Thursday, November 14, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, September 13, 2019
MaunaKea: DoE Sup't Reminds Teachers not to 'Coerce' Students
By News Release @ 7:45 PM :: 4617 Views :: Education K-12, First Amendment

Taking a Position on Controversial Issues

Message from DoE Superintendent, September 10, 2019 

A memorandum will be posted tomorrow as a reminder that under Board of Education Policy 101-13, all Hawai'i State Department of Education (HIDOE) educators shall maintain objectivity when facilitating discussion of issues that generate opposing points of view. Kumu shall fairly present all points of view in their selection of resources and learning experiences, design and facilitate learning opportunities based on the maturity of the learner, and promote critical thinking embedded in our adopted curriculum standards.

This extends outside the classroom to educators and staff who represent the Department on various community boards and committees. These HIDOE employees are expected to recuse themselves on issues the Department has not officially taken a stance.

To be clear, we fully embrace opportunities to discuss and express differences in opinions on important issues. However, our commitment is to protect our learning environment from approaches that may inappropriately influence or coerce students to a particular political viewpoint. As a learning community, we foster innovative and meaningful learning in a safe environment by supporting students to listen respectfully and share different points of views. Ours is a learning environment - not a political environment.

This is why we take a clear stance around responsible and positive discourse, especially when diverse perspectives are creating disagreements in public discourse. Respect, thoughtfulness, and reflective dialogue drive education discourse. We are committed to student voice that focuses on the student's thought development, not the social or political issue, allowing them a safe space to consider their authentic voice.

Thank you for your commitment to ensuring our haumana can thoughtfully engage in civil discourse and solution development using Na Hopena A'o (HA) as a guide for discovery of self, of others, and of community.

---30---

LINK: POLICY 101-13 CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

Student discussion of issues which generate opposing points of view shall be considered a normal part of the learning process in every area of the school program. The depth of the discussion shall be determined by the maturity of the students

Teachers shall refer students to resources reflecting multiple and diverse points of view.  Discussions, including contributions made by the teacher or resource person, shall be maintained on an objective, factual basis. Stress shall be placed on learning how to make judgements based on facts. 

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii