A middle school teacher in Georgia is under fire after he gave students an assignment to write to Congress in support of gun control. The assignment description read, “For this assignment, you are to write a letter to the lawmakers of the United States. The purpose of this letter is to pressure lawmakers to have stricter gun laws in the United States.” The assignment didn’t include room for arguments against gun control.
The topic has taken center stage in the media recently following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Teen activists who survived the incident have remained in the spotlight, making rounds on news outlets pushing the gun-control narrative. Nationwide protests in schools have also kept gun control at the forefront of political discussion.
William Lee, a law enforcement officer, reached out to the teacher and school after his son brought home the assignment, questioning the relevance of gun control in that particular class. According to Lee, the curriculum for 7th grade social studies includes Asia, Africa, and the Middle East and not gun control. The teacher exempted Lee’s son from the assignment without penalty. Other parents questioned the assignment, but some of their children had already turned it in. There was recently another politically motivated incident at the same middle school that involved a 6th grade teacher calling President Trump a racist during a rant.
A spokesman from the district explained that they would never approve of assignments that are politically biased, and the letters weren’t going to actually be sent to Congress. He also claimed that corrective action would be taken to ensure similar assignments won’t happen in the future. The district representative also expressed disappointment that such a lesson was assigned in the first place.
While middle school students are smart enough to comprehend aspects of politics, they are still being shaped by adults. Political beliefs aren’t something children should be learning in school. It’s up to parents to guide their children’s learning and help shape values. Politics should be taught subjectively while instruction is given in schools.
I’ve been reading too many outrageous stories about teachers going off the deep-end over politics and ranting to students. I remember learning about politics and government in high school, not middle school. Furthermore, I was never taught how to believe or which way to vote. Students should be presented with all sides of the argument and given the opportunity to form their own opinions and beliefs and safely express them.
Parents don’t send their children to school to be indoctrinated. Learning about current events in a school setting is important. Encouraging students to think for themselves regardless of personal opinions is something every educator needs to start doing. Teaching acceptance is possibly the most important thing in our current political climate. That includes accepting that everyone is entitled to their beliefs, even if they’re different.
Treating people with dignity and respect regardless of how they vote is something that should be taught, since teachers have started including more politically motivated lessons.
