Can Teachers Be Politically Neutral?

The problem of both sides in the classroom

Photo by Randy Colas on Unsplash

At the beginning of every school year, I tell my community college freshman that it is okay to disagree with me. I tell them that it is okay to disagree with the readings and with each other. I tell them that I want them to think critically about the texts that we read, to question everything.

I tell them this because I think that most students are taught to regurgitate what they’ve read, not think about it critically. And critical thinking is an important skill for both further education and for the existence of our democracy.

My educational past was littered with “my way or the highway” thinking. Coming of age attending a religious school taught me that dissent was to be punished. In the thick of the culture wars, it was either have a conservative opinion, or risk being labeled ungodly.

I Went to an Anti-LGBTQ School

So now, as a teacher, I tell my students that, when we have discussions, they are free to express whatever opinion they want as long as it doesn’t denigrate someone else’s identity. I do…