Revised policy would protect political discussions as part of classwork

This fall, social studies teacher Jack Carney hosted a mock election for his junior and senior students. The kids learned about the issues, ballot measures and candidates, asked questions and eventually cast mock ballots of their own.

A newly updated school board policy will ensure such classroom efforts can continue in the future.

“In social studies classes, for example, we want things about the election and about political parties,” Superintendent Bill Burr said. “We wanted to make sure that was allowed.”

The new policy ensures this. Though political discourse inside classrooms was not previ...