As I See it

I read the minutes of the February 18 zoom meeting of the Cook County School Board, and found they were very incomplete. They stated there were no public comments. Well, I beg to differ. I spoke for the allotted three minutes about an issue that I believe is a very serious one, and that I surely want to see dealt with by the Cook County High School Administration.

I learned from a Facebook posting by a father about a situation that happened in a ninth-grade classroom on January 7, the day after the invasion of the U.S. Capitol. The teacher asked students what they thought about the violence at the Capitol. It was a zoom classroom, and when the student responded, “What about the violence that happened in Minneapolis last summer?” Instead of using the response as a great opportunity to listen and hear what a student was thinking about what was in the news for weeks with angry protests, burning buildings, vandalism, over 200 businesses destroyed, livelihoods of thousands gone. But, no. The teacher curtly replied, “You may leave the class.” Apparently, the teacher had no interest in an opinion that differed from their own.

Cancel culture; violation of the student’s First Amendment Rights to free speech and bullying and intimidation by someone who holds great power over the student, their grade, how they feel about giving any personal opinion on a topic in the future, and perhaps how they feel about school, period. I had since learned of another student’s similar experience, in a different classroom. Even to being told they need to see the principal, and perhaps the school counselor. All because of a dissenting point of view from the teacher.

I believe the classroom is not the place for a teacher to express their political preference; however, from comments of many students and parents, I have learned this is definitely not the case in our high school, and in talking to many people have learned intimidation of students by teachers is not the exception. There are many who have experienced it. This needs to stop! I was very involved in the school when our four kids, who each are CCHS graduates, were in school. So, I have spoken with many and have corresponded with each of the school board members, the administrators, PTA officers, the student’s parents, Brian Larsen, Editor of the CC News-Herald regarding the situation. Because of privacy laws, I have learned nothing about what has been done to deal with the teacher’s behavior. The school motto is “Success for all, respect for each.” And one of the rules for teachers’ conduct in the classroom from the Faculty Handbook reads, “No professional educator shall treat any student with disparagement.” Is this enforced? If not, what good are rules of conduct?

I spoke to this issue during the three minutes allowed at the referenced school board meeting, and because I have not seen any correction of the missing public comments in the printed minutes, I feel it is important that the community be aware of it, and we all work to see that the classroom is never a place where students’ freedom of speech rights are violated, or the teacher’s personal political views are the only accepted ones. A teacher’s political views do not belong in the classroom.

Rae M. Piepho,
Lutsen