No consensus No consensus (April 29, 2005)

Trustees fail to make a statement on campaign buttons
by Rebecca Guyon

Once again, the Pleasanton school board couldn't reach a consensus Tuesday on the issue of politics in the classroom, a much discussed concern that has been debated for five meetings this year.

After two hours of debate, board members approved the original district policy for school employee election activity with minor modifications. But they were unable to agree on administrative regulations, specifically whether a statement should be made regarding teachers' rights to wear campaign buttons during instructional periods.

"You wanted a very clear policy," Trustee Steve Pulido said. "Is a button campaigning? This policy doesn't address that question and that's my concern."

The approved policy states that discussion of current events and government is encouraged in the classroom, but district employees are prohibited from using district materials and time to campaign for election purposes. The policy passed by a vote of three to two with Trustees Kris Weaver, Juanita Haugen and Pat Kernan voting in favor of the policy and Trustee Gloria Fredette and Pulido voting against.

Weaver moved to pass the proposed administrative regulations with an amendment prohibiting buttons during instructional time.

"It's important that we set some boundaries," Weaver said. "To me it's a lot like being a parent to your kids. It would help the professional atmosphere to let teachers know what they can and cannot do."

Weaver's motion died when it failed to get a second.

"I am not for outright prohibition," Pulido said. "The first amendment still applies to employees."

Pulido then moved to adopt the regulations with an amendment stating buttons are not prohibited and Fredette seconded the motion. The motion failed by a vote of two to three with Pulido and Fredette voting in favor of the amended regulations and Haugen, Weaver and Kernan voting against.

Although Pulido and Weaver voted on different sides of this debate, both agreed that the regulations needed to specifically state whether teachers could or could not wear buttons during instructional time, diverging from the views of Haugen and Kernan who do not support any stated regulations.

"I don't believe buttons should be worn in the classroom," Kernan said. "But from what I've heard from teachers the issue is not so much that prohibitions are in place, but that we are legislating that."

Haugen agreed that regulations should not be in place and that the board should trust teachers' to conduct themselves in a professional manner.

"If we hear there is abuse of these privileges during the next election cycle, then we will look at this issue again," Haugen said. She went on to define "abuse" as teachers wearing campaign buttons in the classroom and said regulations would be needed if the board receives reports of such activity.

Kernan moved to pass the regulations as presented, without a specific statement regarding campaign buttons, and Haugen seconded that motion. The regulation failed by a vote of two to three, with Kernan and Haugen voting in favor and Fredette, Pulido and Weaver voting against.

This vote means that the board has a policy in place without specific regulations addressing campaign buttons in the classroom.

"You are no where near where you wanted to be, and now after five meetings and countless hours, we have a policy with no regulations," Pulido said.

Despite the apparent lack of guidelines, Superintendent John Casey acknowledged that the policy is still accompanied by protocol guidelines and the Education Code.

The question of campaign buttons first came to the board after complaints during the 2003 elections that pointed to ambiguity in the policy.

This issue has elicited strong reactions from teachers, parents, students and other members of the community. During Tuesday's meeting, several members of the public spoke out in favor of a prohibition on buttons citing they bring an unnecessary adversarial relationship to the classroom and can be used as a tool of indoctrination.

"Unions are the teachers and the Democratic Party owns the union," said speaker Jackie Byerly. "This is all a veiled attempt by the union to harass students. When you give a one-sided political view that is not freedom of speech. The union wants to indoctrinate kids and insult parents."

Speaker Judy Symcox reiterated after the discussion that the issue comes down to two phrases, "captive audience" and "minors," referring to opponents' main concern that public education is compulsory and students may be made to feel uncomfortable or fear retaliation by teachers if personal political views are allowed to be expressed during classroom time.

When the board reviewed the question of buttons at its March 22 meeting, several teachers spoke out against a ban saying it was an infringement on their first amendment rights and would stifle discussions of government and current events.
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