OPERATION Iraqi Freedom has become a touchy issue for a lot of people. Both anti-war protestors and those who support the Bush administration make their voices known daily throughout the country. And that's OK because just as Americans on each side of the debate claim, everyone has a right to their own opinion. In the nation's schools, though, the situation gets a little more sticky, especially when administrators discourage teachers from and reprimand them for expressing their own views in a classroom setting. While students should not have to subject themselves to a teacher's personal beliefs during instructional time, two New Mexico high school teachers were unjustly punished for not removing war-related student artwork from their classrooms.
On Monday night, officials informed Allen Cooper and Geoffrey Barrett -- a history and current events teacher and an English teacher, respectively -- that they would face suspension if they refused to take down the art dealing with the war in Iraq. Tuesday, both teachers acknowledged they had been placed on administrative leave for failing to comply with the district's policy on "controversial issues," according to the district's spokesman Rigo Chavez ("Teachers placed on leave over war posters," CNN.com, April 1). School officials then proceeded to remove the posters.
A similar incident occurred about two weeks ago at neighboring Rio Grande High School. In that situation, two teachers also refused to take down anti-war posters in their classrooms. Both teachers returned to work March 31.
What differentiates these two instances is the source of the disputed posters. At Rio Grande, the teachers themselves were responsible for the posters, and such a demonstration of their opinion can be interpreted as an abuse of their position of authority over students. In fact, most school systems and universities have similar policies prohibiting teachers from expressing their views during classroom time or in a classroom setting. The punishment for the Rio Grande teachers was reasonable.
On the other hand, the case at Highland High merits more scrutiny. The posters in question were created by students for a class assignment and exhibited both sides of the war debate. Although these posters displayed comparable sentiments as those that appeared on the walls of Rio Grande High, the fact that they originated with students should establish an important exception to the policy on the "presentation of controversial issues."
Many educators, students and parents alike believe that a significant skill developed by kids in high school is the ability to critically analyze the world and engage in a successful dialogue with those who both agree and disagree with them. In demanding that Cooper and Barrett take down the students' posters, administrators -- intentionally or not -- send the message to pupils that their opinions are neither valid nor appropriate for discussion. This was not a case of verbal abuse or an effort to silence a single person or opinion. Students were merely offered an outlet in which to comment on an issue impacting their everyday lives.
Cooper told CNN.com about a particularly touching poster that appeared in his classroom, reading "No War Mr. Cooper." The anti-war sign was especially significant because its author was an Afghani who lost family in the American-led bombings in Afghanistan. This type of response is another reason why administrators should not have demanded the removal of the art at Highland High. As Sept. 11 proved, children are truly affected by devastating events both here and abroad. The art displayed at Highland High was a medium through which students could express not only their opinions but also their turbulent emotions. Taking away the opportunity for kids to create such posters does not allow them to share their feelings in a healthy manner. Art is inherently therapeutic for many people, and if none of the students had any problem responding to the traumatic situation of the war, no one else should have.
It's unfortunate that administrators saw the need to punish teachers for encouraging a free discourse about the war in Iraq. In times of crisis, teenagers need to know that they can count on a support system consisting of their peers and educators, and at Highland High, officials dropped the ball. The war will not go away any time soon; however, the emotional and social repercussions for today's young people will last much longer. Yes, the war is "controversial," but that should force administrators to open rather than limit free expression about it.
(Becky Krystal is a Cavalier Daily opinion editor. She can be reached at bkrystal@cavalierdaily.com.)
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