opportunity to talk to him, to talk to students."

 

Overland High student Stacy Caruso says Bennish hasn't done anything wrong. "In the classroom," says Caruso, "everyone has their right to speak their opinion and he's not forcing any opinions on anyone."

 

Another student, Derek Belloni, tells CBS News Station KCNC-TV reporter Rick Sallinger that Bennish is out of line.

 

"He's supposed to be teaching geography," says Belloni, "and yet he's pushing a liberal agenda trying to convert kids to his side of the spectrum."

 

A telephone number listed for Bennish, who has been teaching social studies and American history at Overland since 2000, had been disconnected.

 

Sophomore Sean Allen recorded about 20 minutes of Bennish's class during a Feb. 1 discussion about President Bush's State of the Union speech and gave the recording to his father, who complained to the principal, Amole said.

 

"After listening to the tape, it's evident the comments in the class were inappropriate. There were not adequate opportunities for opposing points of view," she said.

 

The student who made the tape agrees.

 

"I've been his class four weeks," says Allen, "and I've never heard another side."

 

Deborah Fallin, spokeswoman for the Colorado Education Association, which represents about 37,000 union teachers, said it will not represent Bennish because he is not a member.

 

"He's terribly upset about the fact that he can't teach right now," says David Lane, an attorney who is now representing Bennish. "He's so upset and I am now his lawyer and we will be going to federal court."

Oh give it a rest. My Physics teacher talks about his liberal views every day and no one goes bitching about it.

Well apparently the students feel like they're not learning any geography...

 

and people wonder why our education system is falling behind

Teachers should not be giving opinions, they should be teaching. Especially if your subject is geography. I mean, come on.

 

This isn't a freedom of speech case, because the teacher is being paid to do something and he's doing something else instead.

Well apparently the students feel like they're not learning any geography...

 

and people wonder why our education system is falling behind

You are ridiculous. The education system is falling behind because we teach standardized tests. Its failing because of the hiring of incompetent teachers due to the lack of pay there is in teaching. Sheezus.

teachers should be making 20-30k more at least to attract more to the profession.

 

People need to lay off of teachers right now, it isnt an easy job and really they are underpaid, undersupported.

 

This is BS to put the guy on suspension for.

Well apparently the students feel like they're not learning any geography...

 

and people wonder why our education system is falling behind

You are ridiculous. The education system is falling behind because we teach standardized tests. Its failing because of the hiring of incompetent teachers due to the lack of pay there is in teaching. Sheezus.

 

Did I rule that out? Because I'm pretty sure if you read my post, you'll see that I didn't.

I always feel uncomfortable when a liberal teacher or prof makes a overtly political remark. If you wanna open the class to discussion, thats fine. Same goes for conservatives in the corporate or military world.

OMG! Bush and Hitler both used nationalism and the idea that their culture is the top of the world to promote their way of life in other countries!!! Don't tell the children!

 

 

I wish a teacher would point out that the first nation leader who called for a war against terrorism to get things similar to the patriot act passed, to be able to spy on their citizens, to get the idea of you are either with us or against us, to make the national idea is to be against terrorism and to try and change the terroristic culture was Stalin.

 

I am sure conservatives would love that too. Why teach the truth?

 

The teacher did not say Bush is Hitler, or like him. In fact he says that Bush is nothing like Hitler, but that they did have similar talking points. Go figure. Plus I missed where the guy said Bush is bad, or that he didn't even vote for him. Saying "OMG Bush is the suxorz, whoever likes him is retarted," would be pushing his mindset on the kids, I missed where he did that.

 

Watch out, or the liberal conspiracy will get you.

Besides it all being opinion, it'd be all well and good in a political science class. Want to compare it other events in American lore, then American History could be the subject for you. Open up the discussion by relating it to the powers of the government, and you've got American Government.

 

But the man teaches Geography. Time and place.

Well apparently the students feel like they're not learning any geography...

 

and people wonder why our education system is falling behind

You are ridiculous. The education system is falling behind because we teach standardized tests. Its failing because of the hiring of incompetent teachers due to the lack of pay there is in teaching. Sheezus.

 

 

Go to your google search and find out when standardized testing was first used in this country. The roots of our education problems are way more complex than just underpaid teachers and standardized tests. In fact standardized tests were created to try to level the playign field among lower income students and higher income students. Problem is most of these tests (im tlaking more college entry ones not the fcat) is that its not about what you know its about what tricks you know and who can cough up the most money to take the best courses to teach you those tricks