By Angelina Newsom:
A Staten Island father was furious over homework that was assigned to his daughter that he felt was disparaging to President Donald Trump. When Vincent Ungro’s daughter brought the homework to him for help, he noticed that two of the questions were political in nature. The sixth-grade students were supposed to fill in the blanks from sentences that the teacher had put together using words she provided. The sentences on the homework that were constructed for the students to complete were related to President Donald Trump, as well as former President Barack Obama.
The example given regarding President Trump (after the proper vocabulary words were inserted) read, “President Trump speaks in a very superior and haughty manner, insulting many people. He needs to be more humble so that the American people respect and admire him.” The sentence regarding former President Obama read, “Barack Obama set a precedent when he became the first African-American president.”
The second sentence would have been politically neutral on its own. However, in this instance, the sentences go hand in hand to illustrate the teacher’s disapproval of President Donald Trump. Ungro instructed his daughter to leave the questions blank and included a handwritten note on the assignment explaining to the teacher why the sentences weren’t completed. He also asked that she leave political views out of homework because he did not want his daughter to be influenced. When the teacher (Adria Zawatsky) took 15 points off the assignment, Ungro reached out to her via email. Instead of an apology, explanation, or even some sort of remorse shown to an upset parent, Zawatsky replied by asserting that she believed that she was only expressing her first amendment right to free speech. She went on to try to justify the homework she had assigned by saying that the same sentiments were portrayed daily in the media.
She was completely wrong for even using political references where they are not warranted. Middle school is a very crucial time for children. They begin to develop an understanding of the way the world works. Children are also very curious and inquisitive at that age where politics are concerned. Teachers need to realize the influence they have over their students and behave accordingly. This means that any discussion of politics should be completely neutral when presented to children. Zawatsky’s behavior was completely inappropriate, not only in the homework she assigned, but in dismissing a concerned parent who reached out to let her know where he stood.
The incident was elevated to the Department of Education, and Zawatsky was given a disciplinary letter, which was placed in her file. For the upset father, this simply wasn’t enough of a punishment for the teacher, who ultimately did break policy by not maintaining neutrality while discussing politics in the classroom. Educators carry an incredible responsibility when it comes to shaping the minds of America’s youth. They should be held fully accountable for infractions—such as this one— that could have unforeseen effects on the students.
Angelina Newsom is an OpsLens Contributor and U.S. Army Veteran. She has ten years experience in the military, including a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She studies Criminal Justice and is still active within the military community.
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