Alabama: Geometry teacher uses assassinating Obama as example to teach angles to students

While visiting Kate's folks down in Alabama this past weekend, I discussed all sorts of things, including the state of education there, but this novel method of teaching geometry definitely never came up. (Birmingham News):

A Jefferson County teacher picked the wrong example when he used as­sassinating President Bar ack Obama as a way to teach angles to his geome try students. Someone alerted authorities and the Corner High School math teacher was questioned by the Secret Service, but was not taken into custody or charged with any crime.

...The teacher was apparently teaching his geometry students about parallel lines and angles, officials said. He used the example of where to stand and aim if shooting Obama. "He was talking about angles and said, 'If you're in this building, you would need to take this angle to shoot the president,' " said Joseph Brown, a senior in the geometry class.

Efforts to reach the teacher for comment Mon­day were unsuccessful.Superintendent Phil Hammonds said the teacher remains at work, and there are no plans for termination. "We are going to have a long conversation with him about what's appropriate," Hammonds said. "It was extremely poor judgment on his part, and a poor choice of words."

Wait. This wasn't about a poor choice of words. It was a flipping LESSON PLAN. He didn't just say this off the cuff. A few comments at the site for you:

And what exactly does that mean? I grew up in Alabama and in no way does what this teacher said even seem remotely OK.....

We are not all "good ole boys" just because we grew up in the great state of Alabama. Inappropriate comment? Alert us.

There's nothing wrong with being a "good ole boy"

The "good ole boys" that I know would have given this teacher a light smack across the head for being an idiot.

Its hard to get good help these days. The person should have been fired on the spot. What does this tell you about the people teaching your children.

Some teachers believe it is okay to use their podiums/classrooms to indoctrinate students to their way of thinking. We went through this with both of our children in both high school and college. Who do these people think they are? This teacher should first off, at the very least, be suspended and then should be instructed to keep his focus on teaching his subject and not injecting his personal political views onto his students; that is NOT what he is being paid to do.

Right, he's paid to teach about abortion, sex education, evolution, environmentalism, and all the rest of the state religion.

This guy is a math teacher.....he should be teaching math....not commenting on government issues. Ever wonder why our kids math and science scores are so low in this state? Maybe it's because the math teachers secretly covet the social studies job....

Some teachers believe it is okay to use their podiums/classrooms to indoctrinate students to their way of thinking. We went through this with both of our children in both high school and college. Who do these people think they are? This teacher should first off, at the very least, be suspended and then should be instructed to keep his focus on teaching his subject and not injecting his personal political views onto his students; that is NOT what he is being paid to do. Inappropriate comment? Alert us.

And it was ok to have a class sing a song and praise the prez, I remember the chorus line Barack Hussien Obama,,,,mmmm,,,,,mmm,,,,,mmm This was a form of a teacher using their poduim to indoctrinate students was it not??????? Don't us doulbe standards

No, it was not okay. I am actually not an Obama supporter and the indoctrination I was referring to concerning my children was of the left-wing variety. I don't believe public school teachers should be indoctrinating their students with their political views AT ALL.

And you wonder why our education system is so jacked up. This is just plain dumb.

And I'm sure some of the kids have heard this kind of talk at home. What has this State become?