Fighting Words

Drafted: The New Missoula Academic Freedom Policy

A look at the new academic freedom policy for Missoula schools, which aims to give teachers the freedom to "promote the growth of knowledge."

By Amy Linn, 5-18-09

Below is the working draft of the proposed academic freedom policy for Missoula County public schools, otherwise known as instruction policy 2330. (To read about how these types of codes are being used in surprising anti-evolution battles across the country, click here.) The policy will be posted to the Missoula County Public Schools website after final approval, which is expected in the coming weeks.

The Board recognizes and supports Academic Freedom as necessary for an environment conducive to the free exchange of ideas and learning.

Academic Freedom is the view that if teachers are to promote the growth of knowledge, they require the freedom to teach and conduct inquiry without fear of sanction or reprisals should they present an unpopular or controversial idea.

Teachers shall help students learn to objectively and respectfully examine differences of opinion, analyze and evaluate facts and their sources, and form their own reasoned judgments about the relative value of competing perspectives.

The Board expects the teaching staff to:

1. Refrain from using one’s classroom position to promote one’s own ideology or any partisan point of view.

2. Ensure that issues presented pertain to course objectives.

3. Provide students opportunities to develop critical thinking: that is the ability to detect propaganda and to distinguish between fact, opinion and misinformation.

4. Respect one’s right to form, choose, hold, change and or express his/her opinion or belief.

5. Create an environment in which students are free to form judgments independently.

[End of article]

Comment By jedediah Redman, 5-18-09

There may be balm for protective parents in that policy; but the faculty's intellectual freedom seems unnecessarily straitened...

Comment By Bill Croke, 5-18-09

Utter nonsense. Laughable. Are we to believe there will be academic freedom in the Peoples Republic of Missoula? I see this as a good way to go after any conservative point of view or heterodox opinion while maintaining the tired old status quo of kneejerk liberal orthodoxy. Where would the Left be without 1-3-4-5.? I don't believe this for a second. Boilerplate. Do you mean to tell me the universities --especially UM-- would accept students who haven't been properly brainwashed by teacher union-type political correctness? How would UM function if it actually had students who questioned such things as global warming, affirmative action, abortion, gay marriage, etc.? Again, nonsense put out by bureaucrats who think they can get away with nonsensical window dressing. Shame on them. The American public school system has been bureaucratized and totalitarianized to the point where somebody like Stalin (that's Joseph, kids) would admire it. Why parents stand for this is beyond me. Actually, we're in the second generation of this, so most have been brainwashed themselves. What say you, Missoula?

Comment By Thus did she spake, 5-19-09

Quit it with the Croking.

Today's public schools address all said issues: abortion, gay rights, affirmative action and global warming. However, I'm wondering why you've lumped all of them together? If you want your children to be protected from the truth, then simply remove them from public schools; they can learn whatever you want from that at home. (Hope you don't mind giving up 12 hours a day to preparing, teaching, and then grading their work ;).)

That being said, what's the big fear here? Teachers have every responsibility to create SPACE for students to THINK. I certainly hope our students are wallowing in ignorance. It's not bliss.

So, should I shred my communist agenda lesson plans? They were so good!

Comment By Thus did she spake, 5-19-09

AREN'T wallowing in ingorance, I meant.

Comment By Bill Croke, 5-19-09

Well, Thus Spake, I think you had it right the first time. As for the Space part, that about describes it: Everybody's in space. Methinks Thus did she spake doth spake too much. And spaketh much that doth infer much time spent in that, well, Space. Happy space times, Thus did she spake. Spaceth and spaketh on into Spaceland. You must be a public school teacher in Missoula. Am I right, Thus Spaketh and taketh up too much Space?

This article was printed from www.newwest.net at the following URL: http://www.newwest.net/city/article/drafted_the_new_missoula_academic_freedom_policy/C8/L8/