Should politics have a place in the classroom?

Yes, I think it does matter. And Yes, I realize that teachers are human, and they may be as opinionated as the next guy.

I also think that the political process absolutely has a place in the classroom - so many citizens go into the polls 'blind' - they are voting for a name, but really have no idea of the responsibilities and limitations on that position. It's like hiring a person for a job you don't understand. Or, taking the last two Presidential Elections as an example, they have no idea what the Electoral College is or what it's for. Or why it was instituted in the first place. So yeah, I absolutely think that learning about the political process is a valuable lesson, made more exciting by Current Events.

I think that political issues have a place, framed within that discussion about political process. Teaching kids to take a step back from emotion and examine an issue from all sides is a valuable lesson that spans all areas of life, not just politics. Take, for another example, the discussion of Roe vs. Wade (which, I know, is probably not so appropriate for second graders, but it's an easy one for here). Discuss why one half of the country wants it to stay a national law, and why the other half want it to be an issue for the states to decide. Which is the Constitutional way? Are both? Are neither? How does it affect other laws and amendments? And so on.

I even think that a teacher can present the current political landscape in the classroom, as long as it's "fair and balanced"... Put up a poster for each candidate. Put up posters of Third-Party Candidates, as well. Give them a list of issues and have them find out how each candidate stands on each one, and then they can compare.

AFTER all of these lists are made, show them how to interpret them in a way that they can understand, and how those issues affect their lives. At this point, you can even interject your opinion. Perhaps you're a Mickey Mouse supporter, because Mickey Mouse wants all teachers to be paid in Gold Dubloons and have a paid vacation to Bora Bora each year, in addition to giving every student brand-new books and pencils each year. You get my point.

Presenting things in a thoughtful, objective way most of the time, I believe, would negate the few times that you interject your personal opinion. AND when you do interject your personal opinion, if it's presented as, "This is what I think, what about you? And lets discuss the differences," and "don't choose this person just because I do," is an excellent way to teach kids to debate without getting personal or mean.

I think most people have a problem with teachers putting personal opinion in there when they only express one side without discussing the merits of the other, and when they make their students feel pressured to feel the same way the teacher does.

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First of all, I think it is appropriate for any and every classroom to have a prominent photo of the sitting president of the country. Whether or not he is running for president. If that is considered a political statement, then I guess we should ban blue skies too since "blue" can be used politically. Never mind that kids ought to know the actual color of the sky AND the actual sitting president.

You can certainly talk about presidents without getting political. You can talk about an ex-president, or the current president, who is not running for re-election. You can pick one basic issue of the current debate and sanitize it in an age-appropriate manner. For example, you can mention that one candidate believes it is more helpful to let taxpayers reinvest more of their money to create jobs, while the other candidate believes it is better for that money to be given to less-wealthy people for them to spend and keep businesses running that way. If asked for your opinion, you can say that you believe in some amount of tax to take care of x, y, and z, but don't want to pay so much that you can't afford things that are important to your family. I doubt the question of whether $250K makes a rich household will come up in the second grade (unless you ask it yourself), but if it does, you can talk about how $250K can buy more in some places and less in some places, and different people have different uses for their money, e.g., business growth versus a new boat. You can talk about how complicated it all is and how it's hard to give a solid answer since you don't have all the numbers to figure out how things would play out under either plan. There is a lot you can say that respects differences of opinion without hiding from them.

I do believe it is wrong to give your opinion about who is the better candidate (or which platform is better) to a class of second-graders. You are in a position of authority and they don't have the critical thinking skills to recognize that your opinion is just an opinion like anyone's on either side.

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What the President does is strictly factual. There is no political line. What is he responsible for? He's the head of our military. Veto rights. All those things. Yes, those should be taught in the classroom.

Your OPINION on whether or not he does a good job (or who would do a better job) is not educational. It doesn't belong in the classroom.

You can discuss the job of our govenment in social studies. There is a job description. That is education.

But keep your opinions out of it (no matter what side you are on).

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If you want to avoid heat from the parents, then don't reveal your opinion. While I don't see a reason to get heated over simply expressing your preference, I know others probably would, and who needs that? Voting booth have curtains for a reason, you should be able to keep your opinion private.

The simplest of lessons on how government works, including the role of president and how he is elected is probably a good thing. As much as will keep the kids interest. After that, I think it's probably a waste of your breath for the youngest students.

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If they ask, tell them that you're supposed to keep your vote *secret*.

If they were two years older, or three, I'd suggest instead that you set them to work researching what each candidate has said and done in the past, with the goal of finding out how one makes up ones mind about elections - but second grade is a little young for that sort of in depth work.

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Teachers can present their personal opinions about candidates and party platforms if done correctly. They should also state what the other candidate believes. Unfortunately, I trust very few of them to do it correctly.

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It's very important that children are taught about politics, so yes it belongs in the classroom. And when achild asks your opinion you can give it, nothing wrong with that. If you feel unconfortable with it you can say it's a private matter.

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