Washington teachers need to talk about 2016 election

“Jason and Burns” have some advice for Washington teachers worried about offending students with discussion of the 2016 presidential election: Get over it.

The KIRO Radio hosts discussed a KING 5 report that looked at Washington teachers at the high school level who are dodging the presidential conversation altogether or changing the way they teach to avoid chaos in the classroom.

Rantz: Evergreen State College trigger warnings coddle hypersensitive ‘snowflakes’

Jason Rantz took particular issue with these Washington teachers — particularly an Aberdeen High School social studies teacher Dustin Leithold’s quote:

“I don’t see a lot of substance or policies or actual plans by either candidate, so it’s hard for me to set up sort of a debate or a discussion.”

Rantz: Dude teaches American government and he’s unwilling to step into what is easily the biggest government story of the year. It’s ridiculous that we are going out of our way to avoid things because somebody might feel uncomfortable.

Zak Burns: I didn’t hear him say anything about it being that the students might be uncomfortable. He’s putting his own political leanings into this and saying that neither of the candidates is espousing any policies that are worth reiterating to his students.

Rantz: The fear comes from the teacher’s side, not the students saying they feel uncomfortable. Let the kids complain and then you address it at that point. Why do we assume that they’re going to be complaining about how uncomfortable they are going to feel?

Burns: If you teach a class called American government, what are you focusing on right now if not this election? This is governmental process unfolding in real time. How that could not get into your classroom as part of daily discussion is beyond me.

Rantz: Conversations about immigration are going to undoubtedly make some people uncomfortable because maybe they view it as something personal. Maybe they are here illegally, maybe they have a relationship with people who are and maybe this is just a little too much to handle. The truth is, this is the exact place where you want to start talking about those feelings and dealing with those reactions because, in the real world, people don’t necessarily care that you’re made to feel uncomfortable because they are talking about something. So why not do it in a “safe space” where you’re able to explore topics, where you’re growing because you’re being challenged and made to feel uncomfortable. You learn how to cope.

Washington teachers in elementary schools

Washington teachers at the high school level aren’t the only ones struggling with this issue. Consider Debbie Koch, an elementary school teacher in the Federal Way School District:

“Some of the quotes are extreme. Some of the back-and-forth reactions on how they are responding to the other candidate are not as professional. It’s a little bit awkward for teachers to cover things that are not as polite.”

Rantz: What are you talking about? History is filled with things that aren’t polite.

Burns: History is savage.

Rantz: Like the whole slavery thing — not really a polite thing to do to people. The Holocaust: I wouldn’t say the Jews were treated with politeness, but we’re talking about it because of the understanding that it’s important to teach kids about this stuff.

Burns: I’m trying to point to an era of history that was peaceful and kind. Really, think of one? American or pre-American history is rife with murder and brutality, so how can you say that someone saying that some Mexicans are rapists are worse than teaching the savagery that led to creation of this nation.

Rantz: What a lack of creativity. Even using politeness as a bar – which is ridiculous – you’re telling me that in all the intricacies of the stories we talk about having to do with this election, you couldn’t find anything that is polite?

Burns: Going back to 2012, which was relatively boring by comparison, there’s way more to talk about in 2016. So if you were able to devise a lesson plan for Romney vs. Obama, surely he should be able to do so with Clinton vs. Trump.

Rantz: Is it not fascinating just looking at the Republican side of how Donald Trump got to where he is? Going up against mainstream Republicans, people with huge brand names and recognition and being able to single-handedly defeat them. Studying that alone is fascinating.

Burns: What I’d hate to be, though, is a debate teacher. When I took debate class, if you screamed and called someone a name, you lost. But if you’re running for president and you do that, you win. There is that high road idea of “don’t combat with insults, combat with facts.” Maybe combating with insults is actually an effective debate technique.

Rantz: Maybe that’s why they are so scared. They realize that is incredibly effective and they don’t want the kids to actually learn that and use that in real life.

Burns: Then they’re denying the future possibility of some kid becoming president.

Follow @http://twitter.com/Mynorthwest