Homework: Algebra. Gatsby. Taliban.

I love where I live.

Arlington County, Virginia is quite a liberal oasis.

I heard this story this morning on our local, Washington, D.C. NPR station about one of our middle schools. Apparently, while teaching critical-thinking skills to our next generation, a teacher assigned a mock United Nations debate topic where one team of students had to represent the Taliban. Imagine having to learn WHY the Taliban does what it does!

Anyway, the principal pulled the plug on the exercise after some parents complained.

Now, why I love living in Arlington: 1) a teacher actually had the balls to try this exercise and 2) other parents publicly supported the exercise saying “students need to understand more than one side of such a crucial conflict.”

Maybe I’ve just lived inside the beltway too long, but I don’t see parents sticking up for learning about the Taliban in other parts of the country (or even in other parts of my state!).