BOULDER, Colo.—Political fever has captured the nation, and teachers aren’t immune to the Democratic- or Republican-leaning opinions that most Americans have.
Regardless of how strong educators feel about a candidate or issue, however, they must keep their views to themselves in class—and Boulder Valley has reminded its teachers of that rule.
An e-mail with “election guidelines for employees” was sent to administrators at Boulder Valley schools this fall reminding staff members that they “should not take a stand for or against a candidate or ballot issue, solicit or accept campaign contributions, or volunteer opinions speculating about the anticipated effects of passage or defeat of a candidate or ballot question.”
When teaching current affairs or political science, some educators said it can be tough to hide their views. But they manage to resist student temptation to share their political leanings because they appreciate the weight of their influence, said Lili Adeli, development director for Boulder Preparatory High School.
“I definitely think teachers here are very cautious about not influencing students in any direction,” Adeli said. “We can’t put stickers on our cars or wear buttons. We have to be really careful.”
Students constantly are asking Adeli whom she’s voting for, and Adeli said she repeatedly responds that it’s “not appropriate for me to share that information with you.”
She said she thinks students want to know how educators are voting because they see their teachers as their representatives.
“If they can’t vote, they want to make sure their teachers are looking out for their best interest,” Adeli said. “They’re hoping we’ll be their voice.”
The election guidelines sent to Boulder Valley schools go into detail about how the district, as a whole, should operate during an election season: It can’t use buildings to promote a candidate or issue; it can’t use resources—such as copy machines, fax machines or e-mail—for political purposes; and it can’t contribute to a campaign.
District employees, likewise, can’t work on a campaign, distribute political material during school hours or endorse a person or issue during work time. Employees can openly support candidates and issues on their own time, but they should be careful not to let those efforts overlap into their work life, according to the guidelines.
Adeli said the goal is to create a classroom environment where every student feels free to express his or her opinion.
“They were talking about the candidates today,” she said, “and one person said, ‘I don’t think Barack Obama would be good because he’s not experienced enough.’ Another person said, ‘Yeah, but McCain is old, and he’s gonna die.’
“They absolutely feel free and comfortable discussing and debating what’s going to happen.”
Melissa Mequi, legal counsel for Boulder Valley, said the district takes its election guidelines from the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act.
“It gets back to what they’re hired to do,” Mequi said. “It’s to teach the curriculum that, as a district, we get to determine.”
Mequi said she’s unaware of any complaints to the district about teachers sharing political views or persuading students one way or another. But, in the spring, Manhattan Middle School Principal Martha Gustafson apologized after showing support for U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall by introducing him during his visit to her school as “our next senator for the state of Colorado.”
Gustafson later said, “I just got caught up in the enthusiasm, and I realized later that I had crossed a line.”
At Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette, students of all ages are challenged to think critically about this political season, and teachers—though they must hide their political persuasions—don’t shy away from subjects comparing Democratic candidate Barack Obama with Republican candidate John McCain.
“We want them to draw their own conclusions,” said Tony Fontana, executive principal for Peak to Peak.
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