When becoming a teacher there are guidelines one has to follow. Similar to a student handbook, teachers have their own code of conduct set by the district and school board. Some teachers strictly adhere to those guidelines while others believe it’s important to voice their perspective. Topics such as religion, political views and the use of cuss words are what teachers have to be careful about when discussing controversial topics.
AP Government and Sociology teacher Krista Chugg says the classes she teaches have controversial topics that need her to be unbiased.
“I try really hard, especially in my gov classes, to be neutral on things,” Chugg said. “I want everyone to feel respected and be in an environment where they feel like they could speak up and express their opinion.”
According to the Blue Valley School Board policy for Political Advocacy By Employees 6350, teachers in the state of Kansas cannot use any time during working hours for “campaign solicitations or for the promotion, election, or defeat of any candidate for public office, or for any ballot question”. Chugg says election years are always “tricky” and although it might lead kids to be engaged in class it’s also harder because students are more emotional about it.
“You’ll have kids who are really supportive of one candidate or the other, and it’s tense,” Chugg said. “So sometimes you’re like, the peacekeeper. You’re managing everyone, and really, as a teacher, that’s what you’re doing.”
There have been times when Chugg has received an email from a concerned parent, but in the end, it has always been a misunderstanding.
“If I’ve ever gotten a parent, like a negative parent response, it’s a misinterpretation of what was said,” Chugg said. “Sometimes what a kid says, or their interpretation of something and where a parent goes with it is just not even true.”
That being said, Chugg also believes it’s not a bad thing for a teacher to share their perspectives and be “authentic”, but she understands why some teachers might not want to share their opinions.
“I don’t think we should be afraid of talking about real things in real life, but I think there’s a way to do it, in a structured way, in a way that is, like, maybe more academic, that has been supported with evidence,” Chugg said. “But I think any topic should be on the table because we want to prepare kids for real life.”
Senior Elliot Karpin shares a similar thought, believing teachers should have more flexible guidelines of what they can or can’t say.
“I think [teachers] should be able to say more actually, because I feel like it can
kind of allow people to feel more comfortable with their teachers and like, be honest about their feelings,” Karpin said.
Karpin has had some instances where a teacher has shared information about their personal life that came off a bit “sketchy” or talked about a sensitive topic in their private lives. He believes if a teacher does ever say something that could be taken the wrong way, it’s never intentional.
“I think [if a teacher does say something “inappropriate,” it’s] to try to make a
point about whatever they’re teaching, I don’t think they would just say it for no reason,” Karpin said. “It’s usually like they’re trying to make an argument, and it sometimes just comes across as weird.”
When it comes to the topic of cussing, Karpin isn’t affected by it. He believes that could be due to him being an upperclassman.
“Teachers have cussed, but I don’t think people are too weird about it,” Karpin said. “I think earlier in high school, people were weird about it because it was more surprising, but now it happens more often.”
Freshman Dhriti Bhagat has heard her teachers cuss before, but the classroom’s overall reaction to it was laughter. There have also been times when teachers have shared their personal lives in classes.
“It can make the class feel more relaxed and people probably more comfortable,” Bhagat said. “But then sometimes, they take it to an extreme where it makes people feel the opposite; they feel uncomfortable.”
Bhagat has had teachers who talked about their religion in one way or another or mentioned something political. In the state of Kansas educators and students both have the right to religious expression, but like politics, they are not allowed to force their views on what they believe. Bhagat thinks the way teachers handle topics is different depending on the generation of a teacher.
“I think older teachers tend to either try not to bring stuff up, or they bring things up out of nowhere and it gets really awkward and random,” Bhagat said. “Younger teachers are more accepting of everyone and they talk about [“sensitive topics”] more.”
Principal, Dr. Tyson Ostroski doesn’t believe age plays a role in what is or isn’t said in a classroom. Instead, he thinks it depends on the teacher.
“It’s completely whatever [the teachers are] comfortable with,” Ostroski said. “Some people think [sharing their personal life is] a way to kind of develop a rapport with their students and that’s great. We respect teachers who are more private of their personal lives. That’s okay too.”
When it comes to topics such as politics and religion, Dr. Ostroski believes anything of a “political nature or personal beliefs on issues are not part of the school setting” need to stay out of the classroom. He doesn’t think there’s a “limit” to what can be shared about a teacher’s personal life as long as the intentions are to create a connection with their classes.
“If [what is said is] something to develop relationships with their classes in a way that’s appropriate, absolutely,” Dr. Ostroski said. “You know, we employ human beings, and we want people to be themselves, and it’s good to share things about your life, just like we would want with any student to do with themselves.”
