Teachers support Obama in classroom

by Rachel Campos-Duffy (Subscribe to Rachel Campos-Duffy's posts) Oct 3rd 2008 8:00AM

Teachers Unions are passing out thousands of Obama buttons and encouraging their members to wear them in school despite being told not to by the Department of Education. While teachers continue to wear their buttons, unions are fighting back on the grounds of free speech.

"It's not teaching kids to vote for Obama; rather, it's showing them the democratic process in action," says a button-wearing Brooklyn social-studies teacher.

In Virginia, the Teachers Union sent its members an e-mail encouraging them to wear "blue" to show support for Barack Obama. The e-mail reads:

"Let's make Obama Blue Day a day of Action! Barack the vote! There are people out there not yet registered. You teach some of them. Others, including our members, remain on the fence!"

To be clear, the e-mail asks that teachers wear blue shirts, not campaign shirts or any shirt containing candidate names or slogans. In response to criticism from both the state Republican Party and school parents, the president of the VEA said:

"The e-mail did not encourage teachers to talk with students about voting for any specific candidate, although it did suggest that teachers can encourage eligible students to register to vote. There is nothing wrong with encouraging students who are 18 years of age or older to register to vote."

As a parent, I am very concerned about this kind of activism in schools. There is a place for political discussions and even spirited debate in the classroom, but any debating and persuading should be between students, not students and teachers. The job of the teacher is to be an impartial moderator who is sensitive to young and impressionable pupils. Unfortunately,I have seen first hand the intimidation and even ridicule that students have endured at the hands of overtly partisan teachers.

Teachers Unions should not use our publicly funded schools or their position of authority for political activism of any kind. Parents, regardless of political affiliation, should be outraged and vigilant.

For more on Rachel Campos-Duffy visit her website at www.rachelcamposduffy.com.

Comments (39)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Cortney 10-03-2008 @ 8:47AM

On the contrary, I think it is awesome that teachers are setting an example of ACTIVISM (it is NOT a dirty word) as early as the classroom. Think of how many adults take no part in this process and this is what determines our future AND our childrens' futures. I think they set a positive example particularly since they are role models for our kids anyway. I can understand someone feeling as though an over-zealous teacher may take it to far, but you can't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Anna 10-03-2008 @ 8:47AM

I disagree. As a 19 year old, voting for the first time this year, I was highly encouraged by my high school teachers to registar to vote and to be politically active. I also knew that these teachers were politically active themselves. If they are encouraging their students to be politically active, then don't they need to be active as well? Or is this yet another case of "Do as I say, not as I do."

Michael 10-03-2008 @ 9:37AM

I have to agree with you on this one. I am supporting Obama this election. But, more importantly I am an avid supporter of the democratic process and have actively encoursged my parents to vote for the first time...even though they would vote for McCain. I think if the teachers didn't show an interest in politics, it would be one more adult in their little circle "telling" them voting is important, but showing them it's not by not getting involved themselves.

I would not be opposed to a Red shirt day either, or just a Political themed day. Back in the day when I was in school, they encouraged us to research the candidates and held mock debates where we pretended we were them. I still remember the excitement for the voting & election process.

isisaquaria 10-03-2008 @ 9:43AM

Agreed-sorta. Supporting the vote is one thing, supporting a specific person is quite another---

My husband and I have made our choice and discussed it among ourselves. My 13yo daughter is watching the debates and asking questions about the process and the verbal spoutings of both Pres and VP choices---her opinion, although not valid for voting yet, is being shaped by her own individual views and interpretations...not by our choices. We are very careful to not pepper our discussions with our choices, but allow her to form her own as much as possible.

hall monitor 10-03-2008 @ 10:51AM

I think its a good thing that students are becoming aware of voting. Most of them aren't of legal age anyway in high school. So whats the big deal?

Hall Monitor http://detentionslip.org

mamaloo 10-03-2008 @ 8:59AM

I support this move, too. This is absolutely the right place to show students how important being active participants in the political process is. Teachers shouldn't be treated as blank conduits through which information is passed from teacher to student. If that is all they are, Why don't computers do all of the world's teaching? No, it's far more preferable that real people, with real viewpoints, inform their work and teach kids how to be active participants in their world.

CLM 10-03-2008 @ 9:14AM

Hmm, I wonder if you would be so outraged by some of the overtly Christian-agenda teachers I had in high school down in Texas? Forgive me for being more than a little doubtful. After all, you got upset at Oprah (who is not a journalist) for not having Palin on her TALK show when she has been quite clear she supports Obama.

Angela 10-03-2008 @ 9:38AM

I think it is great as well. Encouraging a new generation of citizens to participate in one of the most important parts of our society is very important. You would feel the same way if they were for McCain, but you can't see past your own partisan opinion.

Jenni 10-03-2008 @ 9:26AM

There's one thing to show students that it's important to be active; it's something entirely different to force their political views onto others. You are completely right on this. The school classroom is not the place for this.

In a high school government class, this could be a very appropriate place to have a healthy debate or discussion on each candidate; allowing the students to learn more about this process.

Any other classroom, it's inappropriate. The classroom is not a place for teachers to voice their opinions. What good does it do? Does it teach children what they will need to know about to become educated adults? No. School is, once again, for learning. Reading, writing, arithmatic. Leave the personal opinions for me to teach to my child.

Michael 10-03-2008 @ 9:49AM

I'm sorry Jenni, but I just don't see how wearing a button or certain color shirt is "forcing" their opinion on anyone. By that logic, would wearing a Polo shirt be forcing the opinion that the students should be supporting Ralph Lauren?

And furthermore, what message are you teaching the children....that in America everyone has the freedom of speech & expression of ideas...except for teachers? That every citizen is entitled to the right to vote and express their own choice...except teachers.

I'm sorry, but being in the education industry, I get a little antsy when people try to tell me that teachers, not only have one of he hardest jobs in the world, with some of the least support, but now they have less rights? I can't subscribe to that logic.

I will agree with you on one point though, the most important education a child needs is from their parents...hands down. But you should be able to teach your child, in your home, that not everyone in the world thinks like you. Your child to learn to expect that, unless you plan to silence everyone your child may come in contact with.

Karen 10-03-2008 @ 3:34PM

I am not opposed to teachers sharing their personal political opinions, but they need to be very careful that they present both sides of arguments and that students do not feel like they are going to be criticized or penalized for disagreeing with the teacher.

The problem is, I have very little faith that it would be handled correctly most of the time. My daughter's middle school just had a day where Obama supporters wore blue and McCain students wore red. I think (based on what my daughter said) that the discussion was handled well in her classroom.

East of Eden 10-03-2008 @ 10:56AM

I am a high school government teacher. I encourage debate and discussion of political and current events in the classroom. My policy is you need to have an opinion that you can back up with facts and figures. I don't care what your opinion is, but have one. I also am very careful to note when we are talking that "this is my opinion, you need to decide for yourself on this issue." I think a mistake that many teachers make is that they have forgotten that it's their job to teach how to think, not what to think.

What the Virginia Union did is wrong, and is clearly an example of teachers, wanting to teach 'what to think'. As a teacher you have incredible power over your students, it's not right to force your political views on them -- at all, ever. I agree with the poster upthread, what if this union had told its members to support some super-right-wing-policy agenda? This would be getting far more attention in the media and by parents. The union also needs to realize that even though it might support Obama, it's members may not, and it's not right for them to even pontificate to their members on how, or for whom to vote.

Get kids involoved, encourage them to register and vote, but let them decide HOW, or for whom to vote.

Jenni 10-03-2008 @ 11:40AM

YES! This is what I was trying to get at and so poorly expressed. Thank you for clearing that up for everyone here.

hal 10-03-2008 @ 12:29PM

I am a high school teacher and my father was a high school teacher. Neither of us would promote a specific candidate in class. The teacher's union has gotten more partisan each year. I wish they would move away from that and work on local issues in the school.
Teachers are in a special trust relationship with students. This action violates that trust.

LS 10-03-2008 @ 11:42AM

Ummm....

Coupla things...

The article clearly states, "The Department of Education - which has a long-standing policy barring teachers from wearing campaign buttons in schools... " and

"Schools are not a place for politics and not a place for staff to wear political buttons," said department spokeswoman Ann Forte.

and

"We don't want a school or school staff advocating for any political position or candidate to students and we don't want students feeling intimidated because they might hold a different belief or support a different candidate than their teachers."

So it's not that the teachers are incapable of teaching in an unbiased manner, it's not that they are "forcing" kids to think one way or another.

The problem here is that this particular teacher's union is being biased, and putting pressure on it's members to support one candidate over another, when it is a teacher's job (as difficult as it may be) to remain IMPARTIAL when teaching about a concept such as politics. That's not to say that a teacher cannot say, "I support this candidate for these reasons. Now, who do you support, and why?" Because that's teaching a kid how to think, and how to present an argument in a clear manner.

But for this union to distribute buttons against the rules, AND to support one candidate and not the other, AND to encourage this behavior in the classroom is completely unacceptable.

Teach the kids how to think. Teach them how important it is to vote. Teach them that if they don't vote, they can't complain. Encourage those who are of age to go and register. I'm all for those.

But teachers should keep their politics out of the classroom, unless it's part of a valid discussion or debate, and if that's the case, kids should be allowed to speak freely (but respectfully) about the candidates. Even if they're calling the teacher's guy a dirty, rotten thief.

Maureen 10-03-2008 @ 12:06PM

As someone who supports Obama, I totally agree with you. I think it is great if teachers express the importance of voting and the democratic process. But they hold a unique position and I think that their endorsement, in the classroom, of a specific candidate isn't right.

I know it's different, but along the same lines... the pastor at my church this weekend said that the church would never endorse a specific candidate, so he asked anyone working in the church (volunteers and paid staff) to refrain from wearing campaign buttons while in service of the church. That sounds about right to me. Let the teachers wear their buttons as soon as they get off school property, but in the classroom keep the discussion to the importance of everyone's vote.

JoAnn 10-03-2008 @ 12:07PM

I agree with the above poster who is doubtful that Ms. Campos-Duffy would take issue with the teaching of religious ideology in public school, given some of her past posts. I find this a very amusing post, considering that I would hedge a bet that you would not be posting this had those buttons been red.

justjojo 10-04-2008 @ 6:13PM

You're absolutely right, JoAnn. Rachel would probably be praising the political activism of those right-wing teachers who wore their McCain/Palin buttons to school as a great example for children everywhere.

April 10-04-2008 @ 4:58PM

I couldn't agree with you two more.

Rachel's post would be *exactly* the opposite if the teachers were spouting Christian beliefs in a public school classroom, or were reprimanded for wearing McCain-Palin buttons. Then, they'd be brilliant mavericks of social activism....

Jenni 10-05-2008 @ 11:34AM

And so would all of your comments.

But then, I think that the post wouldn't be different. See, those of us on this side understand the difference between doing what's right and having our own agenda.

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