Arizona lawmakers want to mandate that teachers can't curse in the classroom or influence how future voters make decisions at the polls.
But really, teachers and education leaders say, those policies are already in place.
"I don't know where the train left the track that's leading into more suspicions that's being written into policy that teachers are on the brink of unethical conduct. That's really ridiculous," said Andrew Morrill, president of the state's largest teachers union, the Arizona Education Association.
SB 1205 would penalize teachers who use language that violates the same standards set up for television and radio broadcasts by the Federal Communications Commission. The Senate Committee on Government Reform approved the measure Wednesday. After two warnings, according to the bill, a third incident would mandate a teacher's firing.
The same committee approved SB 1202 that says teachers can be fired and their schools lose funding if they promote "partisan doctrine" during lessons or use partisan books. The bill would apply to all public schools, district and charter.
In the case of both bills, the language is somewhat vague as to what constitutes profanity and what is considered "partisan doctrine," opponents say.
Mesa teacher Jill Benza said Friday that when she first heard about the "partisan doctrine" bill she thought, "How am I going to teach American government?" After reading through it again, she saw a problem.
"What is it they're wanting us to not do? We have district policy in Mesa about how we can't promote one party or candidate or one issue. I work really hard to make it balanced," she said.
Benza, a 12-year educator, instructs students in Advanced Placement government at Skyline High School. She is also coach of the school's We the People team, which studies Constitutional law.
Morrill echoed Benza's concerns, and then pointed out other issues with the bill.
Morrill taught English for 17 years. He said teachers want their students to have strong dialogues, form opinions, and participate in "complex conversations" about what they read.
"When you study English literature, political science, history, social studies, you're studying the human sciences if you will. Human beings operate in complex ways. When you want to demonstrate that - the recurring, deep, philosophical dilemmas man has always wrestled with in literature or great art - you walk down some hallways of real intense discussions," he said.
Morrill raised concern that when students do draft their own opinions, and the proponents of this bill disagree with those ideas, teachers will get into trouble.
"There really is not clarity of this law to make it at all helpful in the field. There are already state and district level guidelines for appropriate teacher conduct. That includes the way teachers interact with students. There's already a wide industry understanding across the classrooms of Arizona that you don't try to indoctrinate your students into a way of thinking," Morrill said.
But possible indoctrination was the reason behind the bill.
Sen. Lori Klein, R-Anthem, told Capitol Media Services that she has received complaints about "political indoctrination in the classroom." Klein is a sponsor of the bill.
Regarding profanity, that issue is, again, already in district policies, Morrill said.
Skyline principal Steve Green backed that up, saying Mesa Unified School District includes language in its teacher conduct policy about profanity.
"I think our teachers are doing a pretty good job. Are we perfect? No. But I think our teachers use good professionalism in their classrooms," he said. "Cursing would violate those policies and when that happens, we would address it as appropriate."
Green said that as a consumer outside the school, he knows profanity can happen in workplaces. But he noted: "I think teachers are different in that they're the role model. Unfortunately, cursing happens too much in society. I think it's appropriate we have that professional conduct clause."
Contact writer: (480) 898-6549 or mreese@evtrib.com
Rational Human posted at 7:29 am on Wed, Feb 22, 2012.
No concernedcitizen, we conservative republicans believe in capitalism and free enterprise. We see the current crop of educators as being socialist oriented and willing to teach this incorrect madness to our children. We don't want to be another failed Soviet Union. Just look at the racist garbage we had to get under control down in Tucson with their La Racist Studies program. They still spread their marxist racial hate privately to students willing to hear it though. We would like to fire these racist Marxists before they destroy the minds of the children in their control..
quietgardens posted at 6:30 am on Wed, Feb 22, 2012.
Don't lawmakers have better things to do with their time? Yes, there needs to be something done if teachers are cursing in class. But to have a 3 strikes and you are out rule, is ridiculous! It seems these days that people sit around and make up stupid rules, waste taxpayers money and think of small ways to get ride of teachers.
How about spend that time more wisely like, "How can we find ways to fund more things in the classroom like textbooks, paper, writing implements and such?" so teachers don't have to use the measly $300 allowance/year they are given, or money out of their own pocketbook?
azblacklab99 posted at 7:43 am on Tue, Feb 21, 2012.
The policy makers are trying to protect themselves from a lawsuit. We need fewer lawyers and more open discussion about our school policies. GPS has a couple of deadbeat board members who drag down the whole process. Why would a board member send all his 11 kids to charter school if he honestly wants to help the public school district. What is his agenda?
samkat posted at 5:58 pm on Mon, Feb 20, 2012.
god: Sadly, the religious right zealots want to impose their personal convictions on everyone else. If you want to live your life in a vacuum, feel free to do so but quit trying the act like the Taliban and attempting to impose your brand of morality on everybody else. I suspect christains curse just as much as anyone else.
Now, the day our legislators impose restrictions on legalized bribe taking (aka political contributions) then and only then, I will believe they have our best interests at heart.
concernedcitizen posted at 12:22 pm on Mon, Feb 20, 2012.
In_God_We_Trust: Please explain, when you ask for teachers to teach what is true and factual, how you can be so hypocritical as to label everyone that has commented before you as a socialist puppet and that teachers are leftist/socialist? Where are your "facts?" I'm glad you are not teaching my child!
I'm a conservative Republican, about as conservative as they come. I thought conservatives were about less government, not more? Or is the GOP now afraid they will lose their power if they don't add these little laws that punish the few but only micro-manage and create less honesty, integrity, creativity and motivation rather than more?
None of my students know which political party I am from, most do not know my religion and those that do only by happen-stance, and anytime an election or something else political is happening, I ask about their opinions without sharing my own. Most teachers I know do the same, so I'm still confused as to the "facts" you haven't shown.
In_God_We_Trust posted at 9:24 am on Mon, Feb 20, 2012.
All the usual socialist puppets above pay homage to their leftist/socialist infiltrated teachers that want to mold America's youth into more democratic/socialist zombies. All we want is for teachers to teach what is true and factually provable and not their own idiotic political views.
concernedcitizen posted at 7:04 am on Mon, Feb 20, 2012.
I agree with what everyone has said, and as a teacher it is heartwarming to see that so many people "get it."
Why is it that Republican/conservative lawmakers, who supposedly are for less government, are drafting all these foolish bills aimed at teachers? Why are they trying to micromanage education? I suppose it is because they are worried that the general public will actually get a quality education and then see right through their smoke screens that they throw up and they will be voted out of office.
The biggest question I have that has already been stated is, why haven't these legislators who are producing bills on education stepping into the classroom and doing more research before crafting laws that are a waste of time? Teachers and administrators have enough laws and rules they have to follow in the classroom, all the while feeling the keen sense of accountability already from parents and the general public. Let's see some of our lawmakers come into our classrooms and even do HALF the job we do as teachers! THAT would be a reality show I would watch!
DaddyPaul posted at 12:48 am on Mon, Feb 20, 2012.
Government . . . we already have things in place. We need accountability for THOSE pieces. And don't forget the constitution. It is important. It guarantees certain rights, and while a person's freedom of speech and verbal professional conduct may clash, I really don't think that every coach will be fired that swears at a player because they bring in too much revenue.
Political indoctrination? That means "Teachers, keep your opinions to yourselves.' I am not interested in a senator from Anthem dictating to the state that teachers should be fired for any reason. Spend some time in the classroom, Senator Klein. Hold those SPECIFIC violators accountable. Don't draft legislation to bully everybody. Use the tools already in place.
LinMesa posted at 11:37 pm on Sun, Feb 19, 2012.
Don't you know that the legislators are just jealous of the teachers and trying to prove who's boss because even they know that teachers are much, much more intelligent than the legislators?
Padre10 posted at 5:46 pm on Sun, Feb 19, 2012.
Really!? Do lawmakers in our state have nothing else to do? It really angers me that these so called "legislators" who pretend to have the better interest of the public at heart especially when making key decisions concerning education, have never stepped foot in the classroom! I would love to know how many of them have actually spent time in the classroom as teachers, or have spoken directly to teachers and administrators when doling out education bills. Honestly, based on their tireless punishment of the education system, they seem to think that teachers are lazy, unprofessional, and ungrateful. Being a teacher and coach I take great offense to SB 1202 and SB 1205. I have been a social studies teacher for 17 years and I can honestly say that I have NEVER cursed in the classroom, as I feel that it is clearly unprofessional and it sets a bad example for students to follow. If I expect the same out of my students then I should set the tone.
Tookie88 posted at 12:49 pm on Sun, Feb 19, 2012.
Is there such an issue in these two areas that there has to be a law? If the FCC wants to hold teachers accountable for their language, why not hold the students accountable too? It is the students who have the "language" problems...Nothing like hearing a Kindergartener curse like a sailor.
As for political issues, no one should be teaching a specific political view, except the parents. A teacher's job is to teach tolerance and to show all sides of an issue. I am appalled that college professors are not held to the same accord - talk about a liberal slanted group of people!
evresident posted at 12:20 pm on Sun, Feb 19, 2012.
Teachers already get blamed for anything and everything that happens in and out of school. Here's an example from a school that's located in Mesa, but part of Gilbert Public Schools. A National Board Certified Teacher stood up to bullying in her third grade classroom. The principal caved in to the bully's parents' demands that their child must be accommodated rather than held accountable. Parents of the victims of bullying never knew what happened to their children, but the principal and district administrators can say there's no bullying problem in that school! Surely Andrew Morrill, president of the the Arizona Education Association knows that the president of the Gilbert Education Association betrayed this AEA member by telling a GPS board member she is a "great teacher, just not suitable for the Gilbert environment."
Between lawmakers' new bills and advocacy like this by teachers' associations, who in the world will be considered "suitable" for teaching in Arizona schools?
bfera posted at 10:01 am on Sun, Feb 19, 2012.
The dynamic sure is interesting considering just two weeks ago the big to-do in the legislature on a similar topic was that college professors can't be held back or discriminated against because of their political beliefs.Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Remember you can interact with us more at http://www.facebook.com/EVTnow or http://www.twitter.com/EVTrib !
Edited by staff.
JMJ posted at 8:48 am on Sun, Feb 19, 2012.
Jill, I agree with you.
What is making me laugh SO HARD is who is telling us about "professional conduct".
Really? Is the pot calling the kettle black?
MPS, couldn't you find someone else to tell the rest of the public about "professional conduct"? Or, was this a litmus test to see if the memories of those of us who have worked and do work within MPS are so short that we'd forget and the "coast is clear", now?
LOL. MPS. Land of "professional conduct". What a joke.