Letter to the Editor - April 29, 2008

I understand the administration is allowing the politicization of the learning environment through the Day of Silence, which is sponsored by the highly partisan Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. I am disappointed that this is being allowed at Sultana and Hesperia High schools, with no regard to the rest of the students. I will support parents keeping their children out of school on that day.

The administration errs when it allows the classroom to be disrupted and politicized by granting students permission to remain silent throughout the entire day. The protesters have a captive audience and many of whom disagree with this action, are made uncomfortable by the politicization in their classroom. How many political protests will the school allow, and who decides which political issue will be permitted to disrupt the educational process?

Day of Silence participants have a First Amendment right allowing them to make available informative materials for those who are interested. These participants go further, however, by exploiting the instructional time of every student in every class for an entire day in the service of their philosophical beliefs and partisan political purposes. Their silence, and in some cases, the silence of their teachers, will transform the activities of the day, forcing teachers to change their lesson plans and way of teaching.

By allowing students to remain silent, the administration fails to protect the classroom from intrusive, political exploitation. I believe students should attend classes to learn the subjects that will prepare them for their future and not forced to be captive to political agendas in the classroom!