MUKILTEO—Kamiak High School students got a taste of classroom politics a couple weeks ago when they were asked to provide evidence justifying claims that the 45th President of the United States, Donald J Trump, is a “fascist.”
According to Kamiak High School Principal Stephen Shurtleff, an AP Government and Politics teacher asked students to evaluate quotes from political leaders claiming former President Trump is a fascist and give evidence the claims are “possibly” correct.
Just days prior, Vice President Kamala Harris had called Trump a “fascist” at a CNN town hall in Pennsylvania, along with Trump’s longest-serving chief-of-staff John Kelly who warned Trump fits “the general definition of a fascist.”
In the assignment, Kamiak students were asked to “1) define fascist (fascism) 2) provide evidence that Harris and Kelly’s assessment is possibly correct,” according to Principal Shurtleff.
A former Kamiak High School alumnus reached out to the Mukilteo School District regarding the assignment, which he deemed completely inappropriate.
“My recommendation is to be proactive and demonstrate to the community that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated rather than waiting and demonstrating that you will only take action when pressure is applied,” the former student said.
The Mukilteo School District gave a prompt and strong response.
“Something like that does would [sic] NOT align with district policies or practices,” the district wrote on its Facebook page the morning of Friday, November 1.
Shurtleff has provided the assignment students were given for transparency.
- “Last night, on a CNN town hall, Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris dropped…An F-bomb…That’s right. She called Donald Trump a FASCIST”
- “Ms. Harris is not the only notable person who, in the past week or so, has dropped this F-bomb. Former President Trump’s former chief-of-staff, (and retired Marine Corp General), John Kelly also labeled Trump a fascist. Trump’s response to Kelly “Thank you for your support against a total degenerate named John Kelly, who made up a story out of pure Trump Derangement Syndrome Hatred! John Kelly is a LOWLIFE, and a bad General, whose advice in the White House I no longer sought, and told him to MOVE ON!”(from Fox News) [this quote was presented in full in the prompt]
- Assignment #2 for today: On a piece of 8.5”x11” lined notebook paper, 1) define fascist (fascism) 2) provide evidence that Harris and Kelly’s assessment is possibly correct.
Some students requested to disprove Harris’s and Kelly’s allegations instead, which Shurtleff claims the teacher granted.
“So far as I could find, no students refused to participate in the activity,” Shurtleff said.
“I did not find that students’ grades would be impacted at all by which position they chose to explore for the assignment,” he added.
As of Friday, grades for the assignment had not been released, but Shurtleff maintained that all students “received full credit for accurate use of evidence.”
Author: Olivia Thiessen
15 Responses
Easy paper to write !
Because Trimp is clearly a fascist, as well as being sexist and racist.
I think that this teacher defines the term perfectly . He is the dictator in his class room and doesn’t want anyone to question his authority and beliefs. This is why these liberals have no concept of what democracy is and how to run the government.
The teacher is using this incident in our current events and asking their students to evaluate the claim using evidence to identify whether such a claim is correct, which is exactly how you teach critical thinking skills. The subject is on topic and relevant to the real world…what on earth would be inappropriate about such an assignment? The only bias here lies with anyone who thinks that this assignment doesn’t fit the criteria for the class curriculum.
The teacher’s assignment sounds like it is asking for support for the accusation that Trump is a fascist. It does not allow the student the option to show refutation of the accusation. However when students asked for the option it does sound like the teacher granted the requests. The assignment should have been stated to show support or refutation from the start. It was obviously presented from a biased perspective.
You’re a joke. Average Kamala supporter. A walking L
Provide your evidence. Or are you incapable of completing a high school level assignment?
Having students think and give evidence for their opinions is what education is for!
Educating students about fascism and asking them to support their argument with evidence is NOT inappropriate. In an Advanced Placement class full of students who are borderline adults, students have the maturity to learn about such subjects.
Which Teacher was this specifically that assigned this? I am curious to know.
This is literally what you are supposed to do in high school assignments where critical thinking is required and supported an argument with facts and demonstrable reasoning. We had to write similar essays about former leaders and how their actions changed humanity for better or worse. People need to stop crying about school students engaging in real world situations because they don’t like or agree with the prompt. Deal with it
At first I was appalled by this assignment, then I started thinking. When in High School I was on the debate team, my job was to look at both sides of the problem, get facts and write them on note cards and then debate with others. You learn more by looking at all of the evidence both pro and con and then you become informed. To be a good voter you need to be informed and not take all things that are said as truth without investigating. Some of my best teachers got me thinking, that is their job.
Are you serious to accept this? Clearly, this is biased. Critical thinking is not feeding ideas. If you are really critical, it should be both ways. Otherwise, it is political propaganda / influencing kids to think in one way only.
Question should have a third option like below.
“In the assignment, Kamiak students were asked to “1) define fascist (fascism) 2) provide evidence that Harris and Kelly’s assessment is possibly correct,” according to Principal Shurtleff. 3) Provide evidence on theon how Harris and Kelly have been name calling and fear mongering and how the current Administration has been the real fasicts, How this administration abetted the assasination atempts with violent vitriolic”
This would have been fair. People would have come up with more convincing answer for the 3rd option
You are incorrect. It should have been
1) Define fascist (fascism)
2) Is Harris and Kelly’s claim that Donald Trump is fascist correct? If or if not, provide evidence.
The common public belief is that he is fascist. Teacher asked to find proof that he is – in other words, he asked them to question a common belief. We should always question what s said and verify it. Alternative, we just blinded follow our leaders.
Brilliant assignment. Critical thinking skills were challenged & clearly the assignment was in tune with the times. Kids need to be able to evaluate & question political statements. Not sure why the administration has deemed this an inappropriate assignment. Kudos to the teacher.