Video of students praising Obama gets teacher suspended

[JonLP24]

Source: Kansas City Star

By JOE ROBERTSON

The Kansas City Star

A teacher at a Kansas City charter school was suspended Monday after video of his public school students chanting in praise of Barack Obama became a national sensation on YouTube.

In the video, boys from the Urban Community Leadership Academy, wearing T-shirts and camouflage pants, march in formation and shout out how Obama has sparked the middle school students’ aspirations to be architects, lawyers and entrepreneurs.

The video was the subject of the most read and most e-mailed story on Fox News’ Election Headquarters Web page Monday.The school’s director, Joyce McGautha, said she had been advised by legal counsel to make no more comments about the video while the school investigates.

The video — created in May while Obama and Hillary Clinton were competing for the Democratic nomination, but apparently not posted until recently — brought a wave of complaints on blogs of a public school being much too partisan.



Read more: http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/14852

[ElboRuum]

1. OK, so...

...who took the video?

Did the teacher take the video? Was this a class project, or did the kids to it of their own volition? If the teacher did not take the video, how would she have been in a position to prevent its dissemination? Moreover, if the students did this of their own volition, I'd just see it as an indication that children are taking an interest in the political process, something that should probably be lauded and not degraded as 'partisan'.

Anyone got any more information on this?

[BearSquirrel2]

2. As an instructor ...

As an instructor you need to stand back and be the devils advocate. You have to get the students to fight it out (which is good as it is learning). Sounds like this teacher may have crossed the line.

[JonLP24]

3. How so?

This is all it says how she was involved

Earlier, she told Fox News that she did not condone the video and did not want it disseminated on the Internet. She acknowledged that public school teachers cannot support particular candidates in the classroom.

It doesn't provide much information but it sounds like the students themselves support Obama and themselves made the video.

[endthewar]

5. There you go, thinking again.

Please leave your logic out of this. :rofl:

[endthewar]

4. You ate up the FOX News talking points perfectly

This looks like the students themselves practiced this after school and then just filmed it during a school break. Yeah, we definitely need to fire the teacher over this one.

[EFerrari]

8. Students learn by fighting?

News to me.

[Regret My New Name]

10. I think he meant debating... :P

I used to love classes in which we would debate current events and stuff. Usually the teacher/instructor/whatever stayed out of it other than being a mediator or playing the role of devils advocate.. Although, it was useful in high school, in college it seems like people had less interest in debating/learning and more interest in shutting opposing opinions up.. Maybe it was just instructors were not as good, I dunno...

[jrockford]

9. Crossed what line???

[Regret My New Name]

11. Unless he encouraged it himself then I don't he did anything wrong...

Would have you preferred him to silence the kids and not allow them to express how they feel?

[Hugabear]

6. God forbid that these young men actually find inspiration from someone

Guess it would be more preferable if they were making videos glamorizing gang activity, wouldn't it? Can't have these young men growing up, being inspired by someone like Obama, and actually making something of their lives. Oh no, can't have that. :sarcasm:

[LaStrega]

7. Just in case ...

The video brought tears to my eyes ... in case you didn't visit the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSvBCBnulLs

Though I couldn't catch all they were chanting ... still ... Marvelous video with a capitol M.

[okieinpain]

12. I don't understand why someone would do stuff like this. really stupid.

[JonQ]

13. If the teacher encouraged this

then yes, he did cross a line.

Imagine if it were reversed, and some teacher encrouaged his kids to "spontaneously" come out with praise for McCain while he videotaped it. There would be outrage of course, and this should be no different.

Now, if it was truly spontaneous and they all decided to do this on their own then there is no problem. But somehow I doubt that. Either way it's unclear from the article.