Bump for freshness.
Ya'll might interested in an article in today's Seattle Times titled "On Iraq, 2 teachers keep their feelings to themselves."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/134640242_iraqtalk24m0.html
Here are some excerpts, greatly rearranged to illustrate the difference between the two teachers.
"Khodi Kaviani teaches social studies at Cedar Heights Junior High in Covington, a rural school with about 1,000 students. He was born in Iran and spent the first 16 years of his life there. The 42-year-old, who has a master's degree in international studies, thinks the United States doesn't have a good record when dealing with Iraq. Before he'd support military action against Iraq, Kaviani says, the Bush administration should clearly present what the purpose is, how much it would cost and what would come afterward. ... His classroom, they say, is the only one in the school where they can freely discuss their views and ask any question they want. ... There are times when Kaviani would like to interject his personal feelings. When students say things like, "Let's just go zap 'em," he'd like to tell them about the people who would be displaced and the pain they'd suffer. But students have to realize that on their own. ... Kaviani likes to tell his students about freedoms he never had growing up in Iran. There, he said, students who spoke against the shah were taking a risk for themselves and their family. Murals and statues of the shah were everywhere and people had to align their beliefs with his."
"Michael Sita teaches alternative education and journalism at Evergreen High School, a socially and economically diverse school of 1,100 students in White Center. ... An officer in the Naval Reserve, Sita, 37, served in the Gulf War. After Sept. 11, 2001, he was pulled from his classroom to supervise surveillance and patrol boats in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Believing Iraq poses a threat to the liberty and lives of Americans, Sita supports a strike on Iraq. ... Sita tells students that when he was in Kuwait he saw women with few rights being treated like slaves. He also draws from his military experience to explain what each side's weapons would be capable of accomplishing in a war. ... Sita, who believes high-school students should solve personal problems with nonviolent means and by talking things out, said he feels most conflicted when he's asked why talks between the two countries aren't working. It's hard for him to explain how peaceful measures may work in a school environment but not always in a world that isn't fully civilized. Sometimes, force and striking first are necessary, he says. But he knows he has to keep some of his feelings to himself. "It's a conflict for me," he said, "but it would be irresponsible for me, as a teacher, to get up and politically share my viewpoint and try to persuade students one way or another."
"While there is no state requirement that teachers remain neutral and balanced in discussing controversial topics, many individual school districts have such policies. And even in the absence of a policy, teachers are expected to use good, professional judgement."