As the war winds down in Iraq, many teachers still may find themselves fighting battles in their classrooms, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder education professor.
In schools throughout the United States, students and teachers have tried to figure out how the war in Iraq should be addressed in the classroom. Facing conflicting demands from students, parents, administrators and their own sense of professional responsibility, teachers are often caught in the middle, according to CU-Boulder Professor Kevin Welner.
"Few teachers will get in trouble if they simply express support for our troops," said Welner, who also is an attorney and an expert in the legal issues of free speech and the public school classroom.
"But what if lessons involve analysis of war strategy or press coverage or U.S. policy? These topics are generally appropriate for older students, yet they can land a teacher in hot water," he said.
An article on the subject by Welner will appear in this month's issue of the UCLA Law Review.
In the article, Welner explores the use of controversial instructional methods and materials, and assesses the approach courts typically use in such cases.Ìý
In teaching about the war in Iraq, Welner said teachers must walk a fine line. "The school district has the authority to determine what will be taught and how it will be taught, and teachers must comply," he said. He added, however, that this is not always easy. "We ask our teachers to use their discretion to respond to unanticipated events and needs, but they can run into problems if they do so."
A real trouble spot occurs when teachers believe they have been given the discretion to explore a topic, and then a firestorm erupts. Welner offered the example of teachers who "merely encourage a careful analysis of the war," who may be attacked as unpatriotic. These attacks could lead to firing or other job-related discipline, he said.
In such a case, Welner said teachers may find themselves with little support - from their school boards and from the courts.
Welner recommends that teachers clearly spell out their intentions to their principals before teaching lessons that could be controversial. This will not completely protect the teacher from job-related discipline, but it does offer a measure of protection, he said.
The article, "Locking Up the Marketplace of Ideas and Locking Out School Reform," will be published in Volume 50, Issue 4 of the UCLA Law Review.