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Part 2 of 2: Should teachers share political opinions in classrooms?
Illustration: Kat St. Martin-Norburg
When teachers share their political opinions in class, it makes the conversation more tense, not less.
No: Teacher political opinions could cause further divide
The United States has become an increasingly polarized country. This polarization has become apparent within families, with friends, in workplaces, and in school. In our school, it was all anyone was talking about for weeks before and after the election; the election was discussed in major news outlets, on social media, and in classes. Since SPA is a disproportionately liberal school, the majority of students along with faculty at SPA are liberal. Because of this, despite the increase in talk regarding politics in our community, teachers should not be able to freely express their political opinions in a classroom.
If teachers were to express their political opinions in a classroom, conservatives (or those who do not identify with a political party) could feel criticized for having opposing opinions and beliefs. In addition to this, teachers could incorporate and critique events happening in the political world into discussions with students; while this may not lead students to feel forced to adopt new political beliefs, it could leave them feeling as if their opinions are unwelcome or wrong. Teachers in public schools are restricted by the government to express their political opinions, and this should be the same in private schools. After the election, numerous students were attacked when they felt they should not have been because of their differing political opinions; this would only increase if teachers could also voice their political opinions and counter students’.
Due to the extreme polarization of our country after this election, it would further divide our school if teachers shared their political views in class. Schools are supposed to be a safe place for students to learn, not a place for their political ideologies to be judged. Debates in class regarding political beliefs would be stimulated if teachers could voice their political opinions, but they could be aggressive and polarizing rather than respectful and educational.
Read the other side of this opinion here.
Nitya Thakkar is the Aureus Editor in Cheif on the RubicOnline staff. This is her third year on staff. Nitya thinks that journalism empowers people by...
