Who are you voting for in November?

This a question many of our educators are being asked by their students right now. The question also reminds me what former Ohio school superintendent Paul Imhoff urged school leaders everywhere to remember: "Our classrooms always must be places where we model the power of a civil discussion among those who are passionate about multiple sides of an issue." 

It's an important reminder because it has become increasingly challenging for educators to encourage conversation and dialogue in classrooms about controversial topics, particularly at the secondary level.  It's difficult and tricky to decide, for example, how far a conversation in a social studies classroom should go about the terror attacks against Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Equally perplexing for teachers and administrators is how much space and room can one allow for political discourse, especially in 2024 when political rancor and divisive speech from the highest offices in the country leave many educators confused and frustrated about how to react and respond.

Yet, it is a key function and responsibility of our public schools to allow multiple perspectives and voices, representing the many and diverse lives of our students, to be nurtured and supported within the classroom. This election season I have provided guidance for our teachers to help them understand both their role and their responsibilities in promoting a classroom and school culture that embraces discourse and conversation as part of our educational mission. The guidance reminds teachers that:

• Vigorous and age appropriate debate, dialogue, and discussion should be encouraged and celebrated within the context of approved school and educational programs.

• Classroom assignments, instruction, and programs should be based on the approved curriculum and can include political, religious, or controversial ideas and issues that reflect the approved curriculum. Teachers cannot take sides in a political debate and should avoid offhanded comments that may alienate students.

• Our students, all of whom come from a variety of family backgrounds representing many different ethnic, faith, and political traditions, look to their parents and teachers for guidance and understanding. Our job is not to tell them what to think, but rather to assist them to discern the truth and help them understand the world around them in a learning environment that is inclusive, fair-minded, and politically impartial.

None of this is easy!  However, I am confident that our teachers, staff, and administrators have the tools, experience, and resources they require to support our students and help them navigate an increasingly complex world.