Officials at the Berkeley Unified School District are investigating an allegation that Jefferson Elementary School teacher Gwen Martin not only told her students that Santa and the Easter Bunny were fakes but told them that God is very real.
Under the California Education Code, there is an express mandate that “nothing in this code shall be construed to prevent, or exclude from the public schools, references to religion or references to or the use of religious literature, dance, music, theatre, and visual arts or other things having a religious significance when such references or uses do not constitute instruction in religious principles or aid to any religious sect, church, creed, or sectarian purpose and when such references or uses are incidental to or illustrative of matters properly included in the course of study.”
That would seem to be abridged if a teacher calls for children to cut out Santa and the Easter Bunny to make room for God in their hearts and minds. I suppose it is still better than the racist lesson in a Florida public school this month.
Parents say that the lesson came as part of a discussion of the difference between fiction and non-fiction with her students. Martin reportedly listed Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Harry Potter under fiction on the blackboard — which immediately caused various children to burst into tears. The matter is being investigated by Jefferson’s new (and aptly named) principal, Maggie Riddle.
For the full story, click here.
The article also states that the teacher has been teaching creationism to her 3rd grade class. This teacher should be disciplined to the extent the teacher contract allows. If I had the authority, I would fire her on the spot and suggest she may want to look for another teaching job at a religous private school. We need to get the religion out of our public schools. This mixture of religion into the curriculum is illegal and dangerous.
Well, it is obvious that you have to deny the Easter Bunny or explain the obvious evolution from a standard rabbit into a continent hopping super-rabbit.
Well she’d best leave the Great Pumpkin and Tooth Fairy out of it lest she incur wrath of every other known deity and fairy tale character.
I have only one question for educator Gwen Martin, “Why is the evidence for the latter figure more compelling than the evidence for the former two?”
I must defer to Honest Sister Palin regarding Santy Claus’ authenticity because, as the Alaskan Governor, she is the closest official to his home at the North Pole and she would not lie to us about anything!
However, I know the Easter Bunny is real and his name is Peter Cottontail because my favorite cowboy/western singer, The Singing Cowboy Gene Autry sings about him, so the Bunny is real…
Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity, Hoppity Easter’s on its way…
Oh, wait a durn minute! Autry also sings about ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ and ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’ (Clause to you legal beagles), and ‘Frosty the Snowman’ so they must be real and authentic too. Just gotta luv those 1950s songs!
Case Closed, They DO exist!
Now, most on this forum know for sure and for certain these 1950s songs must be factual because those WERE the good old days of law and order, truth, and freedom, right?! (hint, hint!)
This story only caught the media’s attention when one alert third grader noticed discrepancies in Ms. Martin’s recounting of the parable of “The Eggs and the Malomars”.
Ahh, the ole “Eggs and the Malomars” Parable.
Its always been one of my favorites.
Please forgive my ignorance, but what is the parable of “The Eggs and the Malomars”?
Is the teacher a Jehovah’s Witness?
Leave this poor teacher alone. Odds are, if she doesn’t believe in Santa or the Easterbunny, she probably doesn’t REALLY believe in Jesus either. I mean really, if you are honest with yourself, God supernaturally placing his unique spirit into a human zygote which is then supernaturally inseminated into the womb of a young Jewish girl. The immaculately concieved child is born only to be brutally beaten and crucified about 33 years later, is buried and then rises from the dead, appears to 500 some people, eats and spends some time with his diciples and them commissions them to go and tell the then known world about him, and that by believing this story, you will one day obtain eternal life with God your creator in etenal bliss and will dwell in a new perfect world. I imagine if she doesn’t believe in a jolly old man(who apparently does not age) who delivers toys to good little boys and girls all over the world on a sleigh with majic flying reindeer, the Jesus story is not going to fly with her either!
(Obligatory correction.) The immaculate conception does *not* refer to the incarnation of Jesus despite his mom with intact hymen never having taken the whole thing. It refers to Mary being conceived without the stain (Latin “macula”) of original sin.
http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_pi09id.htm
Before people start bashing Christians and/or Catholics, maybe they should do their homework! Almost everything that anyone has said here pertaining to Jesus, Mary, and Christianity is untrue and disrespectful. It is one thing to disagree with what the teacher did, but do it respectfully!
Kate:
Pray tell Kate, what has been said that is untrue keeping in mind that only facts are true or false? Opinions are neither. Respect is, on the other hand, an earned tribute usually dependent on the rationality of the speaker or the argument. Let’s see how you do with your contentions.