Students

We have heard from so many students that they can sense that something is “off” in their class, either with how a teacher presents the material; the type of material; or the way in which topics are chosen; assignments are written; or classroom discussions where a teacher is clearly siding with one point of opinion views over another.

This is not okay.

There is a difference between a teacher asking you to write about both sides of a controversial issue, and asking you to draw a conclusion, versus a teacher asking you to write about only one side of an issue from a pre-selected list of topics that skews in favor of one political party or candidate.

A lot of the students we talk to wish that their teachers would just play fair.  They are fearful about being singled out, or being the only person the teacher points to again and again for the “other” side.

We get it.  Here is how you can help make a difference.

1. Document, document, document.  Reach out to us, or your parents, and be really precise about as much information as you can.  How much class time was spent on a political issue, at the expense of learning facts and analysis of historical events?  If a controversial issue is presented, is the teacher presenting well-qualified original sources (Wikipedia doesn’t count!), or opinions?  
2. Are you being told that you have privilege, asked to divide people based on racial or gender classifications?  Targeted for your race or political views?  How, and why?
3. Look critically at your classroom assignments.  Are you only being presented with authors with a certain point of view?  Are things from one side of the political aisle presented uncritically, while the other side of the political aisle is left out of the discussion, or disparaged?

Students are fearful of retaliation.  There are school laws and policies to protect you from that.  But we can also advocate for you so that your teachers don’t know it was you who complained.

The best way to reach us is through an e-mail, at info@educationnotindoctrination.com.  PLEASE do not use your school e-mail system if you want to remain anonymous!!!  But do give us a way to contact you so that we can gather information we will need to make changes.