Thursday, September 05, 2013

Abortion

After classes were out today, we teachers went to our every-Thursday-afternoon meetings.  In the math department we started reorganizing our Algebra 1 program to comport with Common Core standards, even though we aren't sure if we should be following the national Common Core standards (which are difficult enough) or the impossible-to-meet California version of the Common Core standards (which are the national CC standards, plus the topics that are in California's old standards but not in the national Common Core standards).  There are some real problems to consider here, including CSU/UC admissions requirements as well as which version of the standards our kids will be tested on.

You might imagine that was an interesting discussion.

Being a wonderful person, I took minutes of our meeting today.  After the meeting I went back to my computer to type up the minutes and mail them out to our department--but then I saw an email from someone whose name I didn't recognize.  I clicked on it.

The email was addressed to all teachers and was from a freshman student stating she wanted to start a new club on campus.  She's looking for a teacher to sponsor the club (a requirement for on-campus clubs). 

It's a pro-life club.  So far, so good.

Then, to inform those who might not be aware, the email provided some information about abortion as well as some links to sites we might find useful in learning about abortion and the pro-life movement.  She hoped we "found out some things you didn't know about abortion".

I doubt it's any surprise to my regular readers that I'm a pro-life kinda guy, but reading the email reminded me of an earlier encounter I had with a freshman on a crusade.

I'm not going to take her up on her offer of faculty sponsor. 

5 comments:

maxutils said...

Pro life 'club'? regardless of your position on the issue, doesn't club status trivialize it? And what would they do?

Anonymous said...

How come you won't be the club's sponsor?

Darren said...

Simply because I don't see an upside, or even a neutralside, for me.

Anonymous said...

So you agree with the club's message but don't want to sponsor it?

Darren said...

I don't know the club's message, only the club's overarching theme. If the content of the student's email was any indication of the club's message, then no, I don't agree with the club's message.