“What did you think of the debate last night?”

In history classrooms across the country, teachers prompt students to share their feelings about the presidential election and current events. Discussions often become debates, and through it all, the teacher is expected to simply provide factual supplements and neutral questions for students to feed off of.

Teachers are not allowed to share their political alignment, with the general consensus that they may disrupt what is intended to be an all-accepting environment. Students may feel excluded, biased against, or disliked by their teachers due to their political views.

However, come 2016, there has been a push for change. A letter from ten past and current Teachers of the Year details how, with the stakes of the current election, it is impossible to stay silent.

“Children are watching. They are listening. They are learning from the example we set as their parents and teachers—not only from what we say and do, but from what we accept when it comes to the words and actions of others,” says the letter.

In my opinion, teachers should not have to stay silent about their beliefs. Parents, celebrities, and even other students often sway a student’s political standing as much or more than teachers do. The only difference is that teachers are bound to the school, and therefore cannot afford to take the backlash should they express controversial beliefs.

A Supreme Court ruling  in the Pickering vs. Board of Education case dealt with a teacher who was suspended for expressing personal beliefs on public matters in the classroom. Although the court ended up siding with Pickering, there still remains ambiguity about First Amendment rights in the classroom. Many argue that since teachers are under the district, they cannot express political opinion because they represent the town. The idea that education is presented with an influential bias is certainly frightening, because opinions have the potential to be presented as facts.

That being said, this “bias” is actually quite the opposite. Teachers are not going to make certain political opinions mandatory. For those who are discouraged from even expressing opinions to avoid “bullying”, it is hardly going to escalate to such a level. Rather than stifle a student’s opinion, teachers are committed to the idea of diverse thought and argument. Letting them express opinions simply offers ground for debate, a professional’s perspective, and even the opportunity to connect with students.

Political arguments often become moral arguments at the core. Especially in the 2016 election, where many issues overlap heavily with moral and social disputes, it is an invaluable opportunity for teachers to compare schools of moral thought. Hopefully, the varied arguments of one’s classmates will propel the student to change for the better.

One’s political beliefs often mirror his/her morals. It becomes clear that using politics as a connection to ethic debates is essential. In literature and history alike, the core of the curriculum invariably comes back to morality. Between religion, human nature, racism, and compassion, we already discuss controversial opinions every day in the classroom. How different is it to express the same thought-provoking ideas in the context of the real world, in real time?

If they feel that it is too personal, teachers do not have to say a word regarding politics. But for those who want to express their opinion on politics the way they do for Huckleberry Finn — that is, calmly and with room for argument — there should not be anything stopping them. Westford Academy, a place where students and teachers are generally receptive and open to discussion, would benefit greatly from this kind of connection.

Teachers are not responsible for making sure there are no fights or sensitivity in the classroom. They are, however, responsible for providing a balanced, thoughtful education for students, and in a time like this, discussing electoral politics opens avenues for students to develop a more open worldview.