As some of you know, I’m a substitute teacher in the Shawnee Mission School District. Consequently, the closest thing I have to a supervisor is the principal at whatever school where I’m working on a given day and the school district administration.
This week, the administration came out with a controversial statement, asking staff members to “refrain from wearing safety pins or other symbols of divisive and partisan political speech while on duty — unless such activity is specifically in conjunction with District curriculum.”
Let’s start with the confusing part of that statement: Why in the world would a teacher or other staff member be wearing a safety pin for any reason related to curriculum??? Is the administration trying to make allowances for home ec teachers who might be wearing safety pins in their lapels so they can whip them off to demonstrate the marking of dress hems?
Other than that…I agree completely agree with the ban. The district’s statement correctly prefaced the request by noting that “the wearing of a safety pin as a political statement” falls into the category of free speech. While simply wearing a safety pin was not a problem in itself, the statement said, “any disruption the political statement causes in the classroom or school is a distraction in the education process.”
And that’s the rub. The district has a strong mix of students from liberal and conservative families, and the district had received “concerns and complaints regarding political connotations associated with the wearing of safety pins.”
The safety-pin movement apparently goes back to the Brexit campaign in England, when some Brexit opponents began wearing safety pins to express solidarity with people who felt threatened by the Brexit movement. In that case, the message was aimed at immigrants. But here, after Donald Trump’s election, the message was extended to other groups, including gays, lesbians, transgenders and Muslims.
The first I heard of the safety-pin business was when Chiefs’ quarterback Alex Smith showed up wearing one at a post-game press conference last week. I didn’t think much of it, and it didn’t create much of a controversy for a couple of reasons. First, several NFL players have chosen to make political statements this season by not standing for the National Anthem. Second, Smith’s action was not going to offend any members of the news media — they don’t care, they just want good quotes and straight answers — nor was it going to pose any distraction or disruption to those proceedings.
As a liberal, my first thought upon hearing Smith had worn a safety pin was, “Great, I guess he voted for Hillary.”
But that reaction — which I’m sure others shared — confirmed that wearing a safety pin these days is, indeed, a political statement. Anybody who contends otherwise is just not being honest about it.
For Smith to wear one at the press conference is completely different from teachers and school staff members coming to school wearing safety pins. To me, it says, “In your face, Trump lover.” I can see how some students — and parents of some students — would recoil at the gesture.
In her Page 2 column in today’s Kansas City Star, Mary Sanchez criticized the Shawnee Mission School District’s message, but — as often is the case — her message was muddled.
She started off by saying district officials “decreed that wearing a safety pin is forbidden political speech.” Not so. The district’s statement clearly said the problem was not the actual wearing of a pin but the disruption it might cause.
She also said district officials had “bungled an opportunity to emphasize what every local district seeks — physical and emotional safety for all students.”
School districts’ concern for the physical and emotional well-being of their students goes without saying. Tacking on trite and platitudinous language like that suggested by Sanchez would have been meaningless.
As it should have, the school district focused on the issue at hand and, as far as I’m concerned, handled the matter very well…The only thing I would have tacked onto the statement was: “This ban also applies to home ec teachers; they may, however, wear clothespins to mark hems.”
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Good one, Jim, diplomatically well-put — the reference to Mary Sanchez, that is.
Poor Mary is often quite contrary, in a “muddled” sort of way. I can’t say I have ever read any of her grist that was very well reasoned or intellectually capitalized to any great degree.
As Royals broadcaster Rex Hudler might say of a player who’s past his productive output for the game or his career, “she got to go!”
Personally, I think the sentiment behind the safety pin is stupid and childish. That said, I could care less for the same reason I think the sentiment is silly. People are getting butthurt over every little mishap, or perceived mishap in life.
Right now the media is full of stories about people who fear that a Trump administration, or some of its followers might do something hurtful. Missing are the stories showing actual incidents that would be a cause for fear and the couple that have popped up have been demonstrated hoaxes put on by Trump haters.
Sorry, sick of people being offended. Let them wear their silly safety pins until someone can prove that there is a significant disruption to the learning environment (if they can prove that one existed in the first place).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker_v._Des_Moines_Independent_Community_School_District…This has been litigated in the past. Basically students don’t give up their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse door as long as they are not being disruptive. (Let me emphasize I am no lawyer or legal scholar so to the extent Tinker might be applicable here is for staff and others to decide.)
For what it’s worth, the SMSD statement did not address students or their rights. Presumably, they can wear safety pins, if they wish.
Here’s another case where people got bent out of shape over nothing.
http://fox4kc.com/2016/11/03/parents-outraged-after-principal-dresses-as-trump-secretary-as-clinton-in-prison-garb/
“To me, it says, “In your face, Trump lover.”
And? Are we required to respect their little prejudices by not wearing a safety-pin as an expression of our feelings? Nonsense. As Teddy said:
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Passively standing around while the alt-right beat the hell out of us is exactly why we’re in this position.
We don’t have to go to the extremes they did; no need to blatantly lie about our positions only to renege on them when in office, for example. But there’s also no reason to not protest what we know is coming down the pike; the fact we’re (the Left) concerned with civility is part of the problem.
Stand up.
Good points, Will…And great quote from Teddy!
(But let’s face it, we are more civil…)
Did the SMSD school district have the elementary school essay contest in 2009 titled “What the election of President Obama means to me” or “How can I help President Obama” or some such title – like most elementary schools around the country? Looking forward to school districts endorsing such a project next January.
I dunno…
Teachers are not a fringe lot. In fact, almost all teachers are super squares, with almost no clue to what life is like outside the protective bubble of self important authority, red marking pens, and rules. I laugh at the idea that administration tried to hurt their political opposites by having the district lawyers advise them that the safety pins are disruptive, and I laugh at the teachers who think they are bold, daring and “out there,” by wearing a pin. No wonder “EVERYONE” hates school. The banality of it all is comic.
But fear not. Somewhere, someone out there in college is on your side….and that person is getting their teaching credential, so as to silently, stealthy, infiltrate the educational system as a “Harriet Tubman,” and knock down that “Brick-wall.” (i.e. – Pink Floyd)
“As a liberal, my first thought upon hearing Smith had worn a safety pin was, “Great, I guess he voted for Hillary.” But that reaction — which I’m sure others shared — confirmed that wearing a safety pin these days is, indeed, a political statement. Anybody who contends otherwise is just not being honest about it.”
Exactly. It represents an anti-Trump sentiment. And the principal issue isn’t whether this might cause some “disruption”, but rather such political speech in a public school setting by teachers is simply illegal.