School Field Trip to Teacher's Lesbian Wedding Sparks Controversy

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

...because...the teacher in question...what does she have to gain "politically"...

I fail to see how bringing kids to a Ceremony at City Hall can "indoctrinate" them to be GAY...perhaps it will steel their hearts against hatred...

...I don't see how the kids were exploited...

What she has to gain? Her marriage. California has a prop on their ballet to make gay marriage against their constitution.

It's not her job to teach the children a moral set. Her job is the teach them Reading/Writing/Arithmetic. She is not their parent and has no right to teach them anything but those.

I don't know if that was her intent. I would need more information.. like, did the parents know where the kids were going? I mean fully know? Was this planned before the prop was made public or right after?

I don't know.

If it were my kids, I would not have signed the permissions lip. I would not for a traditional marriage either. I see no educational value to a first grader in watching a marriage.

[Rev.Reverence]

What she has to gain? Her marriage. California has a prop on their ballet to make gay marriage against their constitution.

It's not her job to teach the children a moral set. Her job is the teach them Reading/Writing/Arithmetic. She is not their parent and has no right to teach them anything but those.

I don't know if that was her intent. I would need more information.. like, did the parents know where the kids were going? I mean fully know? Was this planned before the prop was made public or right after?

I don't know.

If it were my kids, I would not have signed the permissions lip. I would not for a traditional marriage either. I see no educational value to a first grader in watching a marriage.

..but permission slips were in order...she did no wrong on that front...

...even if she meant to show that the kids would not be traumatized...I don't see any "usury" here...she could have really wanted to share this experience with the kids...(I bet there were parents of some of the kids were there...they usually use parents as extra supervisors you know)...

...& it was probably planned before...(I don't know how long the prop has been out...but I know it takes time to make a wedding happen)

...I did not see where she was teaching them morals...Help me Gaf...I'll listen.

[Rev.Reverence]

I really need to think twice before I post shit anymore.

My thing was not that they were taken to a wedding, but the fact that a wedding gay or straight really doesn't have any educational value, especially in San Francisco. Sure it was a historic event and a very happy time for the teacher, but in kids shouldn't be taken to city hall just to see their teacher get hitched because thats no what school is for. Which is why I believe she should be repremanded for it.

..Sure it does...Sociologically(social studies)...History/Current Events...

...& I am in a hurry...but there may be more...

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

..Sure it does...Sociologically(social studies)...History/Current Events...

...& I am in a hurry...but there may be more...

Are not taught to first graders.

[phee]

Are not taught to first graders.

I have to agree with you there...

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

..but permission slips were in order...she did no wrong on that front...

...even if she meant to show that the kids would not be traumatized...I don't see any "usury" here...she could have really wanted to share this experience with the kids...(I bet there were parents of some of the kids were there...they usually use parents as extra supervisors you know)...

...& it was probably planned before...(I don't know how long the prop has been out...but I know it takes time to make a wedding happen)

...I did not see where she was teaching them morals...Help me Gaf...I'll listen.

permission slips were signed, that does not mean the parents knew exactly where they were going. Many schools are using these "all in one" permission slips at the beginning of the year. It gives permission for any and all field trips for the year. We do not know if the parents knew or not that their children were going to a marriage ceremony.

spelling

[Destroit]

I dunno...I feel like the teacher's personal life shouldn't be mixed in with her professional school life what-so-ever. I understand trying to teach tolerance and all, but this seems like it pushes it. I wouldn't even have felt comfortable having my kid go to any teacher's wedding, especially in the first grade. Maybe if they were in high school and had a teacher they were close with and they were getting married, it may even be a little different because that's more age appropriate, imo. First grade? I don't know, just reeks of inappropriateness, especially having the entire class go.

[Rev.Reverence]

permission slips were signed, that does not mean the parents knew exactly where they were going. Many schools are using these "all in one" permission slips at the beginning of the year. It gives permission for any and all field trips for the year. We do not know if the parents knew or not that their children were going to a marriage ceremony.

spelling

True...the info was not provided..

I have never heard of an "all in one" that you speak of...& I think to not KNOW ... ALL THE TIME...where your 7 year old is & what they are doing...is not responsibility as I am familiar with the term.

^{(speaking of the "R" word...I gotta' go for nows)}

[phee]

I dunno...I feel like the teacher's personal life shouldn't be mixed in with her professional school life what-so-ever. I understand trying to teach tolerance and all, but this seems like it pushes it. I wouldn't even have felt comfortable having my kid go to any teacher's wedding, especially in the first grade. Maybe if they were in high school and had a teacher they were close with and they were getting married, it may even be a little different because that's more age appropriate, imo. First grade? I don't know, just reeks of inappropriateness, especially having the entire class go.

What she said

[Rev.Reverence]

I dunno...I feel like the teacher's personal life shouldn't be mixed in with her professional school life what-so-ever. I understand trying to teach tolerance and all, but this seems like it pushes it. I wouldn't even have felt comfortable having my kid go to any teacher's wedding, especially in the first grade. Maybe if they were in high school and had a teacher they were close with and they were getting married, it may even be a little different because that's more age appropriate, imo. First grade? I don't know, just reeks of inappropriateness, especially having the entire class go.

...I'ld have gone with the class...

[phee]

Would you be comfortable if a teacher took your first grader to a barmitzfa? or a ceremony of becoming baaligh in Islam? Or a Communion ritual in the Catholic faith?

First Grader... Not a college class on comparitive religion or ethics

Teacher Involved... not a field trip to observe other cultures

No I wouldn't... even if I was there

[Destroit]

...I'ld have gone with the class...

What...you mean as a chaperone? I don't think that really makes a difference, imo, still inappropriate to have an entire class of first graders go to a teacher's wedding. It does make it much more controversial the fact that it is a same-sex marriage because there are parents who believe that is inappropriate for their children to witness, and personally I think parents should be able to have a say in those things.

If they had signed permission slips for each individual field trip then I guess that makes the same-sex aspect of the marriage not really a problem, but as Gaf stated in many school districts they have an all-purpose permission slip signed at the beginning of the year so that one student can go on every field trip without having to get one signed for each trip. Had I been a parent who was against teaching my children about same-sex unions, especially at that early of an age, I would feel almost like my rights were violated had I signed an all-purpose pass because I would have expected the school district to realize the inappropriateness of such a field trip and stopped it. As I said initially, however, that entire aspect is null and void if the parents had to sign a slip for that particular individual trip, yet I still stand by my initial statement that for an entire class of first grade students shouldn't be going to anybody's personal wedding on a field trip, as it provides pretty much no educational value what-so-ever and is inappropriate for that age group.

[phee]

The fact of the matter is,

Whether you are there or not... the child is watching their teacher, one whom they most likely look up to, respect, must answer to, learn from.... One of their teachers personal rituals in their personal life.... They are going to get some impression that goes far beyon the role of Teacher/Student... no matter what happens....

Seperation of church and state people

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I agree with the the Lesbian activist group, this was an act of exploitation to get/sway public opinion about gay marriage. I'm embarrassment for the Gay community that someone would stoop so low.

[phee]

I agree with the the Lesbian activist group, this was an act of exploitation to get/sway public opinion about gay marriage. I'm embarrassment for the Gay community that someone would stoop so low.

+1

I am not saying that a first grader should not go to a teachers wedding.... if the teacher invites the family, they know each other, etc.... and its NOT a school field trip.

[Destroit]

Seperation of church and state people

That's how I feel, it's a personal practice that is very different from couple to couple, so I don't see how anyone could be saying this is educational. And due to the fact that it's a personal practice/ritual I believe it's inappropriate, especially for such a young and impressionable age group.

[Ice Queen (1)]

I believe the article said it was the idea of one of the parents, not the idea of the teacher in the first place. I don't know how much difference that will make to some of you, but how could it be about publicity for the teacher if it was not their idea in the first place?

And yes, I would be comfortable with a field trip to other religious ceremonies, given that I was informed to the content. Separation of church and state? Schools have been offering a "release time" education for religious purposes for at least a couple generations. Does it make it more ok because those are christian religions?

I was taken to a Buddhist temple as an "unofficial" field trip. I find nothing wrong with allowing exploration and the gathering of information. No one was trying to convert me to Buddhism(and I did not convert, btw). You only get so much out of a textbook or a lecture. There is nothing like seeing, smelling, hearing, and feeling first and to help you understand. Is 7 too young? What is too young to teach respect and understanding for other human beings and the differences or similarities we have?

[Oh_My_Goth]

This is just silly.....

People need to pull there head out of their asses already and except the fact that some people are gay and it is not a catchy disease.....

[Simon Bar Sinister]

Why wouldn't it be? Comprehensive sexual education covers all aspects of human reproduction and sexuality.

...and marriage has nothing to do with either.

[phee]

This is just silly.....

People need to pull there head out of their asses already and except the fact that some people are gay and it is not a catchy disease.....

My views have nothing to do with the sexuality....

[Rev.Reverence]

The fact of the matter is,

Whether you are there or not... the child is watching their teacher, one whom they most likely look up to, respect, must answer to, learn from.... One of their teachers personal rituals in their personal life.... They are going to get some impression that goes far beyon the role of Teacher/Student... no matter what happens....

Seperation of church and state people

..the wedding was at city hall...

[phee]

..the wedding was at city hall...

And?

[Rev.Reverence]

And?

That means it was a secular event..not a religious thing...it's not like they were at a Mass...

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I believe the article said it was the idea of one of the parents, not the idea of the teacher in the first place. I don't know how much difference that will make to some of you, but how could it be about publicity for the teacher if it was not their idea in the first place?

And yes, I would be comfortable with a field trip to other religious ceremonies, given that I was informed to the content. Separation of church and state? Schools have been offering a "release time" education for religious purposes for at least a couple generations. Does it make it more ok because those are christian religions?

I was taken to a Buddhist temple as an "unofficial" field trip. I find nothing wrong with allowing exploration and the gathering of information. No one was trying to convert me to Buddhism(and I did not convert, btw). You only get so much out of a textbook or a lecture. There is nothing like seeing, smelling, hearing, and feeling first and to help you understand. Is 7 too young? What is too young to teach respect and understanding for other human beings and the differences or similarities we have?

I did not catch that in the article. Perhaps it was a parent... that does not mean it was not done to promote an agenda. It just means that it was someone else's idea to exploit the children... and it seems the brides.

Children at 7 have just learned the year before to differentiate between a square and a rectangle. Yes, 7 is too young to teach complex socio-political ideals. Nor is it, I think anyway, the schools job to teach them. Thats for the parents to do.

[Rev.Reverence]

I did not catch that in the article. Perhaps it was a parent... that does not mean it was not done to promote an agenda. It just means that it was someone else's idea to exploit the children... and it seems the brides.

Children at 7 have just learned the year before to differentiate between a square and a rectangle. Yes, 7 is too young to teach complex socio-political ideals. Nor is it, I think anyway, the schools job to teach them. Thats for the parents to do.

BULLSHIT&SHENANIGANS!

What age do you buy one of these for a child?