Recently, WPS staff, students and families received a message from Superintendent Rachel Monarrez addressing the presence of political discussion in Worcester schools.
Superintendent Monarrez addressed questions the District has received on education and immigration policies, and on opinionated statements that teachers make to students during the school day.
She stated in her message, ‘“WPS is dedicated to fostering an inclusive learning environment where every child can thrive academically and emotionally,” and mentioned that her office has reminded WPS staff and teachers that their focus is on educating and support students with developing skills of critical thinking, creativity, communication and more, emphasizing that any personal political views of the staff are not allowed in classrooms. According to the Superintendent, “civic engagement is included in our curriculum and should be taught from an unbiased perspective.”
We asked South students about their opinion on this directive from the Superintendent:
Sarah Jeffers – I normally try to stay out of politics. Most of the time, I am confused, and I don’t know the whole story, nor am I truly interested in it. More recently, although I may not love talking about them, politics has moved to the forefront of every single person’s mind, including mine. Everyone wants to talk about what is going on in our country, and how that will affect our future, but not everybody knows the truth. Most of what we hear are rumors, and I believe that if we hear the facts coming from our teachers, and how they feel about it, then we may gain a better sense of understanding about everything. Teachers make the biggest impact on our lives, whether good or bad, and I believe hearing honesty and truth coming from them can show that we are in this together.
Miriam Fransozi – I think that it is right that a teacher can clearly shows his political view, but it is important, fundamental I would say, to the kids to develop critical thoughts, to be prepared in the future, in the present and in the past. It is importantly to talk about past, present and future politic, to prevent the mistakes made in the past and to develop an independent opinion, independent from the common opinion, or the opinion of your parents and of your friends. It is vital to develop your own political thought not influenced by anyone but your own ideals and values, built on a solid base of history, of common knowledge of what is happening in the world and an idea of what kind of future you want for yourself and for the posterity.
Jugeiry Perez – I understand where the Superintendent is coming from, but we are not young children. I think we should be allowed to have conversations about politics and issues in our world, especially since high school prepares us for life beyond school. We are all going to be subjected to hearing opinions that we don’t necessarily agree with, and that is okay. If a teacher’s political opinion crosses the line and turns disrespectful and harmful, then I think action should be taken, but otherwise they should be allowed to open up conversations about politics, as It can serve as a lesson to some and enlighten others on the current predicaments in our world. Teachers are supposed to educate us, so wouldn’t preventing talks of sensitive, yet important topics do the opposite?
Natalie Delisio – Yes, I believe political discussion should be left out the classroom unless it’s part of the learning course because most families might have different political views from what a child hears in school making it difficult for children to have their own political opinion.
Lucy Reidy – The outcome of the 2024 election is something that affects us all, and teachers are no exception. With the possible abolishment of the department of education, now is as good a time as ever to be discussing these topics in school. At this point, many issues that are marked “political” such as the topic of abortion, race inequality, and LGBTQ+ rights should not be considered “political” in the slightest. At their core, these are all humanitarian issues that could affect everyone not just at South High, but at Worcester Public Schools. Additionally, at this point in time, I truly believe that no one can remain “unbiased” in this matter. Asking teachers to do so, especially in such a hard and emotional time for many of us, is extremely uncalled for. Students should know about what is going on in their government, and for some the only opportunity to learn about these issues is through our teachers. This isn’t just a matter of political opinion anymore– it’s about our rights and freedoms. Teachers should be able to have discussions about these topics, point blank.
Jennifer Lemus Cedillos – I think it should be kept out because not all of us agree with the same thing. I think people could say very hurtful things. Ever since the election started everyone want to express their opinion which in my opinion theirs nothing wrong. But I think people don’t think about others around them when talking about. Me personally think is stupid that people just say whatever they want and they don’t think about people around them. For example on TikTok I wasn’t scrolling until a video came up on the For you and the guy was talking about how “Thank God Trump won because now he can deport everyone who doesn’t belong in a America.” I just think is very hurtful things to say specially for me that come from a family of immigrants and me being an immigrant myself is really hurt. That’s why I think it should be kept out of the classroom and in school in general. I’ve heard rude things that student either say in class or while walking down the halls.
lysa Carmnagos Ribeiro – I believe that the Superintendent’s instructions are well-intended and that it is important to ensure that classrooms remain a safe and inclusive environment for all students. Teachers should focus on providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed academically, and personal political views should be left out of the classroom. While it is important for students to understand and engage with the world around them, including politics, teachers should strive to provide unbiased information and encourage critical thinking and discussion on the issues presented.
Leire Cuberes – I can understand where the Superintendent is coming from. However, it is so important to take situations in context, and these past election results are ones that simply cannot be ignored. I don’t think any election has ever seemed to challenge our basic freedoms and rights quite like this one has. What awaits our country is extremely frightening for so many groups of people, especially in considering the diversity of Worcester Public Schools. The abandonment of morals and self-respect promoted by the winning candidate almost feels like a slap on the face. To not normalize discussion of what is going on doesn’t feel honest or right, because people are genuinely scared, and there is so much uncertainty ahead. These results may even challenge aspects of education such as curriculum, and I think that when a real-world issue affects classrooms so directly, teachers and students gain every right to discuss their opinions and feelings to reflect as a community. Education is all about attaining knowledge to better navigate the real-world, so to completely disregard what is currently going on around us, especially at such uneasy times, feels like a betrayal of everything education stands for.
Devin Damm Marley – I agree with her instructions to a certain extent. I do believe politics shouldn’t be talked about in every single class with tons of opinions and discussions. For example, in classes like Peace Building, African American Studies, and Journalism I believe it’s important to have a conversation about the politics happening around us as of right now. I do kind of agree with the idea of teaching with less of an opinion, but I do think it’s important to be around people with different opinions than you and challenging your thought process and making you think.
Stephanie Nitri – I think that the superintendent’s instructions are reasonable. However, I believe that political discussion doesn’t have to be kept out of the classroom. Were going to face political opinions anyways and it’s a part of learning about civics. Politics have some impact on our education system so I believe we should be able to talk about it and how it plays a role in how our schools are regulated. We should also be able to talk about politics because of how it effects the world around us because we should be educated on some things that may occur outside of school and in the real world.
