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Barre Town Supervisory
District Policy Manual
TITLE: Teaching About
Controversial/Sensitive Issues CODE: IMB
Effective citizenship is a major goal of the educational experience at
Barre Town Elementary School. To achieve this purpose, students should
have an opportunity to examine instructional materials reflecting a wide
variety of experiences. Accordingly, guidelines within which the
district’s professional staff and students can teach and learn about
controversial and sensitive issues are provided in this policy.
Controversial and sensitive
issues are defined as those problems, subjects, or questions about which
there are significant differences of opinion, for which there are no
easy resolutions, and discussions of which generally crate strong
feelings among people. Although there may be disagreement over what the
facts are and what they mean, subjects usually become controversial and
sensitive because of the different values people use in applying the
facts as known.
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Controversial and
sensitive issues shall be handled as they arise in the classroom and
shall not be avoided in order to restrict or restrain the academic
freedom of either the teacher or the student.
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Controversial and
sensitive issues shall be studied with objectivity by both teacher
and students.
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Instructional Materials
and references used in the classroom will be made available by the
school and such material will meet the criteria for selection of
Library & Instructional Materials (IJK).
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In handling a
controversial or sensitive issue, the teacher shall not suppress a
student’s view on that issue as long as the expression of that view
is not derogatory, malicious or abusive toward other students’
views. On the other hand, one student shall not be permitted to
dominate the discussion. In handling controversial or sensitive
issues in the classroom, both teachers and students shall be
encouraged not to determine what is right and what is wrong in
certain issues, but rather to come to their own conclusions as to a
particular issue after independent inquiry and parental discussion.
Students’ Rights and
Responsibilities
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To research, study, and
discuss significant issues and to reach judgments and express
opinions without jeopardizing their relationships with classmates or
teachers.
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To learn in an objective
school climate which will allow them to feel free to examine any
aspect of a controversial or sensitive issue.
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To study under competent
instruction in an impartial atmosphere and have access to relevant
material.
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To recognize that
reasonable compromise often is an important facet in decision making
in our society.
Teacher’s Rights and
Responsibilities
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To be free to conduct
reasonable study and discussion of controversial or sensitive issues
without fear of reprisal.
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To maintain a high
degree of impartiality.
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To treat controversial
or sensitive topics objectively and to present alternate and/or
divergent positions and opinions.
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To determine the degree
and extent of consideration to be given to a specific controversial
or sensitive issue based upon knowledge, maturity, and competence of
students and class.
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To reveal his or her
opinion to the degree appropriate (if at all). When so doing, the
teacher must inform students this is a personal opinion rather than
a factual and authoritative statement.
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To ensure an accurate,
factual, and balanced presentation of materials is readily available
for the student.
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To inform the building
principal prior to the teaching of units of instruction reasonably
anticipated to be controversial and/or sensitive in nature and to
seek administrative guidance as needed.
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To inform parents prior
to the teaching of units of instruction reasonably anticipated to be
controversial and/or sensitive in nature and to hold, if deemed
necessary, an informational meeting for parents and the public
before teaching the unit in question.
Date Adopted: 11/7/83
Date Revised: 8/9/06
Legal Reference(s):
Cross References:
IJK – Instruction Material
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