POLITICS IN THE CLASSROOM
Survivor Rose Schindler as a guest speaker 3 at our school . We did not invite any Nazis or Holocaust deniers to speak , nor will we . Balance for the sake of balance cannot and should not be our goal . Instead , we want students to hear from people who have a broad range of backgrounds , experiences , and ideas , and whose views are not driven by hate or a willful disregard for truth . I hope that we ’ re able to make this happen , and I hope that if anyone thinks a particular perspective is underrepresented , they will let me know so that we can work together to solve the problem .
“ Silence is a statement ;
quietly accepting the status quo is no less a political act than vocally advocating for it to change .
”
I think these are important questions for school communities to engage with , and I think it ’ s important to do so with a shared understanding that it simply is not possible to be “ apolitical .” Silence is a statement ; quietly accepting the status quo is no less a political act than vocally advocating for it to change . I worry that too often in our country , teachers who speak up on matters of justice and equality — and especially teachers who are not cis-het white men — are criticized for being “ political ,” despite the fact that not speaking up is political too . Instead of striving for quietness , let ’ s acknowledge that some noisy conversations are necessary ; let ’ s be intentional , transparent , and forthright about how we want them to happen ; and let ’ s devote the time and resources needed for them to take place . Some of the conversations may be uncomfortable , but if we can structure them in such a way that all of us — students , parents , faculty , and administrators — are modeling how to listen thoughtfully , communicate earnestly , seek understanding , be empathetic , and truly care about one another , then what could possibly be more valuable for our students to experience as they grow into citizens ? •
3 . https :// www . cbs8 . com / article / news / holocaust-survivor-gets-diploma-70-years-after-surviving-auschwitz / 509- d543a848-1b53-4d15-9564-1bbabf2ad583
Dan Norland teaches the elective course “ Justice & Injustice ” to eleventh and twelfth grade students at La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego . He is also the assistant coach of the school ’ s mock trial team , the Civic Engagement Coordinator for the school ’ s Center for Excellence in Citizenship ( learn more at facebook . com / CitizenshipCenter ), and a co-editor of Witnesses of the Unseen : Seven Years in Guantanamo ( learn more at WitnessesBook . com ). Please feel free to contact Dan at DNorland @ LJCDS . org .
CSEE Connections Summer 2021 Page 5