An old student of mine, Jose Torres, found my blog… and he wrote the following comment:

I was a student at Beacon, I was part of the class of 1998. First off Chris I would like to say I think you are great guy, and a great teacher. But I do have one question. Is it a good idea to put your politics in the classroom and on a website/blog with a high school URL?
I think that teachers should stick to what they are good at and that is teach. Your views are your views but I know as a student I would fell as if I were wrong if I disagreed with you, maybe even confused. I know that is not your intension, and you want young people to understand politics, but how about telling them what both sides say and letting them debate the issue. When a well liked smart teacher gives his views those who don’t agree will fell intimidated. I don’t know. I voted for the winner on Nov 2nd, I know you don’t agree with that, I hope that wouldn’t make you dislike me, but my views are just different than yours. But if were a teacher, I think I’d remain neutral in the classroom and be very active on my personal time, and on my personal website. Time for me to get some rest, long day at work today… Good luck in life and in Nov 2006 because I promise I will be working hard for the other side, and I hope you do the same for your side. Oh yeah don’t worry about my Bush vote, because I live in Oregon now and you guys won this state.. after all my phone bank hours and knocking on doors.. oh well I guess I won the one that counts…

It’s a fair question, and it deserves a fair answer:

In my classroom, be it an issue of politics or literary theory, all opinions are welcome. My kids have all heard the line "Lehmann’s Theories: No Option to Buy" a few dozen times.

I’m a pretty passionate person, and the passion that I show on my blog and in my teaching are part and parcel of me. I encourage kids to bring their opinions into the classroom and take on the debates. And yes, I’m decidedly more strident on my blog than I am in my class, but there’s a reason I blog on a school site.

Kids should realize that teachers are whole people. We care about politics, about art, about sports… and we’re right about some things and we’re wrong about somethings. And we can be role models nonetheless. And kids don’t have to agree with everything a role model says. Why do I take a left of center / progressive viewpoint on my blog? Because it’s what I believe. And more than anything else, I want kids to understand that ideas matter. That we can be passionate about them. That we can care.

A student who takes the time to care about issues — who is passionate — who writes and is thoughtful — even when they disagree with me (heaven forbid) is doing more to validate my beliefs than any student who would just be willing to parrot what I would write here. So yes, Jose’s time spent phone banking and knocking on doors for the Bush / Cheney campaign is as much a validation of what we at Beacon (and I personally) believe as a student who marched against the war, worked for Kerry or Nader, or one who tried to convince his or her classmates not to take part in a corrupt voting process. The point of this blog — the point of the many debates that happen inside Beacon’s classrooms, on its forums and elsewhere — is that it is the willingness to engage in the debate — and to take action afterwards — that matters.

And if they really disagree and don’t like what I say, they can get a blog. We set them up here for free.