| Bay Village City School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
2240 - CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
A controversial issue* is defined as any problem which society is in the process of debating and for which more than one solution may be offered and supported by individuals or any group of people. In order to provide the necessary guidelines from which teachers and principals can plan their instructional programs and effectively and systematically handle controversial issues, the following statements are presented.
| A. | The Board of Education recognizes that a large part of the curriculum is made up of established truths and values and the elements of our American heritage and tradition; however, the District also recognizes that gradual social change is inevitable and that such change involves controversial issues. | |
| B. | The Board believes that sober consideration of such controversial issues is a responsibility of the public schools since respect for facts and an impartial search for truth are inherent in our American democratic society. | |
| C. | The District shall provide for dispassionate, unprejudiced, and objective study of controversial issues in a classroom atmosphere void of partisanship and bias. | |
| D. | The professional teacher has not only the personal but the professional responsibility to uphold, protect, and defend the fundamental freedoms of our American democratic society. In the fulfillment of this responsibility, the teacher has a right to protection from the pressures which would demand any withholding of important facts. | |
| E. | The professional teacher as an impartial moderator and guide shall not attempt, either directly or indirectly, to limit or control the judgment of students on such controversial issues. Individually, however, the teacher has a right to express his/her personal opinion and that it should not necessarily influence the decision or opinions of his/her students. | |
| F. | All questions and issues used for classroom discussion or investigation shall come within the range of the knowledge, maturity, and competence of students. Problems and issues thus selected for discussion and investigation should be significant and of interest to students and add to the curriculum area in which they are being discussed. | |
| G. | The issues studied shall be allotted only that amount of time needed for a satisfactory study by the class. There shall be an equitable amount of time and materials available on both sides of the issue with complete and objective consideration given to the differing points of view and information related to the issues. | |
| H. | No group or individual may claim the right to present arguments for or against any issue under study directly to students or to the class without authorization. The teacher, with the approval of the principal or other designated school administrators, may invite representatives of different points of view to appear before the class to discuss their opinions. | |
| I. | The professional teacher's judgment should be a significant factor in the determinant of the instructional program in the classroom. In fulfilling this responsibility, however, and in exercising this professional judgment, the teacher shall inform the school principal or other designated school administrator about potentially controversial issues or activities before they occur and certainly as they do occur. | |
| J. | The Superintendent of Schools shall prepare necessary forms and procedures to be used whenever disagreements or misunderstandings occur, either from the public or among the professional staff, concerning the proper handling of any controversial issue. |
Controversial issues related to the instructional program may be raised by the students themselves provided they are presented in the ordinary course of classroom instruction and it is not substantially disruptive to the educational setting.
Controversial issues may not be raised by a source outside the schools unless prior approval has been given by the principal.
When controversial issues have not been specified in the course of study, the Board will permit the instructional use of only those issues which have been approved by the Superintendent or have been approved by the principal and has informed the Superintendent or designee.
In the discussion of any issue, a teacher may express a personal opinion, but shall identify it as such, and must not express such an opinion for the purpose of persuading students to his/her point of view.
No classroom teacher shall be prohibited from providing reasonable periods of time for activities of a moral, philosophical, or patriotic theme. No student shall be required to participate in such activities if they are contrary to the religious convictions of the student or his/her parents or guardians.
The Board acknowledges that it may not adopt any policy or rule respecting or promoting an establishment of religion or prohibiting any student from the free, individual, and voluntary exercise or expression of the student’s religious beliefs. However, such exercise or expression shall be limited to lunch periods or other noninstructional time periods when students are free to associate.
The Board also recognizes that a course of study or certain instructional materials may contain content and/or activities that some parents find objectionable. If after careful, personal review of the program lessons and/or materials, a parent files a complaint in accordance with Board Policy 9130 regarding either the content or activities that conflict with his/her religious beliefs or value system, the school will honor a written request for his/her child to be excused from a particular class for specified reasons. The student, however, will not be excused from participating in the course and will be provided alternate learning activities during times of such parent requested absences.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for dealing with controversial issues and with parental concerns about program content or the use of particular materials.
*Teaching objectively about religions and the contributions they have made to many different cultures is not considered to be a controversial issue. The indoctrination of religious or sectarian beliefs is, however, specifically prohibited in public schools in the State of Ohio and, therefore, is prohibited in the School District.
R.C. 3313.601
Revised 10/10/94
Revised 2/24/03