I believe there is a difference between the facilitation of a discussion critical of government without the published text books advocating hispanic separatism and the return of various portions of US owned land to Mexico.

And don't you suppose politicians already decide what is taught in school? There are standards to be met, core requirements, the Superintendent is an elected position, as are school boards.

This doesn't mean I oppose what you are saying - this is one reason my kids go private. I don't want the government deciding everything they are taught. However, it seems well within the rights of government if it is government paying the bill.

No scaeagles, the government is not paying the bill. They are deciding where the payment goes. You and I and 3 million other Americans are paying the bill.

I think you know what I meant.....I'm sure you don't take me for someone who just thinks the government gets money out of thin air.

The government, elected by the people, taking taxes from the people, typically decides how that money is spent. Some trickles to local control, but there are always strings attached.

I do not like the system, but it is what it is, and I opt out of sending my kids through it.

There's already been a road sign created for me.

Yes, decisions as to what is to be taught has to be made somewhere along the line by politicians. However I much prefer those decisions remain in the form of "This is the bare minimum curriculum we think our students should be receiving." As opposed to, "You shall not teach these facts."

Now, that rule becomes fuzzy when you start talking indoctrination and advocacy. Like Alex, my stance on this would depend entirely on what is actually being taught in those classes. If the class curriculum is nothing more than discussion of the existence and implications of separatist movements, and happens to be populated by students that happen to sympathetic to those movements, I would be firmly against any attempt to censor. If we're talking true advocacy (which, I'll be honest, I have a hard time believing), then it's a different story.

Ooh! I like that!:snap:

Sorry for my semantics, scaeagles, I couldn't resist the temptation. I get your point about school officials being elected ... but at least they are elected to supervise education. That way, theoretically at least, they can be judged on their performance in that area and can be voted out if they decide to start censoring the Russian Revolution because it might encourage antipathy towards Russians.

*looks on a map to see if there's a Klansville, AZ*

;)

I have a friend who has lived in AZ all his life. Politically he is just right of center. He just informed me that he is considering moving away from AZ as he feels the state government is getting too fascist and insane.

I'm not even sure what we're talking about when we're talking about separatism, since it's kind of impossible to do. I would bet that the books actually talk about standard immigrant issues: whether, how and how much to maintain your native culture while also adapting to life in a foreign country.