Teacher’s Caucus Blunder Turns Latin Class Into Sex Ed, Parents Offer High-Tech Solution
by Panos Ridikolos
The incident began with a simple question during a classroom discussion about the American primary election process. When asked by sixth grader Karen Arness to explain the meaning of the term “caucus,” rookie teacher Marcus Perendev incorrectly defined it as Latin for “male private parts.”
It’s easy to understand the importance of teaching our future generations Latin. What’s difficult to comprehend is the apparently dwindling source of qualified teachers. Put on a two-week paid leave, Perendev apologized for the error but protested his suspension, saying, “Political discussion amongst sixth graders is pointless because the children can’t vote.”
But one group of mothers, incensed over the intrusion of sex education into a Latin class, is circulating a petition demanding Perendev’s firing. The organization, known as iVote, stresses the importance of political discussion amongst middle-schoolers by associating computer voting machines with popular youth-oriented entertainment sources.
“We tell the kids that voting isn’t something to be scared of, that’s it’s just as easy as surfing your favorite website or picking your favorite song to listen to in your Ipod,” explains iVote member Kathy Funnel.
It will be some years before we know if iVote’s strategy will work in encouraging children to join the American political system and fully understand its subtleties.
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