In case you’ve been living under a rock for a while or you shut off your internet connection (which may be recommendable at this point), you’re probably aware of the election that will take place next week. As the election draws near most citizens already know who they’ll be voting for. Celebrities and politicians alike have endorsed candidates, with some newspapers that have remained neutral for decades giving their support to a candidate.
But should schools publicly endorse political candidates? Should TABC go as far as to endorse a political party or candidate?
The answer, I believe, is no.
Firstly, who would endorse the candidate? What, or possibly who, is “the school”? The principal? The head of school? The Rosh Hayeshiva? Does the person with the most authority get to choose? Should it be a vote of all administrators? A vote of all staff members? Or even a vote of all students? If it's a single person choosing then does that mean s/he has control over the school? That could have serious implications about a school being run by a single person. Meanwhile, if students were to choose a candidate to support, that would have serious implications about who really runs the school. Does the administration really have control if they allow the endorsement of the next President of the United States of America to be up to the students?
Additionally, we live in a very sensitive society nowadays. The school’s endorsement of a candidate would no doubt lead to conflicts and offend parents, students, teachers, and community members who support the opposing candidate. And TABC certainly values community. In fact, the word appears 27 times in the student handbook, more than twice as much as it says “teachers.” Students may feel intimidated by political views forced upon them by the school or teachers. Students should be able to choose and associate themselves with their own views in this regard, not the views of the school.
Next, it is in the school’s benefit to remain neutral. Politics is an important issue, and there’s more than enough school-politics that influence parents’ and incoming freshmen’s decisions of which high school to enroll in. If TABC, or another school, would endorse a candidate they would hurt the prospects of attracting potential students. Parents who were supporters of the other candidate may refuse to send their child to the said school.
Now, I am not suggesting that school be a politics-free zone. I disagree with the idea of politics being a taboo. Here at TABC we have the Political Awareness Club, which meets often to discuss and debate politics. I fully endorse this club and even attend meets regularly. Many classes, especially American History classes, have been discussing current events, especially politics. This is good. It's important for students to be knowledgeable about how and by whom their government is being run. It’s good for students to choose their own opinions based on a balanced presentation of facts. It’s good for students to learn how our democracy works. It’s good for students to learn how to effectively debate politics.
What’s not good is for students to feel intimidated by a teacher’s opinion or by the school’s opinion. What’s not good is for schools and teachers to decide who students should vote for or associate with. What’s not good is for students to be intimated by views forced upon them.
What we need is for schools to educate their students about politics, but allow for them to make their own decisions.