So, I’m  little late on this, but I think my window on timeliness is still there.

Anyway, back in the middle of October, a first-grade class was taken to see its female teacher marry a woman.  This was a school-sponsored trip that the principal defended:

“It really is what we call a teachable moment,” Jaroflow said, noting the historic significance of same-sex marriage and related civil rights issues. “I think I’m well within the parameters.”

If you want more of the back story on this, the link to the San Francisco Chronicle story is above, and here’s a segment from Kelly’s Court on Fox News:

Considering that I don’t have kids, nor do I know much of anything about teaching, I emailed a friend that’s a teacher at a local Elementary School (I want to say she teaches 1st grade, but I’m not 100% sure on that).  Here a little snippet of what she had to say:

The purpose is not informative.  Teaching the concept of “different” families isn’t the same as joining in celebration with one.  This would have caused conflicted feelings in kids who are taught different values at home, because the bride(s) is someone they are in relationship with and her personal feelings are being demonstrated right in front of them.  That is NOT objective teaching.  And…right in the middle of the “political battle” for same sex marriage??

Now, I’ll be up front and say that I believe marriage should be between a man and woman, and that homosexuality is a sin.  HOWEVER, I also feel that what happens between two consenting adults is none of my business, and that all sin is equal in the eyes of God.  If you don’t mind, I’m going to deal with the plank in my own eye before I pick some pet sin to rally against. It’s not my place to hate anyone for their lifestyle (well, unless it’s something really bad).

Rallying against homosexuality ain’t my thing, but rallying against a school indoctrinating students is.  It is up to the school system to educate kids, but it is up to the parents to teach them values. Like my friend mentioned, Prop 8, a measure to ban gay marriage in California, was on the table at the time (it passed, in case you’re wondering).  I’d be curious to know the principal’s stance on that.  Let’s face it, you send kids to a teacher’s wedding where they see this person they really like so happy, then mama votes yes on Prop 8 and has to explain why they don’t want Ms. so-and-so to be happy.  What parent want to deal with that?  Also, how do you tell your kid they aren’t allowed to go on a field trip with everyone else? Heck, field trips are the best part of school! Another question:  when my previously-mentioned friend eventually gets married, I have no doubt she’ll have a ceremony that features a boat-load of Christianity.  What would happen if her class took a field trip to watch it?

Schools can get away with stuff like this because there are a lot of parents out there that have left the raising of their kids up to public schools.  Schools should teach, not indoctrinate children on how to view certain controversial issues.  Parent’s should influence their child’s worldview, not leave it up to a teacher (that person is a teacher, not a nanny).  If you’re going to be a parent, then you need to take all of the responsibility that goes with it.