Do you think it is inappropriate/unethical for a teacher to express political viewpoints to their students?

Outside of a Poli Sci class, probably not the wisest move strategically. Lots of parents get their knickers in a twist over lesser things.

It seems out of line to me and I would never do it. But I guess it would depend on if they let their politics seep into their teaching. On the other hand, it isn’t like the kids can vote. That might have been the only clean shirt they had.

High school, not a problem. Elementary school, not the best idea.

It’s just clothing.
If he’s expounding on it, not cool.
Otherwise, a lot of teachers are young and their closet will probably reflect it.

I can definitely see the uncomfortable/fidget factor.
But once you’re determined to draw a line, where do you draw it?

Are we really going to start censoring our teachers?
Separation of school (state) and politics?

Are you upset because it’s a candidate that you don’t support?

If I had a child in a class with that teacher, I would be unhappy and mention it to head of school or direct supervisor. It seems, I agree, totally inappropriate.

Totally inappropriate for a teacher to express personal political ideology to students. Political discussions should be presented in an unbiased and informed manner, or not discussed at all. It’s not a teacher’s place.

There is a difference between educating and advocating. The heated presidential election is great fodder for classroom discussion. The idea is to let the kids say what they think, and then ask them to defend their beliefs through reasoning. That’s called l-e-a-r-n-i-n-g.

As far as the shirt is concerned, she can wear it and not talk about it; just like everything else personal in a teacher’s life. What if she wears McCain one day and Obama the next? In elementary school I doubt the kids will even care.

I’m all for separation of church and state.
But can’t say I’d be all that upset if my kid’s teacher wore a shirt with God on it.
Unless it said something like If you’re not Christian, you’re going to hell.

Is it just a picture of a candidate?
Is he also talking to the kids about it?

I think that the teacher should not be expressing her/his private views to the students. It’s not the right forum.

After school, to one’s friends, obviously, fine.

IMHO, it’s not great judgement on the teacher’s part, because I’m sure it distracts from learning. But, I think the school’s dress code should be the deciding factor. Kids could just as easily get that messaging from other students if political clothing is permitted.

I think it’s legit to question the teacher’s judgement as an educator.

I think that if the teacher is asked s/he may reply or not, and either would be perfectly appropriate. I don’t think s/he should preach his/her views, or teach to promote one candidate over the other.

I am teaching 3 Govt/Econ classes this year so we have a lot to talk about. In my community my political opinions are pretty much the prevaiing ones. And since I wear an Educators for Obama button, an Obama 08/Hope bracelet and use an Obama water bottle it isn’t really necessary to verbalize my opinion.

Seriously though,I encouraged the students to watch the debates without editorializing and then encouraged discussion. We also put a “do now” 5 min quickwrite at the beginning of class and mine seem to be ‘what exciting thing hppened in the news yesterday?’ Last week we covered voting, this week the presidency-just going chapter by chapter in the book;

This year more than any other I can remember, they come in every day just popping with questions. Today they wanted to know about Colin Powell. local Prop H (the city would take over the local power company). state Prop 6 (more prisons and giving kids only 1 shot at juvenile court-money to be taken from the education budget).

I am capable of giving both sides of any issue but when 17/18 yos ask what I think, I tell them, They are perfectly capable of making up their own minds and we don’t always agree. For example most of my students are against parental notification when a minor has an abortion. I disagreed on the grounds that a minor isn’t legally able to get a tan or a tooth pulled without consent because they might not share pertinent medical information.

I don’t think that primary school students possess the critical thinkng skills to understand the complexities of politics so you don’t have education happening. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with simplistic (or easily misunderstood)explanations so I would refer them back to their parents.

My issue with this isn’t the political message, it’s the unprofessionalism of the teacher wearing something less formal than business-casual to the classroom. I can’t remember any of my teachers dressing casually to the school. What the heck is up with that??

I do think it’s inappropriate in an elementary school. So many young children look up to their teachers, and pay more attention than you’d think. In high school/college I think it would be more acceptable.

As a parent, yes, I take issue with it. I believe that politics should be discussed, but in an unbiased way. I honestly don’t know how far I would go with the situation, if it happened in either of my children’s school – I guess, if it happens, I will make that decision, then. I don’t want them influenced by someone’s opinion and taking on a belief system that they adopt solely because their teacher told them that is the only way. My husband and I are not registered in the same party, so even in our house, it’s form your own opinion.

My 5yr old came home from school on Friday telling me he would vote for Obama. When asked why, his response was McCain didn’t look friendly. The picture he was looking at showed Obama smiling and McCain looking very serious. He did recognize both and could tell me their names, but nothing else. I think I was looking to see if some agenda was pushed, but I don’t think it was. I was happy that even in kindergarten, they mentioned the elections and talked about them. My son hears about it at home, so it was something that he kind of understood…not the nuts an bolts of it, just the broad strokes.

Again, I’m for political discussions and debates, I encourage them. We have them often in our house, with our teenager; however, some children are so easily swayed by teacher’s opinions, I think it’s something that should be discussed, but in an unbiased manner. I would have a very difficult time, if I was a teacher!

MRitty-didn’t you get the “seriously”? As an older teacher I dress more “OG” than most teachers, but few male trachers dress in suits every day and few female teachers wear those dark dresses with little white collars and high heels that my teachers wore.

Unethical and inappropriate. Most students regardless of age recognize a teacher as a person of power and influence, as well as a person who has a certain amount of power over the student’s success. If that student’s family supports an opponent, it creates an antagonizing environment for the student, who could become distracted from learning by the conflicting influences.

It may vary from state to state, but in my state, federally funded institutions may be restricted from allowing their personnel wear and/or voice their position on candidates while on the “company’s time.”

I’m going to say inappropriate.

As a college teacher, I would never wear that to class. I generally steer clear of discussions of politics, religion, etc. It simply isn’t my place as an art/design teacher.

Now if I taught a class where those subjects were relevant, I would discuss them in an objective, informed manner.

I always figured it’s my job to teach students to think for themselves and solve problems, not hand them the answers and opinions – particularly mine.

I never knew the political views of the best teacher, pastor, or news-person’s.

galileogirl, I was completely serious. I was OT, I grant you, but I was completely serious.

And I never said teacher should be wearing suits or dresses. I said they should be business casual at least. When I go teach my class every Wednesday, I’m wearing slacks and a button-down or polo shirt. I wouldn’t dream of wearing jeans or a tshirt.

I do agree that perhaps the elementary school is not the right place for this. I have much less of a problem with it for high school and college.

For me, more important than the shirt itself is how the teacher would react if asked about it by a student. It’s one thing if kids just go home and say to their parent, “Mr. Jones was wearing an Obama shirt today.” I could see parents getting up in arms over that, especially if they don’t agree ideologically.

Is it naive to think that maybe some kids might not even take notice of it? I know that they’re like little sponges, but I think some of them might not care. And if they did ask about it, perhaps the teacher would use it to start a class discussion. If child X asks the teacher what his shirt means and he comes back with some pro-Obama, anti-Republican rant, that could be a problem because he would be professing his personal views in a forceful way, and to minors no less. But if he says something like, “Well, we have a democracy in the US, and that means that on November 2nd every citizen gets to vote for the candidate that they think is most qualified. And this is who I support. And, we also have free speech in this country which means that you can…blah, blah, blah….So, what do you think about that, Child X?” Granted, I guess you could totally have that conversation with a child without wearing the shirt.

I’m sort of in favor of people bucking the system and causing a little disruption now and then. Some of my favorite and most memorable high school teachers and college professors were the ones who were open and honest about their political views. It felt more real to me than just, “I’m teaching you the curriculum that’s assigned because I am a robot and have no real opinions of my own. My only job is to transfer this information from page of book to your brain.”

Oh Emily! The best teachers played Devils Advocate fro both sides, that’s why I didn’t know where they stood! They were not Robots by any means!

does it matter in elementry school they are not old enoguh to vote. I am in AP GOV. and my teacher exspress his political veiws but since we are AP students he also excpexts us to argue with him if we dont agree with him. I personaly dont mind my teacher exspresing their political views. But legally the Hatch Act made it against the law for goverment officals to exspress their political veiws in the work place.

Mritty: Different strokes, etc I actually did have a Barack Obama shirt that I wore in 2006. It was a picture puzzle with a sheep and a balloon “BAA” coming out of his mouth + a rock. I have worn quote t-shirts with favorites that are political in nature ie. Bertrand Russell’s “War doesn’t determine who’s right, only who’s left” and “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind” in Arabic. My very favorite one reads “Because I’m the teacher and I said so”

aisyna: I am sure your teacher can also defend an opinion that is not his own because most almost every difference of opinion has two valid viewpoints. We develop opinions based on our priorities and part of teaching Social Studies classes is helping students realize that. If they recognize how their political philosophy has developed, they will make more thoughtful choices instead of just going for the most popular idea.

Teachers are supposed to help students think. Thinking students will naturally come to the conclusions themselves. There is no need to push them there directly – the thinking is the point.

Teaching the kids that one or the other candidate is “right” deprives them of the journey that thinking provides, and therefore the teacher is less than optimal.

Lauren: We have to be careful about encouraging young people to think for themselves and question their elders. There are plenty of people who still think it’s appropriate to offer us a drink of Socrates’ tea.

Its an elementary school. Hello. They have a good 10 years before they would even understand what voting really is, and what its about. Although it is against school regulations for teachers to express their own opinions in such matters, it still is what it is. An opinion.

I think you’re underestimating the mental power of elementary schoolers, Zax. In my third grade class, we actually had a mock-up of the electoral college and got to choose between Reagan and Carter based on some of their speeches and platform planks.

Then again, that was obviously a looong time ago, and after “no child allowed to run ahead,” I guess they don’t make ‘em like they used’ta.

I think teachers should encourage students to think for themselves. They should help them be critical of ALL sides. They shoudl be teaching skeptism. It is sad when kids define themselves with a certain party affiliation just because adults in their life, be it teachers or parents etc, tell them to.

We really need to push kids to be THINKING not just believing.

(this is specific to elem. but maybe can be applicable at higher levels as well)

Actually there have been studies that seem to prove the vast majority of us end up with the same political affiliations as our parents.

yes, that is why i included “parents” in my comment as well as teachers, because the vast majority of people are most greatly influnced by their parents political points of view (much less than some elementary school teacher). my point is that it is silly of parents to just let their kids believe what they believe without challenging their kids to think for themselves. (i was lucky: one republican parent, one democrat, i always heard both sides! haha)

I don’t think so. If my grade 4 teacher hadn’t given a fellow student detention for constantly referring to girls in my class as ‘chicks’ i would have never known what a psycho feminist is.

martin: Thanks for the anecdote. Without it some people might have never known what a juvenile mysogynist is.

Rrrriiinnggg: Class is excused.

I don’t think it’s right. A teacher should present both sides of the political equation and let students debate the wrongs and rights of each, and letting them decide what is best for them. When I was in high school, I had a social studies teacher who was very liberal. I could see that. Maybe that’s why I turned out to be so conservative. Lol.

It is ridiculous that and probably illegal for a teacher or student to stump for votes in an elementary school, after all, how many 8 year-olds vote?
On the other hand, my son-in-law taught at an elementary school in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He had to do a couple weeks active duty when his unit was shipped to Afghanistan. When he got back his classroom picture of the president was covered in black drawing paper.

Of course “the Cape” is famous for being an ultraconservative strong-hold and the home of Rush Limbaugh. I am pretty sure that they only respect white, conservative presidents. Just imagine how narrow minded the children will end up!. Ironically, many of the more religious home-school their kids because they don’t like the liberal leanings of the public school system, poor kids.

If I had absolute faith that it would be a TEACHING & LEARNING experiance no problem with the T. but unfortunately most of the people who would wear said article of clothing to their workplace land on the “Let’s BRAINWASH your kid” side of things. Sorry I’m old school & I see way too many parental rights being usurped by people who have no business in the families’ life but for some reason believe they know better.

Political viewpoints are inherent in the class material. For instance everybody who goes to a public school is told that WW2 pulled the country out of the depression. That is a stupid thing to say, but it is always said because it agrees with the viewpoint of the big banker. WW2 provided great profits for bankers and manufacturers, but the rest of the country was impoverished. Gas was rationed, rubber was rationed, new cars were not made, people had to have gardens because of a shortage of food. War wastes resources and wrecks machinery, but all public information is presented from the banker’s viewpoint.

The depression was a disaster only for the bankers. Citizens found their savings increasing in value, charitable donations increased, and consumption of meat and butter increased. The only “depression” for most people was that the numbers kept getting smaller. It was in fact a time of prosperity.

“Grapes Of Wrath” was shown in Russia to show the people how the working class was treated in America. What the Russians saw was that in America even the poorest family could own a car.