Protecting racism in the classroom
Monday, November 21, 2016 at 07:16PM
As stories of post-election violence and hate speech circulate online, some people have begun wearing safety pins to identify themselves as allies in the fight against intolerance, and to show solidarity with women, LGBT people, immigrants, and people of color feeling frightened by Trump’s presidency and the vitriol that some of his supporters display. NY Mag, Nov 11, 2016.
... make no mistake, that’s what the safety pins are for. Making White people feel better. They’ll do little or nothing to reassure the marginalized populations they are allegedly there to reassure; marginalized people know full well the long history of white people calling themselves allies while doing nothing to help, or even inflicting harm on, non-white Americans. Huffington Post, Nov 14, 2016
My daughter shared this announcement from my grandsons' school district in Prairie Village, Kansas:
District and NEA Shawnee Mission Share a Message
Recently a movement to wear safety pins has gained popularity across the nation and in our community. Individuals began wearing safety pins within our school communities resulting in concerns and complaints regarding political connotations associated with the wearing of safety pins. The Shawnee Mission School District is committed to creating and maintaining safe schools that foster a culture of respect for all. Key to this goal is ensuring that our classrooms and school learning environments remain free from disruption. To assist in clarifying district policies and procedures, a joint statement from the school district and NEA-SM was shared with all staff on Monday.
The statement is written as follows:
"Recent events require us to remind our employees of their rights and responsibilities. As a staff member, you do not give up your first amendment right to free-speech on matters of public concern. However, your communication inside the classroom on school time is considered speech on behalf of the school district and there is a limitation on that speech.
The wearing of a safety pin as a political statement is the latest example of such political speech. Although wearing the safety pin as political speech is not the problem, any disruption the political statement causes in the classroom or school is a distraction in the education process. We ask staff members to refrain from wearing safety pins or other symbols of divisive and partisan political speech while on duty--unless such activity is specifically in conjunction with District curriculum.
Further, the use of district owned devices and accounts is strictly forbidden for anything other than District business. If you have questions regarding appropriate use, please see BOE policies IIBF and GAT.
NEA-SM and the Board of Education are committed to the safety of every student. Thank you in advance for your careful review of this statement and for working with all students of the Shawnee Mission community.”
The Shawnee Mission School District has been and will continue to be a district that focuses on taking care of students and making sure that all students feel safe and supported regardless of issues or concerns occurring outside of our schools.
I later discussed the message with a couple people whose judgements and values I respect - and who, despite being proud to be called politically liberal, did not agree on whether the safety pin was a good, bad, or merely ineffective symbol to display. I personally do my best not to bring politics to my work place and try to be analytic rather than partisan in my blogging, Tweeting, and other communications and haven't worn a political symbol since the 1960s.
Yet the message from the Shawnee Mission Schools, in essence banning a communication out of fear that racists may be offended bothers me a great deal. What message does this send to my grandsons? That every POV has equal value, including those that discriminate against those have been historically oppressed? That White Supremistists are a legitimate political voice in the US that should get equal time with mainstream Democrats and Republicans?
Maybe I am living in a bubble, but I thought we were a better country than this.
Were I working the the Shawnee Mission District I might wear the safety pin just to show my rejection of cowardly policies.
PS: My daughter just sent me this: The ACLU's letter to to district: http://shawneemissionpost.com/2016/11/22/aclu-of-kansas-sends-letter-to-shawnee-mission-superintendent-urging-reversal-on-policy-banning-teachers-wearing-safety-pins-58021
Reader Comments (7)
This in the same week my school district, in blue California, issued a letter assuring students that district personnel would take all measure necessary to provide a safe learning environment for all students, that harassment and bullying would not be tolerated to any degree whatsoever. As the parent of a gay child (now safely and happily out of the clutches of public school bullies) I know which letter I would rather have received. How about you, Doug?
The safety pin is no more political than is the safety of children, or are we now considering making Kristalnacht a national holiday? The safety pin is also an invitation to violence at the hands of abusers, and to that degree it IS political, since we seem to have politicized the very idea of public safety. "Liberty and pursuit of happiness" is suddenly old school. Thinking we need to break out those ancient symbols from the 60s, don't you think?
When one of our social workers sent a link to an article suggesting ways to help children with fears about the election, it was rescinded by our central office and we were told not to discuss the election, to refer students to their parents. Photos of our school election were not published on our district social media accounts.
No wonder people don't vote: politics is such a dirty, unpleasant subject, I am not allowed to discuss it at school, and even our exercise in civics is too controversial for our administration.
Is it paranoid to think I should not post this because my employer will think it violates my signed internet agreement?
Hi Bill,
Really good to hear from you. I could not believe reading this letter from the Prairie Village School District! If California successfully secedes from the Union, please take Minnesota with ya!
Doug
HI Kate,
I hope you do keep speaking your mind. I believe the school needs to show that your speech/actions "materially disrupt the educational process." If we do NOT speak out on issues of human rights, what message are we really sending our students?
Doug
Hmmmmm.... I would be hard pressed to come to the same conclusion shared by the school district. One must really be careful to tread lightly on the first amendment rights of employees, students and parents. The fear of disruption has never been an appropriate standard for students and was not what Tinker v Des Moines was about (the reference to disruption is usually a reference to the standard established in Tinker and subsequent cases).
From the position of armchair (keyboard) quarterback, I'd opine that Shawnee got this wrong and potentially in a legally liable way.
In the very place that political discourse should occur, it seems like the want of neutrality may be casting a "pall of orthodoxy" over what should be dialog.
My opinion only.
Joel
nks for weighing in on this, Joel. I have always respected your thinking.
It makes one wonder where the attempt to inhibit teachers' right to free speech might wind up. No pink ribbons in support of breast cancer victims? No sports team apparel? Give today's climate, nearly anything could be construed as political and controversial.
My understanding is the same as yours in regard to Tinker, but I have also read that a teachers First Amendment rights are actually less than students'. I suppose any excuse to fire a teacher ....?
Read the letter from the ACLU on this issue too. There is a link in the blog post.
Doug
nks for weighing in on this, Joel. I have always respected your thinking.
It makes one wonder where the attempt to inhibit teachers' right to free speech might wind up. No pink ribbons in support of breast cancer victims? No sports team apparel? Give today's climate, nearly anything could be construed as political and controversial.
My understanding is the same as yours in regard to Tinker, but I have also read that a teachers First Amendment rights are actually less than students'. I suppose any excuse to fire a teacher ....?
Read the letter from the ACLU on this issue too. There is a link in the blog post.
Doug
nks for weighing in on this, Joel. I have always respected your thinking.
It makes one wonder where the attempt to inhibit teachers' right to free speech might wind up. No pink ribbons in support of breast cancer victims? No sports team apparel? Give today's climate, nearly anything could be construed as political and controversial.
My understanding is the same as yours in regard to Tinker, but I have also read that a teachers First Amendment rights are actually less than students'. I suppose any excuse to fire a teacher ....?
Read the letter from the ACLU on this issue too. There is a link in the blog post.
Doug