Brainwashed at School?! This Is Nuts!

First don't you think calling this brainwashing is a bit dramatic?

What parents can do is educate their kids on critical thinking. Too many kids are raised to believe what they read and hear and not question it.

Good teachers play the devils advocate. When I taught, I would make such arguments. It gets kids thinking.

In the social sciences, there is a great thread of debate between Hobbes and Rousseau on this very issue. Hobbes was the greedy, capitalist, while Rousseau the people are good communist.

This isn't brainwashing, it's being introduced to the great debates of all of time. This is what education should be about.

Maybe she was trying to get the kids to start a discussion, think for themselves. Maybe she was trying to get them to understand the privilege that we have in this country (not many teens see it that way).

I would contact the teacher and see if she truly does feel that way, or if it was just her way of introducing a topic. It's a Humanities class. They are going to discuss all types of social situations - democracy, communism, dictatorship, 'the crown' (can't think what England's situation is called), etc. That is the point of the class. To learn about what is what so that you can understand the good and bad or bad and worse points of each.

Whatever you do, do NOT send your child to college. If he goes to college, he will hear ideas that contradict your own. Those ideas will come from fellow students, charismatic teachers, and ordinary townspeople. Danger lurks in those classrooms.

And never...I repeat never...go to San Francisco.

Better to keep him close to home. After all, if you are worried about your son being exposed to communism, you need to censor the material he is introduced to.

Tee hee hee.
;-)

Okay, the teacher was presenting ideas with which you personally disagree. That doesn't make it brainwashing, that makes it education.

Rather than try to shut your son's education down, I recommend getting some more education yourself. I am not an advocate of communism, but nor am I an advocate of unfettered libertarian capitalism. I am an advocate of critical thinking, the study of history, and the application of complex logical reasoning. It seems like what you're bringing to the discussion is Cold-War-era propaganda rather than critical reasoning skills.

Before you shut your son's education down, why don't you try educating yourself in areas such as comparative political history, political economics, and sociology?

Ooof...

As a teacher of AP Social Studies, we are required to teach about all of the "ism's": communism, capitalism, humanism, rationalism, stoicism, socialism.... and so on.

Each time we begin a class discussion I feel like I constantly have to say "Please don't go home and tell your parents that I said that Legalism (or communism, or socialism) is the perfect form of society." And each year, some student does not heed that advice and goes home and tells mom and or dad that I taught all about how I think the US should be a communist nation.

It is part of the curriculum. When we discuss those topics in class, we discuss them in areas where it has worked. We use them for examples. If your daughters teacher is a typical humanities or social studies teacher, she is doing her job by creating an understanding of these ism's and how they have worked, including their limitations.

Just my 2 cents.

What a great teacher that she had your son coming home and telling you about a discussion in school that he was interested in. She's doing something right. You should be happy that he came home at 15 years old and told you about his day and what they discussed. You now have the chance to discuss it with him from your point of view. That's where the fun comes in when you have teenagers, they can actually discuss things with thought. Also, you really have no idea if what the teacher actually said is what your son heard. Possibly get more information before going off the deep end.

I think the teacher was probably speaking about the IDEAL of communism. In my opinion, the IDEAL of communism WOULD be best for all. However, it's never worked in theory. If it's a Humanities class, you need to understand the larger picture she's trying to portray instead of getting all high and mighty on her. You weren't there, and I'm fairly positive she wasn't saying Communist North Korea has it better than us.

***And I didn't say I knew for sure...I said probably. And I am PROBABLY right. I really doubt you've got a red amongst your midst, trying to brainwash your child. Really?

Again, I'll reiterate that the IDEAL of communism is good. And it is good for our children to learn about ideals, because in this world, they will almost certainly never get a chance to live them. I think it's a good thing to learn about the ideal of communism, and at the same time, in their History classes, they are learning about the failure of communism as a practice. It's a well balanced curriculum on that front.

ADD: I understand how some people are freaked by this, but do not confuse the FORM of government with the DICTATORS that imposed it. Extremism of ANYTHING is dangerous.

ORIGINAL: WOAH Nelly - this discussion happens in every class. I am 45 years old and this exact discussion happened in school 30 years ago.

The goal is to get kids to THINK. It's a study of governments, and every idealistic teen things for a short time that communism - TRUE communism like in a Kibbutz - is a good thing. And it is. BUT, they learn as the classes progress that in a larger society it breaks down and turns into N. Korea because of greed, etc. I remember the EXACT same thing when I was in school. It only works in an ideal world - they'll get to that part of the lesson soon. And instead of flipping out, do some research with her. Become part of the lesson.

So your son was challenged to do some critical thinking. And he did. That's exactly what high school and higher ed is about. I also 100% agree w/ the poster below who said that most kids have already picked up their parents political views at home by the time they reach high school and college. I certainly did. But by my mid 20s, I realized that I really don't think the way that my parents do. And believe me, it had nothing to do w/ being 'brainwashed' ... it had to do w/ me examining different viewpoints and then using my very own noggin to come to my own conclusion. And BTW, I had teachers on BOTH sides of the spectrum, politically. My guess is that you wouldn't care one whit if your kid's teacher's lecture was in line with her own personal views. Right?

You've gotten a lot of great advice here. I agree with those who say you need to take a deep breath. This teacher is getting your son to THINK. Nothing is better than that. I highly doubt she is trying to brainwash anyone. He is also 15, not 5. He told the teacher what he thought of her opinion. He's really thinking and discussing in an adult way. I think all of that is great. What's the problem?

Um, "those teachers" can say "preposterous" things because we live in a society that places a high value on individual freedoms. As another example, you have the freedom to refer to your kid's teacher as a "spoiled brat" for discussing ideas you personally don't like.

And I have the freedom to say it is you who seems "clueless".

What class was this?
World culture? Social Studies?

At its very best, school gets kids to THINK for themselves.
Doesn't sound like their was any "brainwashing" going on.
Sounds like a philosophical discussion to me.

And I agree with the poster who suggested you do a little fact checking before you blow a gasket!

WHAT?! Learning about other ideas, and learning to think critically is what school is about! I don't see how this teacher was "brainwashing." Seems like they were discussing the differences among political philosophies.

"Communism" is not a bad word.

And where did your kid get the notion that "communism involves exploitation of common people for the benefit of the ruling top"? That's pretty much the opposite of the idea behind communism.

You are WAY out of line.

She didn't say the US should overthrow its goverrnment and become communist, did she? I doubt it. On paper and in theory, communism is perfect -- it takes from each person according to his (or her) abilities and give to each person according to his needs. But we all know the reality doesn't work like that.

I would bet the teacher next plans to have the kids discuss why this system that looks so ideal in theory doesn't work in practice. Gee, that would be a very mature discussion for kids this age. I'd welcome it.

You have one kid's take on one day's discussion. Rather than blow up over his being "taught" communism, why not see what happens next in the discussion? He wasn't being taught that his country's current system is bad and wrong; he was being taught to discuss and think. Have you ever heard the term "devil's advocate"? That's someone who takes a position in a discussion that is the "bad" or contrary position, JUST to get people to think and express themselves. She may be doing just that.

Your response is kind of knee-jerk: The word "communism" was mentioned and therefore she is "teaching" it and advocating it for your child and your world right now. That's not what comes out when you describe what your son said she said. It sounds to me like he might actually be getting a decent, mature discussion from this "clueless, spoiled brat that has no clue what she is talking about." Wow, is your entire opinion there based on this ONE day's discussion? Does a knowledge of other systems of government automatically make her clueless and spoiled and you right and righteous?

You could just ask her about the discussion, but you'd probably boil over at her. Heaven help your blood pressure if he goes to college, where professors might say much more controversial things -- and he'll have to think for himself when they do.

"Brainwashed" I do not think that word means what you think it means...

What Mira said. And 2txtots. And MrsLavallie. (and probably others).

It's all part of education. At about 15yo, it's good for kids to be presented difficult ideas and allowed (by the parent or the teacher) to consider their merits and make their own conclusions. Most kids don't get that opportunity. I vividly remember my parents having a discussion with my older brother about not just accepting everything his high school teacher told him. My siblings and I are all critical thinkers. And this brother went on to teach high school for 20 years (likely indoctrinating the next generation).

Also, are you sure she said communism, and not socialism?

You never heard of playing the devil's advocate?
As each form of government and political ideology is discussed,
they'll ALL start with 'so and so is best because' and then go on to list why this works.
And then in practice they'll go on to list where they fail.
Along with all the others, our own system has it's working points and failing points as well.
No system is perfect.
As far as brainwashing goes - all of us that grew up during the cold war have been programmed to flinch at the mention of communism or socialism - we're fairly incapable of looking at it objectively.
Perhaps you should read along with the class materials your child is studying and see what they are getting at.

Imagine, a kid learning about a government style...that is not our own. Imagine, someone presenting their opinion, and a kid having to form their own. Imagine, a kid being required to THINK. For themselves no less.

The kids that agreed with her...their PARENTS are failing them. Wouldn't it be funny to learn, that the teacher was trying to simply start intelligent conversation. (A teacher doing that, IMAGINE!! Doing her JOB!!!) The kids just proved they have no mind of their own. Fortunately, for you...your kid actually engaged in the debate. Since, obviously that's what she was going for. These are 15 year olds, for god sakes. They are leaving home in a few years, and they can't even think for 5 seconds. I think the KIDS are spoiled, and drink the koolaid of whatever information is given to them. They are spoon fed, and have no skills. Yes, I AM scared for the future. Because, these are the kind of no brain people who will run our country someday.

The theory of communism is fantastic- everyone being equals.... doesn't that sound pretty amazing? Obviously, reality is different.

I don't think your son is being brainwashed. The BEST teachers throw things out to their students to mull over; they challenge common beliefs, and have wonderful open discussions.

Without actually being there in the classroom, you'll never know exactly how the discussion was handled, but it doesn't sound like anything a 16 year old can't deal with, especially since your son obviously engaged in a healthy debate with her!

I agree with Mrslavallie. She's a humanities teacher, and communism in its ideal form (which is a myth, by the way) would be best for all on a humanitarian level (obviously not an economic one, or any other level, for that matter). She could have been referring to that. She could have been making a statement to induce independent thinking in the children. Some of my favorite teachers would make controversial remarks just to make us think so that we could form our own opinions. Those are the ones I still remember. I'm not saying that indoctrination doesn't exist in our schools, because it does, in all forms, but you weren't there, you don't know in what context this was said. If you're really worried about it, you could always email her to ask her to put it into context for you?

Sunni, "brainwashed"? Really? A tad dramatic, no?

Your child heard a viewpoint you didn't agree with. He's 16. Given his age, it wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last time. Do you plan on homeschooling him, keeping him away from other people for the rest of his life, and not letting him go to college or get a job and sheltering him for eternity? I didn't think so. I think you're overreacting to a very normal thing.

Not to mention, this is all hearsay at this point. You were NOT there. You have no clue about the tone and context of the discussion.

Do you want him to only be exposed to what you believe? Are you scared of what he might learn? It sounds like you're not very confident in the values and ideologies you raised him with if your worried about one class discussion with a single teacher at 15 years old.

Buckle your seat belt if he plans on college, he's going to be exposed to lots of ideas and discussions that are far more provocative than this. Some of my favorite classes were debate and ethics where we discussed many sides of an issue. Hearing a dissenting argument is one of the best ways to strengthen your own position or adjust it to be more realistic and convincing.

I also took "variations in human sexuality" as an elective in college. Hands down the most popular class on campus. I won't go into the details of the lectures or guests but it didn't change my OWN sexuality one bit. It just opened my eyes to some of the realities in the world around me.

Our whole political system is based on freedom of speech, get the irony here?

Sorry but here in America we have a little something called freedom of speech. A person (even a teacher) can believe in capitalism, socialism, creationism, communism, pretty much anything they want, and they can discuss it openly without fear of censorship or arrest.
ETA: though I imagine she was just trying to get a thoughtful discussion/debate going, that's usually what happens in a HS/college classroom when it comes to discussing these ideas.
In a communist country this teacher would certainly be fired for speaking this way so perhaps you are more comfortable with the idea of communism than you realize (?)
You need to prepare your child for the realities of a free society, which basically means learning to sort through varying viewpoints, opinions and facts and coming to a personal and reasonable sense of what is right and good, not only for the individual but for the whole of humanity as well.

A well rounded education includes the exploration of political and socioeconomic variances. What do you think the purpose of a humanities class is, if not that?

At a high school level, teachers will often present a controversial perspective or argument specifically to get a reaction, start a debate, and open up a kid's mind to think about and consider the issues.

Your son is thinking, using critical skills and having an open dialog with a parent! That is wonderful.

You're overreacting and making assumptions. Calm down. Way down. When you regain control over your emotions, send a polite email to the teacher to ask about the lesson plan.

So you feel our educators should only present ONE viewpoint, the one system currently in place by our government and economy, as the only valid one, and anyone who disagrees is automatically dismissed as a "clueless, spoiled brat" and parents should "do something" about it?
That sounds incredibly un-American. In fact my dear, THAT sounds like communism.

Take a deep breath.
These kids might think communism is the flavor of the week... and they all want to be movie stars and sports celebrities too.

For what it's worth, the only time communism or socialism was truly, effectively practiced was during the life of Christ, among his apostles. This is the only historical account of a truly 'equal' communistic model I've found. Communal living is certainly not for everyone.

Don't be threatened by the teacher suggesting that communal living is a good idea. Just do what most of us usually do when our kids are fed a line from someone else-- give reasonable arguments on why you feel that this is not the best solution. There are a lot of books and movies from Chinese authors and filmmakers which lament the toll of communism on the Chinese society. You could point to that.

As to approaching the teacher, I'd keep any interactions fairly open-ended. You could ask her what the purpose of the discussion/exercise was, and if she plans any follow-up to this.

For what it's worth, I was once a young, impressionistic person myself and embraced some of the ideals you describe. As I got older, I began to understand that much like many social and governmental upheavals, one person's "liberation" is another person's oligarchy or tyranny. Give your son good information. Use Cuba as an lesson-- people are quick to embrace the 'Che' tee shirts, but do they understand the fact that so many ordinary people in Cuba have suffered under Che and Fidel?

The world will continue to challenge your son with ideas and other things you don't like. You have an equally powerful voice in refuting what you believe is wrong and sharing your own ideas. Debating this stuff (respectfully) is actually good for young people, too.

I think it's great that she offered a differing viewpoint. Have you considered that this discussion is part of a larger story? That there might be some context for this?

I went to a Catholic school and in our Junior year we took a class on world religions. Most of us knew about Judaism because of our prior studies of the Old Testament, but this was our first introduction to Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam etc. Our teacher had spent a lot of time in other parts of the world and was able to talk about the positive sides of these differing belief systems first-hand. We then eventually got to the negatives as well.

Your son's teacher sounds like a good one - she prompted a discussion that got the kids to engage and think critically. It stuck with them enough that at least one went home to continue the discussion at home. That, to me, is a powerful skill when dealing with kids this age. Good for her for getting the kids to think!

Are you certain that she was not just trying to get a conversation going?

Monica - so sorry to offend you. It is MY OPINION and what I have witnessed in talking with and knowing liberals.

Sue - thanks. I'm glad to hear you woke up!!
__________________________________________

Sunni:

I get why you are upset. However, at the age of 15 - this should be considered "open discussion" for "critical thinking" so that our children can USE THEIR BRAINS AND THINK FOR THEMSELVES...

They could have had a great debate in the classroom. The teacher should have prepared the class better by telling them the discussion of the day and then splitting the class to have them debate the reasons behind socialism, communism, democracy and a republic.

yes, it's easy to get lured in with the promise of "everything being equal"...I get that. But what they FORGET to consider is WHERE the money is coming from and HOW as well as WHO distributes it....

Socialism is great until you run out of other peoples money...

Remember - most liberals do NOT "Think" of the consequences of their votes nor their decisions. Liberals want "equality" and "balance". They don't realize that class warfare STILL exists in communist and socialist nations. And they are broke. It's not all happy-happy-joy-joy.

What can YOU do about it? You can continue to give your child information and access to be able to research all sides of the debate, not just one.

Then you can go to the school and talk with the teacher as well as the principal and find out what she was trying to accomplish in her class. And why that was an important part of the study - you felt she was pushing her agenda - let her tell you HER SIDE. You have EVERY RIGHT to disagree with her.

Good luck.

Remember when your child was in kindergarten and you were told, You believe 50% of what your child tells you is said at school and they will believe 50% of what your child tells them at school about what you say at home?

This still continues.

I am going to guess.. that the this was not being taught as curriculum, but part of a discussion on different beliefs, different societies and things to think about..

I was very involved in our daughters schools as a parent volunteer.. and I was always amazed at the things the students said went on in the classrooms and things teachers or administrators had said.. And I would have witnessed the original teaching or conversations.. one time it was about an announcement made over the school announcements. Somehow some things can be twisted so out of what was intended, it was amazing.

The more advanced the classes are, the more involved and thought provoking the conversations will be. Our daughter was always in the advanced classes, the higher thinking, the discussions are way more advanced than just book learning. The students are encouraged to see things in many different ways to learn critical thinking. Not to be preached to.

Your child obviously is very knowledgeable.. But I just really cannot imagine this teacher is trying to teach this belief as much as discuss different beliefs. If you EVER have a question or concern.. Speak directly to the teacher.. Or have your high schooler join you in the these discussions with the teachers.

To be quite honest, I think most of these kids are brainwashed by their parents before they ever get to school. So a lot of times these teachers are just trying to provoke them to get them to think about it. Don't just say what you think. Say WHY you think it. I can't tell you how many of these kids walk around spouting out their opinions on issues that they don't even completely understand.
We are fairly conservative, and on the whole, we find teachers to be pretty liberal. So, our kids often would come home and repeat something some teacher said that we didn't agree with. We just used it to start a real discussion and debate. We encouraged our children to think it through, think for themselves and we would always be respectful. We didn't always agree but that was okay.
In 2008, my oldest, a HS senior at the time, got very involved in following the election. She was not in favor of our candidate of choice. My husband told her if she followed the election through, could tell who she preferred and why, she could go with him to the poll and cast his vote. She did it. He allowed her to cast her vote even though he didn't agree. I tried pretty hard to sway her, it was an ongoing debate in our house LOL
She is nearly 21 now and still leaning towards the liberal side. And that's okay. But as she grows and matures, I notice she is becoming a little more conservative. And I'm okay with that too! hahaha

If I were you, I'd calm down and use this as a teaching moment. If you peace of mind, maybe call the teacher and ask her to respectfully explain herself. You might be surprised!

Okay, before you get beyond pissed, how about going to talk to the teacher and ask her to please explain the communism talk she gave to the class. Listen to what she says and see if it's the same thing as what your 15 year old says she said.

It could be that he missed a part of the discussion where she said that the founders of communism thought this. She could be explaining what communism is and not be putting a value judgment on it.

You don't know because you weren't there. If he is misunderstanding her lecture, SHE needs to know it.

If indeed she is putting a value judgment on it, she will be happy to tell you. Then you can go talk to the principal about it. It that doesn't do any good, then talk to the school board.

Quite frankly, what she should do is have a classroom discussion, detailing the pros and cons of what she is talking about rather than HER having a value judgment. That's how you teach kids to think with their heads rather than parrot a teacher's views. A teacher should also show as many points of history as they can in order to teach as broadly on a topic as possible.

So, before being beyond pissed, go find out FOR SURE. I think that's pretty darn constructive.

Dawn

Recently there are some parents in Wisconsin trying to push back on the agenda. They found out that the social agenda is being pushed harder in their school; I assume it's because of Gov Scott Walker.

I encourage you to go to this website:

www.akdart.com/edu32.html

Chicagoland schools are among the worst with their teachings. They truly believe Communism/socialism is far better than Capitalism. They start this teaching in kindergarten; "critical race theory". It's an agenda.

My daughter attended a major college campus in Chicago and had to do a report on why Marxism/Communism/Socialism is far better for our Country. Her Teacher openly hated America and what it stood for; and yes I heard him say these things with my own ears. He is an activist with Bill Ayers at this college and did not hide his feelings. Most importantly he was very open with telling the class that Obama is a socialist and the World will be changed forever with him as President.......

Communism is good, in theory. Socialism is good in practice.

This should not come as a surprise as this is the liberal doctrine and it comes from the top-Barack Obama. There is ample evidence that this is what he believed in while in school and obviously still does. This is academia. You just have to make sure that you teach your own children the truth and hope that they are equipt to go out in the world and "change" things back.

I'm going to agree with most of the other posts I've read. She may have just been trying to get a conversation going.

Kudos to your son for making an argument and speaking his mind. I bet that's what she was trying to get going.

I think you need to take a step back and take a deep breath. It takes more than one class room discussion to brainwash anyone. If it didn't then I would think that we as a society are going to be doomed because we all can't speak Latin. I had a teacher tell me that once, she was kidding...I think. My music teacher thought the worlds problems could be solved by music, and my computer programming teacher thought that Y2K was going to be the end of the digital revolution.

I agree with mrslavallie. I'm sure what she was trying to point out to the students is that capitalism is at the be all end all. Our country has enormous problems as well as the countries you mentioned.

I could be wrong, but it sounds like she was really talking about socialism, not communism. Very different concepts. Socialism, in it's ideal, would mean all are equal. So there would be no " ... exploitation of common people for the benefit of the ruling top ... "

There are some days that capitalism makes me absolutely sick. When companies begin to struggle, the CEO's and the higher-ups never see their paychecks cut or their bonuses reduced or their benefits slashed. If the company has to make cuts, it's the workers who bare the burden.

We have a serious problem in this country. Greed is not a good thing. Greed often prevents people from noticing how much they do have and how little other people have.

"To whom much is given, much is expected." Luke 12:48. It's really very sad that more of the super wealthy in this country didn't take this quote to heart. It's very sad that those of us in the middle class don't always take this quote to heart. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own family that I don't notice how much we can positively effect the lives of others around us.

I think you have a right to be upset and concerned, but you also have to remember that your son is at an age where he really needs to keep an open mind and explore other ideas. He's going to enter college where he needs to be able to read about different theories and discuss them on an informed level. Rather than seeing it as brainwashing, think of it as him becoming fully informed so that he can make informed decisions. You may not always agree with them, but he'll be stronger and better person for it.

Your child is going to come into so many different opinions, why would scholl be any different?

An opinion is just that: an opinion, by 15 they should be pretty free thinkers and able to see what they want and hear what they want without becoming brainwashed.

What type of communism was she espousing? Was it communism as Marx and Engel imagined. That form of communism pictured a world where the government eventually backed out of the economy all together. Was it it closer to Leninism, Trotskyism, or Stalin's oppressive dictatorial view? Do you know? I think without knowing exactly what was taught and taking into account the teenage filter you might be a bit preemptive on your rage.

If your son was 5 and his teacher was telling him "such and such is the best system", then I could understand the concern. However, at 15, he should be old enough and should have been exposed to enough opinions at home to be able to formulate his own thoughts on the issue.

If he goes on to college, he will be exposed to all different kinds of ideas and opinions. Best he start prepping for it now.

BTW, your son sounds very smart and he held his own. Good for him! I would not be worried.

Yes, teachers, especially in Chicago DO try to brainwash kids. I know. I did my teacher preparation in Chicago and the suburbs about 8 years ago, and even at my Jesuit university they flat out told us that it was our duty to challenge the kids' parents. Sure, they couched it in pretty phrases like "social justice" and "tolerance," but in the end it all boiled down to the same thing--producing a whole crop of little Leftists.

Actually, I did some of my student teaching at Nicholas Senn High School, and the teacher I was assigned to (who is one of the higher ups in the Chicago Teachers' Union) told his class of Juniors that they should only answer about half the questions on the SATs, since the test was "designed to make YOU fail. It is impossible for you to get better than 50%, so I want you to read all the questions, and put a star next to the questions you think you can answer. That should be about half of them." Yep, how's that for a motivation bomb? He constantly tried to drill it into their heads that "the system" was against them and didn't want them to succeed.

So, something constructive? Your 15 year old seems well equipped to recognize and challenge propaganda, so you should be quite proud of that. Encourage him to research for himself--he'll need those skills in order to graduate from college without becoming a Marxist ;-)

Can you articulate why a form of government has gotten you so riled up?

Who cares if she thinks its good? Maybe she was just trying to get the class to think critically?

But you seem sure that she has a secret plot to take over the government and she's going to start with your son's class - seems improbable.

I agree that she was probably trying to get a discussion started. Your son has obviously paid attention and he is not a follower - he is a leader unafraid to speak his mind! Good for you, mama!

It is scarey to think that most of the class agreed with her. That means they are followers and will not do anything earth-shattering or ground-breaking in their lifetimes. BUT your son may indeed pave the way for our future.

Glad there are some kids who can and will think and speak for themselves. Again, good job mama!

First of all, I completely disagree with Mrslavallie below. You don't have any idea if she was speaking of the IDEAL of communism or not (and neither does Mrslavallie). And, communism is not "IDEAL" - communism is ideal for those who don't want to work. Ugh... Clueless, spoiled brat is right!

I would go talk to the teacher and ask that the principal be there with you. Teachers are there to educate students, not impose their views or beliefs on children. I would be beyond pissed too! Try to go with an open mind, so you can get the "real" story. But I have a feeling that your bright 15 year old got the "real" story. Give the teacher the opportunity to explain so it doesn't seem like you are coming in "attack" mode.

It sounds like you are a good parent and are raising a 15 year old with a good head on his shoulders. Great job! And good luck!

This sounds extreme if she was really spoke those words... I will say that I kind of laugh now how I went home in college tellng my dad how great communism was. He was very patient and listened and gave the other side etc. I got over my communism kick... I don't remember our teacher tellng us communism was the way to go but it must have been presented in such a way that it sounded good to me. Interesting I was in college vs HS... Anyway, I did not go to a liberal type school AT ALL. So I remember that incident (and my sister said she remembers similar things she came home with spouting off about) and figure when my kids come home thinking they know it all, i will be patient like my dad. In this case I think your beef is the teacher making it sound so good as your son is already one step ahead of where I was but maybe later in the semester they'll change tactics. I'd maybe speak to the teacher about it and ask what the strategy is here... Send a quick email in a nonconfrontational way. Ask if capitalism will be covered next.

This happens in every school in every town, city and state of the United States every single day. Far too many people (but not all) go into academia to advance an agenda.And these are the people who end up publishing out text books. Have you looked through a US History text book lately? You will be disturbed by the slant, the revisionism, and even more so what you don't see written.

Getting to your immediate question of what can a parent do? First, start at home by making sure your children receive a well balanced diet of well documented information. Teach them the difference between opinions (editorials) and facts. Teach them that just because a 'teacher' or 'professor' says its true does not guarantee it is. (I'm ever so amazed by how many college kids would jump off a roof if their professor told them it was a good idea.)

Finally, get involved! Question the school about their text choices. What don't you agree with? Suggest some better alternatives. Most schools have an education committe which will have several parents included. Talk to those parents, get on the board, take control!

sometimes teachers will initiate conversations to get the students thinking. and wow it worked. she may be setting the groundwork for debates in the class. I am not in any way advocating communism but your son may have missed a sentence or misconstrued something she said. either way it made your son think. and kids need to think in order to make opinions. I am happy to hear about a teacher standing in front of the class and teaching rather than saying "Google" it. give it a couple days and see where it goes. and if your still unhappy call the teacher and tell her your concerns see what she says. but remember everyone is entitled to their own opinion. no matter how others feel about it.

I would like to address Monica first. I used to be a liberal. I am now reformed. I admit Wild One has hit the nail on the head with her comment about liberals. When I was a liberal (before I woke up) social issues mattered most to me. I voted social issues and did not care about the consequences. I only wanted my agenda to be right. Then again, opinions are like noses, everyone has one.

Sunni, instead of being upset by this. Give your son the tools to research the different aspects of each -ism.

I can tell you that my children have experienced many sides of the political spectrum. Each one has their own ideas of what is best or right. Let your son explore, do not pigeon hole him into just your way of thinking.

I would call the school. I would be very disturbed if this was the school my children attended. The teacher should go to Russia or Cuba if she likes Communism so much. Good luck.

I don't live in what's called an actual communist country. I live in the USA too, born here, raised here. I only see/hear what the media puts in the news about what goes on in 'communist countries'. I don't live there so I don't really know what goes on but as far as communism itself, I think you have the wrong idea of what communist societies were trying to achieve when it was first proposed. It's only the leaders, themselves, of communist countries that make it work either for the country itself or, like you said, work for themselves & their own personal gain. It originally was supposed to help the country & its people in that all were supposed to be treated equally, no social class divisions, no one person/family was supposed to have more than another and all were supposed to receive equal shares of everything like jobs, food, healthcare etc. but certain leaders have turned it into what I would call a dictatorship, in layman's terms, to 'rule over' the country for personal gains from what we hear in the media. I can't say whether that's actually factual but that's what we hear about...not the fact that communism was actually a good idea, it's just the rulers found a way to use it in the wrong way...to 'control' the people instead of actually 'helping' them.

I agree with you. I'm horrified. Perhaps she would like to bring in some Russian Jews to discuss how wonderful Communism treated them. Or perhaps some Chinese workers working 23 hour shifts in a factory sleeping 15 to a cell? Come on. Really???

That is potentially very scary. I agree open discussion is good and educational. However, it's hard to tell how it went as you weren't there... have you thought about talking to the teacher about it?