Teachers hold a
lot of power in the classroom as leaders for their students and as the ones who
determine students’ overall grades, so what they say in the classroom or in
direct communication with their students is very important. A section of
chapter 12 in “Freedom of Speech in the United States” goes over two categories
of Freedom of Speech rights for teachers: academic expression and extramural
expression (Tedford & Herbeck, 339). According to Tedford and Herbeck, academic
expression, or academic freedom, is the protection of teachers to discuss “controversial
subjects, questions accepted beliefs, and propose creative solutions to social
problems in doing their jobs” (340). My first concern with this is that there
is no distinction listed of whether teachers are protected when sharing their
stances on these types of discussions. My second concern is that the Supreme
Court has not yet ruled on teachers’ First Amendment rights in the classroom (Tedford
& Herbeck, 341), so there seems to be no true distinction of what teachers can
and cannot discuss with students.
I think teachers’
First Amendment rights to speech and expression in the classroom should be
limited and defined more thoroughly in relation to personal views or beliefs in
the constitution because of their power to influence students as leaders and as
determiners of student grades. I am not saying that teachers should not have
controversial topics in their courses, but that the inclusion of their personal
views or beliefs should not be protected under the Freedom of Speech. Creating critical
and thoughtful discussion on controversial topics is a good way for students to
learn about the issues our world faces, but not when the students must worry if
their beliefs are going to affect their grade in the class or image to the
teacher.
An article by
Maria Elena Baca in the Star Tribune discusses sharing teacher views in the
classroom, including the view of a Chanhassen high school teacher. She says, “It’s
a delicate balancing act for teachers: how to encourage lively discussions with
a captive, impressionable audience without pushing their own personal views on
the students” (Baca). From the teacher’s view in the article, sharing personal
views is sometimes helpful, but other times is not a good idea, such as very
controversial topics like abortion (Baca). He said a teacher shouldn’t tell a
student “what to think, but give them more to think about” (Baca). The author
and this teacher sound fuzzy about the distinction of teachers’ how much speech
and influence their personal views have in the classroom. Therefore, teacher’s
right in the classroom under the Freedom of Speech needs to be better defined. Also,
if giving students something to think about involves them thinking about the
teacher’s opinion or belief on a controversial topic, the student could be
influenced into conforming to the teachers’ belief because of their power.
Overall, I believe teacher’s personal views should be left outside of the
classroom, not to be shared with their students.
Sources:
Tedford, Thomas L., and Dale A. Herbeck. Freedom of Speech in the United States.
8th ed. N.p.: STRATA, 2017. Print.
Baca, Maria Elena. “Is Classroom
off-Limits to Teacher Views?” StarTribune,
Star Tribune, 25 Dec. 2011,
www.startribune.com/is-classroom-off-limits-to-teacher-views/136212618/.
In your post, you state that “…teachers’ First Amendment rights to speech and expression in the classroom should be limited and defined more thoroughly in relation to personal views or beliefs…” My first reaction to this line of thought was concern, for some of my favorite experiences in the classroom are a result of my teachers sharing some of their beliefs and anecdotes about their life experiences. I wouldn’t have been able to experience these learning moments if teachers couldn’t express themselves in the classroom. However, as I continued to read I found that the reasons you put worth to support this policy are quite valid. One of the biggest points you mention is that a clash of beliefs between student and teacher could negatively impact the student’s grade. As a student who always tries to aim for the “A,” I can see why one would be worried that disagreeing with a teacher’s point of view might be detrimental to their grade. Furthermore, it is mentioned that students are also impressionable individuals. Since the purpose of education is foster new ideas, schools should take steps to prevent those in a position of authority from pushing their agenda on those they instruct. Based upon these reasons put forth in your post, I concur that the personal beliefs and views of teachers should not be granted the full immunity of protected speech while in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree that personal expression of teachers while in the classroom should not be fully protected speech, I also believe that an outright ban against a teacher’s ability to express their personal beliefs to their students shouldn’t be implemented either. As mentioned in the StarTribune article, this is a policy being considered by the Anoka-Hennepin school board in December of 2011 (Baca). The intention behind the proposed policy is genuine, but I feel that this is an instance where the use of prior restraint is overbroad. Rather than restrict the freedom of expression for all teachers, schools should treat the situation case by case. This way the great teachers can continue to educate their students through thoughtful discussion while only those who overstep these bounds are punished. Therefore, I believe the best course of action is to include a clause in teacher contracts that informs them that they are free to voice their opinions and views so long as: doing so will expand the discussion, they make it clear to their students that they are encouraged to have differing views, and they know that if they cross the line, the law won’t protect them.
Through these conditions, I believe that school boards can promote learning through open discussion while also ensuring that students aren’t coerced into adopting a certain viewpoint. This policy would also allow teachers to fully complete their duty as an educator. In the words of Eden Prairie High School teacher Steve Cwodzinski, “I think that part of my job is to make people more accepting and understanding of the global world we live in,” (Baca). As a student, I also believe that part of a teacher’s job is to help shape their students into active members of society who can engage in discussion, debate, and decision-making. For these reasons, I support teachers who wish to further a discussion by expressing their own views, even though I also recognize that these teachers can’t necessarily have the full range of free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment while in the classroom.
Sources:
Baca, Maria Elena. “Is classroom off-limits to teacher views?” StarTribune, 25 Dec. 2011. http://www.startribune.com/is-classroom-off-limits-to-teacher-views/136212618/ Accessed 15 Nov. 2017.