The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Yesterday, May 11, the San Diego Unified School District entered the realm of politics by passing a resolution condemning Arizona law SB1070 as unconstitutional. (See story at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/11/school-board-condemns-arizona-immigration-law/). The resolution originally was going to warn parents and students not to travel to Arizona because the travelers might be subject to harassment or racial profiling but was dropped prior to the resolution's passage. Now why would a school district whose mission statement and vision statements relate to education take a stand on a law that is not related to the education process?

The answer can be found all over the Internet in the form of social justice websites. There are teacher organizations that believe teaching is a political act. They see the children entrusted to their daily care as critical change agents essential to the struggle for social justice (Teachers for Social Justice, 2004). These organizations desire to change society by ways of the education of the country's youth. They are doing this in the guise of justice - social justice.

Instead of instructing children in English, Mathematics, History, etc, these "teachers for social justice" desire to teach with a spin. They desire to indoctrinate someone else's child so that the child thinks like them. Is this the role of teachers in our society?

Every day parents send their children off to school to learn the basics so that when the children become of age, the children can go out and be productive members of society. What is being a productive member of society? This is where the crux of the argument begins. Each of us might define productive in a different way - we are human beings and sometimes we do think and act differently than others. A productive member of society should contribute to said society and not be a drain on the resources of the society. Does this mean each student who enters society needs to be rich? Not necessarily. A mother who stays at home raising her children is a productive member of society just as much as the mother who enters the workplace to provide for her family. A person who works as a garbage collector to put food on the table every day and have a roof over his head is a productive member of society as much as the Wall Street executive who makes more money than all garbage collectors combined.

Each individual who relies upon their abilities to function and does not expect others to give them aid is a productive member of society. The individual who violates the law of society is not a productive member of society. The individual who lives as Mary, the mother of Precious in the movie "Precious: based on the book Push by Sapphire," is not a productive member of society. (If you have not seen this movie, I highly recommend it. Mo'Nique's performance as Mary is stellar.) People who expect others to provide for them are not productive. Now every once in awhile people need assistance. There's a difference in asking for assistance versus expecting assistance.

In November of last year, I read a story in the newspaper that saddened me. It related the story of a homeless man who had passed away in late August. This man suffered from mental illness which was, more than likely, the reason he was homeless. Every day this individual could be seen on a park bench on Point Loma in San Diego. Every day on my way home from the Submarine Base on Point Loma, I observed this homeless man sitting or laying on the park bench. He was a constant fixture of the park. His presence to me was always calming. I could never put my finger on why. I just know that every day I looked for him in the park and every day he was there, until August of last year. Then I didn't see him anymore. I wondered what happened to him. Then in November when reading the newspaper story I found out he had died. This man never asked for any assistance. He was not one of the homeless people seen standing on the corner begging. He just wanted to be left alone to live life his own way. Was this man a productive member of society? By my definition he was. His was not a drain on society's resources as evidenced by the newspaper story. But did he contribute to the society? My calmness every day when seeing him should answer that question. The people who brought him food and clothes and enjoyed his presence should answer that question. I miss him.

Now back to our educators who feel they should be instructing our children to be instruments of change. We entrust them to do a job of education of the basics. The teacher's viewpoints on society are not a part of the basics. Granted the teachers are humans and their political and personal viewpoints will come out from time to time, but their curriculum should not resolve around their beliefs. They should not view themselves as change agents to end a cycle of oppression (Russo, 2004). That is not their role in society.

The San Diego Unified School District has removed their mask. The wolf in sheep's clothing is coming out into the open. Our educators should be just that - educators, not political activists. We and our posterity deserve better.

I wanted to go to the open forum before the vote so I could ask a question. My question would've been, "who has actually read the law as approved and amended by the Arizona legislation at the Arizona government's website?" Anyone who voted for or against the resolution (they all voted in favor of the resolution) without first reading the law set a poor example to the parents and children of their school district.

I recommend you check out some of the websites listed in the references.....

Mike

References:

IMBd. (2010). Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire. Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929632/

Teachers for Social Justice. (2004). About Teachers for Social Justice. Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.teachersforjustice.org/2007/09/about-tsj.html

Russo, P. (2004). What does it mean to teach for social justice? Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.oswego.edu/~prusso1/Russos_what_does_it_mean_to_teach_for_s.htm

Teachers for Social Justice: http://www.t4sj.org/

San Diego Unified School District vision statement: http://www.sandi.net/20451072010212567/site/default.asp

San Diego Unified School District mission statement: http://www.sandi.net/20451072095932967/blank/browse.asp?a=383&bmdrn=2000&bcob=0&c=56612

Wilkens, J. (2009). Community pays its respects Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/08/community-pays-its-respects/