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TPS: Using Students For Campaign Work
- Filed under: Uncategorized
- Date: Oct 21,2008
This from Thurber's Thoughts caught my eye.
The Toledo Public Schools are having students write letters to voters in the district supporting their two ballot issues, 34 and 35, as a school assignment.
Maggie writes: So here we have an internal department of TPS using TPS equipment to produce a campaign piece and distributing it to local elementary schools. Teachers then have the kids, as part of a class assignment, copy what they've written on the board about supporting the ballot issues, and then mail out the postcards using the TPS bulk mailing permit…..What is important is that Toledo Public Schools forced elementary school children to participate in an electioneering stunt, making it part of a classroom assignment, and shamelessly used them as a pawn in their political campaign. And, according to what my neighbor Ed reported, no parent was asked ahead of time for their permission to use their child in such a despicable manner.
It is pretty disgusting to have kids spend their school time campaigning and writing letters for the district ballot initiatives. That is not what school resources should be used for.
Can those opposed to the levy use the TPS print shop and get some anti-school levy mailers done for them by students as part of a "school assignment?"
9 Responses for "TPS: Using Students For Campaign Work"
I think we did that back in the day at my suburban Cleveland school. I dont know if it passed or not. I was a youngin then.
They are just trying to spread the wealth around.
If it is illegal for a candidate to place a sign in the school yard it should be illegal for levy signs as well.
Schools do put levy signs on their property at times, and that's okay with me, but the writing assignment was over the line. Something more balanced, such as the pros and the cons of the issue and its long term consequences, would have been less egregious. Do you really think the school office that printed up all the info to pass on gave an unbiased view? Hard to decide any issue without all the facts available.
Ben,
This does not bother me so much. However, it does set a bad precedent. We should just be happy the kids aren't writing letters that read, "Please vote for Barack Obama so he can save our school system."
As a teacher, I agree with you Ben. This is totally inappropriate.
I read the linked account.
I'm having difficulty comprehending this kind of reaction…."despicable act".
Have conservatives lost all sense of proportion?
Students sending out post cards to parents….postcards in support of their own schools is somehow a "despicable act."
I guess I'm just not getting the terrible severity in all this. But "despicable" is absolutely over the top.
It's their own school for goodness sake. I see it as a very good student exercise in civics.
Reverend
YOu are right that despicable is an over-the-top adjective. I think the parent was upset because he felt his child (children) was being manipulated and that this is not an isuue that children can logically decide given their youth and lack of financial savvy. Certainly not elememtary school children.
Good judgement by the central office? No. There were other ways to accomplish their goals, without using elementary school children.
It's the parents in that district who vote on these things, no? So in effect the school is pitting students against some of their own parents, in a sense. It may not be despicable but it doesn't speak well for our 'educators.'
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