Happy Thanksgiving

Unfortunately, some elementary school teachers with a political agenda cannot enjoy Thanksgiving for its current meaning - grace, sharing, appreciation, humility, and family.

Long Beach, CA teacher Bill Morgan has drawn national attention for his Thanksgiving "lesson" by stealing his student's backpacks and school supplies in an attempt to illustrate how settlers stole from the natives.

Regardless of your opinion of our nation's history - like every other nation, it contains both good and bad elements - students (older than Mr. Morgan's) should be presented with the facts, and with many different political perspectives, and should develop the skills of critical thinking and logic.  Mr. Morgan's lesson, aimed at such a young audience, is clearly an attempt to indoctrinate, not to educate.

If you are above elementary-school age, you can review last year's entry - The Thanksgiving Lesson You Should Have Learned in School.   It seems that it is not taught in Long Beach.

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Source:

Associated Press. Teaching Thanksgiving From A Different Perspective.
CNN. November 22, 2006.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/11/22/teaching.thanksgiving.ap/index.html

© 2006 Michael Cale