School Field trip, right or wrong?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-20-2008
School Field trip, right or wrong?
5
Mon, 10-13-2008 - 7:55pm

Just curious as to what your thoughts are on this, no matter what side you are on in this debate. What makes this right and ok? What makes this wrong if you disagree with it? How does this field trip relate to NCLB and the learning that is involved with it? Is it appropriate for 1st graders? What would the impact have been on your opinion if this happened in a different area of the country? How wrong or right would it have been then? If you are against it, would you have been for a field trip that involved a straight marriage? If you are for it, would you have been ok with your kids going to their teachers opposite sex wedding for a field trip? Other sides of the story we don't see: how many children of that class actually attended? How many stayed behind? How many of those that went are from homes with same sex relationships? If your child was involved and you were not in a same sex relationship, would you have found it against your beliefs (even if you were ok with same sex relationships) for the schools to be teaching something that is a moral principle (marriage in general)?


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 10-13-2008 - 8:07pm

I read in the World Net Daily (not a credible source I know) that this field trip was planned by a parent to "suprise" the couple.

I think it is inappropriate to "crash" a wedding weather the couple is gay or straight. Such events are typically by invitation only, and to suprise a couple by bussing in a classroom full of students as part of a "teachable moment" is inappropriate IMHO.

Whatever the school rules are for teachers and students socializing, I think the rules should apply without regard for the teachers or students sexual orientation.

If teachers aren't to invite students to personal social events, than no exception should be made for a gay couple. If teachers ARE allowed to invite students to attend personal social events, then it should not be banned for gay teachers. If teachers may only invite students to personal social events OUTSIDE of school hours, than that should stand.

There is too much I don't know about to really say if I thought this was right or wrong. Was this done without consulting the couple ? What is school policy regarding student/teacher social interaction. Was the person who planned this "surprise" doing so with malevolent or benevolent intent ? For all we know, this might have been a ploy by someone to "out" a teacher who wanted to keep her special day to herself, and not have it turned into a historic field trip. Or this may have been done with the teacher's blessings.

Before I can offer an opinion on this, I need to know more. Just knowing that this was a same sex union, doesn't give me enough info to form an opinion.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-12-2008
Mon, 10-13-2008 - 8:16pm

Wow you are asking a lot of questions! I will try to answer some of them. First off, I am a democrat and a liberal. I support same sex marriage because I don't see it as a threat to marriage or family and I don't believe homosexuals are sinners. Please don't attempt to slam me on this - I accept and respect that others have different views and I would appreciate the same respect.

What makes this right and ok? If it was a public school then probably nothing. If it was a private school and the school approved and the parents gave permission then both of those things make it ok.

What makes this wrong if you disagree with it? I don't have enough information to agree or disagree at this point.

How does this field trip relate to NCLB and the learning that is involved with it? I don't think it relates to NCLB, but private schools don't have to follow NCLB so if it is a private school that part is a moot point.

Is it appropriate for 1st graders? Again, given that parents would have to have given permission it would be a parental decision. I remember going to a teachers wedding as a first or second grader - it was a big deal to me and I wouldn't have wanted to miss it for the world but I don't think it should be a field trip. Again though, since I wasn't one of the parents it is not my call.

What would the impact have been on your opinion if this happened in a different area of the country? I don't think it would happen in a different part of the country. But yes if someone tried to do this in another part of the country it probably wouldn't fly.

If you are against it, would you have been for a field trip that involved a straight marriage? If you are for it, would you have been ok with your kids going to their teachers opposite sex wedding for a field trip? I would not be against my child attending a same sex marriage of one of their teachers, but then I had a cousin who was gay, he died many years ago in the early days of the AIDS epidemic. I do not think a school field trip is the most appropriate way to handle it, I would prefer a weekend.

I don't know about the rest of your questions, I don't find it a moral debate, many issues come up in the classroom that have to be addressed. As students enter middle school and high school it becomes apparent that some are gay and that usually involves a conversation at some point. I remember when my youngest was in kindergarten I was a Daisy Girl Scout leader for her troop, on of the girls in the troop had two mothers - her mother and her significant other were lesbians. They were very nice but it was a first for some of the families, after the initial difficulty people relaxed and found out that they were very nice people. So I guess I am ok with it. Still, not sure if a school field trip was the way to go, but I assume the parents gave permission so they must have been ok with it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2008
Mon, 10-13-2008 - 8:18pm

Conservatives love the idea of local control unless it goes against something ELSE they believe.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2007
Mon, 10-13-2008 - 8:21pm

So much for charter schools - lol!

Sopal

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-25-2008
Mon, 10-13-2008 - 9:12pm

funny