Hello my friends
First, Thank you so much for all the hugs and good wishes. This has been a huge shock to me and you. It will take us supporting each other to get through the mess.
How about a quick lesson in civics? And censorship? And tyranny?
Have you noticed that the student email system DODDSE.net is down? That happened yesterday, not long after the school administration shut down access to my web site on all school computers. Why would they do that? Remember the lesson in the library two weeks ago when the DODDSE.net system was introduced? The logic was that the system provided a safe way for all students and staff to communicate. By taking the system away in what clearly seems to be an effort to silence the voices of the students, the administration has ironically redirected student to student communication back to the more familiar forums of MySpace and other unmonitored, unfiltered chatrooms.
Several students have told me that protests are "allowed" but that they have been told not to do anything right now -- whatever that means. Strategically speaking, that advice mixed with the suggestion that students protests are OK is a way of taking away your anger over my rather unfair firing. The idea is that, with Christmas break just 10 days away and then another 2 weeks before you are back in school, I will have faded quietly from your reality and your memories. The administration is trying to redirect you -- like a bad stage magician they are waving their right hand in your face while slipping a quarter out of their pocket with their left hand -- and hoping you won't notice and will somehow be amazed with their magical powers. I have also been told that one or two students are being called into the office and told by the staff there that any "protest" efforts will only get me in more trouble -- that is an attempt to intimidate you into silence -- part of the rule by tyranny. What possible trouble can you get me into? They have already fired me!
Please, please don't let them take away your voices. Insist on your right to answers from them. Print off my performance evaluations and the termination letter and demand Mr. Sennett and Mr. Werner explain how I can be evaluated as meeting standards and congratulated on getting things done for nearly two years and then be such a bad teacher that there is no reason to counsel me to better my performance -- no visits to my classroom to see what happens there, no interest in the curriculum I develop, never visited my web site until after they fired me and decided to block access to it.... It's crazy! If you are singled out by the administration and told to be quiet please let your parents know. School is not a place where people gather to have their freedom of speech taken from them. I am confident your parents do not want Mr. Sennett and Mr. Werner telling you what and how to think!
Today, no doubt under the excuse that student education is being disrupted by my presence on campus, I was placed on administrative leave. Mr. Sennett emailed me this morning and demanded I turn in my keys to my classroom immediately. Do I now represent a threat to the safety and wellbeing of the students? Those in my classes know and have heard me say countless times that I am an avowed pacifist. Violence, vandalism, and anti-social or criminal behavior are despicable to me.
A couple of other events have come to my attention. Callers to Mr. Thompson's office are being told to take their concerns directly to Mr. Sennett and Mr. Werner -- that Mr. Thompson cannot "undo" the decision. That is not accurate. It is much easier and more pleasant for Mr. Thompson to avoid dealing with the mess the administration has made, but indeed, he is the only one who can reverse the injustice Mr. Sennett and Mr. Werner have done to me. Please, don't let him redirect you into an endless circle of people who all claim they cannot talk about the situation and are unable to take any action. It's just not true.
Lastly, please help me spread the word about what has happened as widely as possible. There is a reporter from the Stars and Stripes who may be starting to cover this story. Please email and call him with your experiences as a student in my class. His name is: Seth Robson. His email is: robsons@estripes.osd.mil Mr. Sennett sent out a message to all staff today to be on the lookout for a Stars and Stripes reported possibly being on campus. He directed staff to direct the reporter to himself or Mr. Werner immediately. This is called "spinning" in the world of censoring information. Instead of allowing the reporter to speak freely with the students impacted by my sudden termination, Mr. Sennett hopes to be able to control the information that comes out of the school and only allow the "offical" message to be publicized. I know I will be criticized for "getting the students into this..." but when a person is in real need there is little option but to hope that others will take a risk, put themselves out there just a little bit, and together make the world an easier place to live in. Where is the crime in that?
