Emily Telesco, Editor-in-Chief
Graphic by Veronica Gass
We like to think of classrooms and hallways as spaces for open discussion – places where ideas are born, debated and refined. But, when conversation turns political, this ideal seems to unravel.
Legally, students have long been granted the right to speak their minds in school. In the 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines Supreme Court case, the Court ruled that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,” affirming that student voices have a place in the classroom. At the same time, the decision acknowledged that speech in schools can be limited if it disrupts the learning environment – a tension that still exists today, more than 50 years later.
It’s not like students aren’t politically active – in the past decade, members of Gen Z have become engaged on issues like gun control, the environment, reproductive health and racial justice. “If a U.S. or world event is happening, I will almost always want to hear what my friends or close peers think of it. I am motivated to do this when I feel like it is necessary to speak up about it, or if it causes me to feel angry or upset,” senior Soraya Breed said.
Norwalk and Westhill High Schools’ recent staged walkouts serve as examples for how students are able use their voice to challenge events happening in their communities. In late February, students from Norwalk and Brien McMahon high schools protested to bring attention to the ongoing ICE activity around the country. And, more recently, hundreds of Westhill and Stamford High School students protested the possible transfer of their principals. However, Stamford’s walkout was cancelled after their principal claimed their “need to protest does not exist.”
At a time of increasing political polarization, many high school students are navigating not just what they believe, but whether they feel comfortable expressing those beliefs in a school setting. “I am not super inclined to speak about my political opinion with my peers in school, but I do like discussing politics with my friends and family,” Soraya said. “I sometimes get discouraged because I feel like a lot of my classmates don’t share the same political views as me, so saying my opinions out loud might lead to judgement.”
Senior Morgan Pitts shared a similar concern about other people’s reactions, which prevents her from openly speaking her thoughts. “A lot of the time I just keep my thoughts to myself, even if I have something to say, because sometimes people can react in different ways,” she said. “Politics can get intense really fast, and I don’t want people to assume things about me or turn it into an argument.”
Civics Teacher Kristine Goldhawk has noticed a clear shift in the number of outspoken students in school. “Outside of class, I don’t hear students talking about politics as much as in years past. Again, not sure how much is due to knowledge versus the political climate, But I don’t think the adults in Washington, DC are being good role models for political behavior,” she said. “When talking about politics and politicians, I ask my students to be better than the politicians in DC and to rise to the occasion.”
When talking about politics and politicians, I ask my students to be better than the politicians in DC and to rise to the occasion.
kristine goldhawk, Civics Teacher
Morgan has also noticed that there are certain topics that people refrain from discussing due to their controversy. “I think people avoid talking about religion and controversial social issues. Even if people have strong opinions, they don’t always want to deal with the tension that comes along when talking about them,” she said.
Classrooms are not the only place where discourse can occur. Often, people take to online and social media platforms to express their ideas and opinions. “In some ways with social media being prevalent, students are more comfortable expressing their views there,” Soraya said. “It’s easy to hide behind and screen and post a photo on your Instagram story without there being huge disagreements about it.”
So, how can we create spaces where tough conversations can take place both inside and outside of the classrooms? It starts with educating yourself and being open to new perspectives. “I have students read excerpts from a book called ‘ Think You’re Wrong, But I’m Listening,’” Ms. Goldhawk said. “It helps to teach students how to have conversations that are tough, where you may disagree with each other, but can remain friends afterwards.”
Having classrooms in which an atmosphere of trust is held is important for allowing students to feel more comfortable talking about the issues. In addition, Ms. Goldhawk believes that taking away the traditional labels of Democrats vs Republicans helps immensely. “For example, we do a mock presidential election in my Civics class,” Ms. Goldhawk said. “The students create their own parties that reflect their political ideas, and are able to clearly articulate their beliefs in a safe way where they do not feel attacked or judged.”
These kinds of constructive conversations are already happening in a variety of classes. In a few of the classes Soraya has taken over the past four years, voicing her personal opinion has been very encouraged. “Classes like Anthropology and UCONN English are ones where class discourse is very accepted and highly thought of. It’s definitely built up my confidence around speaking up,” she said.
If classrooms are meant to be places where ideas are tested and challenged, then learning to navigate disagreement may just be as important as the ideas themselves. We just have to be willing to start speaking up.
