Political Indoctrination in Sanborn

by
Ann Marie Banfield

A parent, who asked to remain anonymous, sent me an example of a writing assignment that has a clear political bias included. This assignment was given to Juniors at Sanborn Regional High School to complete.

No matter what your political views are, the teacher or the school district should not be exploiting children in this way. We should all be working towards preserving free thought and individual freedom.

 

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In this writing example, you can clearly see the political bias when it comes to the topics of abortion and illegal immigration. Parents appreciate assignments that are politically neutral or assignments that cover the subject where differing viewpoints are presented. Parents are not looking to force their political views on students, they simply don’t want another viewpoint forced on their children.

It’s not that these ideas should be withheld from the classroom, but it should be handled in a way that allows for the free exchange of differing ideas and viewpoints to be presented. Not only should these topics be presented in a more thoughtful way, but this is a good time for children to learn to respect those who hold a different set of values and beliefs.

Public schools have a diverse population of families. When one political viewpoint is pushed on children, it shows disrespect for the families who hold a different worldview. If you say you support diversity and inclusion, then start showing it.

According to school rankings, here is where Sanborn Regional High School Stands:
Sanborn Regional High School placed in the bottom 50% of all schools in New Hampshire for overall test scores (math proficiency is bottom 50%, and reading proficiency is bottom 50%) for the 2018-19 school year.

The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 30-34% (which is lower than the New Hampshire state average of 48%) for the 2018-19 school year. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 50-54% (which is lower than the New Hampshire state average of 56%) for the 2018-19 school year.

Given the poor performance we are seeing at Sanborn Regional High School, instead of focusing on indoctrinating children, they should look at ways to improve the quality of instruction. Let’s elevate the learning in Sanborn and expect better from those in charge of our kids. That is the way you show appreciation for diversity and inclusion.

Author

  • Ann Marie Banfield

    Ann Marie Banfield has been researching education reform for over a decade and actively supports parental rights, literacy and academic excellence in k-12 schools. You can contact her at: banfieldannmarie@gmail.com

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