Should Teachers Be Allowed to Voice Their Political Opinions?

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump answers Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Almost every student at John Jay High School knows not to ask their teachers about anything pertaining to politics, but why has this precedent developed? The obvious reasoning is that it would be wrong for teachers to force their political beliefs onto students who are uneducated about the topic. All history and government classes at John Jay delve into important political information of our world’s past and present. However, there is something that holds back our learning: we don’t know what we are supposed to think. Personally, I am rather lost when it comes to modern day politics. I can identify a few key figures and understand some modern day issues. Despite this, there is much more that confuses me.
People tend to believe that teachers have a massive influence on the formation of our beliefs, and that we “children” will automatically agree with anything they say, but this is false. In high school, we are all mature enough to make our own decisions and not change our opinions after hearing a teacher’s position. I believe teachers should be allowed to voice their opinions because have an open discussion on their background and how this forms their opinion. This questioning helps students understand the issue and one side of the argument.
Lastly, during our Socratic seminars, students are allowed to voice their opinions, but teachers are not. This lets students who are less educated than their teachers force their opinions on other students to try to convince them they are right. It is arguable that teenagers have a higher influence on other teenagers than teachers do. This is what occurs in our schools, but teachers who have a much more educated opinion and no intent to force their beliefs on students are forced to keep their mouth shut. Thus, we must let teachers share their political beliefs to help educate the student body