Bennish: He started off his speech talking about how America should be the country that dominates the world. That we have been blessed essentially by God to have the most civilized, most advanced, best system and that it is our duty as Americans to use the military to go out into the world and make the whole world like us.
That is not paraphrased quite right. That being said, America has the best system in the world. The proof is that more people want to come to this country than anywhere else in the world. They are knocking down our borders just to get in and grab a sample of the American dream. In fact, we have a hard time keeping them out. America, with its capitalist system, has the most opportunity for the individual than any other country on this planet in the history of the world! But, for some reason, Mr. Bennish does not seem to know that. Maybe he has another agenda.
Time - 07:59
Bennish: Sounds a lot like the things that Adolf Hitler use to say.
We're the only ones who are right. Everyone else is backwards. And it's our job to conquer the world and make sure they live just like we want them to.
America does not conquer countries. Iraq tried to. Remember the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1991. Russia tried to. Remember the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Remember how the Korean War started? Remember the Japanese invasion of China, New Guinea, and America (the Aleutians and the attack on Pearl Harbor) and Germany's invasion of Europe in 1938-39.
Bennish: Now, I'm not saying that Bush and Hitler are exactly the same. Obviously, they are not. Ok. But there are some eerie similarities to the tones that they use. Very, very "ethnocentric." We're right. You're all wrong.
Actually, that is exactly the association you are trying to make. And the fact is that you are completely wrong!
Bennish: I just keep waiting. You know, at some point I think America and Mexico might go to war again. You know. Anytime Mexico plays the USA in a soccer match. What can be heard chanting all game long?
And who are you hoping to win?
Time - 08:41
Bennish: Do all Mexicans dislike the United States? No. Do all Americans dislike Mexico? No. But there's a lot of resentment - not just in Mexico, but across the whole world towards America right now.
Not only do the Mexicans like America, they try to move here in droves. We have a hard time keeping them out of America.
It is not that Americans dislike Mexico, but there tends to be resentment for those Mexicans, and anyone else, that disrespect America by breaking the laws of this country.
Some people do resent America. But that is no reason to change what is best for America just to appease those that don't like us. That segment will never like America no matter what we do for them. To put that in context, Mr. Bennish will never like President Bush no matter what the President does.
We should never lower our standards to make other people from other countries feel better. You can rest assure that when those people that are in need, America is the first country they will call for assistance. And they will probably complain if it does not get to them in a timely manner.
Bennish: We're told Condoleezza Rice said that now that HAMAS got elected to lead the Palestinians that they have to renounce their desire to eliminate Israel. And then Condoleezza Rice also went on to say that you can't be for peace and support armed struggle at the same time. You can't do that. Either you're for peace or war. But you can't be for both.
What is the problem with her saying this? That's the same thing we say. That is exactly the same thing this current administration says. We're gonna make the world safe by invading and killing and making war. So, if we can be for peace and for war, well, why can't the Palestinians be for peace and for war?!
Leaving the insurgents there to kill Americans, Iraqis, and even Europeans is not a good idea. Empowering the PLO and HAMAS is not a good idea. This is why Liberals should not be in positions of authority concerning national security.
Time - 09:50
Student Sean Allen, who is taping Bennish's class, speaks up:
Allen: Isn't there a difference of, of, having HAMAS being like, we wanna attack Israelis because they're Israelis, and having us say we want to attack people who are known terrorists? Isn't there a difference between saying we're going to attack innocents and we're going to attack people who are not innocent?
Time - 10:07
Bennish: I think that's a good point. But you have to remember who's doing the defining of a terrorist. And what is a terrorist?
Allen: Well, when people attack us on our own soil and are actually attempting to take American lives and want to take American lives, whereas, Israelis in this situation aren't saying we want to blow up Palestine...
Bennish: How did Israel and the modern Israeli state even come into existence in the first place?
Allen: We gave it to them.
That is actually not quite right. Maybe Mr. Bennish can correct the student with historically correct data.
Bennish: Sort of. Why? After the Israel-Zionist movement conducted what? Terrorist acts. They assassinated the British Prime Minster in Palestine. They blew up buildings. They stole military equipment. Assassinated hundreds of people. Car bombings, you name it. That's how the modern state of Israel was made. Was through violence and terrorism. Eventually we did allow them to have the land. Why? Not because we really care, but because we wanted a strategic ally. We saw a way to us to get a hook into the Middle East.
Mr. Bennish does not allow historically correct data get in the way of his teaching the class. Here we see the anti-Semitism that is characteristic with these Liberal, Marxist, and Socialist views. Remember, the Nazis were "National Socialists". Now, whose ideas have strikingly "eerie similarities" to the tones that Hitler inspired... and today's Neo Nazis and White Supremacists. If he ever comes into class looking like a "Neo Nazi Skinhead", there may be cause for concern.
This statement proves that his knowledge of history is severely lacking. The accusation is that America took land that belonged to the Palestinians and gave it to the state of Israel. This simply did not happen. To understand this, you need to refer to the actions of the United Nations in 1948 after UN Resolution 181 partitioned the territory of the British Mandate for Palestine into two states for Jews and Palestinian Arabs. The Arab countries objected to the creation of the Jewish state and fought a war against its creation. This was Israel's War of Independence in 1948. The Arab's, in spite of their superior numbers, lost the war, and the Palestinian state never really came into being because of this loss. In the war that was waged, the territory allotted to the Palestinian state by the UN partition resolution was divided between Israel and Jordan and the "Palestinian Arabs" were rejected by every single Arab country, with the exception of a small percentage that ended up in by Jordan and then were placed into refugee camps that still exist to this day. The "Palestinian Arabs" were sacrificed as pawns by the Arab countries as they are to this day.
Bennish: If we create a modern nation of Israel, then, and we make them dependent on us for military aid and financial aid, then we can control a part of the Middle East. We will have a country in the Middle East that will be indebted to us.
Allen: But is it ok to say it's just to attack Israel? If it's ok to attack known terrorists, it's ok to attack Israel?
Bennish: If you were Palestinians, who are the real terrorists? The Israelis, who fire missiles that they purchased from the United States government into Palestinian neighborhoods and refugees and maybe kill a terrorist, but also kill innocent women and children. And when you shoot a missile into Pakistan to quote-unquote kill a known terrorist, and we just killed 75 people that have nothing to do with al Qaeda, as far as they're concerned, we're the terrorists. We've attacked them on their soil with the intention of killing their innocent people.
Those missiles are being fired to retaliate against terrorist acts. The PLO and other terrorists groups have been attacking Israel since 1948. It is amazing that this needs to be explained to someone that refers to himself a professional educator.
Time - 12:15
Allen: But we did not have the intention of killing innocent people. We had the intention of killing an al Qaeda terrorist.
Bennish: Do you know that?
Allen: So, you're saying the United States has intentions to kill innocent people?
Bennish: I don't know the answer to that question.
Allen: But what gain do we get from killing innocent people in the Middle East? What gain does that pose to us?
Bennish: Let me ask you this. During the 1980s, Iran and Iraq were involved in an 8-year-long war. The United States sold missiles, tanks, guns, planes, to which side?
Unidentified student: Iraq?
Bennish: Both. The answer is both. Why would we send armaments to two sides that are fighting each other. That seems to be self-defeating. Don't we want one side to win? Not always! Sometimes you just want there to be conflict!
The British - this is one of the grand strategies of the British imperial system - was to play local animosities off each other. To prevent them is to divide and conquer.
Do we really want the Middle East to unite as one cohesive political and cultural body?
These Islamic countries are typically closed societies. Every country in the Middle East does not have vast deposits of oil. If they unite together, then they have to share the wealth of each country with the other poorer countries. They like their wealth. They do not want to share. They have never even shared with those in the refugee camps in Jordan. They have no intention of uniting.
Bennish: No! Because then they could what? Threaten our supremacy.
We want to keep the world divided. Do we really want to kill innocent people? I don't know. I don't know the answer to that.
We do not want to kill innocent people. America has better things to do than to find innocent people to kill just for the sake of killing innocent people. The fact that you do not know the answer to that question clearly illustrates that you are not qualified to be a teacher.
Bennish: I know there are some Americans who do. People who work in the CIA. People who have to think like that. Those kind of dirty minds, dirty tricks. That's how the intelligence world works. Sometimes you do want to kill people just for the sake of killing them. Right?
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! "Sometimes you do want to kill people just for the sake of killing them." Who said that? That is not American policy. This is the kind of teacher that is allowed to poison minds of America's youth in today's schools.
Bennish: Listen, between the years 1960 and 1962, the United States through the CIA conducted over 7,000 terrorist sabotage attacks against the small island nation of Cuba. Over 7,000 terrorist attacks were waged against just one little country called Cuba in a two year period, intentionally, let me rephrase that, intentionally blowing up medical supplies, intentionally burning down crops that feed their country, thereby creating starvation, right? Intentionally trying to make that system collapse. And we're willing to expend however many thousands of people died because we just want to get rid of Castro. And the sad reality is that there are some policy planners who are willing to let people die in order to achieve their objectives.
It is easy to see you like Castro. Like that's a big surprise...
Time - 15:06
Bennish: Now, do I think President Bush says 'I'd like to go kill some innocent Palestinians?' I don't think he thinks like that. But I also know that he's not the only one making decisions. I also know that after September 11, President Bush got on TV and he said, 'You will feel our wrath. You will feel the full force of the United States military. There will be paybacks.' He said it again last night. He said, 'We've killed a lot of top-ranking al Qaeda members. And for those who aren't killed yet, you're day will come!' Right? That kind of language to me is very obvious.
By comparing President Bush to Hitler, you are saying indirectly that he thinks that way. Al-Qaeda attacked the United States of America because they did not think that we would do anything about it. We have security when the consequences attacking America are known and severe.
Time - 15:47
Bennish: And when you go trying to kill one particular type of person, you know that you're gonna kill other people, too. And let me ask you this...
Allen: Later in that, he stated that he's [Osama bin Laden] trying to kill innocents...
Bennish: I understand that, but hold on, you have to understand something, that when al Qaeda attacked America on September 11, in their view, they're not attacking innocent people. Ok. The CIA has an office at the World Trade Center. The Pentagon is a military target. The White House was a military target. Congress is a military target. The World Trade Center is the economic center of our entire economy.
Then why did they hijack the airliners. If they wanted to just takeout those "military" targets, then all they needed to do was to lease a few B-727s and place them in Washington National Airport. This places them less than 30 seconds from the White House and the Capitol building. They could have loaded 30 tons of explosive in each aircraft with total security and then carried out their terrorists plans. Instead, they hijacked the aircraft to show that we could not protect ourselves and to kill additional innocent people.
Time - 16:25
Bennish: The FBI, who tracks down terrorists and so on and so forth around the world, has offices in the World Trade Center. Some of the companies that work in the World Trade Center are these huge multinational corporations that are directly involved in the military-industrial complex in supporting corrupt dictatorships in the Middle East.
They attacked the WTC because they failed in 1993. They wanted the buildings to fall over and knock down other buildings in New York City skyline.
Bennish: And so in the minds of al Qaeda, they're not attacking innocent people. They're attacking legitimate targets. People who have blood on their hands as far as they're concerned!
So here we have Mr. Bennish stating that the attack on the World Trade Center was a legitimate attack upon America.
So what is your objection if America attacks the terrorist groups that have blood on their hands in order to protect America?
Bennish: We portray them as innocent because they're our friends and neighbors, family, loved ones. One of my best friends from high school, elementary school, and birth, lives in lower Manhattan. You know, he was right there, he was four blocks away from it. So, anytime it comes close to home, you begin to see things differently.
We portray them as innocent because they are innocent. It is a strange agenda that you are promoting not to grasp and understand that concept. 9-11 was an unfounded attack and we should let the world know we as Americans, will take aggressive action when we are attacked in the future.
War becomes less likely when a democratic form of government is in effect in Iraq. Civilized people do not like war and with a real vote in governmental policy, war is less likely.
Time - 17:11
Bennish: In no way am I implying, I don't know, you got to figure this stuff out for yourself, but I want you to think about these things - you know, think about this right here. [Apparently pointing to the American flag.] Here's the real homeland security. Fighting terrorism since 1492! Ok. I mean, to many Native Americans, that flag is no different than the Nazi flag or the Confederate flag. It represents the people that came and stole their land, lied, brought disease, rape, pillage, destruction, etc. So it all depends upon varying people's perspectives varying. And of course, we're going to see ourselves as being in the right, at least the majority of us, because that's us.
Here it is... again... America is EVIL and BAD. We have brought nothing but pain to the world. And apparently, this teacher has no problem explaining that view to his students. He left out the part where we fight and die for others and all we have asked for is enough ground to bury our dead.
The one thing you are forgetting, Mr. Bennish, is that it was the Native Americans that introduced tobacco to the Europeans.
Allen: But we were the ones that were attacked first. On September 11, 2001,
we were the ones that were attacked. We were not attacking anybody until that point. Then we said ok, we're going into Afghanistan. Then we said ok, the Iraqi government has ties with al Qaeda. We're going to go into Iraq. We were the ones that were attacked.
Bennish: In actuality, if you remember back to my first day, the Sept. 11 attacks were, according to bin Laden, a direct response to our 1) support of the nation of Israel, which they consider to be a terrorist regime that does not have the right to control the land that the Palestinians lived on for over 1,500 years, and they also did it because of what George Clinton did - Bill Clinton, not George Clinton, they had a little documentary on him on PBS last night I was watching - Bill Clinton, when he launched the missile attacks into Afghanistan and Sudan and killed thousands of innocent Africans and Afghanistan people - Afghanis - that had nothing to do with al Qaeda or anything. In fact, in Sudan, he blew up the country's largest pharmaceutical plant, which was producing medicines, alright, um, you know, that's as far as, in their eyes, that was retaliation for those attacks.
When did President Clinton kill thousands of Africans and Afghanis? THAT NEVER HAPPENED!!! This is a lie that this teacher is trying to teach as fact! IT NEVER HAPPENED!!! President Clinton ordered the launch of a few cruise missiles in the middle of the night that resulted in killing one of the janitorial staff in a pharmaceutical plant. President Clinton incorrectly identified this target as a plant producing chemical and/or biological weapons. And of course, everyone remembers why, right?
These Islamofascists do not like America having Israel as a friend. Mr. Bennish believes that we should appease these people and give up support of a friend. This is what is known as "Divide and Conquer." They can come up with any number of reasons to attack us and with their hatred for Western civilization, you can be sure that they will. Even something as trivial as a cartoon in a newspaper is reason to kill non-Muslims. And in Mr. Bennish's mind, that would be enough to make America a legitimate target.
Bennish: And so this whole idea of who attacked who first, how far back in time do you wanna go!? This is the whole thing with the Arab-Israeli conflict. Well, who was there first? Well, if you believe the Bible, you say, well, God gave the land of Canaan to the Israelites. But who was in that land when they got there? The Canaanites, who some archeologists would argue are the ancient descendants of the Palestinians. You know.
Other archeologists say the Hebrews didn't really come from Egypt. They were actually a group of Canaanites who decided they didn't like the other Canaanites and developed this story afterward to justify how they killed all their neighbors and took over the land.
Again, you need to refer to the actions of the United Nations in 1948 after UN Resolution 181 partitioned the territory of the British Mandate for Palestine into two states for Jews and Palestinian Arabs.
Time - 20:02
Bennish: Alright, and so this becomes very, very muddled. And I'm not in any way implying that you should agree with me. I don't even know if I'm necessarily taking a position. But what I'm trying to get you to do is to think, right, about these issues more in-depth, you know, and not just take things from the surface. And I'm glad you asked all your questions, because they're very good, legitimate questions. And hopefully that allows other people to begin to think about some of those things, too.
End of Tape
Mr. Bennish, you ARE taking a position and you are deliberately leaving out relevant and verifiable facts. You ARE NOT teaching Geography or History. You are trying to indoctrinate all of your students right out of the "I Hate America" handbook with its Marxist and Socialist agenda and you ought to be fired.
And that disingenuous disclaimer that "... I'm not in any way implying that you should agree with me. I don't even know if I'm necessarily taking a position." You are in a position of authority over these kids. They look up to you. They listen to you. They expect you to give them the information that will make them better people and prepare them for life. All that you have done is to try to indoctrinate them with Marxist ideals that will not equip them for the world. Mr. Bennish has planted the seed for some of these kids to become Domestic Terrorists. You only need to use Ryan Lewis as an example of the influence that teachers have in the classroom.
This is what passes for education in today's public schools. Look at what this teacher trying to teach his students. AMERICA IS BAD AND EVIL AND SHOULD BE DESTROYED!
In spite of our faults, this is the greatest country that has ever existed on this planet. History proves that statement. That is what should be taught in schools today, not this anti-American garbage that this teacher it trying to teach under the pretense of provoking free thought and starting an intelligent discussion but it is easy to see that is not the truth.
Keep in mind that these are 10th graders. The critical and free thinking that Jay Bennish presents does nothing but clouds these young minds with confusion and disorder. Before they learn to think freely, they need to learn the facts. You cannot have an intelligent discussion if you do not have the facts pertinent to the conversation or subject matter. Questionable, fictitious, and inaccurate perceptions and unsubstantiated theories have replaced fundamental concepts and factual material. What you end up with is a young person with inaccurate information who is questioning and rejecting authority using faulty and unsound theories believing they are prepared to understand the world. This does not prepare students to succeed in life. This is not what a high school teacher should be doing.
With a curriculum seemingly designed to instill guilt and shame, how will today's students ever discover the lessons of history that inspire greatness and noble aspirations?
We cannot afford to raise a generation of Americans who do not value their country, their heritage, and their place in the world. As Abraham Lincoln said, "America is the last best hope of earth."
Class Syllabus of Jay Bennish
Overland High School
Aurora, Colorado
ACCELERATED WORLD GEOGRAPHY
Instructor: Mr. Jay Bennish
Office: 1001A
Room: 111A
Tel: (720) 747-3780
Office Hours: 2nd & 7th
E-mail: jbennish@mail.ccsd.k12.co.us
E-mail: jbennish@cherrycreekschools.org
Course Description
This is an exciting time to be studying global and regional geography! In this course you will take a penetrating look into the geographical - or spatial - relationships between human societies and cultures, the natural environment, and historical changes that have shaped the contemporary world. More than answering the question "what is where," this course adopts a conceptual approach to understanding and explaining the dynamic human and natural features of the earth's surface. Particular geographic themes will be emphasized and applied largely to the regions of South, East, and Southeast Asia, the Middle East (North Africa & South West Asia), Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Russia, and Australia. Important themes include: population, religion, human rights, notions of development and underdevelopment, impact of colonialism historically and currently, sustainability, impacts of modernization on developing countries, globalization of economy and culture, political and international conflict, cultural diversity, and global environmental concerns. To that end, a deeper understanding of current events from a historical and geographical perspective is imperative. Thus, timely issues and events in the news will be tied into the overall framework of the course.
Because of the emphasis on the relationships between social, cultural, political, and environmental components of human societies and regions, world geography combines various aspects of the social sciences. Further, it addresses four essential skills: critical and creative thinking, critical reading, spatial reasoning, and effective writing. Such skills will be derived from a combination of questions sets for reading assignments, mapping exercises, seminar (class discussion), films, lectures, group projects, and essays that synthesize your understanding of concepts and theories related to the themes presented in class.
Course Goals
1. Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Critical Reading
3. Spatial Reasoning
4. Effective Writing
Course Objectives
1. Students know how to use and construct maps, globes, and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places, and environments
2. Students know the physical and human characteristics of places, and use this knowledge to define and study regions and their patterns of change
3. Students understand how physical processes shape Earth's surface patterns and systems
4. Students understand how economic, political, cultural, and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation, and conflict
5. Students understand the effects of interactions between human and physical systems and the changes in meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources
6. Students apply knowledge of people, places, and environments to understand the past and present and to plan for the future
Course Structure
The course is comprise of lecture, readings, films, seminars, map exercises, group projects, participation in the global fair, and writing assignments. Your grade will be calculated from five areas: tests/quizzes, writing assignments, seminar, group work/projects/maps, and homework. Sharing your knowledge, opinions, information, and experiences is a requirement. The format of the course is intended to reinforce learning on the course topics. It is critical that you attend each and every class, keep up with your reading assignments, have questions or problems ready for discussion, and take concise notes from ALL sources of information.
The following materials are required for every class meeting
1. 3-ring binder/fold for handouts and readings
2. Lined paper for notes and class work
3. Pencil and pen
4. Textbook and/or readings
Suggested Materials
1. Colored pencils and black fine point pen
2. Goode's World Atlas (20th edition or later)
3. Ruler
Grading Policy
Your grade each semester will be determined by total points accumulated from the five areas listed above.
Grading Scale A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
*** All written assignments except impromptu essays or tests are on a portfolio grading system, which means they may be re-written as many times as desired for additional points. This is done in the interest of improving writing skills, as well as, generosity.
Make up/Late Work
- Notes should be acquired from a fellow student
- Any assignments given during an excused absence must be turned in within two school days following your return from the absence for full credit
- To get make up work just see me during my office period or pick it up in the classroom
- It is the student's responsibility to stay up-to-date on assignments, late/make-up work, tests, activities, and notes
- Any assignments given prior to an absence are due the say the student returns
- Unexcused absences - assignments due on the date of an unexcused absence will not be accepted. I reserve the right to refuse collection of work related to an unexcused absence
Extra Credit
Extra credit may be obtained from a variety of sources dealing with current, historical, or geographic events. Students must submit a written/typed paper that includes a brief summary, a connection to course material, and an opinion. Extra credit may not increase your standing more than one letter grade. Sources for extra credit include, but are not limited to:
Classroom Rules
- Respect must be shown to myself and fellow peers at all times
- Tolerance for differences, remain open minded
- Turn in all assignments at appropriate time
- Complete all readings and arrive to class attentive, prepared, and willing to participate
- Disregard for these rules will not be tolerated
Mr. Bennish was suspended with pay until a hearing could be convened.
While on his suspension, Mr. Bennish hired ACLU attorney, David Lane. This is the same lawyer who represented Ward Churchill.
School Superintendent Monte Moses refused to show any backbone or strength of character at all. He made the choice not to criticize Bennish for his statements, preferring instead, to make the politically correct and appeasing comments. "Our policy calls for both sides to be present, in the interest of intellectual discourse. People in life make mistakes occasionally. We address them. We learn from them."
There is right and wrong in this world. And this administrator does not have the strength to show any conviction at all. He has just showed that he has the spine made of "Jell-O". It is a good thing that National Security is not in the hands of people like this.
"People in life make mistakes occasionally." Yes they do and they should be held responsible for those mistakes, not given a pass and allowed to continue the same course action. It makes you wonder if he would use this same statement when speaking of the subject of Adolf Hitler and the rise of National Socialism. A lot of people thought that was a good idea... and some still do. How would that be allowed to be presented? Does your policy call for both sides to be present on this subject? According to your statement and policy, it not only allows for the presentation and advancement of National Socialism, but it seems to encourage it. Dr. Moses, is this what you consider a good policy?
These people are so lacking in character and conviction as to be cowardly in their implementation of policy. And these are the very people that are charged with improving the educational system.
Contact information for Superintendent Monte Moses is listed below if you wish to speak with him on these or any other matters.
Contact Information
Overland High School
12400 East Jewell Avenue
Aurora, CO 80012
Tel: (720) 747-3700
Fax: (720) 747-3895
E-mail: blazernet@mail.ccsd.k12.co.us
Jana Frieler
Principal - Overland High School
Tel: (720) 747-3880
E-mail: jfrieler@cherrycreekschools.org
Brent Graham
Assistant Principal - Overland High School
Tel: (720) 747-3704
E-mail: bgraham5@cherrycreekschools.org
Ron Hogan
Assistant Principal - Overland High School
Tel: (720) 747-3726
E-mail: rhogan2@cherrycreekschools.org
Pam Smiley
Assistant Principal - Overland High School
Tel: (720) 747-3710
E-mail: psmiley@cherrycreekschools.org
Ted Newell
Dean - Overland High School
Tel: (720) 747-3640
E-mail: enewell@cherrycreekschools.org
Charla Rosenberry
Dean - Overland High School
Tel: (720) 747-3617
E-mail: crosenberry@cherrycreekschools.org
Michael Pineda
Dean - Overland High School
Tel: (720) 747-3616
E-mail: mpineda2@cherrycreekschools.org
Gerry Camilli
Social Studies Department Coordinator - Overland High School
Tel: (720) 747-3791
E-mail: gcamilli@cherrycreekschools.org
Jay Bennish
Geography Teacher - Overland High School
Tel: (720) 747-3780
E-mail: jbennish@mail.ccsd.k12.co.us
E-mail: jbennish@cherrycreekschools.org
David A Lane, Attorney at Law
Killmer, Lane, & Newman, LLC
1543 Champa St.
Denver, CO 80202
Tel: (303) 571-1000
E-mail: dlane@killmerlane.com
Website: www.killmerlane.com
Cherry Creek Schools
Dr. Monte Moses
Superintendent
4700 South Yosemite Street
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
Tel: (303) 773-1184
Fax: (303) 773-9884
Website: www.ccsd.k12.co.us
E-mail: rmcintire@cherrycreekschools.org
Public School Board of Education
Englewood District
Administration Building
2985 South Oakland Street
Aurora, CO 80014-3143
Tel: (303) 806-2085
Tel: (303) 764-3210
Governor Owens
State of Colorado
Email: governorowens@state.co.us
To send a single E-mail to everyone listed on this page, use this convenient, all inclusive E-mail link.
Please contact Overland High School, the school Principals and administrators, and the Board of Education of Aurora, Colorado too. Let them know that our tax dollars are not there to allow their teachers to weaken America and turn today's youth against this country by referring to America as the "single most violent nation on planet Earth" and teaching a curriculum full of Marxist and "Hate America" doctrine disguised as free discussion or invoking free thought. His rhetoric does not help the future of this country; it hurts the future of this country. This teacher, and others like him, needs to be STOPPED!!!
--TOP--
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
13 March 2006
Jay Bennish returned to his classroom this morning as Overland High School sought a return to teaching in the wake of a national controversy over his teaching methods.
Oh look, he shaved his head.
"Mr. Bennish is a member of our Blazer family, and as such he will be welcomed back here," said Principal Jana Frieler, in a brief press conference outside the school.
Principal Jan Frieler could not resist the temptation to do what comes naturally after an event like this. She gave in to the temptation to rewrite history. "I am very proud of our student body and staff," she said in a prepared statement. "They have chosen to take the high road throughout this entire experience."
You have to admire the principal. He takes advantage of an otherwise bad situation without actually stating any actual wrong doing on the part of Mr. Bennish.
Mr. Bennish was reinstated on Friday after two days of meetings between Bennish, Cherry Creek School officials, and Bennish's attorney, David Lane.
This is the public school system at its finest. It is hard to imagine why anyone in their right mind would want to consider any school voucher program as an alternative to the public school system? (note sarcastic tone)
"I think he should have lost his job," said Michele Kissman. In a letter sent to Superintendent Monte Moses late Monday, Kissman said that, "By reinstating Jay, you are condoning the use of our tax dollars to fund teachers to push their political agenda."
Here is one concerned citizen that can see the truth and understand the danger posed by teachers like Jay Bennish.
Some of Bennish's students were asked if Bennish had provided any balance to the classroom lecture that had been recorded. All of the students said he had provided balance, none of them could think of a single example.
There was no evidence that the students had grasped the lesson at all. Either Bennish had failed as a teacher, or the students had failed as pupils.
Some of Bennish's students were interviewed on local radio stations and when asked about their World Geography teacher and this is typical of what they had to say. "He teaches, like, in an interesting way, you know? He's fair, you know, in what he teaches us, like, he covers both sides, you know?"
America's future, courtesy of Jay Bennish and the public school system. It sounds as if the entire educational system has failed them.
After many radio interviews, Allen was articulate and probing in presenting his case. Exactly the kind of student you would expect to find in an accelerated class.
Allen spent some of his day with a spokesman for Gov. Bill Owens. Allen appeared "mature and articulate" when he was invited to meet with the governor and discuss his experiences.
It is unclear if Principal Frieler was as proud of Sean Allen. He was just a student that questioned Marxist Doctrine and historically inaccurate facts as presented to the class by Mr. Bennish presumably to "make them think", which he did. In fact, he was the only one that actually questioned it. Every other student in the classroom absorbed the information as fact and did not question its authenticity. Apparently, Mr. Bennish did not "make them think." And who was it that was sacrificed? You guessed it... Sean Allen. Because other students were openly hostile toward Allen for airing his complaints, making him feel unwelcome to return to Overland, he was forced to transfer to another school. With the Principal Frieler welcoming back Mr. Bennish; she probably viewed this as "the best decision for all involved." This is another great example of a "Jell-O" backboned administrator who takes the route of least resistance.
A great essay by
Zoë Cole on Jay Bennish and teachers like him "Why Teachers like Jay Bennish are not Good for Your Kids" is well worth reading.
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