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Teaching Of Trump Same As Others Before Him

Love him or hate him — or somewhere in the middle — one thing is becoming clear, the uniqueness of President Donald Trump is unlike many that came before him.

So, how have teachers in government and history classes handled Trump’s presidency? At Jamestown Public Schools, the teaching of each newly elected president doesn’t change.

“As one of only 45 men to hold the position, we absolutely spend time on the president,” said Jeffrey Kresge, social social studies instructional coach. “That said, social studies would spend time discussing current events with students no matter who holds the highest office in the land.”

“President Trump’s presidency should be no different to discuss than any of the presidents of the past,” he continued.

Kresge said teachers in the district haven’t been given formal training on discussing Trump with students noting that the role of an educator has always been to develop critical thinkers and not express an opinion. He said the educators should promote research regarding any political controversy to help provide an informed decision or answer.

“Certainly, President Trump’s time in office has been attention-getting, but each and every one of my 23 years in education, kids took interest in the role of each president and his actions on issues of the day from every era,” Kresge said.

Kresge said the New York State Frameworks for social studies mandates curriculum that covers the role of the president in varied capacity in first through fifth grades, seventh and eighth grade and again in 11th and 12th grades. He noted that seventh grade and 11th grade cover the president’s role more intensely. Those grade levels include learning about the U.S. Constitution, the branches of government and the subsequent checks and balances of each branch.

“By developing the skills in students to make informed decisions, schools can help in the creation of the next wave of an active and informed citizenry,” he said. “We also seek to create a classroom environment in which all points of view are recognized and valued.”

Kresge added that the classroom can provide a different and safe environment for political discourse. Opposed to one-sided social media arguments and quick media sound bites, he said the classroom can curate civil conversations regarding politics.

He said similar to how classes evaluate actions like that of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” discussing whether if it was constitutional or not, is how an active president’s actions would be studied.

Kresge said students are also often fascinated by political polarization especially at the middle and high school. He said students question the rationale behind extreme political beliefs and unwavering support for a certain political figure or party. He said the bigger goal is to cultivate a safe environment for conversation regarding those questions.

“When students bring questions or concerns about political extremes, it is the role of teachers to put personal feelings aside and address all viewpoints and guide class discussion with fairness and equity, again allowing the teachable moment to occur,” he said.

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