Tough Questions
Unions Legal Questions
Religion in the Classroom Membership Questions
Question: I am fed up with the NEA. I want to opt out. What are
my options?
Answer:There are three options you can follow.
Join the Union and Pay the entire fee.
Choose not to join the union and submit a request each year
not to pay for any political activities of the union. Usually
this provides
a savings of about 30%. Call Milton Chappell, Esq. at the National
Right to Work Organization 1-800-336-3600. He can assist you
legally to get off to a right start. (This 30% savings is usually
around
$250-$300 and you can use it to pay for your CEAI membership)
Choose
not to join the union based on your sincerely held religious
convictions and give the union fees to charity. Call Bruce
Cameron, Esq. 1-800-336-3600. He will assist you legally on opting
out of
the union.
For more questions call 1-888-798-1124.
WHAT ABOUT BCE? Question:My
daughter is in the 6th grade. Her history teacher told the class that
the time
reference of B.C. would not be used anymore.
They were to us B.C.E. (Before Common Era) instead. I called the
school and spoke to the vice principalshe said that she had not heard
of that and would check on it. That same night at open house at the
school I spoke to the vice principal
again and she said that the teacher started doing that so that
he
would not offend anyone and that all the history teachers at that
school were doing it. This I know not to be true as I have another
daughter who is in her third year at that same school and she has
never heard of that.
Do you have any advice on what I should do or take this matter
to?
Answer:First,
I would ask them to reference this term. Where did they obtain
it
and what research establishes the term Before Common Era as an historical
time line?
You should also check with
the social studies state curriculum standards
and see what is written there. Actually, this is the first time
I have
ever heard of anyone using BCE. After you do your homework, then
go to
your school board with definitive information concerning the historical
significance of using BC as the time line and that students will
be
totally confused when doing research as they will not find this
term in
any historical documents. It is doubtful if this even meets the
definition of being"
Politically Correct". Of course, I do not think that we should
try to
be politically correct. But that is not even the basic question
in this
circumstance.
Another Answer: It certainly is possible
that this teacher you refer to is misled as so many are, believing
that any reference to God
in history or elsewhere is wrong. However you respond, I encourage
you show him the Love and Grace of our Lord as you may be the closest
he'll ever come to know Him.
Your question as to what a teacher can do
is a difficult one as they do have a certain level of academic
freedom. However, in all
districts they are required to "transmit" the board adopted
curriculum. A place to start might be to get a copy of it and review
it to see if BC has been removed. If not...lovingly...meet with him
and request that he respect the adopted course of study without spinning
it to line up with his person spiritual biases.
If such a step fails, it would be proper to move up the administrative
ladder in the building ,,,,then the Superintendent...and if still
hitting a dead end ask to be placed on the board of education's agenda
asking that the curriculum they adopted be adhered to.
Again, during this process remember that the Father loved all those
that are opposing you enough to sacrifice His Son for them...so show
some respect.
Understand that I'm a public school Superintendent
who has seen believers act in ungodly ways toward fellow educators
who privately
respond, "If that the way Christians act, who'd want to hang
with them?" Remember, they should know us by our Love..not just
by the fact that we think we are right.