Political story

Teachers get the green light on showing extra material in classrooms, including President Obama’s speeches, with only a few regulations, according to Principal Craig Nelson at Jefferson Elementary School.

Political issues can be tricky to introduce in a classroom setting, especially with younger children, and more importantly, their parents. “If an angry rally of parents came to the superintendent or myself concerning material that may be shown in class, then we probably wouldn’t show it,” said Nelson. But if a teacher can prove the material’s educational value and can present it in a non-biased and age-appropriate manner, than the teacher has the right to teach the material, said Nelson. President Obama gave a speech directed towards students ages K-12 concerning the first day of school. Some teachers decided to show the speech, others did not. But how does a teacher decide if material is appropriate for class? And how can that teacher prepare for a negative response from parents?

“As a high school student, one of my teachers set up the T.V. for us to view the launch of the space shuttle, Columbia. We watched in horror as it exploded in the air, and we realized that we just saw the whole crew die. That has stuck with me, and I believe that some things are best viewed at home and discussed with families” said Rachelle Brown, the Title Reading and Math Paraprofessional at Franklin Elementary School. I don’t think it is a good idea to show things like that live, I would always suggest recording it, reviewing it, and then showing it in class, Brown said.

This idea of waiting to view or excluding material that could seem controversial or perhaps present problems is not uncommon. “We did not plan on showing the speech,” Said Kim Keifer, Secretary for Franklin Elementary. “It was really up to the teachers, but as far as I know, none of them have shown it and probably won’t,” Keifer said.

According to the Pullman School District Administrative Procedure 2311.1P, teachers who wish to show video or film in classroom must meet criteria that will enrich or aid the curriculum, and teachers must place principle above personal opinions or prejudices. In addition, teachers must receive permission from a principal or superintendent to show the film. Any film or video with a rating above “G” also requires a signed parent permission form in order for students to view the content.

Teachers taking time to review a speech prior to showing it is beneficial for both designing lesson plans around the material to provide validity for its use and preparing teachers for possible questions from parents or students. “if you are watching something for the first time with your students, you aren’t prepared for the teaching moments that come up… I think that if you haven’t briefed yourself before presenting materials, there are so many lost chances and potential risks” Brown said.

Because President Obama’s speech aired on September 8^th, elementary teachers in Pullman were given an extra day to review the speech and then later decide whether or not to show it to their students.

Joni Stevens, a fifth grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary, said she received an email from the Superintendent and Administrator providing information about the protocol for showing the speech in class. Teachers were to send out a letter to parents saying that they planned on viewing the speech in class and giving them the option to preview it, Stevens said. Stevens said she had no parent objections, and after the speech was reviewed the class discussed its main message. Stevens said she felt no political controversy was within the speech, and that its message was basically for students to be in charge of their own education and for students to do their best.

Most of the teachers who felt the speech was age-appropriate showed it, and I certainly encouraged it as well, Nelson said. We as teachers are trying to be good at giving information about outside occurrences, this speech is an example of that, Nelson said.

However, some teachers still felt the political nature of the president giving a speech was a risk for upsetting parents and could perhaps create controversy in teaching agendas. “I think that if the speech had been a long standing tradition and given and shown in school by each president, it may have been a totally different situation. It wouldn’t give a perception of perhaps pushing political views or ruffling any feathers—it would just be part of the back-to-school tradition,” Brown said.