Do I get to teach kids Anti Obama songs now?  

Oh and I want to make sure you know....don't teach them the dead puppies song. While I found it cute in a sick kind of way...small kids won't.

Where do you find that crazy stuff?

True, I could teach the Star Spangled Banner, and if anyone complained I could say, "what do you have against Hendrix?". ;~D

Yeah, many will probably make fun of the songs like many high school kids make fun of the DARE program. ;~D

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Um, Thea, I'm not being hired as a music theory teacher, or even a history teacher. I'm part of an afterschool program where I'll be teaching guitar at the beginner level.

I wouldn't use that situation for political purposes, that is the point of my OP. I'm just pointing out that while I wouldn't do it, many teachers on the left don't seem to have a problem abusing their positions that way.

Well if you're aware that political indoctrination is taking place in after school acitviites then surely the parents must also be aware and make a point to stop it. Of course no parallel can be drawn between this if it is a voluntary programme unlike the govnernment enforced indoctrination of christianity in schools in the UK, though I'm not sure that that is current practice anymore but a dreadful breach of freedom of thought. I am very glad to hear that you will not be indoctrinating these vulnerable minds with politicism Ted.

I don't know of any indoctrination during afterschool programs, just by teachers during classroom time.

But for myself, the closest I'll come is if I teach The Star Spangled Banner, or some patriotic themed folk song.

This all reminds me of my 4th grade teacher. She told set aside some class time to teach Ukelele to anyone who might be interested. Back then I didn't think about the irony of her choices of songs to teach us, but I have oftern looked back and laughed.

We learned, Ballad of the Green Beret, Where Have All the Flowers Gone and Blowin' in the Wind. ;~D

Thea, I don't think you can compare this to the UK because, as I understand it, they do have an official national religion, something that is strictly banned in the US.

Hello taskt, I'm not sure what the uk policy is these days regarding forced religous gatherings daily is anymore with the high level of immigrants now.
I am cringing at your term of official national religion though, as basically that is how it used to be in my schooldays. Apart from the teaching of religions how dare any government force feed any one religion into the education system.
The whole idea of a national relgion is nothing short of some kind of brainwashing, forcing indenpendant thinkers to have to put up with the view of the majority.

The present u.s. educational system has a state enforced religion, the theory of evolution where they continue to teach as fact ideas debunked decades ago and ignore all contrary scientific evidence to their present theory. And no other theory is allowed to be brought up nor any of the questions or discrepancies in the theory, which makes it a state enforced belief.

The theory of evolution is not actually a religion. Anything to do with that or other scientific ideas should be taught in the science classes. I was referring to school morning assemblies where children have to suffer through singing christian hymns, listening to bits read from the bible and then praying to something they may not believe in.
Presumably within the environs of a science lesson the pupils are at least able to express opinions and raise questions to challenge theories as that is the point of lessons, within a religious assembly the long suffering pupils were not allowed to speak.

Unless the student challenges one of the tenets of the scientific canons, then they aren't allowed to question at all.

But I do understand your point. I'd hate to live in a place where there is a state religion. Most places I've lived had a predominate denomination, which can get close to a state religion, but still not the same.

Tell me parated what is the point of an education system which does not allow the students to question things? How can enquiring minds be encouraged in that environment. I don't understand how this can be allowed to happen in a free country. When you describe it as such it is not so different to a classroom in Iraq.

As I said re the religion I don't know if the previous way of compulsory religious assemblies still prevails but in the actual religious education classromms of course we were encouraged to question and challenge. It may have been that some of the teachers were unqualified to think outside the box of their own beliefs but I for one certainly never towed the line and accepted without questioning. This is fast becoming a most interesting discussion Ted as I has no idea of the restriction in American classromms and find it beyond bizarre that they are allowed.

Not sure if 2-5 grade fingers are ready for speed licks or arpeggios yet. ;~D

Interesting, but I don't think it's that deep for them.