Outrage Unjustified

Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009, at 6:13 PM

Before it gets covered by someone who hates education and they spin it to make it look worse that it is, I thought I would cover the story that has recently come out of Portland, Maine between a teacher and his 4th grade class.

For weeks Paul Rosenblum had been begged by his students to participate in a mock wedding they wanted to do. He finally decided to get involved in the class's "play" when one of the female students proposed to him.

So the day of the "wedding" he wore a black graduation gown and a clown bow tie and the girl wore a white sheet over her clothing. At the conclusion of the "wedding" the teacher, rightly refused to kiss the bride, but instead grabbed her hand as the ran down the aisle with the bride.

This teacher is obviously adored by his students since they asked him to directly be involved in the wedding. But some parents, no doubt probably without a student in his class, saw something wrong with what happened and complained, prompting him to apologize for acting with his students.

There is nothing inherently bad about his actions, but unfortunately we live in a society today where there are groups of people that always want to find fault with everything. In this case, it is no different.

There is, unfortunately, a group of people out there today that think the education system is so bad that they honestly believe that children are being indoctrinated by their teachers. This crowd, the "know-it-alls", which I have discussed previously, are made up of people who know nothing more of what goes on in education except what they have heard second hand and often times third or forth hand, and they consider themselves experts because of that.

In this case, the "wedding" was during a recess, typically when teachers actually get a break from their job, and Mr. Rosenblum, took time from his day to get involved more with students outside of the classroom. He should be applauded. Unfortunately, he is being called a sicko and being forced to apologize for something that wasn't wrong to begin with.

Imagine had the kids asked him to be involved in a gay wedding. He probably would have been fired and deemed a pedophile

Correction: I unfortunately originally stated that this case was in Portland, Oregon. As CPB correctly pointed out, the story came out of Portland, Maine. I stand corrected and apologize for the error.

Comments
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I don't know what kind of indoctrination anyone would associate with this particular incident.

-- Posted by McCook1 on Thu, Jul 9, 2009, at 6:49 PM

Actually the story broke from Portland, Maine. The school in question if in Falmouth Maine. NOT Portland, Oregon. Searches from Google reveal no mentions of Mr. Rosenblum being called a "sicko". The stories did mention "several phone calls about it", as reported by the school.

-- Posted by Chunky Peanut Butter on Thu, Jul 9, 2009, at 7:48 PM

Maybe it is time to turn our schools into indoctrination centers... that way no more teachers will get in trouble for dumb stuff such as this....

It is time for the teacher to go to the classroom, talk in monotone until the bell rings then clock out and go home. No extra interactions, no extracurriculars, god forbid there is no football. It seems to me that this will be the only way to ensure a teacher making his students day doesn't get this crap circus thrown at him again.

know-it-alls doesn't sound like the correct term... maybe fun-suckers would be better mike.-

-- Posted by S&DC on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 8:30 AM

WHO NEEDS SOCIAL INTERACTION!!! afterall a kid who is taught to not have fun can be the next IRS audit specialist

-- Posted by S&DC on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 12:52 PM

Sceptre,

It was a recess, they should be having fun just being kids. So I assume they should get rid of playground equipment and anything else that even remotely resembles fun? It's no different than kids playing house and asking the teacher to play too. I can't believe you're so uptight that you're worried about a teacher pretending to be in a wedding with his students. It was done for fun. You remember fun, right?

-- Posted by McCook1 on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 2:39 PM

Now I think blowing this out of proportion is not a good idea, but I can understand why some parents could be concerned? SD and Guillermo do you not? So they look into and its nothing, fine, that doesn't mean it wasn't a bonehead thing for the teacher to do. I did just a little looking and saw no one making a big deal out of the issue, in fact the most attention I see it getting is here.

Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean there isn't someone out to get you.

-- Posted by SWNebr Transplant on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 2:57 PM

I agree in part with SWNebr. I think it's getting more attention here than anywhere else but I don't think it was "boneheaded" for a teacher to play along with the kids in this situation. Not anymore than it would be "boneheaded" for him to play catch with them or push their swings. Just because they're teachers doesn't mean they have to be monotonous. This is just something kids do and parents, teachers, babysitters, etc. join in because they enjoy interacting with kids. It was completely innocent and I can't even believe I have to defend this teacher, it's insane.

-- Posted by McCook1 on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 3:06 PM

Just a couple extra facts. It was done during the lunch recess and not a single complaint came from a parent whose kid was in this teacher's class. It was only 5 or 6 complaints and I'll bet these 5 or 6 are well known to the principal, teachers and school board since every school has a certain block of parents that think they can do a better job of running the school regardless of their lack of access to the facts.

-- Posted by McCook1 on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 3:19 PM

He also said, "what I saw as theater on the playground, a little girl's game of dress-up and make-believe, was something of much greater gravity and consequence,"

Translation: I never thought a handful of uppity and oversensitive people would complain about a teacher playing a game with his students. Nor did I believe I would be investigated for it.

Belle, I really don't expect much from you. After all, we have all seen you have a hard time distinguishing fantasy from reality as it is.

-- Posted by McCook1 on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 4:10 PM

Belle,

"I have never read a more moronic translation of anything in my life."

Consider the source: a teenage (allegedly) Taco Belle employee. Gee, how will I ever bear such criticism?

-- Posted by McCook1 on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 5:26 PM

Personally, I'm amazed the lengths people on these blogs will go just to fabricate an argument.

"Translation: I never thought a handful of uppity and oversensitive people would complain about a teacher playing a game with his students. Nor did I believe I would be investigated for it."

I'd imagine the uppity and oversensitive people of Lexington also had no reason for concern.

I'm not accusing the teacher of anything other than boneheadedness but parents sometimes have reason to be concerned.

-- Posted by SWNebr Transplant on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 7:20 PM

How do we know if perhaps the school in Falmouth, Maine was a highly liberal school? Perhaps the complaining parents were upset a gay wedding wasn't represented, or a man/boy wedding, or a man/animal wedding. Just a thought.

-- Posted by Chunky Peanut Butter on Fri, Jul 10, 2009, at 7:36 PM

careful MC1,

if you hurt the taco bell workers feelings they may sick that stupid little chihuahua on you.

As a coach you get all kinds of stupid stuff parents complain about. I actually had a complaint filed on me for sitting a kid who skipped games and practices. I know exactly how this teacher is feeling that he was just trying to make his students happy by joining in at their request and making their day and then some uppity bunch of fun-suckers have to try and ruin his reputation. I would honestly like to see what the comments are from the girls parents.

-- Posted by S&DC on Sat, Jul 11, 2009, at 9:23 AM

Also, i saw a reference to the lexington situation. I guess i fail to see the resemblence between the two. now i may be missing something and i will admit i am wrong if someone can show me the difference between playing a game with your students at recess and sleeping/running away to mexico with them.

-- Posted by S&DC on Sat, Jul 11, 2009, at 9:27 AM

Racism is alive and well in this world, and to say that it isn't, Sceptre, is turning a blind eye to the truth. Just because you don't want it to be true doesn't make it false.

What exactly do you think discrimination is? It is racism simply dressed up. And I'm sorry but calling someone a raghead simply because of what part of the world they are from IS racism, nothing less.

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Sat, Jul 11, 2009, at 9:18 PM

You are out of your mind if you are going to compare headwear that culture's wear to someone wearing a navy or cowboy hat.

But I wouldn't expect anything less out of you. You make racial comments, I call you on it, and you somehow twist my comments (you would be a king at diving) into a hating America line.

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Sat, Jul 11, 2009, at 9:41 PM

Just because you are protected by the first amendment sceptre, does not make your speech any less hateful, disgusting, or racist.

The Muslim people don't wear rags on their heads, but I bet you don't even know what they are actually called.

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Sun, Jul 12, 2009, at 3:39 PM

Ooh nice comeback. I'll go ahead and file that under snappy comebacks by a ten year old.

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Sun, Jul 12, 2009, at 11:12 PM

"Many of the illegal aliens...", do you have numbers or stats or facts on this statement or is it simply a guess or you feeling as to how it goes.

"That make-believe President..." has provided so much information on his past and his birth certificate if he were applying for a position in the job sector they would have told him to stop. He is an American and OUR president so show him a little respect.

"Now, go to hell...", so very Christian of you. I'm pretty sure (not actually I am 100% positive) that it mentions in the Bible a few times about loving thy fellow man.

I never once challenged your freedom of speech. Go back and check for yourself.

If you really want people to leave you alone, then why do you continue posting on the website.

If you open yourself to criticism through what you type you have to expect that those who don't agree with you are going to call you on it. I happen to believe your speech, no matter how it is protected, as hate speech bordering on racism, so I stated it.

You said in an earlier post that that the Amish and Mennonites are not defined by what they wear on their head, but would you be able to spot such a person if they didn't have their typical headwear on? The issue here is that you don't define someone as Muslim if they are wearing a turbine, you judge them, not only to be Muslim (though there are several religions that wear the turbine)but typically judge them to automatically a terrorist. You and many like you also believe that ALL Muslims are terrorists, even though facts show that a very small percentage even side with and act as terrorists.

I believe those that are terrorists should be brought to justice, but I'm not going to damn an entire race of people (not to mention culture) because of the terrorists.

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Mon, Jul 13, 2009, at 12:25 AM

What in the world was that called?

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Mon, Jul 13, 2009, at 4:09 PM

Nice gay stereotype though. I gotta ask, what in the world is yaller?

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Mon, Jul 13, 2009, at 5:14 PM