Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board refines 'current events' policy to require neutral, balanced classroom discussion
Summary
The board revised Policy 119’s language to require that classroom current-events instruction be 'neutral, balanced, and free from advocacy' and added guidance on teacher mediation for sensitive topics; members discussed how to handle student responses that may offend.
Perkiomen Valley’s board reviewed revisions to Policy 119 (current events) with an eye toward clearer, less subjective language. Committee members recommended replacing phrasing such as "does not tend to persuade" with a directive that classroom instruction be "neutral, balanced, and free from advocacy" and that lessons "must not attempt to persuade students of a particular viewpoint."
The board discussed practical classroom scenarios—how a teacher should respond if a student’s comment about a controversial international event or court decision offends peers—and noted that the guidance is aimed primarily at how teachers design and mediate discussions rather than policing student speech. Members emphasized that a structured, scholarly approach to current events (with context and norms for dialogue) is the goal, not a guarantee that no one will be offended.
Administrators and teachers present said the language is intended to protect classroom inquiry and civic learning while giving teachers tools to moderate sensitive conversations. The committee approved moving the revised language forward with the suggested neutral/balanced framing.
