NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A New York City teacher was warned over a homework question critical of President Donald Trump. An Alabama district fielded complaints for a teacher’s “Obama, you’re fired!” caption under a Trump display. And video caught a Texas art teacher shooting a squirt gun at an image of the president, and yelling, “Die!”
In the age of Trump, when current events are increasingly dominating classroom discussions, there’s a debate among educators whether it’s appropriate or even ethical for teachers to weigh in with their own political views. Is there a point when such opinionating crosses the line into political proselytizing?
“Why shouldn’t a teacher be able to vocalize their opinion?” Niagara Falls High School student Santino Cafarella, 18, asked after his government class this past week. “We’re in high school at this point. We should be able to discover our own viewpoints.”
It’s become a flashpoint at a time when many teachers say students are more energized than ever by current events, with issues such as immigration, racial justice and transgender rights discussed not only in social studies but in other classes, the hallways and at lunch, too. And students often ask teachers what they think.