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Adoption Date: 9/1/2012, Revised: 1/13/2020
Regulations - Regulations


4810R TEACHING ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

1)     Opportunities should be provided within the instructional program to study controversial issues under competent guidance. At all grade levels these opportunities should be provided students according to their maturity.

2)     The study of controversial issues should at all times be objective and scholarly with a minimum emphasis on opinion. The teacher  must approach  the issue in an impartial  and  unprejudicial manner and must refrain from using the classroom to promote a partisan point of view. All sides to any issue should be presented.

3)     Planning   for   the   teaching   of   any   controversial   issue   must   be   carried   out   with   the acknowledgment of the building administrator as to the topic, materials used, guest speakers, etc. The  administrator,  being informed,  is  better  able  to  support  the  teacher  and  the  instruction regarding concerns, questions, and/or challenges to what is being attempted.

Students and/or parents/guardians are to be informed before beginning a planned unit of study which may be controversial in nature.

The intent of this regulation in no way implies that a spontaneous discussion of an issue cannot be held when the occasion arises.

4)     In discussing controversial issues, the teacher should keep in mind that the classroom is a forum and  not  a  committee  for  producing   resolutions  or  solutions.   The  class  should   feel  no responsibility for reaching an agreement.

5)     The consideration of any issue should require only as much time as is needed for satisfactory study by the class, but sufficient time should be provided to cover the issue adequately.

6)      It is the teacher's responsibility to bring out the facts concerning controversial questions. He/she has the right to express an opinion, but in doing so it is important that students understand it is his/her opinion and is not to be accepted by them as an authoritative answer.

7)     Any criticism and/or challenge to the teaching of a controversial issue is to be handled by the Building  Principal  with  the  teacher   involved.   If  the  complaint  includes  a  challenge  to instructional materials, the procedure for requesting reconsideration of library or instructional materials may be initiated.