Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces bill to ban teachers from discussing politics or government in clas

[highplainsdem]

Source: The Hill

Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces bill to ban teachers from discussing politics or government in classrooms

A Pennsylvania state lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban public school teachers from discussing politics or government in their classrooms.

Will Tallman (R-Adams County), in one of his final moves in the Pennsylvania state House, introduced the “Teacher Code of Ethics” last week, according to The Morning Call.

According to a memo Tallman sent to his House colleagues, the bill would bar teachers from endorsing or opposing political candidates or issues while in the classroom, and would also prohibit them from discussing any legislation, court cases or executive orders at any level of government.

-snip-

Tallman told The Morning Call that he has received up to a “dozen” complaints about teachers getting political in the classroom. He also claimed that four other states have instituted similar bans, but was not able to name them. He is a former school board member and has served in the Legislature since 2008. He is not seeking re-election this fall.

-snip-

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/407415-pennsylvania-lawmaker-introduces-bill-to-ban-teachers-from-discussing

[Va Lefty]

1. I weep for the future

[Chickensoup]

8. Do not weep for the future, we will fight for it.

[MBS]

17. + 1 million.

[pazzyanne]

20. You got that right!!!

[Guilded Lilly]

26. RESIST REFUSE REVOLT!!!

[dlk]

2. That Darn First Amendment...

[ProudMNDemocrat]

3. Then what about High School Civics Classes? Or is that no longer taught?

How stupid. This is Current Events. High school seniors are voting this Fall of they are already 18.

[Javaman]

12. or history?

can't talk about that pesky U.S. Constitution anymore.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

36. Or fact-based logical thinking.

[rsdsharp]

29. When I took that class as a senior in 1971-72

in my northeastern Iowa high school, it was actually called "Government."

[onlyadream]

38. My kids are recent HS grads

And here they also call it government. My son knows more than I do!

[crazycatlady]

45. 1997-1998 metro NYC area

I took a class called 'government' as well.

Board of Elections came to the class one day. They brought in a voting machine and held a mock election (between cartoon characters) to show us how they worked. Then they registered anyone who's 18th birthday fell before a certain date (I can't remember what, my March birthday qualified so I registered).

[paleotn]

47. Sounds like the Civics class field trip we took

Nashville TN. Early 80’s.

[Chickensoup]

4. What the hell is going on?

Where are all those insane republicans
coming from?

[Ruby the Liberal]

37. One can only hope that they know their time is about up

and so reaching for all the brass rings they can while they can.

[Chipper Chat]

5. Does he know what the word "school" means?

That applies to both the noun and the verb.

[noneof_theabove]

31. Yes they do know....

...can't remember the exact town that Dumpster stumped at a while back but the first 3 rows behind him were under 15.

THAT IS WHAT HITLER DID ! ! !

VOTE THEM ALL OUT 2018 ! ! !

[Girard442]

6. Sounds like a club to wield against those pesky libruls.

Having speakers in to promote, say, pro-life issues or abstinence education -- nuthin' poliical there, nosiree Bob.

[cyclonefence]

7. I agree that teachers shouldn't endorse candidates in the classroom,

but not discuss the issues? Not teach students how to fact-check, to question? What exactly does 'getting political' mean? I have a feeling those parents might have been complaining about teaching of the constitution or how congress is supposed to work. In any event, I call bullshit on this bill.

When I was in high school, btw, all my teachers were RW republicans who did not hesitate to express their opinions about candidates. Didn't hurt me.

[keithbvadu2]

43. Whether the teacher is for or against a particular party or issue, some parent will complain.

Whether the teacher is for or against a particular party or issue, some parent will complain.

The teacher encouraging fact checking is a great idea.

Bigly great!

[Frustratedlady]

9. Don't forget the churches.

I didn't even have to check his party affiliation. They are persistent about dumbing down America.

How about the mock elections most schools have before a real election? They can't discuss, debate and vote? I suppose that means our next presidential election in 2020 will be attended by a bunch of 18-year olds who don't have a clue, so they either don't vote, mess up their vote or choose R or D?

Republicans are so afraid the sheeple aren't following them. Well, doh!

[Maggiemayhem]

42. My first grade niece was the only one in her class that voted for Clinton

Yes they have mock elections in grade school. and AP government.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Here is the good thing though - from the OP article

He is a former school board member and has served in the Legislature since 2008. He is not seeking re-election this fall.

Legal experts told The Morning Call that the proposed bill is highly unlikely to become law, criticizing it as an unconstitutional violation of free speech. The blanket would also likely raise issues for teachers of social studies or government classes.

So this is basically his Hail Mary parting shot, throwing this out into the void.

Good riddance.

[malthaussen]

11. Agree. Adams County is deep in the heart of the "tucky" part...

... of Pennsyltucky. Notable for the county seat, a little place called Gettysburg.
Throwing some meat to his constituents, maybe hoping to influence his replacement or the school board.

-- Mal

[BumRushDaShow]

15. "Notable for the county seat, a little place called Gettysburg"

where they want to put a mini gambling casino...

(of course the owner of that mini license is Parx over here in the Philly area )

[malthaussen]

16. Good idea!

Who wants to look at dumb monuments anyway?

I remember looking up at Little Round Top from the Confederate start line and saying "damn."

-- Mal

[BumRushDaShow]

18. My BIL is a big history buff and loves driving over there.

The closest I've been was doing some weekend tent camping near Carlisle about 25 years ago.

[malthaussen]

19. Typical, ain't it?

People who live near tourist attractions rarely visit them.

Hey, I lived in the Philly 'burbs for over 50 years and never ate at Pat's or Geno's once. Why stand in line for half an hour when you can get better steaks by walking a block in just about any direction in South Philly?

-- Mal

[BumRushDaShow]

34. Born and raised here in Philly (literally in the city)

(56 almost 57 years) and only went to Pat's once - mainly because it's like 15 miles from me and trying to park around there is a nightmare. I get my cheesesteaks at a local pizza place a block away! At least as kids, we did do the historic sites downtown (Independence Hall/Liberty Bell, Mint, Betsy Ross House, etc) but the last time was like 45 years ago taking my out-of-state-living cousins there.

[kwassa]

46. And I thought it was Pennsylbama.

My great-grandfather fought in the Union army at Gettysburg.

[malthaussen]

48. So did a couple of my ancestors...

... not sure how many "greats."

Do you know what regiment he was with? (serious Civil War junkie here).

-- Mal

[kwassa]

52. First Maine Cavalry

detailed as a courier to the Pennsylvania Bucktails under Col. Roy Stone, who fought a retreating action the first day of the battle to delay the confederate advance, which allowed the union to take the higher ground. My ancestor was supposed to be the last man sitting on a horse.

Very heavy casualties.

the cool story is that my great-grandfather came back to the fiftieth reunion of the battle of Gettysburg in 1913. Where he promptly died.

[malthaussen]

53. Cool, indeed. n/t

[MyOwnPeace]

24. What bothers me.........

is that this person was formerly on a school board. Imagine, someone like this having the power to drive a local school district. It happens all of the time here in PA. "Coach won't play your kid? I'm running for school board to get him fired!" "My kid has too much homework - no time for soccer practice 5 nights a week. I'm running for school board to "git rid" of homework!"

And then we like him so much that we put him into running the state.

What a way to run a government...............

[BumRushDaShow]

35. "What bothers me......... is that this person was formerly on a school board"

At least they (and you) HAD a School Board! We literally just got ours back this summer here in Philly after 17 years without one (the state had unilaterally replaced it with an idiotic "School Reform Commission" in 2001, whose sole job was handling the finances - and that often meant nothing for actual public education).

As you know, the school funding formula here in PA is basically non-existent and ridiculously unfair. And the SRC-appointed School Superintendent learned quick, fast, and in a hurry that his lie about the state of air-conditioning in the city schools was not dire - i.e., there was not "60%" with air-conditioning but only 27% with some type of HVAC and/or fans. So it ended up that the first 2 weeks of school, the kids had to be let out for 1/2 day at least 5 days due to a heatwave. All these school buildings here built in the 1920s & 1930s (some earlier) do NOT have any air-conditioning

Sorry for the -->

[MyOwnPeace]

41. Need not be sorry!

That nonsense happens everywhere.
In my school (elementary) we had worn carpet that was "fixed" by putting metal strips over the seams so kids wouldn't trip.
Oh, but we DID have money to buy a new "Astro-turf" carpet for the stadium - for a team that hasn't won 2 games a year in 10 years!

I met with a board member and told him I had an idea for how to pay for new carpet in our schools:

"Sell the "astro-turf" from the 20-yard line to the goal at each end since our team doesn't use it anyhow."

He didn't particularly like that idea (oh, by the way, he was one of those "1-issue" board members - he wanted to promote athletics!).

[BumRushDaShow]

44. "Sell the "astro-turf" from the 20-yard line to the goal at each end since our team doesn't use it"

Perfect.

[FiveGoodMen]

13. "But you can tell them all about the god we made up. In fact, we insist!"

[erronis]

21. +1000. Or how George Washington and Jefferson Davis were supermen.

I'd add the football teams around Gettyburg/MidAtlantic but I really can't care about that type of hero worship.

[Jim__]

14. And no more of that readin' 'ritin and 'ritmetic stuff either.

Freedom!

[MyOwnPeace]

25. Oops!

Spelled it wrong, Jim.

Fixed it for you!

FREEDUMB!!!!

[getagrip_already]

22. Is the bill getting support?

Or is this one of the paper dragons pols will occasionally introduce to satisfy their base?

[rurallib]

23. Next: Physics without using that biased science

Take it from Jesus says Pennsylvania Republican.

do I need this thingy?

[riversedge]

27. Our so-called adult leaders are also deep into the stinking #trumpswamp!

[Guilded Lilly]

28. The "Keep them stupid" Republican mantra must be SQUASHED.

[redstatebluegirl]

30. That pesky first amendment.

My husband is a college professor in a really red state. We will leave if this happens here. We have been looking to leave and go to a more progressive state for a while. guess what red state, his NIH/NSF money goes with him.

[DeminPennswoods]

32. We had mock conventions and mock elections

in junior high. I also took a current events class in high school. I can remember us discussing the Kent State shootings in high school English class!

I was also shocked not to see Darryl Metcalfe's name as the originator of this bill.

[Judi Lynn]

33. How could any adult be this stupid? Teachers are not supposed to be in touch with the world?

How does that work, anyway?

Will they all teach woodshop, or sewing, or gym, Tallman?

[YOHABLO]

40. Where have you been? They don't teach woodshop and sewing anymore, they hardly teach art.

[YOHABLO]

39. Now everyone knows this is good food for fodder, but really? Ain't gonna happen.

You can't have public education and not talk about government. It's intrinsic to our Constitutional Democracy.

[irisblue]

49. And I invited a republican rep to my civics & American government class in HS

Marv Esch, Mich 2nd. I called his office, his people said yes, my teacher said yes. It was on. I don't recall if I knew he was a republican or not.

[geretogo]

50. The next law will be any one caught thinking in class will have a blue star pinned to their chest

and spend 6 months in an internment camp .

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

51. I'm reminded of something I've seen once or twice on FB

asking you to agree that only English should be spoken in our public schools. I always point out that will make the teaching of foreign languages just a bit tricky.

[lindysalsagal]

54. Chinese revolution and east germany rounded up teachers

Scientists, authors, educated inellectuals. Fascists fear thinking.