As part of his 100-day entry plan, Gloucester County Public Schools superintendent Dr. Anthony Vladu is meeting with every employee to learn more about the district and what he needs to focus on as superintendent. One trend he has noticed is that teachers are concerned about teaching political and controversial topics in the classroom.
Vladu said he wants to ensure that staff feels psychologically and intellectually safe when teaching about controversial, politically-charged topics that are part of the curriculum, such as in government and civics classes. These topics can also arise in classes where current events are discussed.
“Educators need a safe place to do their jobs,” said Vladu.
The school district has two policies that actually address teaching about controversial issues and employee participation in political activities.
Policy GBG, which addresses employee participation in political activities, states an employee may not do the following.
—Use the employee’s position within...