Freedom to teach?
By Sandra Lea Wise Posted in Liberals — Comments (13) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is convinced that it is time to take back the classroom on behalf of academic freedom. They are concerned about the recent trend in which conservatives have begun to question the liberal one sided education that students are exposed to in our institutions of higher learning.
"Conservative ideologues (whose names escape me at the moment) have tried, in recent years, to redefine “academic freedom” as a shield that protects conservative students from the opinions and convictions of their professors; they have introduced bills in state legislatures that would mandate “intellectual diversity” in college courses and curricula — presumably to give conservative interpretations of The Rise of Silas Lapham and White Noise a fair hearing, or perhaps to require the assignment of texts more congenial to the conservative world view."
freedom in the classroom
The problem is that conservative teachers are not able to express conservative ideas in the classroom without the fear of being reprimanded or fired. I believe that Sean Hannity and others who are exposing liberal professors are getting some traction. We need to keep focusing on this. It's time to take back the classroom from liberal educators who are brainwashing our youth.
Sandra Lea Wise
Thanks for your input! I think that Community Colleges are a lot more open, since they are not entrenched in the tenured system. I teach at one of the University of Texas campuses and I have to be careful. Every now and then I can get away with things when I'm talking about the culture of other countries, since I teach languages. For example, the other day a student asked if health care in Brazil is government controlled. I answered, yes, and that's why no one gets good health care.
___________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
that our youth be instilled with the values that made America great.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
www.race42008.com
www.hinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
"One man with courage makes a majority" - Andrew Jackson
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
www.race42008.com
www.hinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
"One man with courage makes a majority" - Andrew Jackson
Its been awhile and this is a great way to return.
______________________________
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
Once again we see the one-dimensionality of today's parody of "liberal education". Orwell could have written the motto of today's AAUP: all viewpoints are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Not much is more important than the future of our children.
In an era where teachers proudly display their anti conservative ideals on bumper stickers and take that attitude into their classrooms, one must be actively engaged with their children to constantly temper the fallacy.
Either balance has become passé amongst educators or their grotesque failure to read beyond the NYT and intellectually research issues is jaded by political leanings. Whom does this serve? Only themselves and their topical, uninformed view of the world.
I constantly see a stream of kids unable to hold or win a reasonable debate without deferring to the betrayal of emotion. The emotion comes from an inability to defend positions based on fallacious notions taught to them and grounded in politics. It is a house of cards that collapses almost every time. It is time to challenge this attempt at indoctrination by including those who can factually offset this egregious assault. After all, what are they so afraid of?
"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori"
Contributor to The Minority Report
I'm not real keen on countering "liberal teachers" with "conservative teachers" even if liberal teachers outnumber conservatives on many campuses by 20 to 1. Teacher's, at all levels, should not abuse their position of authority. If liberals are wrong to proselytize, then conservatives would be, too.
The teacher's job is to encourage the student to think, not to get the student to simply think like the teacher. I had an English professor who openly admitted to being a feminist literary critic (with maybe a hint of Marxist criticism). She welcomed everyone's interpretation of "Wuthering Heights" or "Hamlet" or "Turn of the Screw" so long as our interpretations were drawn from the text. I wish every teacher could be so open minded.
Call it affirmative action and we are all good!
Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you. Washington Elected Elite
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
I agree. What I'd like is for conservative teachers to have the same freedom to discuss and present conservative themes. Certainly we must not indoctrinate. As you said, it's wrong for any teacher to do that.
___________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
I agree wholeheartedly. Some of the best laughs of the day are reading TH articles by Michael S Adams.
This Berube guy is, of course, delusional. Not happy that there are at least 5 tenured professors in the USA that are conservatives, he wants to eradicate them all.
It's war -- so when can we start shooting back at the enemy Democrats?
It's great to be back, and thanks so much to all who have recommended my essay.
As some have said, nothing is more important than the future of our youth. I believe this is one issue that can unite us. I'm for vouchers and closing down schools that are not succeeding in teaching. Competition is the only thing that will improve our schools. There is only one party, the GOP, that is for that.
Also, the Teacher's Unions protect bad teachers and we know which party they support.
As far as the Universities, the few conservative teachers should not have to fear for their jobs.
___________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
I am very fortunate. I am a Conservative history professor at a Community College. I am in the minority, but have not had any trouble for the most part. I think I'm able to get away with a lot because of my sense of humor. Just today we were discussion the irony of Anti-War Hollywood, namely Sally Field's Sybil moment from last night. When I bring up ideas like do the Hollywood folks really think they'd be as free to say and do what they wanted if the Islamists took over; my students go what? It's like they've never thought about it like that before. I mean it's a trip when I'm one of the few voices they've heard pose that question. And it's so basic.