Here’s one answer on Andrew Tate (gift link):
“…for the first time in her 20 years of teaching, her 11- to 16-year-old students have challenged her for working and asked if she had her husband’s permission.”
This is why this stuff needs to be discussed in schools.
Or by giving it more attention that it deserves. A majority of high school students can’t name the 3 branches of government or the bill of rights. Maybe refocus the conversation from the celebrity to the basic.
I think I’ve likely taken this as far as I can without repeating myself. I’ll just say that I want my kids to be challenged at various points along their development path. I think it’s healthy for them and for all kids to be challenged and to discuss difficult topics, including sex, gender and so on. I do think there should be general guidelines and there will be some give and take as those get fleshed out. I understand that other people don’t want this… so there is debate and people vote differently to support those views.
Because you think the parents, students, or teachers are different in PA/FL?
The only difference I see is FL is turning it legal/illegal.
Are teachers not retiring in greater numbers in FL, or new teacher graduates not fewer in number? I don’t know - that’s not covered in our local news and I’m too lazy to try google for it.
Just so you know, I am all for kids having difficult conversations-one of mine led a social movement for gun control in a major city. She did not ask for or receive any school support, or expect classroom discussion of the topic, which is controversial here. She led a walkout as well and was prepared for any consequences. Some parents still objected, of course. Some teachers objected too ( though some were supportive). Conversations continue, regardless of whether they are part of the curriculum. She wasn’t particularly interested in the school or its personnel affirming her role.
Teachers are usually certified by the state. Presumably teachers certified in PA expect to teach in PA, where the Florida rules do not apply. Perhaps teachers are leaving the profession in PA for reasons other than the Florida law.
Yes you did. You just had conversations and reading that centered around heterosexuality. Imagine the same plot and themes of The Great Gatsby, but a character is gay.
So you’re in favor of ditching all personal effects on a teacher or their desk so a student will have no idea what they are like as a human? And teachers are not allowed to discuss anything with kids that isn’t in the curricula? We’re not allowed to share any of our thoughts, experiences, or beliefs?
We have a male teacher in our school that drives us females nuts with the views he shares in his classroom. He should actually move to FL TBH. Unfortunately, our school has kept him for years. Students complain, but it goes nowhere.
Personally, I like how our Government teacher handles controversial topics. Tons of discussion - her writing assignment, and more - and no one (teacher or student) knows how she votes because she refuses to tell anyone. Her goal is solely to get kids to understand the topics they’ll be encountering in their adult, future voter, years.
Because of the topics I deal with (math/science) I rarely delve into anything political even in discussions, but I don’t share with kids how I vote either. I will share with them how frustrated I am that the world is becoming so polarized (world, not just US).
I’ve already stated that it’s due to the parents wanting to be so controlling over what is being taught in their classrooms, but you might have missed it if you were skimming. 
One of the essay questions for the AICE curriculum is to examine the effect of celebrity culture (poorly paraphrased). There are many ways legitimate conversations, whole class or groups, on people and topics that are not initiated by the teacher.
You seem to want it both ways-you wish to be free to discuss your personal beliefs, etc, but angry when your male colleague does so in manner you find offensive. It is either correct for both of you or neither of you.
Actually, I gave his example to show you it works both ways. When students have complained to me about him (or other teachers on either side of topics), my thoughts to them are along the lines of:
“There are all sorts of people in the world just like there are all sorts of teachers, and later, professors or bosses, etc. It’s good to learn to get along with them and you don’t have to agree with them on anything or everything. You can see the examples you have in school/work to help you learn who you want or don’t want to be in your life.”
It’s quite a good discussion I have with kids actually. Many have given me positive feedback about it.
Oh, and the teacher and I are friends even if his views drive me nuts. We sometimes see each other outside of school, esp since he’s one of H’s regular clients.
A different teacher I was in for last week (subbing) has red political stickers hanging in his room. We’re friends too - and he discusses these controversial subjects without a problem in his stats classes when they come up in studies. There he’s teaching stats, similar to how things are taught about religion in history without teaching the kids to become Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Buddhist, or whatever. He’s also frustrated that (some) parents want certain studies excluded from content. Why? It’s part of the world these kids are going to graduate into.
Love that you are all friends. Really dislike the idea of a teacher posting political stickers around the classroom regardless of whether they are red or blue. It is a workplace, not your personal home, and it should be comfortable for all to attend, particularly since attendance is compulsory.
If you don’t like your boss’ politics, you can find a different boss. Those kids are stuck in that classroom regardless of how they feel, so it should be as least offensive as possible.
There was a dad involved.
The researchers believe that FD’s development started when an unfertilised egg self-activated and began to divide. A sperm cell then fertilised one of the cells, and the mixture of cells began to develop as a normal embryo.
I agree with you on that, but it’s the way things are here and I don’t lose sleep over it. Teachers with various faiths (or none) can have those items around too. Most keep them around their desk or personal space if they have them.
I don’t think students should know their teachers political viewpoints, but there’s some gray area. I have had gay students, and I currently have students who prefer pronouns and names other than assigned at birth. If I am ok with students being open about that and use the pronouns they prefer, is that me indicating political beliefs?
There’s nothing preventing students themselves discussing sexual orientation and gender identity topics on school grounds. A minor student’s free speech rights have been challenged many times at the US Supreme Court and it’s upheld every single time.
Wow. Such objects should be kept in a locker or desk drawer in my opinion, not openly displayed by a public school teacher
I called a student Blueberry once because he told me that’s what he wanted to be called when I asked them what name they wanted me to use. It was well before the latest stuff going on. I think he was being creative/funny, but it stuck.
I have no problem at all calling anyone by whatever name they prefer to use, student or adult.
I guess I might draw the line at some sort of swear word, but no one has asked for those. If they did I would likely counter by, “Has to be school appropriate.” Blueberry was the strangest. Often it’s some form of their given name. Occasionally it’s a nickname one could never guess. Blueberry became one of those whether it was his intent or not. (Had he asked for something else once he saw I was serious I’d have switched.)